Bangkok Restaurant Makes Most of Flooding

A restaurant in Thailand has become an unusual attraction after offering to

serve its customers in knee-high water following the country's recent
floods.

Chaopraya Antique Café in Nonthaburi, near Bangkok, opened in February

2021 in a riverside location that the owner believed would be great for
business. But a severe storm and heavy rains have raised the river's water
level, and now the restaurant floods daily at high tide.

After already being closed for several months because of COVID-19, the
flooding could have been a disaster for the restaurant. But by staying open,
it instead became a tourist attraction for customers who wanted a new and
exciting dining experience.

In fact, it's become so popular that customers have to make a reservation.

"This is a great atmosphere. During this flood crisis this has [become] the
restaurant's signature attraction," 24-year-old Siripoj Wai-inta said as he
ate his food with water up to his shins.

Videos on social media show customers enjoying what owner Titiporn

Jutimanon calls "hot-pot surfing," where diners quickly jump out of the way
of waves created by boats passing by on the river.

"It turns out the customers have a great reaction," said Jutimanon. "So a
crisis has turned into an opportunity. It encourages us to keep the
restaurant open and keep customers happy."

Best of all, he says, it means he can keep his staff happy by keeping them
employed.
Questions

1. When did Chaopraya Antique Café open?

2. Who owns the restaurant?
3. What is "hot-pot surfing"?

Discussion

1. What are your thoughts on Chaopraya Antique Café's unusual

dining experience?
2. What's the most interesting or unusual restaurant you've been
to?
3. What's your favorite restaurant? How would you describe its
atmosphere?
4. When was the last time you tried a new restaurant? What did
you think of it?
5. Are you a fan of Thai food? If so, what are your favorite
dishes? If not, what countries do you think have the best food?
6. What’s the most unusual food you’ve tried?
7. Do you enjoy trying new food? Why? Why not?
8. When was the last time you tried a new dish that you l iked?
9. How often do you cook at home? What's your signature dish?
10. Food is not just eating energy. It's an experience. — Guy
Fieri. Do you agree? Why? Why not?

Finnish Company Produces Lab-Grown Coffee

Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world, but as the amount
we drink increases, so does the number of trees being cut down to make
space to grow it. However, a company in Finland thinks it can satisfy our
coffee cravings without sacrificing any more forests.

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland says it has grown coffee in a lab
that smells and tastes like regular coffee. Cells are taken from a part of the
natural coffee plant, such as a leaf, and used to grow more cells in a
bioreactor — a device that allows organisms to be grown under controlled
conditions. The cells are then harvested, dried and roasted so they can be
made into coffee.

Dr. Heiko Rischer, who has been leading the project, told New Atlas that
growing coffee in this way uses less water and even requires less
transportation because it can be grown locally. Production also doesn't
depend on the season, and there is no need for pesticides.

The VTT team produced its first cup of lab-grown coffee in September.

"The experience of drinking the very first cup was exciting," Rischer
said. However, he estimates that it will take four years to increase
production to commercial levels and get approval to sell the coffee.

VTT isn't the only company making lab-grown coffee. In September, Seattle-
based Atomo produced 8,000 cans of its own lab -grown coffee — but at a
cost of almost $60 for just eight small cans.

According to the International Coffee Organization, the world produced

almost 10 million metric tons of coffee in 2019-20, compared to just under
6 million metric tons in 1990-91. The world's largest coffee producer is
Brazil, which makes as much as the next three producers — Vietnam,
Colombia and Indonesia — combined.

However, a 2014 study estimated that the world could lose about 50% of
the land area suitable for coffee production by 2050 because of climate
change.
Exercise 3
Discussion

1. What are your thoughts on VTT's lab-grown coffee?

2. Do you drink coffee? If so, how much coffee do you go through
a week?
3. Do you find it surprising that coffee production has almost
doubled over the past 30 years? Why? Why not?
4. Do you think lab-grown foods will be commonplace within
your lifetime? Why? Why not?
5. What are your country's biggest food exports?
6. Do you remember the first time you tried coffee? What did you
think of it?
7. Do you have a favorite cafe or coffee shop? How often do you
go there?
8. Who are the biggest coffee drinkers you know?
9. Is coffee more popular than tea where you live?
 10. Even bad coffee is better than no coffee at all. — David
Lynch. What do you make of this statement?

New Zealand Boy Calls Police So They Can Look at His

Toys
A 4-year-old New Zealand boy was visited by a police officer after calling
emergency services to ask for somebody to come and see his collection of
toys. The officer reported that the toys were, indeed, pretty cool.

New Zealand Police shared a recording of the call on social media, with a
photo of the smiling boy sitting on a police car. They said that while they
don't encourage children to call the emergency number, the call was "too
cute not to share."

The call begins with the dispatcher saying "This is p olice, where is the
emergency?"

After a pause the boy says, "Hi," and then "Police lady?"

In a friendly voice the dispatcher asks what is going on, and the boy asks if
he can tell her something. After she says that he can, the boy says "I've got
some toys for you."

"You've got some toys for me?" says the dispatcher.

"Yep. Come over and see them," says the boy.

A man then takes the phone and explains that the call was a mistake, and
that the boy had been helping around the house while his mother was sick.

