When you say “supermarket,” most Americans imagine a large warehouse-like (like a large building for storing things) building surrounded by a large parking lot filled with cars and SUVs (sports utility vehicles) and people pushing shopping carts filled with groceries. Eventually (in the end), the groceries get packed into the trunks of the cars and rear compartments (open area in the back) of the SUVs and taken home. Every day, thousands of people drive to the supermarket, buy their food, and leave. If Mark Hinshaw is right, this may soon change.

Hinshaw, an urban (city) design planner from Seattle, Washington, believes that supermarkets will soon play a dramatically different role in the life of urban America. In an article in Planning magazine, he predicts that supermarkets of the future will become the anchors (centers; places that attract people) of new and walkable (easy to walk in) neighborhoods.

Hinshaw points out that Americans were already beginning to spend less money on personal consumption (buying things) before the recent economic crisis. American families are getting smaller and the population is getting older. Fewer young people are moving out to the suburbs (areas outside of a city); more of them are choosing to live in denser (where many people live close together) urban areas.

Americans are beginning to drive less and walk more to lose weight and improve their health. A growing number of Americans are looking for ways to reduce the amount of gas they consume (use).

Some people are skeptical (doubtful; have questions), but Hinshaw insists that grocery stores are reemerging (being seen again) “as one of the cornerstones (important parts) of great places to live.” He says that many are becoming social places, places for people to gather and spend time with friends. Some grocery stores include coffee shops, espresso bars, and delis (delicatessens; places to buy sandwiches and salads), as well as comfortable indoor and outdoor seating. “People hang out, read the paper or a book, and meet friends,” Hinshaw says, “even when buying groceries isn’t part of the trip.”

Many of the new supermarkets will have just a few parking places, and some will have none. Hinshaw expects the pattern of shopping to change. He predicts that people will walk to the market every few days, buy two bags of fresh groceries, and walk home again. Today, many people drive to the supermarket once a week or twice a month and buy many bags of groceries.

Cities will have to change if Hinshaw’s dream is going to come true. He thinks people will walk more only if the areas they walk through have public spaces, like parks and gardens, and interesting stores to glance (take a quick look) in. If the walk is interesting, he believes that people will walk farther, especially for food!

The writer of an article I read thinks this is a great idea. He says that “Hinshaw’s … vision (idea or dream) of walkable neighborhoods centered around our most-used facility of all – our food markets – is not just a nostalgic (sentimental; from the past) idea.” He believes that it “makes sense (it’s practical, understandable) for planning the next generation of American neighborhoods and remaking the ones we have.

What do you think? Will supermarkets become the social gathering places of the future?

* A city square is an open area commonly found near the center of a traditional town, a place where people frequently gather.

~ Warren Ediger – ESL tutor/coach and creator of www.successfulenglish.com, where you can learn more about improving your English and preparing for tests, like the TOEFL.

One of the benefits of living in Los Angeles is that you can rub elbows with (to mix socially with) celebrities from television and film.  Okay, so we don’t actually rub elbows with celebrities, at least I don’t, but we do catch a glimpse of them, or see them briefly, now and them.

Having lived in Los Angeles for nearly 20 years, I’ve seen some major and some minor celebrities.  Many of the minor celebrities are those you recognize as being on TV or in movies, but can’t really place them (know where you’ve seen them before).  When I see a major celebrity, though, there’s no doubt about it.

If you see a celebrity and you’re an Angeleno (someone from Los Angeles), the thing to do is to play it cool (not appear excited; stay calm).  You may want to go up to that person and get their autograph (signature) or just talk to him or her.  If you’re an Angeleno, though, you don’t do this.  You pretend you don’t recognize him or her, or that it’s an everyday occurrence (event) that you see celebrities.

That’s what an Angeleno would probably do, and that’s what I’ve done, although whether it’s because I respect their privacy (right not to be bothered by other people) or I’m just too chicken (cowardly; not brave enough) to speak to them, I’m not sure.  However, even though I try to play it cool, when I see a major star, I still get very excited–on the inside.  Here are a few of my major star sightings, or occasions when I’ve seen a major star:

• Julia Roberts – I saw her running along the beach and also in a large bookstore with her (current) husband.
• Queen Latifah – I saw her at a restaurant in Beverly Hills.  Don’t get the wrong idea.  I don’t eat at fancy restaurants often, but this was a special occasion with a group of friends and colleagues (co-workers).
• Barbra Streisand – I saw her at a restaurant in Malibu with her husband.
• Denzel Washington – I saw him at a Lakers basketball game.  He had floor seats (seating on the ground level) and so did the friends who invited me to join them.

I’m happy to have seen these and other celebrities.  Still, there are many more I’d like to catch a glimpse of, including actors Johny Depp, Michael Kitchens, David Suchet, and Julianne Moore, and the First Family (President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and their children).

Which celebrities would like to rub shoulders with, or at least catch a glimpse of?  Would you play it cool or would you try to talk to them and/or ask them for their autograph?

~ Lucy

In the United States, when women marry, they have a few options regarding their last name. We’ve received a couple of questions from listeners about this issue so I thought I would explain it here.

