Notes in Spanish Intermediate 4 - Fobias

[Ben]

What are you afraid of?

Click here (http://www.notesinspanish.com/2006/10/02/intermediate-spanish-podcast-4-fobias/) to listen, and pick up the worksheet here. (http://www.notesinspanish.com/store/)

[Edith]

¡Me ha encantado este podcast! Casi todos tenemos alguna fobia, pero muy poca gente se atreve a decir cuál es la causa de su ansiedad. Muy bien hecho Ben, parece que has superado tu fobia de los vuelos en el avión. Conozco a una pareja que no puede viajar más lejos que Francia porque él tiene mucho miedo al volar. Creo que es una de las fobias más comunes, como la fobia a la oscuridad, a las alturas, a los ratones o a las arañas.

Yo tengo una fobia muy curiosa que no puedo explicar. ¡Tengo miedo al hablar por teléfono en una lengua extranjera! No me puedo expresar muy bien y soy muy consciente de mis errores hablando por teléfono; no sé porqué. Empiezo a sudar y no me salen las palabras. :D

[Flexichick]

Hmmmm....I'll have to listen to this tomorrow.

I have survived a few MAJOR plane mishaps....including an emergency landing (plane had an engine fire over the Pacific Ocean - 3 hours away from everything...we were told to prepare for crash water landing) where I had to open the door for the emergency slides and slid into the arms of a bombero.


It was scary to say the least. I still fly...just medicated ;)

[Flexichick]

Tengo miedo de los fuegos artificiales y del relampago:blush:

[Ben]

....including an emergency landing (plane had an engine fire over the Pacific Ocean - 3 hours away from everything...we were told to prepare for crash water landing) where I had to open the door for the emergency slides and slid into the arms of a bombero.

Wow, I think that would be enough to reinstall my fear of flying pretty damn quickly!

[Ben]

¡Tengo miedo al hablar por teléfono en una lengua extranjera! No me puedo expresar muy bien y soy muy consciente de mis errores hablando por teléfono; no sé porqué. Empiezo a sudar y no me salen las palabras. :D
¡Yo creo que eso nos pasa un poco a todos!

[Marina]

Yo tengo una fobia muy curiosa que no puedo explicar. ¡Tengo miedo al hablar por teléfono en una lengua extranjera! No me puedo expresar muy bien y soy muy consciente de mis errores hablando por teléfono; no sé porqué. Empiezo a sudar y no me salen las palabras. :D

A mi tampoco me gusta hablar por teléfono en Inglés con alguien que no conozco. Sin embargo si ya conozco el acento de la persona no me resulta tan difícil

[Marina]

Hmmmm....I'll have to listen to this tomorrow.

I have survived a few MAJOR plane mishaps....including an emergency landing (plane had an engine fire over the Pacific Ocean - 3 hours away from everything...we were told to prepare for crash water landing) where I had to open the door for the emergency slides and slid into the arms of a bombero.


It was scary to say the least. I still fly...just medicated ;)

I would be quite scared to fly again if this had happened to me, I'm not surprised that you have to fly meditcated:D:D

[Brian]

Admito que tengo miedo irracional de serpientes. :( No sé porque, pero de muy joven, eso es mi fobia.

También tengo acrofobia, pero a mi no me molesta volar en avión. A mi no me gusta subir en rascacielos para mirar la vista. Tiene que ser mi herencia irlandés. ;D

[Edith]

Brian, cuál es la relación entre tu herencia irlandesa y tus fobias? :D

[Flexichick]

I would be quite scared to fly again if this had happened to me, I'm not surprised that you have to fly meditcated:D:D


This was the worst experience, but I've had others (plane hit by lightning (probably contributing to my lightning fear)), on a cruise ship that went directly into a hurricane.

Nobody wants to travel with me! I think that's silly. I know where all of the emergency exits are and how to use them ;D ;D ;D

When they ask on a plane if you're willing to help people if you sit near the door I tell them I've already done this so I know how!