The dispatcher then sent an officer, who New Zealand Police are calling
Constable Kurt, to the boy's house so that he could show off his toys.

As well as looking at the toys, the officer also spoke to him about the
correct use of the country's 111 emergency number.
"He did have cool toys," Constable Kurt said afterwards, according to
police. "The lucky kid also got to see the patrol car and the officer put the
lights on for him, too," they added.

Questions

1. Why did the New Zealand Police decide to share the recording
of the call on social media?
2. What did Constable Kurt talk to the boy about while looking at
his toys?
3. How did Constable Kurt describe the boy's toys?

Discussion

1. What are your thoughts on this incident?

2. Did you ever get in trouble when you were a young child?
3. Who's the cutest kid you know? What are they like?
4. Would you describe yourself as being good with kids? Why?
Why not?
5. Do you know any police officers? Do you think you'd enjoy
doing their job?
6. What were your coolest toys as a kid?
7. Which of your friends growing up had the most impressive toy
collection?
8. What were the most popular toys throughout your childhood?
9. Who did you play with the most as a kid? What were your
favorite games?
10. Did you often help your parents with chores when you
were growing up?

Trouble Going to Bed? Blame 'Revenge Bedtime

Procrastination'
After a long day, when you haven't had any time to relax, do you stay up
extra late reading books or playing video games, even though you're
tired? If so, you may have engaged in "revenge bedtim e procrastination."

The term "bedtime procrastination" was introduced in a 2014 sleep study

from the Netherlands. But around 2018, people on Chinese social media
started adding "revenge" in response to the country's "996" work culture, in
which people work from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. six days a week.

Basically, the idea was that by delaying bedtime to do the things they
enjoyed, people were "taking revenge" for the time they lost during the
day.

The term "revenge bedtime procrastination" became known in English after

journalist Daphne K. Lee wrote about the Chinese trend on Twitter in 2020.

The 2014 Dutch study found that people with poor self-control — and who
tended to procrastinate in general — were more likely to put off sleeping
for no real reason. A 2018 study also found that the more people tried to
resist doing things they enjoyed during the day, the more likely they were
to delay their bedtime.

However, a 2019 German study found that bedtime procrastination might

just be connected to when you like to sleep. The study found that on work
days it was most common among "night owls" — people who prefer to
sleep late anyway — and that the behavior couldn't be explained by poor
self-control.

A Polish study found that bedtime procrastination was more common

among women, students and people who weren't working. It also
decreased slightly as people got older.

To reduce bedtime procrastination, Dr. Ramiz Fargo of California's Loma

Linda University Health recommends scheduling times for rest, recreation
or exercise during the day, so you don't feel like you have to do all the
things you enjoy right before bed. Even starting small, with 10- to 15-
minute breaks, can help you decompress and be more producti ve as well.
Discussion

1. What are your thoughts on "revenge bedtime procrastination"?

2. Do you ever stay up late reading books or playing video
games?
3. What's your favorite way to decompress after a busy day?
4. If you had an extra hour of spare time every day, how would
you spend it?
5. What are your thoughts on China's "996" work cultu re?
6. How often would you say you get a good night's sleep?
7. Are you an early bird or a night owl? Please explain your
answer.
8. Do you usually go to bed at around the same time each night?
9. How have your sleeping habits changed over the years?
10. If you can't sleep, then get up and do something instead
of lying there and worrying. It's the worry that gets you, not
the loss of sleep. — Dale Carnegie. What are your thoughts on
this advice?

Report Finds Most Googled Countries for Studying Abroad

Studying in another country can be one of the most exciting experiences of
a student's life. You can learn a new language, meet new people, and see
things that you'd never be able to see at home. But which countries are the
most attractive for students looking for an adventure? A new report by the
British money transfer company Remitly may be able to tell you.

Remitly looked at Google search data from 164 countries to find average
monthly searches for phrases that are associated with studying abroad,
such as "study in Australia" or "university in Brazil." It then used this
information to find which countries were searched for the most in relation
to these phrases.

Remitly found that Canada was the most-searched place in a total of 36

countries, more than anywhere else in the world. Spain was most-searched
in 13 countries, and England was most-searched in 10. Japan, France and
the US were most-searched among people in nine countries, and Australia
was the most-searched in eight.

Remitly also looked at which universities were searched for the

most. American universities Harvard and the University of California were
the first and second most-searched, while England's University of Oxford
was third. Two other US universities, Columbia and Stanford, took the final
two positions in the top five.

In fact, 17 of the top 25 most-searched universities were in the US. Remitly

wrote that this suggests people who want to study in America are probably
searching for exact university names rather than just "study in the US" or
"university in America."
Discussion

1. What are your thoughts on Remitly's report?

2. Do you find it surprising that Canada was at the top of the
rankings? Why? Why not?
3. What countries do you think you'd enjoy studying in? Why?
4. Do you know anyone who studied abroad? If so, where did
they go?
5. If you had kids, would you encourage them to study overseas?
Why? Why not?
6. In your opinion, what's the most exciting part of being a
university student?
7. Did you meet many international students when you were at
school or college?
8. What do you imagine makes people want to study in your
country?
9. Have you ever lived overseas? If so, for how long?
10. What do you think you'd miss most about your country if
you moved abroad?