January 10, 2025 • 20 mins
What if one day you got a call… offering you the chance to become a SPY? That’s exactly what happened to Andrew Bustamante (from Everydayspy) when he got one of the most mysterious tasks on Earth – being a secret agent! Join Luis and Emily on the Lingokids Podcast as they talk to Andrew and uncover the secrets of being a spy. How do secret agents live without anyone knowing who they are? Do they actually carry tiny cameras to follow people around? And can they just spot liars by looking them in the eye? Sneak in (like a real spy) to find out!
Episode Transcript
***** Parents, in the Lingokids app, we have plenty of interactive activities, games, songs, and more that blend educational subjects and modern life skills to help get your kids ready for today's changing world! From math to making friends, reading to resilience, collaboration, creativity, and so much more, spark curiosity, imagination, and success with Lingokids! *****
A Lingokids Original podcast produced by Studio Ochenta
Starring Emily Calandrelli as Herself and Parker James Logie as Luis
Guest: Andrew Bustamante
With additional production support from
Head Writers: Maru Lombardo and Luis López
Production Coordinators: Catalina Hoyos
Editor: Luis López and Chiara Santella
Theme Song Written by: Fredrika Stahl
Theme Song Composed by: Fredrika Stahl
Music Production: Dimitri Peronno
Theme Song Performed by: The Angel City Youth Chorale directed by Heather Catalena
Recording Engineers: Bill Trousdale at Audiovisions and Jason Schimmel at Bunker Studios
Legal Services: Lisa Nitti, Ludye Nisol, Alix d’Argentré
Special thanks to: Andrew Bustamante, Dori Kaba, and Everyday Spy
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Someone actually came up to me and tapped me on
the shoulder and invited me to become a spy. And
they invited me to Washington, d C. To sit with
a group of people to talk about a new job
that they thought I would be good at, and that
job was being a CIA spy. There are only one
(00:21):
thousand undercover spies. That means only one out of every
three thousand people will get the chance to do it.
So that means two nine hundred and ninety nine people
will never become spies. But you could be one of them.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
That's Andrew Bustamante, and he used to have one of
the most mysterious jobs out there. He was an actual spy,
someone who secretly got information from people to keep others safe.
Andrew worked at the CIA or Central Intelligence Agency. Wonder
(01:00):
what that is, Well, it's a super secret place where
US agents work together. And today we'll be chatting with
Andrew about how you can become a top secret hero,
because that's what being a spy is all about. Welcome
(01:22):
to Growing Up, a Lingo kids podcast that helps kids
discover how to be whatever they want to be.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Subject is in position Maxie. Do we have a visual Maxie,
do you call? Come on, Maxi, we need to focus.
We need to find out what Emily's having for lunch.
That way we'll know if we'll get ice cream for dessert.
You're right, I should use these super zoom in binoculars. Okay, listen, Maxie.
(02:21):
I'm looking at her desk and there's a couple of
interesting clues. There's something that looks like a postcard of
a Mariachi band. Oh, and look, there's a toy figure
of a Mexican dog. What do you mean? How do
I know the dog's Mexican? It has no hair. We
watch Coco together, remember. Anyways, let's stick to the mission.
(02:46):
Let's see. Oh no, I lost sight of Emily. Where
is she? Maxi? I think it's time for the Go
Forward Labs brand new earworm three thousand. It can pick
up conversations from a mile away. Emily must be close
by so that I can hear her.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
And the large cacit is too Yeah, yep, okay, thank.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
You, I knew it. She's ordering from a Mexican restaurant. No,
white scream doesn't matter. I'm still the best spy ever.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Oh hey, Luis what you're doing over there?
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Oh? Hi, Emily, what's.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
All this cool stuff you have with you?
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Oh? Nothing? I so, Uh, we're having Mexican food today,
aren't we?
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Oh what makes you say that?
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Well? What can I say? I just could smell it
from here. Yeah. Well okay, and I may have tried
out some cool stuff from the Go Forward Labs to
like the super zoom and binoculars.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Oh I see you were spying on me. Well, spine, Louise,
it looks like you may need to work on your
spy skills, because there's more to spying than just using
all that fancy technology.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
So, Emily, was I right? Are we getting Mexican food later?
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Well not exactly, Louise. I did order Mexican food, but
for an event we're having at my daughter's school tomorrow.
