Easy english expression rehashed.
Hello everybody, my name is coach shane and welcome to easy english expressions.
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Hello everybody, Coach Shane here.
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We got a great expression today.
Enjoy, EQ number 361.
Let's go back in time.
Today's expression, ooh, it's very good.
It is First World Problems.
First world problems.
First world problems.
So in our world...
We use these two words very frequently to describe how well people are living, or to describe the education level, or maybe the political level, or maybe a historical definition.
First world and third world.
Yes, we do have second world.
We have post world.
We have whatever.
We have other expressions.
But very common, first world and third world.
So first world, that means the wealthy nations.
Countries where most people have good jobs, a college education is not special.
Many many many, many people do have access to higher education, good health care, good social programs, good jobs.
They live in nicer homes, they have water, they have electricity.
Using the internet is nothing.
It's very common.
So most of you are either living in the first world or are pretty lucky in your country.
Now the opposite would be the third world nations, And in the third world nations many of the people are very poor.
They don't have the internet.
Getting an education is a luxury.
Getting healthcare is a luxury.
Getting clean water, enough food, having a home can be a luxury.
So...
I think everybody who's listening to this podcast is pretty lucky.
I think we should take a second to think about how lucky we were to be born where we were.
There are lots of people in this world in a much, much, much more difficult situation.
So today's expression, first world problems, is actually kind of sarcastic.
It's meant to be funny, but it also means problems that are not serious problems.
So for example, oh, my internet is slow today.
Yes.
If you live in the US, if you live in Germany, if you live in Japan, this is a problem.
We want our internet fast.
We want it now.
We do not want to wait.
But if you live in some place in Africa, if you live someplace in India, if you live someplace I don't know in another very poor part of the world, just having the internet is wonderful.
Even a phone modem works.
Even that kind of internet connection is beautiful.
It's fantastic.
So if you're internet connection, your cable modem, your what is a dsl connection, your fiber optic network, if it's slow today that, my friends, is a first world problem.
Yes, it is a problem, but it is not a serious problem.
You are actually lucky to have that problem.
I was at the gas station the other day and I heard the guy next to me.
The guy next to me had a hybrid car and that means it can use gasoline and it can also use the battery electricity.
So he can save lots of money and he said –
I heard him talking.
He said it's gonna take me 15 years to drive this car before it's paid off economically with gas savings.
I don't know if you understood that, but basically he's saying the car was expensive.
In order to actually save money, he'll have to drive his car for 15 years.
Then he will actually realize that he's saving money on gasoline.
Well...
Some of those hybrid cars are very expensive and his was very expensive.
But that's a first world problem.
So many people in the world do not have a car.
Many people, millions of people don't have shoes.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well, there's no question our first world problems are serious.
But it's always good to sit down and think about the rest of the world.
And I'm not joking.
To really be thankful that you were born where you were.
Let's check out the dialogue.
My coffee's only four-fifths full.
Oh, first world problems.
Well, it's true, i paid for a full cup.
At least you have the luxury of buying gourmet coffee.
Oh, that makes me so mad.
Sometimes I go to Starbucks not much these days, but sometimes I'll go and you know it's not cheap for a cup of coffee.
It's like $5, $4.50, something like that.
So I order my coffee and, you know, $4.50 for the venti caramel macchiato.
That's what I like.
And I expect my cup to be full.
But, you know, a couple weeks ago, it was not full.
It was 80% full.
Four-fifths full.
That made me so angry.
I paid for not four-fifths of a coffee, not 80% of a coffee.
I paid for 100%.
Give me my coffee.
Well, it was luxury coffee.
Once again, caramel macchiato, which is a combination of caramel, espresso, and milk.
Yeah.
That is definitely a first world problem.
But it was serious.
I was really angry.
Yeah.
So I want you guys to give me examples of first world problems.
What are your first world problems?
And I want you to think about it.
I want you to think about this.
Give me examples like this.
Something that seriously made you angry.
Something that was seriously a problem.
But after thinking about it, you realize that it's nothing.
We're pretty lucky.
I'll take those first world problems.
That's for sure.
That's today's expression.
Listen to the dialogue two more times.
Please practice with a friend.
My coffee's only four-fifths full.
First world problems.
Well, it's true.
I paid for a full cup.
At least you have the luxury of buying gourmet coffee.
Look at this.
My coffee's only four-fifths full.
Oh, first world problems.
Well, it's true.
I paid for a full cup.
At least you have the luxury of buying gourmet coffee.
Thanks so much for listening.
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I'm Coach Shane, and together, let's master English.