[greytop]

One strange phobia I have is the inability to jump off things like swimming pool sides. I'm not afraid of heights & can swim so it must be something about the "edge".
I think cattle & sheep have the same fear, which is why cattle grids work, so maybe I've a form of mad cow disease!
It really caused a problem when I went for marine survival training and had to go in with lifejacket on from the 5m board. Hopefully in a real emergency with my backside on fire I'd have jumped anyway!!!

[richardksa]

You have nothing to fear but fear itself! As President Franklin D. Roosevelt said.

[Diana]

Just after a minor plane mishap many years ago (a engine fire just before take off and having to exit quickly down the slide with only one of my three preschool children), I began to show signs of claustrophobia while riding in my car through a car wash!!!!. Realizing this could get worse, I rode through the car wash as often as possible, taking about two weeks to get rid of the paniky feeling (probably got rid of some of the paint on the car, too;D).

For some reason it (luckily) helped with planes also. How else could I visit my son and his family in Chile, my daughters in India, my brother and his family in Puerto Rico and other relatives in New York?

Being about 90% Irish (descent), I am curious about the connection also, Brian????

[Marina]

That is a very brave actitude and probably the best one to overcome a fear!!!

I'm amazed by your falmily! each one living in a different country. Can I ask what are your daughters doing in India??? I'd love to go to India soon!!!

[Diana]

That is a very brave actitude and probably the best one to overcome a fear!!!

I'm amazed by your falmily! each one living in a different country. Can I ask what are your daughters doing in India??? I'd love to go to India soon!!!

Of course you can ask! Here goes: One daughter, Kathy, and her husband, Jochen, took off for India two years ago - searching. They both had spent several years working as psychologists in Munich, she a family therapist and yoga instructor and he in industry. They had both been to India for 6 months several years before and had decided to go back someday before having a family.

They drove in their home-made camper-like vehicle from Germany to India and have documented this (unfortunately for many, almost all in German) under www.lebensweisen.net (http://www.lebensweisen.net) - also with great pictures.

On the way, they interviewed many people in each country and in India they travelled, meditated, did yoga, listened to monks and studied Eastern philosophies - searching for ways to happiness and freedom in life and a better way to help (as psychologists) others to cope.

They have actually found what they were looking for - interesting enough in "Great Freedom teachings" by an American woman, who gives seminars in Rishikesh each year. (The teachings are very practical, somewhat philosophical, but basically a way to peace of mind and ease of being in daily life. Not at all a religion, useful to anyone and everyone, they say.)

Now they too hold these seminars and plan to drive back to Germany in the spring and start translating them into German.

Our other daughter, Annette, also a psychologist, is with them in Rishikesh preparing to become an instructor too.

By the way, all three love yoga also (and so do I)!

[Brian]

Being about 90% Irish (descent), I am curious about the connection also, Brian????

I don't know if there's a connection, but I just attribute it to my Irish roots, Having descended from a long line of ground-tilling farmers, dizzying heights hold no sway over me.

With the snakes, perhaps it's because there are no snakes in Ireland? Who knows?

:)

[Nic]

I'm scared of escalators and lifts :blush:

I can't explain it but I always have been. Although once I stayed in a hotel in London and the only stairs they had were the fire exit stairs and you could only use that in an emergency so I had to use the lift... for a whole week. I was terrified... You would have thought that having to use them for a week would have cured me but no.. I'm just as bad if not worse :( I hate the things.

[Flexichick]

By the way, all three love yoga also (and so do I)!


I haven't had a chance to look at the photos yet, but how great! Have you been there to visit (and do yoga) yet?

Flexichick -
(who obviously loves yoga too)

[Ashley]

I always take then stairs when I can, too! Combination of mild claustrophobia and a fear of being stuck in an elevator in a fire. I was terrified of fires as a kid after my grandmother told me about the time her house burned down when she was a kid. Ever since, I've been a big fan of fire safety--I just gave my flatmates an 'in case of fire' talk yesterday!

I still get a little nervous at those Japanese steak houses where they have the big flames right at the table. On a field trip with my nursery school class when I was 4, I very calmly evacuated the restaurant when the cooking started, then cried in the lobby for the next 30 mins while my parents took turns sitting with me and waiting for all the food to be cooked...