We're doing a world expo and we're helping set the
Mexico stand.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
Oh I see now, the Mariachi banch in, the dog
shaped all makes sense. I guess my spy job wasn't
done yet.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
But it's okay. You had fun.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Yeah, but how can I be a better spy? Emily?
Speaker 2 (04:39):
I know someone who can teach you how to know
if you'll be getting ice cream later or not.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
Wait? How did you know I was spying for ice cream? Uh?
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Huh? Will all spies have their secrets, Louise, just kidding.
I'm not an actual spy, but I know someone who
used to be one. His name is Andrew Boos Deamonte,
and he actually worked as a spy for the CIA.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
Oh wow, Is that the super secret agency that comes
up in TV shows.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Yes, and it's very popular in movies too. It stands
for Central Intelligence Agency and it exists in real life.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Oh right, and that's why spies say things like we're
gathering intel on the suspect.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Exactly. The CIA gathers information, they call it intelligence, from
all over the world so they can keep the US safe.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
Wow. Sounds like like superheroes. But in the shadows, I
want to talk to Andrew and know everything about being
a spy, like what cool binoculars he used, or where
he traveled to.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
How about we head over to the interview now and
find out.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Let's go, Oh and one more think, yes, Louis, Emily,
wink once with your right eye if we're getting ice
cream today, or when twice with your left eye if
we're not. Okay, huh okay, So that was two winks
with your right eye. Huh could that mean we're getting
(06:16):
two ice cream cones and you just have to wait
and see. Hi.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Everyone, this is Emily and welcome to our Lingo Kids
Talking game show. And today we have the pleasure of
talking to someone who's had one of the most mysterious
jobs out there. It's Andrew bus Damonte. Andrew, it is
so great to have you here, No my pleasure.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Thank you very much for having me. I'm excited to
share more of my story and more of what it's
like to become a CIA spy, and.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
We're so excited to hear all about it. So Andrew,
let's start from the beginning. How did you first learn
about spies and the CIA?
Speaker 1 (07:01):
When I was a kid, I used to love the
idea of solving mysteries and going on adventures and being
a hero. I used to read a lot of comic
books when I was a kid, and I always loved
seeing how the heroes started as just normal people until
they found out that they had some kind of superpower,
and then they dedicated themselves to using their superpower to
help everyone else.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
I love comic books, especially Superman. He's super strong and
help save the world.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
I remember that in Batman, I remember that in Superman.
I even remember that in movies like James Bond. It
was all the bright colors and all the big action sequences,
the fast cars and the special outfits. It was all
very exciting to me, and it made me think that
maybe I would have a chance one day to go
amazing places and do amazing things.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
I'm sure it must take a lot of hard work
and training to become that type of hero.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Andrew, did you go to like a spy school or something?
And how can I go there?
Speaker 1 (07:57):
I actually got invited to be a spy. I didn't
have to try to apply. I didn't have to ask
someone to let me in. Someone actually came up to
me and tapped me on the shoulder and invited me
to become a spy.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Oh how thrilling.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
It sounds like a movie. So how did it happen?
Speaker 1 (08:15):
I was doing something on the computer at work, kind
of like a video game, and I had a screen
pop up that said, we think that your results are interesting.
Would you be willing to apply to a new job?
Speaker 3 (08:26):
WHOA, no way? So what did you say?
Speaker 1 (08:29):
I said yes. The next day I got a phone
call from somebody, and that person wouldn't tell me their
name and wouldn't tell me where they were calling from,
but they knew everything about me, and they invited me
to Washington, d C. To sit with a group of
people to talk about a new job that they thought
I would be good at, and that job was being
a CIA spy.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Oh wow, this really is like a movie. And of
course spies go all over the world, right, Andrew, does
that mean you've learned to speak many other languages too?
