00:00
Welcome back to another episode of Kevin's English Room Podcast.
Hello guys.
Hello guys.
Thank you for listening to this podcast.
Yes, thank you.
Thank you so much as always.
Wow, your voice.
Oh yeah, you like my voice?
Yeah, I like your voice, but not face that you...
You like that?
You like that style, John?
Yeah, the sexy voice.
Yeah, not the face in your expressions of your face.
Not doing those eyes, please.
Okay.
Not the eyes.
Okay.
So, this is from Kawausosan.
Kawausosan.
Yes.
Cute name.
Smart.
Smart?
They can do Japanese?
What?
Kawauso.
Kawauso?
Yeah.
What did you say?
Oh no, nothing.
So, this is from Kawausosan.
Okay, Kawausosan.
Okay.
Okay.
Kake-san, Yama-san, Kevin-san, konnichiwa.
Konnichiwa.
Konnichiwa.
They're four people.
Kawausosan.
What did you just say?
I said "geegee".
Thank you.
Okay.
Europe or where?
Europe.
Oh, okay, got it.
Okay.
Thank you, Kawausosan.
What do you think is a good way?
I think about the best way.
So, I guess she has friends in many of the countries and she's going to meet up with them.
Maybe.
And she wants to not drink without ruining the mood, right?
So, she can't lie because they're her friends.
She can't be like, "Oh, I'm pregnant."
You can't say that, right?
One thing is just say, "Oh, I don't drink alcohol."
03:00
Yeah, very proudly and very non-awkwardly, right?
Without assuming that it's going to break the mood.
Just proudly say it.
"Oh, I don't drink alcohol."
Yeah, that's right.
In a very fun and a very positive way.
In a tone.
Right, right, right.
That's actually the best idea, I think.
Because there's so many people that don't drink alcohol because of so many reasons like
religion or so many things in the world.
So, I don't think that's, you know, finish the party.
Yeah.
It's just, okay.
I think that's the final, that's the best answer, you know?
I think it's more of a Japanese thing to think that when you say no to alcohol,
you're assuming that you're ruining the mood.
That feels like more of a Japanese culture thing.
True, true.
So, just think that in different cultures, you don't have to feel bad in declining an offer of alcohol.
That's right.
You know?
Like, when you're in Japan, especially in the "shakaijin" Japanese culture,
if some, like, boss told me that "douyou ippai" then it's very hard to deny that "osake" makes, you know, the things.
But that's a very Japanese thing.
Like, when I was in France, I mean, I went to some parties and I saw people drinking.
Yeah.
And there was a conversation that "oh, I don't drink those."
Oh, nice.
Yeah.
And that was in France.
Yeah, that was in France.
She's going there, so that's the culture that she's going to be experiencing.
Yeah.
And it's okay.
It's okay.
Oh, that's good to hear.
Right?
And it's cool.
Yeah.
Not awkward at all.
At all.
Just be like, like, being at a table with two people and one person drinking and one person not.
Because in Japan, that, I understand that it kind of feels a little bit, like, feel bad for the person who's drinking alcohol because he's drinking alone.
But none of that happens in France.
Yeah.
I mean, a little bit.
A little bit? Okay.
Like, "oh, you don't drink? That's sad."
Mm-hmm.
That happens, but that's all.
But that's all.
Yeah.
That's saying that I don't drink alcohol means I'm not having a good time here.
Yes.
It's not exactly the same.
Yeah.
Completely different.
It's a different matter.
You know how in Japan, like, when sometimes, like, okay, a person drinks and another person don't drink, and you're like, "oh, you want to get alcohol?"
And, like, the other person's like, "oh, no, I don't drink alcohol."
And then the other person's like, "oh, no, yeah, sure, sure.
Okay, then I won't get alcohol, too."
06:01
And then there was, "oh, no, no, get yourself some alcohol."
"No, no, I'm good, I'm good."
Does that happen sometimes?
Ahhhh.
Like, the other person would be like, "kio tsukau," and then not drink alcohol.
And then the other person kind of feels bad for it.
Like, if it was in a -- if it was a party, no one will "kio tsukau."
"Oh, you don't drink? Ha!"
"It's good, very -- it's good wine."
"Oh, you don't drink?"
That's all.
There's no one who "kio tsukau" to you.