When we talk about a last name, we are referring to the family name or surname, not the given name of a child when he or she is born.  In the U.S., we almost always use the term “last name,” and only rarely use “family name” or “surname,” and when we talk about our given name, we use the term “first name.”  When you fill out forms in the U.S., there is usually a space for your “first name,” “last name,” and “middle name” or “middle initial (first letter of the middle name).”  Both the first name and the middle name are given to a child when he or she is born, but the last name is usually taken from the father, although there are a number of exceptions.

In terms of a woman’s last name after she marries, she has several options.  The tradition (something done for a long time in the same way) is for the wife to change her last name to the man’s. One reason for this is that people in the past kept track of (followed; recorded) family relations through the father’s family name. This is still the most common choice today in the U.S.
Example:  If Annie Lang got married to Sven Ramirez, her name would be Annie Ramirez.

Another option is for women to keep the last name they were given at birth. In this case, she is keeping her maiden name, the name that she had before she got married. She may do this because in her job, her last name is already well known (like with famous actors or singers, or professionals), because she doesn’t believe in a male-dominated (men in charge; men making the rules) society, or because she simply prefers it that way. This means she has a different last name than her husband.
Example:  If Annie Lang and Sven Ramirez married, she would still be Annie Lang.

Some women keep their last name, but add their husband’s last name to it. The new last name can come before the old one or after it, with a hyphen or without. You may see any of these and it is not uncommon in the U.S.
Example:  So with our old friend Annie Lang, she could become Annie Lang Ramirez, Annie Ramirez Lang, Annie Ramirez-Lang,  or Annie Lang-Ramirez.

Finally, some men and women who get married decide to create a new last name from combining their two last names, or by using a completely new last name that they both agree on. Doing either of these things is not very common, but you do see it now and then.  One example is the last name of the current mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa.  When he married his wife, his name was Antonio Villar and his wife’s name was Corina Raigosa.  They decided to combine their names and created the new last name Villaraigosa.  (He has since divorced, but has kept this last name.)

These are just a few of the most common options, and we won’t get into (begin discussing) how children are named or what happens in same-sex marriages (when a man marries a man, or a woman marries a woman).  We need another blog post for these issues!

One final word on this topic:  What happens if a woman divorces?  There are a couple of common options and the choice is the woman’s.  Some women change their name back to their previous name (maiden name). Some women choose to keep their husband’s last name after a divorce.

Now, aren’t you glad you’re a man?

Do people change their names after they marry in other countries?  What do you think of these traditions?

~ Lucy

America will need more “cool nerds” in the future. That’s what a recent New York Times article says. Cool (fashionable, impressive) nerds? The word “nerd” first appeared when I was in school, and it wasn’t cool! No one wanted to be a nerd.

When I was growing up, a nerd was someone who studied all the time and often became very good at mathematics or some other intellectual (mental, thinking) activity. Nerds didn’t usually participate in sports or social activities, like going to school dances or parties. There were usually very few nerds in school and they usually hung out (spent time, relaxed) together.

Another, similar word came around (appeared) a few years later. The word is “geek.” Sometimes geek and nerd are used to mean the same thing. However, there are usually some subtle (not easy to notice) differences. Probably the most common use of geek is to refer to someone who has a special interest in technology, like computing. Here in the U.S., there is a business called the “Geek Squad.” If you have trouble with your computer, you can call them, and they will come to your house and fix it.

Not everyone is happy about these words. One American professor thinks they should be avoided (stayed away from). He says that using words like geek or nerd perpetuates (preserves, keeps alive) a negative stereotype (a popular, often wrong, belief about someone). The photograph above is a popular stereotype of what a nerd looks like.

Other people think the words are okay. They say that the meanings of words often evolve (develop, change) as the social context (situation) changes. According to the New York Times article, being called a “cool nerd” is a compliment (praise). It identifies someone who is smart, does well in school, and does well in other things, too.

The professor insists, however, that in most of America, geek and nerd still have a negative image. He believes that most people will try to avoid geeks and nerds. The best thing to do, in his opinion, is to “put them to bed” (stop using them).

I have to smile when I read that because I discovered that this same professor has written a book. Would you like to guess the title? It’s called Nerds: Who They Are and Why We Need More of Them.

Now, back to my part of the story. While I was researching this post, I went online, Googled “nerd” and “geek,” and discovered that there is a test that will tell me what I am. It’s called the Geek? Nerd? or Dork? Test (a dork is someone who is not very smart, not good with people, and not aware of what’s happening in the world).

I took the test, and when I got the results, this is what I learned: “You scored better than (more than) half in Nerd, earning you the title of: Pure Nerd.”

I couldn’t believe it! Me, a pure nerd? Impossible!

I continued reading, hoping I would find some good news, and I finally found it. The test results also said that being exceptionally (very) smart led to being unpopular in the past, but not today, especially as someone gets older. And then came the best news of all: “Eventually being a Pure Nerd will likely (probably) be replaced with the following label: Purely Successful.”

Wow! I sure hope they’re right!

~ Warren Ediger – ESL tutor/coach; creator of www.successfulenglish.com where you can learn more about how to improve your English.

Photo by My Blue Van used by permission.