Speaker 1 (08:59):
When you become a spy, you do a lot of reading,
and you don't only read in your own language. Sometimes
you have to learn a completely different language so that
you can read in that language also. And that's how
I learned Chinese and Thai and Japanese and Spanish, because
I had to read different books and different stories in
different languages so that I would understand how to talk
(09:20):
to people who spoke a different language.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
You speak all those languages. That's so cool. But it
sounds like being a spy is tons of homework.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
I guess it's not all adventure all the time. You
have to do a lot of research too. Andrew, could
you tell us about how you train to become.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
A spy, spies goes to a very secret kind of
camp where you live in a place with a bunch
of other people and nobody else even knows that place exists.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Secret camp that sounds like the coolest summer camp ever.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
You have your own make believe TV channels, you have
your own make believe newspapers, You live in real houses,
but nobody knows that you're there, and nobody knows what
you're doing there. Because what spies have to do is
learn to operate in a world where nobody realizes that
they're there, because a spy has to be undercover.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
Oh and undercover basically means hiding right.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Undercover means nobody knows you're really being a spy. The
only way to practice that is by going into a
real city where nobody knows why you're there.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
Wow, it really is like having a whole secret life.
And if you're really good at it, people will think
you're just a normal person, but.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
You're actually a super spy with really cool gadgets. Andrew,
what kind of technology do you use? Do you have?
Like many cameras and microphones and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
We really do get to use cool spy tech like that.
When you're a real spy and it really is just
as fancy and special and small as you see in
the movies.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
You do, Oh like what.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
I've had technology that I carry on my wrist in
my watch. I've had technology I carry in a pen.
I've had micro cameras that actually hide in the buttons
on my shirt. It's a lot of times things like
recorders or cameras or even satellite phones that hide inside
your clothes as something else, so that you can talk
to people from a long way away.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
That's awesome. Now I want a pen camera.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
It is really cool. But the skills of a spy
involve much more than just technology. You need to know
how people feel and even what they think. Is that right, Andrew?
Speaker 1 (11:30):
So in the movies and in TV shows and in
video games where you see lots of shooting and lots
of explosions, that isn't what it's really like in real life.
What it's like is you do a lot of sitting
and talking, a lot of friendly behavior to try to
get people to share the things that they know so
that you can use those secrets to keep the people
that you love safe.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
Oh, so you have to make people want to talk
to you. How do you do that.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
One thing that spies are taught to do is develop
something kind of like Spider Man's spidy sense. You know
Spider Man, then you know Spider Man is able to
tell danger before it actually arrives. And that's something like
what CIA teaches us to do with new people. We
have to know whether or not we can trust somebody
or whether somebody is lying to us as soon as
we meet them.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
No way, Andrew, you you have a spider sense.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
This job gets cooler by the minute.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Do you know when people are lying? And do you
know if they like something? How do you use it?
Speaker 1 (12:27):
When someone looks you in the eye at the same
time that you're talking to them, that's how you know
that they are paying attention to you. And when somebody
smiles at the same time that you smile, that's how
you know they're actually listening to you. And when somebody
answers your question and asks you questions in return, that
shows that they respect you.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
I've never really noticed that before.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
And a lot of times when someone's trying to trick you,
they'll either smile when they're not supposed to, or they
won't look at you in the eye. Or they won't
listen to you when you speak, And those are ways
that you can tell that somebody is trying to be
tricky instead of honest.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
Oh you don't even need one of those lie detector things.
You can just look someone in the eye.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
That's right, Luise, we can be real lie detectors.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
Hmm.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
I think that'll be a cool mission, trying to figure
out if someone is lying just by looking them in
the EYEO Andrew, do you have a favorite mission and
what can you tell us about it?
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Most of my missions have to stay secret because I
promised that I would never tell them. But what I
can tell you is that I did work on one
very special mission where I had to help a child
get from one country to another country because they were kidnapped.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
Oh wow, then what happened?
Speaker 1 (13:40):
So multiple countries all worked together in order to save
that child and bring them back to their mom and
their dad where they belonged. And I'll never forget what
it looked like to see that child's face when they
were taken from the place where they were scared and
given back to their mom and dad where they felt
safe again.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Oh wow, that gave me goosebumps. I can't imagine how
that must feel.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
Yeah, I'm glad the kid was safe.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
There are superheroes everywhere in the world. That brings me
to Well. We've talked a lot about the CIA and
American spies, but of course other countries have their own spies,
don't they, Andrew.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
Most movies and TV shows talk about the CIA, or
they talk about America and America's spy agencies, but there
are many, many, very good spy agencies all over the world.
In Australia they're called the Australian Secret Intelligence Service and
they're one of the best intelligence services in the world.
