In this episode of The A to Z English Podcast, Xochitl and Jack discuss the following question:

Is it better to give or to receive an incredibly thoughtful gift?

Transcript:

00:00:00

Jack

You're listening to the A-Z English podcast.

00:00:15

Jack

Welcome to the A to Z English podcast. My name is Jack and I'm here with my co-host social. And today we are going to do a would you rather question and the question is social, would you rather give?

00:00:30

Jack

Or receive a very thoughtful gift.

00:00:36

Xochitl

I would rather give a very thoughtful gift, the old saying in English goes giving is better than receiving, and I think it's true because I get really excited when I take the time to.

00:00:53

Xochitl

Pick out something that people would really like, and I pride myself in being good at gifts most people really like the stuff I get.

00:00:59

Xochitl

Them and just nothing brings joy to you like seeing someone enjoy whatever you thought.

00:01:07

Xochitl

To get for them.

00:01:10

Jack

Yeah, I I agree with you. Actually I'm, I'm.

00:01:14

Jack

Gonna answer the same way like there's there's something.

00:01:18

Jack

Like here's an example like if if somebody.

00:01:21

Jack

Says something in March. You're like window shopping with your your boyfriend or girlfriend or something, and they make a comment like, wow.

00:01:30

Jack

I really like that.

00:01:32

Jack

That ring.

00:01:34

Jack

And you make a mental note in March and you still remember in December, you know, and you buy that same ring and they've already forgotten about it, you know. And so then you, you know, surprised them. That's a that's a really good feeling. It's not it. It feels better than even receiving.

00:01:54

Jack

One thing, uh, really thoughtful, I think.

00:01:56

Jack

Because you just get that like.

00:01:59

Jack

And this this is still kind of like a selfish thing. Like it's making me feel better. Like it's. I'm choosing it because of how it makes me feel. But it does like it. It does really. It is like multiple times more satisfying to give, like, a gift that somebody really is, like, surprised by and really impressed with.

00:02:22

Xochitl

Yeah, I'm really happy to get.

00:02:24

Jack

Yeah. Do you have an example can?

00:02:26

Jack

You think of?

00:02:26

Jack

One that you like. A gift that you gave someone that.

00:02:28

Jack

Was that really like, hit the spot?

00:02:31

Xochitl

Uh, I used to get.

00:02:34

Xochitl

I used to get really nice.

00:02:38

Xochitl

Gifts for people.

00:02:40

Xochitl

Like on your birthday or Christmas or whatever. When I was younger.

00:02:45

Xochitl

Now that I'm older and.

00:02:48

Xochitl

I can't just use my babysitting, money or whatever because I have bills to.

00:02:51

Xochitl

Pay I like.

00:02:52

Jack

Right, right.

00:02:53

Xochitl

I I can't. I don't do.

00:02:54

Xochitl

It as much.

00:02:55

Xochitl

But I guess the last one was to my mom's birthday. I got her a embroider shirt. Like it's a a white blouse cotton blouse with a.

00:03:07

Xochitl

It's a good traditional brewery style from the US or.

00:03:10

Xochitl

From Mexico, sorry.

00:03:13

Xochitl

That has, like beadwork across the neckline.

00:03:17

Xochitl

And it was.

00:03:19

Xochitl

Little hummingbirds and she loves hummingbirds.

00:03:24

Xochitl

And she just really, really loved.

00:03:25

Xochitl

The piece they're like really nice, handmade blouses.

00:03:31

Xochitl

And yeah, I don't know. I know that she was.

00:03:32

Xochitl

Really happy to get that, so if that's.

00:03:35

Xochitl

Probably the last.

00:03:36

Xochitl

The most recent one I can think.

00:03:37

Xochitl

Of how about you, Jack?

00:03:40

Jack

I'm I'm trying to think of like my wife and I, we.

00:03:42

Jack

Don't exchange gifts.

00:03:44

Jack

We just kind of like buy what we.

00:03:47

Jack

What we need or?

00:03:47

Xochitl

How about the?

00:03:48

Xochitl

Time that you received really nicely because I I I can talk about that, I think that my.

00:03:53

Xochitl

That even though this.

00:03:53

발표자

Oh yeah, I I.

00:03:55

Jack

I received a an amazing gift from.

00:04:00

Jack

From a friend in college, she gave me a my favorite movie is this movie called Say Anything. It's my favorite movie and she had.

00:04:11

Jack

The movie poster.

00:04:13

Jack

And she got it framed and gave it to me as a gift.

00:04:17

Jack

And uh, and it was just just like a amazing, you know, like, wow, it just kind of knocked my socks off, you know, like, here's this, like.

00:04:27

Jack

Framed glass poster of my favorite movie and it was like a poster from the, you know, original.

00:04:36

Jack

The movie, like UH, it's hard. You know, those are hard to come by, right? And so, yeah, it was just like it was. It was really unexpected and and super thoughtful. And yeah, it's probably one of the best gifts I've received. And and my wife gave me a really thoughtful.

