(If you can’t read it, it says I have too many Vitamin V subscribers and I need to upgrade my account.)
The problem has been fixed.
And it’s not really a problem at all.
Because it means more and more students are finding and reading Vitamin V.
This week I got emails from Papua New Guinea, Iraq, Pakistan and a small island in the Pacific Ocean which I had never heard of.
Amazing.
That’s a big classroom.
I’m so glad you’re here.
If you’re new to the Vitamin V lessons, this week we’re talking about conversations and how to start them.
So let’s begin…
WHAT’S UP?
Prague.
February, 2005.
Inside Prague Language Center on Stepanska Street. (No longer in business. And they still owe me money!)
My class started at 3 PM.
I came through the front door of the school at 2:59 PM.
And as I rushed past the receptionist, Renata, I quickly said to her, “Hey, how’s it going?”
That was a mistake.
Because Renata started to tell me about her injured knee. Her mother’s breathing problems. Her predictions about the health of the nation. And her recommendations for using roots and honey to stay healthy during the winter.
Not the response I expected.
You see, although there’s a question mark at the end of the sentence (?), it’s not really a question.
They’re like wings on a chicken. The wings tell you it’s a bird, but it’s also not going to fly to Florida for the winter.
Here’s a typical conversation between two native speakers who have just arrived at the office.
BOB: “Hey. What’s up?”
CLARENCE: “What’s up?”
So what is up with Bob?
And what is up with Clarence?
We may never know.
Because it’s not a real question.
It’s just something native speakers say.
Think of it like this: It’s “Hello”, part two.