In the United Kingdom, they're called MI six or the
(14:38):
Queen's Secret Intelligence Service. Every country in Europe has its
own secret intelligence service that goes by a different name,
and they all have very good skills.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Oh yes, and when countries are friendly with each other,
they'll share intelligence and that'll help build better communication between them.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
Yes, And speaking of building, Emily, I'm really excited about
our next bit the game show. Why is that because
we're going to build our own spy mission, Emily, is
that so well?
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Can't wait to do it? Let go Hello there, and
welcome to today's game show. Our special contestant is none
other than Top Secret superhero Andrew Bustamante Luis take it away.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
Okay, Andrew, today's game is gonna be super fun. We're
gonna get into the Go Forward Super Secret Mission simulator
so we can create our own spy mission together. I'm
gonna ask you a few questions. First, if you could
pick anywhere in the world to be a spy, where
would you go?
Speaker 1 (15:50):
I would go to somewhere very cold, somewhere covered in snow. Why, Andrew,
Because when you walk through the snow, it's very easy
to tell somebody is following you because their footprints end
up behind you. So if you go for a long
walk in the snow and it's only your footprints behind you,
you know that you're not being followed.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
Oh that's a good point.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Okay, let me put this straight into the computer. Okay,
how about the North Sea near a country called Norway.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Ooh, not bad. Norway's very up north and plenty of snow.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
All right, Andrew. Next question, if you can change the
color of your hair for this mission, what color would
it be?
Speaker 1 (16:37):
I have a lot of hair, and if I had
to dye my hair for a spy mission, I would
keep my hair brown or black. And here's why. All
over the world, the majority of people have brown hair
or black hair. Very few people have blonde hair or
red hair. So if you want to be able to
go somewhere without being discovered, if you want to be
(16:58):
able to blend in or even high in plain sight,
you want to have the kind of hair that people
are used to seeing.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Awesome fact, perfect you keep your hair color. Then all right, Andrew.
Last question. If you could choose any mission, what would
you pick. Would you take something valuable, find out a
super secret plan, or maybe save someone.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
The best, most exciting missions in the world are missions
where you have to rescue somebody. Rescuing people is the
most fulfilling and most rewarding kind of spy mission you
can go on. It's better than stealing secrets. It's better
than driving fancy cars. It's better than going to fancy
parties because you really get to help someone and that
person never forgets you, even though you're trying to be forgettable.
(17:40):
That person never forgets you in their entire life.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
Wow, I can't imagine how cool it would feel to
save someone, just like like a real superhero.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Andrew, this was so much fun. Thank you so much
for playing.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
Your questions are really really good. Those are actual things
that we consider in real life.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
Nice Emily. Maybe I could actually be a spy someday.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
I definitely think you have what it takes. Andrew. Thank
you so much for your time and hope to talk
to you again soon. So, Louis, what's your favorite thing
you learned after talking to Andrew?
Speaker 3 (18:21):
So many things. I learned that spies are very techy,
but they can also tell if people are lying to
them just by looking them in the eye. They have
to be great at keeping secrets too, and many many
countries have their own spy agencies.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
It's super exciting. Oh, by the way, remember your lunch
spy mission.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
Of course, a good night spy never forgets his missions.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
Well, you were right earlier. I winked twice because we're
getting ice cream with two scoops. What flavors do you
want in yours?
Speaker 3 (18:55):
Oh? No, thanks, Emily, I think I'm good really.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
Oh okay, that's fine, I'll just grab one for myself.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
Just kidding. I want ice cream too. I was testing
out your lie detecting skills.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
That was a good one.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
Louise, just making sure you were cool under pressure like
a real spy.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
Thanks for joining us on this episode of Growing Up.
I hope you enjoyed uncovering the mysteries of being a spy. Remember,
little listener, dream big, and always stay curious. Luis, are
you ready for more adventure?
Speaker 3 (19:31):
There's more?
Speaker 2 (19:32):
Yep, there's loads more to explore on the world's number
one kids learning app, Lingo Kids. It has tons of videos,
games and podcasts just like this one, and every single
one is fun and educational. Download the Lingo Kids app
today for free.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
Why No t servis noted by pap of
Someone actually came up to me and tapped me on
the shoulder and invited me to become a spy. And
they invited me to Washington, d C. To sit with
a group of people to talk about a new job
that they thought I would be good at, and that
job was being a CIA spy. There are only one
(00:21):
thousand undercover spies. That means only one out of every
three thousand people will get the chance to do it.