00:04:56

Jack

Gift once too. It's really cute. It was like I always use toothpicks. Like I always chew on a toothpick, which is kind of a disgusting habit. I know it's it's probably not the most appeal.

00:05:11

Jack

Habit. But she bought me a little case where you can stick the toothpicks in.

00:05:18

Jack

And it it has a little mirror and it closes and it's like a little wallet and you just carry it in your pocket.

00:05:24

발표자

Oh that.

00:05:25

Jack

And so you could shake it out and you got like, it's almost like those old like cigarette cases.

00:05:25

발표자

Is really nice.

00:05:30

Jack

You know where people would.

00:05:31

Xochitl

Oh yeah.

00:05:31

Jack

Put their cigarettes in a.

00:05:33

Jack

Case. Yeah. So it was just like.

00:05:37

Jack

It was just one of those things.

00:05:38

Jack

Where she noticed, like a habit of mine and gave me a present. A gift that is related to that habit, and it is just really cute and really charming. Little little gift. And so I keep that in a very special place.

00:05:54

Jack

With, you know other.

00:05:55

Jack

Things that she gave me when we were.

00:05:58

Jack

Yeah, it's really cool.

00:06:00

Xochitl

Yeah, that is really nice. I my for my birthday.

00:06:04

Xochitl

This year, my boyfriend took me on a like day trip to Iceland, which is neighboring Osaka. Everything.

00:06:12

Xochitl

Tourism place and we went up to the matador, which is like the see through. I told I've talked about this on the podcast. I think before the.

00:06:20

Xochitl

Like how they have the Grand Canyon, where it's like glass at the bottom and you can walk on it and.

00:06:26

Xochitl

And it was really fun.

00:06:27

Xochitl

It was a.

00:06:27

Xochitl

Really great trip and I think these days I prefer like getting experiences as gifts or getting experiences as gifts rather than stuff because it's like I have so much stuff at this point I don't want. I don't really need anything else.

00:06:46

Jack

That's a great point, right? We always think in terms of like stuff and I, you know, we've actually that it's funny you brought that up because we've been doing a huge purge of stuff in our house in the.

00:07:00

Jack

Last couple weeks.

00:07:02

Jack

My wife has just been throwing away.

00:07:04

Jack

Things you know, just getting rid of things that we don't use stuff you know, shoes that my daughter wore when she was 8 years old. You know, just that they're sitting in the shoe closet and and. And I think that, like, you realized that those experiences are so much more valuable than any like thing you could.

00:07:24

Jack

You have the memory of it, you know, and you got to do something and spend time with somebody.

00:07:30

Jack

And we we.

00:07:31

Jack

We don't value that in our culture.

00:07:35

Xochitl

I know, but it's just so much more meaningful. You, especially when someone does it like I never really thought of it. And then when my boyfriend did that for me, I was like, wow, I mean, 100 times we do this every single year, then ever get any kind of gift again?

00:07:52

Xochitl

And it can even be similar to the same price as you don't have to spend a lot to go on a day.

00:07:56

Xochitl

Trip or go out to.

00:07:57

Xochitl

Eat somewhere but like do some memory of spending time with people that you love and doing something fun. It's worth so much.

00:08:05

Jack

Here's a tip to the young guys out there if you if you want to impress your significant other.

00:08:12

Jack

UM, particularly female. Significant other uhm.

00:08:17

Jack

Make a plan.

00:08:19

Jack

Like women love that like they really they hate the like. What do you wanna?

00:08:23

Jack

Do I don't?

00:08:24

Jack

Know what do.

00:08:25

Jack

You wanna do?

00:08:25

Jack

I don't know.

00:08:26

Jack

What do you wanna do if you just take?

00:08:28

Jack

The bull by the.

00:08:29

Jack

Horns to use the expression.

00:08:31

Jack

And make a plan for your.

00:08:35

Jack

Lady friend, your female friend, and then she will really, really appreciate it. And it it's a very attractive quality that.

00:08:44

Jack

And and I, you know, I wish.

00:08:46

Jack

I'd learned like my wife married me despite my you.

00:08:52

Jack

Know inability to do that.

00:08:53

Xochitl

The plan.

00:08:53

Jack

You know, but now is like an older.

00:08:56

Jack

Man, I can see like, oh, you know, I think that's what women want is like, to a guy that'll just make a plan at this time. We're going to this place and then we're going to eat at this restaurant. And you don't have to think about anything. Just you're along for the ride, you know, because I think women do a lot of the planning in relationships.

00:09:17

Jack

And so yeah, I think I think that's a huge tip for our young single male listeners out there is make a plan.

00:09:28

Xochitl

Yeah. Make a plan. Yeah. So let us know. Would you rather give or receive a thoughtful gift to make sure to let us know in the comments at AZ englishpodcast.com shootings?