[Marina]

Of course you can ask! Here goes: One daughter, Kathy, and her husband, Jochen, took off for India two years ago - searching. They both had spent several years working as psychologists in Munich, she a family therapist and yoga instructor and he in industry. They had both been to India for 6 months several years before and had decided to go back someday before having a family.

They drove in their home-made camper-like vehicle from Germany to India and have documented this (unfortunately for many, almost all in German) under www.lebensweisen.net (http://www.lebensweisen.net) - also with great pictures.

On the way, they interviewed many people in each country and in India they travelled, meditated, did yoga, listened to monks and studied Eastern philosophies - searching for ways to happiness and freedom in life and a better way to help (as psychologists) others to cope.

They have actually found what they were looking for - interesting enough in "Great Freedom teachings" by an American woman, who gives seminars in Rishikesh each year. (The teachings are very practical, somewhat philosophical, but basically a way to peace of mind and ease of being in daily life. Not at all a religion, useful to anyone and everyone, they say.)

Now they too hold these seminars and plan to drive back to Germany in the spring and start translating them into German.

Our other daughter, Annette, also a psychologist, is with them in Rishikesh preparing to become an instructor too.

By the way, all three love yoga also (and so do I)!

Lovely pictures that have helped me to start my working day with a smile - which by the way was needed as I've got a terrible cold and my nose is dripping like an open tap - I specially liked some of the Tibet ones and I enjoyed some of the albums that had English captions.

I still can not believe that they went all the way from Germany to India in a camper van driving:eek:, what an amazing adventure!!! I'd love to go on a long holiday to India & Tibet one day and do some yoga courses. Actually I found the webpage (http://www.greatfreedom.org/index.html) of the course that you mentioned and I even saw a picture of your daughter there;).
I've bookmarked it to have a proper look at later.

[Nic]

I always take then stairs when I can, too! Combination of mild claustrophobia and a fear of being stuck in an elevator in a fire. I was terrified of fires as a kid after my grandmother told me about the time her house burned down when she was a kid. Ever since, I've been a big fan of fire safety--I just gave my flatmates an 'in case of fire' talk yesterday!

I still get a little nervous at those Japanese steak houses where they have the big flames right at the table. On a field trip with my nursery school class when I was 4, I very calmly evacuated the restaurant when the cooking started, then cried in the lobby for the next 30 mins while my parents took turns sitting with me and waiting for all the food to be cooked...

In my opinion stairs are always the better option! Another good reason for them is that its good exercise too! hehe

My Uncle has the same fear. He is terrified of fire. His fear comes from when his best friend died in a fire. His friend and his family couldn't escape because they didn't have a fire exit window upstairs. (Those are the ones that open at the bottom)

What makes it worse is that my Uncle is a window fitter and so I think he blames himself a little bit because he knows that if they had wanted a fire exit window he would have been able to fit them one and probably saved their lives. Now he always makes sure that every house he does has a fire exit window. He is , understandably, terrified it will happen again.

[Diana]

I still can not believe that they went all the way from Germany to India in a camper van driving:eek:, what an amazing adventure!!! I'd love to go on a long holiday to India & Tibet one day and do some yoga courses.

:eek: This is exactly how I felt about them driving - but of course I am Mama -it is hard not to worry.

[Diana]

I haven't had a chance to look at the photos yet, but how great! Have you been there to visit (and do yoga) yet?

Flexichick -
(who obviously loves yoga too)


No, I haven't gone yet. But who knows... someday.

[guapo]

A mi tampoco me gusta hablar por teléfono en Inglés con alguien que no conozco. Sin embargo si ya conozco el acento de la persona no me resulta tan difícil

yo tambien tenía miedo de hablar en público la primera vez, pero ahora, solo tengo miedo de escribir en español en este foro :eek:

[Marina]

Gracias por el apoyo guapo, yo también lo voy a superar;-)

[Edith]

On the way, they interviewed many people in each country and in India they travelled, meditated, did yoga, listened to monks and studied Eastern philosophies - searching for ways to happiness and freedom in life and a better way to help (as psychologists) others to cope.