So that means two nine hundred and ninety nine people
will never become spies. But you could be one of them.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
That's Andrew Bustamante, and he used to have one of
the most mysterious jobs out there. He was an actual spy,
someone who secretly got information from people to keep others safe.
Andrew worked at the CIA or Central Intelligence Agency. Wonder
(01:00):
what that is, Well, it's a super secret place where
US agents work together. And today we'll be chatting with
Andrew about how you can become a top secret hero,
because that's what being a spy is all about. Welcome
(01:22):
to Growing Up, a Lingo kids podcast that helps kids
discover how to be whatever they want to be.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Subject is in position Maxie. Do we have a visual Maxie,
do you call? Come on, Maxi, we need to focus.
We need to find out what Emily's having for lunch.
That way we'll know if we'll get ice cream for dessert.
You're right, I should use these super zoom in binoculars. Okay, listen, Maxie.
(02:21):
I'm looking at her desk and there's a couple of
interesting clues. There's something that looks like a postcard of
a Mariachi band. Oh, and look, there's a toy figure
of a Mexican dog. What do you mean? How do
I know the dog's Mexican? It has no hair. We
watch Coco together, remember. Anyways, let's stick to the mission.
(02:46):
Let's see. Oh no, I lost sight of Emily. Where
is she? Maxi? I think it's time for the Go
Forward Labs brand new earworm three thousand. It can pick
up conversations from a mile away. Emily must be close
by so that I can hear her.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
And the large cacit is too Yeah, yep, okay, thank.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
You, I knew it. She's ordering from a Mexican restaurant. No,
white scream doesn't matter. I'm still the best spy ever.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Oh hey, Luis what you're doing over there?
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Oh? Hi, Emily, what's.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
All this cool stuff you have with you?
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Oh? Nothing? I so, Uh, we're having Mexican food today,
aren't we?
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Oh what makes you say that?
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Well? What can I say? I just could smell it
from here. Yeah. Well okay, and I may have tried
out some cool stuff from the Go Forward Labs to
like the super zoom and binoculars.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
Oh I see you were spying on me. Well, spine, Louise,
it looks like you may need to work on your
spy skills, because there's more to spying than just using
all that fancy technology.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
So, Emily, was I right? Are we getting Mexican food later?
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Well not exactly, Louise. I did order Mexican food, but
for an event we're having at my daughter's school tomorrow.
We're doing a world expo and we're helping set the
Mexico stand.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
Oh I see now, the Mariachi banch in, the dog
shaped all makes sense. I guess my spy job wasn't
done yet.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
But it's okay. You had fun.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Yeah, but how can I be a better spy? Emily?
Speaker 2 (04:39):
I know someone who can teach you how to know
if you'll be getting ice cream later or not.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
Wait? How did you know I was spying for ice cream? Uh?
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Huh? Will all spies have their secrets, Louise, just kidding.
I'm not an actual spy, but I know someone who
used to be one. His name is Andrew Boos Deamonte,
and he actually worked as a spy for the CIA.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
Oh wow, Is that the super secret agency that comes
up in TV shows.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Yes, and it's very popular in movies too. It stands
for Central Intelligence Agency and it exists in real life.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Oh right, and that's why spies say things like we're
gathering intel on the suspect.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Exactly. The CIA gathers information, they call it intelligence, from
all over the world so they can keep the US safe.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
Wow. Sounds like like superheroes. But in the shadows, I
want to talk to Andrew and know everything about being
a spy, like what cool binoculars he used, or where
he traveled to.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
How about we head over to the interview now and
find out.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Let's go, Oh and one more think, yes, Louis, Emily,
wink once with your right eye if we're getting ice
cream today, or when twice with your left eye if
we're not. Okay, huh okay, So that was two winks
with your right eye. Huh could that mean we're getting
(06:16):
two ice cream cones and you just have to wait
and see. Hi.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
Everyone, this is Emily and welcome to our Lingo Kids
Talking game show. And today we have the pleasure of
talking to someone who's had one of the most mysterious
jobs out there. It's Andrew bus Damonte. Andrew, it is
so great to have you here, No my pleasure.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Thank you very much for having me. I'm excited to
share more of my story and more of what it's
like to become a CIA spy, and.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
We're so excited to hear all about it. So Andrew,
let's start from the beginning. How did you first learn
about spies and the CIA?
