#353 Summer or Winter? It Depends Where You Live

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Okay, let's start. If the end of August, any many countries in the northern hemisphere, like the U.S., Canada, France, Spain, or Japan, that means one thing. Summer is ending.

The days are still hot. But soon the air will cool down. The leaves will change color, and fall will begin. But here's the funny part.

Not everyone in the world is saying goodbye to summer. In the southern hemisphere, places like Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, or Australia, August doesn't mean the end of summer at all. It actually means the end of winter.

In September, people there are ready to welcome spring. I notice every year with my students, while people in Europe or North America are saying, Wow, summer went by so fast. My Brazilian students are telling me,

finally, winter is over. We always laugh about it together. Same date on the calendar, completely different seasons. Sometimes I even joke,

can you send me some of your sunshine? I'll send you my cold weather in exchange. Why is it like this? Well, the earth is divided into two halves.

The northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere. And the seasons are opposite. When it's summer in Europe, it's winter in Argentina. And when it's winter in Canada, it's summer in Australia.

is in that fascinating. Just imagine, you get on a plane in Madrid in July. It's hot, and everyone's eating ice cream. Then you land in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and suddenly it's winter.

People are wearing jackets, drinking hot coffee, and complaining about the cold. Or picture the opposite. You're freezing in Canada in January, walking through snow, and then you fly to Brazil. A few hours later, you're standing on the beach, drinking coconut water.

While your friends back home are still shoveling snow, the contrast always makes me smile. And it gets even better. Some people actually use this to their advantage. If you love the heat, you can chase summer around the world.

Imagine celebrating Christmas on the beach in Brazil or Australia. Santa Claus in sunglasses, eating ice cream. Meanwhile, in Europe or North America, people are by the fireplace, drinking hot chocolate. Same holiday, two completely different pictures.

And of course, if you prefer cooler weather, you can do the opposite. If you're tired of the heat in Brazil, in December, just fly to Europe and enjoy cooler days. So when my students in Brazil tell me, it's so hot today, while my students in Germany say, it's freezing here.

I just laugh and think, this planet is really funny. Let's continue with a point of view story. I will tell you the same story, but in different points of view. This will help you practice grammar in a natural way.

You can find more about this method in my Premium courses. Visit speakEnglish.cast.com slash courses to get my Premium courses. They are designed for learning by listening. Let's listen to the story in the past tense.

Emory traveled all the time. Honestly, he didn't even unpack his suitcase. He just lived out of it. Sometimes he joke that his suitcase was his real house.

It was the end of August, and he was in Madrid. It was still summer, really hot. People were eating ice cream. Kids were outside playing, and Emory was sweating in the sun.

He thought, OK, I'll pack light. Short, t-shirts, flip-flops, sunglasses, perfecto. Well, maybe not so perfecto.

After long flight, he landed in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was tired, a little dizzy from the jet lag, but he was sure it was still summer. He stepped off the plane in his flip flops, with a big smile on his face. But immediately he noticed something strange.

People in the airport were wearing jackets. even had scarves. Emre laughed to himself. Wow!

Argentinians must really like jackets. It's summer! He walked outside with an ice cream in his hand. And that's when it happened.

A big cold wind hit him right in the face. He smiled disappeared, and the ice cream fell straight to the ground. He actually froze. He looked around, and saw children with backpacks walking home from school, and older people,

drinking hot coffee, instead of cold lemonade. Something didn't feel right. a woman walking by stopped and said, Do do bian?

Everything okay? Emre shivered. Why is it so cold? It's summer.

The woman laughed. Summer? No, no. In Argentina, it's winter.

September is spring for us. Winter? But I just left summer in Spain. Exactly, she said, Spain isn't the northern hemisphere.

Argentina isn't the southern hemisphere. Opposite seasons. Emory opened his suit gaze right there on the sidewalk. Inside, five pairs of shorts, three swim suits, and not a single jacket.

people were staring and he wrapped himself in a beach towel like it was a blanket. He jumped into a taxi. The driver looked at him, smiled and said, Basala Playa, going to the beach?

Emreside. No. To the mall. I need socks.

As the taxi drove away, Emre shook his head and thought. Next time, I'll check two things before I pack. The season and the hemisphere. Great.

Let's listen to the same story from Emory's viewpoint. Hi, I'm Emory from the US and I travel all the time. Honestly, I don't even unpack my suitcase. I just live out of it. Sometimes I joke that my suitcase is my real house. It's the end of August, and I'm in Madrid.

It's still summer, really hot. People are eating ice cream. Kids are outside playing, and I'm sweating in the sun. I think.

Okay, I'll pack light. Short, t-shirts, flip flops, sunglasses, perfecto.