Interesting stories, Diana! It says in their travelogue they have been to Dharamsala. That name sounds familiar to me because the SOS Children's Village for Tibetan children in that town was supported by our high school. Every month, the pupils who took part in the project made a donation and once, the sister of the Dalai Lama even paid us a visit to tell us about Dharamsala! I'm intrigued by the way in which the Tibetans cope with adversity.

The stories about Iran were also interesting. To be honest, I would never go there myself because I do not agree with the political regime there nor with the enforced dress code for women, but it's interesting to read about the lives of ordinary Iranians.

[Diana]

Interesting stories, Diana! It says in their travelogue they have been to Dharamsala. That name sounds familiar to me because the SOS Children's Village for Tibetan children in that town was supported by our high school. Every month, the pupils who took part in the project made a donation and once, the sister of the Dalai Lama even paid us a visit to tell us about Dharamsala! I'm intrigued by the way in which the Tibetans cope with adversity.

The stories about Iran were also interesting. To be honest, I would never go there myself because I do not agree with the political regime there nor with the enforced dress code for women, but it's interesting to read about the lives of ordinary Iranians.

Yes, the Tibetans are amazing. And I can certainly understand your reasons for not wanting to visit Iran, however, I must admit, both benefited greatly from their visit - in a whole new world. They will never forget the kindness and generosity of the people they met.

[Señor Davíd]

"...puede más el deseo de hacerlo muy bien a la naturalidad de hacerlo como te
salga y de,"

Can anyone translate?
Hay alguien aqui que pueda traducir esta frase?

[Señor Davíd]

Alguien?

[Patriciaa]

Well, I might be wrong but if I translate it word to word, it gives something like:

"it can be more the desire to do it right instead of the naturalness to just do it as it comes out and of …"

[chigars4]

Tengo una fobia de hiedra venenosa (¿poison ivy, es correcto?). Cuando estaba una niña, he sufría muchos veces con este alergia en mi cuerpo y todo mi cara. ¡Qúe horroroso! Hoy en día, cuando yo montaba mi caballo en los bosques no puedo pasar esta planta sin temblar.
Una otra fobia es lo mismo que otras personas aquí - hablando por teléfono en Español con una amiga Colombiana que no puede hablar Inglés por nada.
Finalmente, tengo una fobia, o más como una dificutidad, para cambiar Inglés a Español tan pronto cuando un amigo me habla en Español. Tengo las palabras en me mente, pero no las dejan mi boca.

[pbojarsky]

Como te cambias tu temor de volar ?

[Uriel]

Me encanta volar -- he visto tantas cosas maraivillosas que no se puede ser visto por la tierra -- montañas subiendo del mar fuera del Vancouver, arcos irises en circulos, paisajes encantados de nubes.... Recuerdo volando sobre Groenlandia y viendo el helado y nieve, y recuerdo volando sobre una gran tormenta y viendo relámpagos en todos los colores del arriba -- verde, rosado, blanco. Y no hay una vista mas spectacular que lo que veas cuando vuelas hacia el aeropuerto de San Francisco del oeste, con el sol brillando en el agua de la bahía, los dos puentes extendiendos al punta de Marin al norte y a Oakland al este, veleros pasando de bajo de ti.... palabras me fallan.

Tenía un temo de alturas hasta que mi jefe de antes me hizo subir la escalerar al techo de mi trabajo (una arena de baloncesto) cada día por una semana para pegar un monton de luminarias en el borde para la navidad. Cuando estaba paralizada con temo la primera vez, me encorajó por decirme: "Está bien -- nadie se cae." Después de eso, he tenido un cierto respeto por las alturas, pero puedo manejarlo.

Pero no me gusta los gusanos. No puedo tocarlos, no me gusta verlos. No me los odio -- son criaturas inocentes y beneficiales, y siempre me siento mala si corta uno con mi pala mientras que estoy plantado flores, y siempre los muevo a lugares más seguros si puedo -- pero con la pala, no con mis manos desnudas. Soñaba con ellos cuando era más joven. Fear Factor sueños -- y cuando no podia aguantarlos más, los gusanos se convertieron en serpientes al fin, porque no tengo problemas con las serpientes.