Speaker 1 (07:01):
When I was a kid, I used to love the
idea of solving mysteries and going on adventures and being
a hero. I used to read a lot of comic
books when I was a kid, and I always loved
seeing how the heroes started as just normal people until
they found out that they had some kind of superpower,
and then they dedicated themselves to using their superpower to
help everyone else.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
I love comic books, especially Superman. He's super strong and
help save the world.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
I remember that in Batman, I remember that in Superman.
I even remember that in movies like James Bond. It
was all the bright colors and all the big action sequences,
the fast cars and the special outfits. It was all
very exciting to me, and it made me think that
maybe I would have a chance one day to go
amazing places and do amazing things.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
I'm sure it must take a lot of hard work
and training to become that type of hero.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Andrew, did you go to like a spy school or something?
And how can I go there?
Speaker 1 (07:57):
I actually got invited to be a spy. I didn't
have to try to apply. I didn't have to ask
someone to let me in. Someone actually came up to
me and tapped me on the shoulder and invited me
to become a spy.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Oh how thrilling.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
It sounds like a movie. So how did it happen?
Speaker 1 (08:15):
I was doing something on the computer at work, kind
of like a video game, and I had a screen
pop up that said, we think that your results are interesting.
Would you be willing to apply to a new job?
Speaker 3 (08:26):
WHOA, no way? So what did you say?
Speaker 1 (08:29):
I said yes. The next day I got a phone
call from somebody, and that person wouldn't tell me their
name and wouldn't tell me where they were calling from,
but they knew everything about me, and they invited me
to Washington, d C. To sit with a group of
people to talk about a new job that they thought
I would be good at, and that job was being
a CIA spy.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Oh wow, this really is like a movie. And of
course spies go all over the world, right, Andrew, does
that mean you've learned to speak many other languages too?
Speaker 1 (08:59):
When you become a spy, you do a lot of reading,
and you don't only read in your own language. Sometimes
you have to learn a completely different language so that
you can read in that language also. And that's how
I learned Chinese and Thai and Japanese and Spanish, because
I had to read different books and different stories in
different languages so that I would understand how to talk
(09:20):
to people who spoke a different language.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
You speak all those languages. That's so cool. But it
sounds like being a spy is tons of homework.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
I guess it's not all adventure all the time. You
have to do a lot of research too. Andrew, could
you tell us about how you train to become.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
A spy, spies goes to a very secret kind of
camp where you live in a place with a bunch
of other people and nobody else even knows that place exists.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Secret camp that sounds like the coolest summer camp ever.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
You have your own make believe TV channels, you have
your own make believe newspapers, You live in real houses,
but nobody knows that you're there, and nobody knows what
you're doing there. Because what spies have to do is
learn to operate in a world where nobody realizes that
they're there, because a spy has to be undercover.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
Oh and undercover basically means hiding right.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Undercover means nobody knows you're really being a spy. The
only way to practice that is by going into a
real city where nobody knows why you're there.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
Wow, it really is like having a whole secret life.
And if you're really good at it, people will think
you're just a normal person, but.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
You're actually a super spy with really cool gadgets. Andrew,
what kind of technology do you use? Do you have?
Like many cameras and microphones and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
We really do get to use cool spy tech like that.
When you're a real spy and it really is just
as fancy and special and small as you see in
the movies.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
You do, Oh like what.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
I've had technology that I carry on my wrist in
my watch. I've had technology I carry in a pen.
I've had micro cameras that actually hide in the buttons
on my shirt. It's a lot of times things like
recorders or cameras or even satellite phones that hide inside
your clothes as something else, so that you can talk
to people from a long way away.
Speaker 3 (11:15):
That's awesome. Now I want a pen camera.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
It is really cool. But the skills of a spy
involve much more than just technology. You need to know
how people feel and even what they think. Is that right, Andrew?
Speaker 1 (11:30):
So in the movies and in TV shows and in
video games where you see lots of shooting and lots
of explosions, that isn't what it's really like in real life.
What it's like is you do a lot of sitting
and talking, a lot of friendly behavior to try to
get people to share the things that they know so
that you can use those secrets to keep the people
that you love safe.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
Oh, so you have to make people want to talk
to you. How do you do that.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
One thing that spies are taught to do is develop
something kind of like Spider Man's spidy sense. You know
Spider Man, then you know Spider Man is able to
tell danger before it actually arrives. And that's something like
what CIA teaches us to do with new people. We
have to know whether or not we can trust somebody
or whether somebody is lying to us as soon as
we meet them.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
No way, Andrew, you you have a spider sense.