But if it was, like, a meeting or some kind of client meeting or little -- like, having a --
Like a two, three, four person dinner?
Yeah, like, lunch with my teacher or, like, two people having dinner together, that can happen.
Or if you don't drink, I won't drink.
Just coffee will be fine today.
But it's not that "kio tsukau" thing.
It's just she or he doesn't want to drink tonight.
Okay.
It's just she thinks that coffee is enough for this time.
It's like, "I don't feel like eating an age mono right now, so I'm going to go for the more asari-shiteru."
Kind of like that.
Right, right, right.
Like, "Oh, if you don't drink, then I don't drink."
Yeah.
Like, "Oh, if you're not getting french fries, then I'm okay with tofu."
True, true, true.
That's the same thing.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Right.
That's good.
So, like, don't worry about declining the alcohol.
It will be 100% not socially awkward.
Yeah, yeah.
Very normal.
Yeah.
That's really good.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I think so.
Yeah.
But in France, there's so many alcohols are naturally drunk.
Like, like champagne as an aperitif.
What's an aperitif?
The alcohol you drink before the meal.
What's that?
I mean...
Is it like water when you go into an izakaya or something?
Like a, like a, like a, you know, shop?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
They serve you without asking.
Those things.
Those things.
They serve you alcohol without asking?
No, no, no.
They don't serve alcohol, champagne without asking.
But, um, it's, it's very natural as in culture, like having one glass before...
Wow.
...start eating.
So, it's very natural.
Like, just have just one glass of champagne or a little rosé wine.
And yeah, that's very, very natural.
How would you smoothly decline that then?
What's like the smartest way, like the best way of like going around that?
09:00
When you don't drink?
In a situation where you're served that alcohol before the main dish.
What's the smartest, what's like the smoothest way of like dealing with that situation?
If you don't want to drink alcohol.
If you don't want to drink it?
Like what, when should you say it?
Or like...
Well, you need to...
Like, there's some...
There's two situations.
One is completely automatically served.
Without asking?
Without asking at all.
Okay, they just give it to you.
Yeah, especially in an expensive restaurant or like parties.
Okay.
Then you can't ignore.
Okay.
Just, "Oh, thank you."
And just toast.
Uh-huh.
And...
Not drink?
I don't drink, so... or just one sip if you want.
Okay.
Just it.
Okay.
And put it and I don't drink, so...
That's one solution.
Order some gas water.
Okay.
Or the other option is...
Other situation is...
Order a champagne or those aperitifs just soon after you sip.
Uh-huh.
In that situation, you can say, "Oh, I don't drink alcohol, so I just want to have gas water."
Or, period.
Got it.
So it's okay to have water as your aperitif?
Yes.
It's okay, but it's very natural to have those alcohol before you eat.
Right.
Or in the, like, middle of eating foods.
Uh-huh.
If you don't say nothing, it's very natural to have those alcohol or wines...
Got it.
...in a dinner or lunchtime.
It's very, very natural.
So to smoothly avoid alcohol in those situations, if they were given to you without being asked,
you just toast it, maybe take a sip or just not, and just leave it on the table and order yourself a new drink.
Yeah.
And just tell them that you don't drink alcohol.
Yeah.
And if it's a type where they ask you what kind of drink you like as your aperitif, you just say,
"Oh, I'm not drinking, so I'm just going to get a water or something," and then you order a water.
Yeah.
And then, "Okay, all right."
And just proudly do it.
Yeah.
And don't think that it's kind of like a mood-ruiner.
That's important.
Got it.
I think that was good information right there.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I think I can proudly do it too.
Yeah.
But now...
Yeah.
I'm not drinking so much, too much.
They're really strong.
Yeah, they're strong.
God.
Yeah.
So it's very natural for them.
What do you think they would say if they drink like horoyoi?
What do you think their reactions would be?
Oh.
You think they'd say it's good?
It's sweet.
Oh.
It's not strong.
So 3% doesn't mean that they drink.
Did they drink 3% drinks?
I don't know.
Does that even exist?
I don't know.
12:01
I mean cocktails do exist.
Yeah.
There's so many...
Stronger ones.
Stronger ones and weaker ones.
So...
Right.
Okay.
Yeah.
All right.
Well, thanks for listening, guys.
Bye-bye.
Thank you.
Thank you.
