【英语趣味课堂】普拉，克罗地亚-Pula, Croatia

Vesna: Tell me Karlo, is Pula your home town?
 
Karlo: Yes, I was born in Pula, did all of my schooling 1 here and I also work here.
 
Vesna: And do you like living in Pula?
 
Karlo: Of course. All of my memories are connected to this city. My parents live here as well as all of other loved ones. You know, the old saying, 'home is where the heart is'.
 
Vesna: Does that mean if your heart leads you somewhere else, you would follow it?
 
Karlo: I have an open mind about it. If I left I would probably be nostalgic at first. But in time, sure, I would find another place to call home.
 
Vesna: How would you describe Pula to somebody who was considering moving here?
 
Karlo: What suits me in the city is that it's rather small so everything is at hand, you can say. If you don't mind walking you can manage all of your activities by foot. It is also quite peaceful, there is not much isolation 2 or surprises.
 
Vesna: Yes, yes, that can be a downside sometimes.
 
Karlo: Yes, sometimes because in my opinion there is a lack of cultural and entertaining activities throughout the year, especially for the young people.
 
Vesna: Yeah, and you are younger. How do you and your friends find entertainment?
 
Karlo: Pula has a rich rock and roll history, that gives you a better perception 3 for creativity and development. There is a 19th military complex called ------, that was thrown into our cultural center. So most of us are somewhat 4 engaged there. I, for example, I'm a member of a hardrock band.
 
Vesna: Oh, that's nice. Are there any public performances held in that center?
 
Karlo: Yes, yes, all the time. It's a multicultural 5 social center that gathers over 100 organisations and associations 6. From time to time you can see music performances, then shows which play, music exhibitions and other artistic 7 performances.
 
Vesna: Great. And are there any other places in Pula you would wish to point out?
 
Karlo: This city has beautiful nature and historical treasures, it has a mild climate and great past. It's witnesses are the names of buildings that we inherited 8 and that we are so proud of, mostly from the Roman period, but also from the other times.
 
Vesna: Do you think this is a globally known fact?
 
Karlo: No. I think that this city needs better marketing 9 and presentation of what it has to offer. We just haven't learned 10 to use its benefits yet.
 
重点词汇：
 

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson
open-mind
 
I have an open-mind about it.
 
When you have an open-mind, you are willing to accept new ideas. Notice the following:
 
Young people usually are more open-minded.
My boss never likes change. He does not have an open-mind.
nostalgic
 
I would probably be nostalgic at first. 
 
When you are nostalgic, you have good memories of something in the past. Notice the following:
 
When I listen to 80s music I get nostalgic for high school.
She is nostalgic for her travel days.
at hand
 
Everything is at hand.
 
When something is 'at hand', it is easy to access or get to. Notice the following:
 
In math class, you need a calculator 11 at hand.
Living downtown is convenient because there are many shops at hand.
downside
 
That can be a downside sometimes.
 
The downside refers to the negative qualities about something. Notice the following:
 
The downside of living downtown is the high cost of living.
I like living overseas but the downside is I am far from my family.
From time to time
 
From time to time you can see music performances
 
This phrase 'from time to time' means sometimes but not often. Notice the following:
 
I like to play tennis from time to time.
My father cooks breakfast for the family from time to time.