Speaker 2 (12:19):
This job gets cooler by the minute.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Do you know when people are lying? And do you
know if they like something? How do you use it?
Speaker 1 (12:27):
When someone looks you in the eye at the same
time that you're talking to them, that's how you know
that they are paying attention to you. And when somebody
smiles at the same time that you smile, that's how
you know they're actually listening to you. And when somebody
answers your question and asks you questions in return, that
shows that they respect you.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
I've never really noticed that before.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
And a lot of times when someone's trying to trick you,
they'll either smile when they're not supposed to, or they
won't look at you in the eye. Or they won't
listen to you when you speak, And those are ways
that you can tell that somebody is trying to be
tricky instead of honest.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
Oh you don't even need one of those lie detector things.
You can just look someone in the eye.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
That's right, Luise, we can be real lie detectors.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
Hmm.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
I think that'll be a cool mission, trying to figure
out if someone is lying just by looking them in
the EYEO Andrew, do you have a favorite mission and
what can you tell us about it?
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Most of my missions have to stay secret because I
promised that I would never tell them. But what I
can tell you is that I did work on one
very special mission where I had to help a child
get from one country to another country because they were kidnapped.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
Oh wow, then what happened?
Speaker 1 (13:40):
So multiple countries all worked together in order to save
that child and bring them back to their mom and
their dad where they belonged. And I'll never forget what
it looked like to see that child's face when they
were taken from the place where they were scared and
given back to their mom and dad where they felt
safe again.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Oh wow, that gave me goosebumps. I can't imagine how
that must feel.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
Yeah, I'm glad the kid was safe.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
There are superheroes everywhere in the world. That brings me
to Well. We've talked a lot about the CIA and
American spies, but of course other countries have their own spies,
don't they, Andrew.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
Most movies and TV shows talk about the CIA, or
they talk about America and America's spy agencies, but there
are many, many, very good spy agencies all over the world.
In Australia they're called the Australian Secret Intelligence Service and
they're one of the best intelligence services in the world.
In the United Kingdom, they're called MI six or the
(14:38):
Queen's Secret Intelligence Service. Every country in Europe has its
own secret intelligence service that goes by a different name,
and they all have very good skills.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Oh yes, and when countries are friendly with each other,
they'll share intelligence and that'll help build better communication between them.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
Yes, And speaking of building, Emily, I'm really excited about
our next bit the game show. Why is that because
we're going to build our own spy mission, Emily, is
that so well?
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Can't wait to do it? Let go Hello there, and
welcome to today's game show. Our special contestant is none
other than Top Secret superhero Andrew Bustamante Luis take it away.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
Okay, Andrew, today's game is gonna be super fun. We're
gonna get into the Go Forward Super Secret Mission simulator
so we can create our own spy mission together. I'm
gonna ask you a few questions. First, if you could
pick anywhere in the world to be a spy, where
would you go?
Speaker 1 (15:50):
I would go to somewhere very cold, somewhere covered in snow. Why, Andrew,
Because when you walk through the snow, it's very easy
to tell somebody is following you because their footprints end
up behind you. So if you go for a long
walk in the snow and it's only your footprints behind you,
you know that you're not being followed.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
Oh that's a good point.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Okay, let me put this straight into the computer. Okay,
how about the North Sea near a country called Norway.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Ooh, not bad. Norway's very up north and plenty of snow.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
All right, Andrew. Next question, if you can change the
color of your hair for this mission, what color would
it be?
Speaker 1 (16:37):
I have a lot of hair, and if I had
to dye my hair for a spy mission, I would
keep my hair brown or black. And here's why. All
over the world, the majority of people have brown hair
or black hair. Very few people have blonde hair or
red hair. So if you want to be able to
go somewhere without being discovered, if you want to be
(16:58):
able to blend in or even high in plain sight,
you want to have the kind of hair that people
are used to seeing.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Awesome fact, perfect you keep your hair color. Then all right, Andrew.
Last question. If you could choose any mission, what would
you pick. Would you take something valuable, find out a
super secret plan, or maybe save someone.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
The best, most exciting missions in the world are missions
where you have to rescue somebody. Rescuing people is the
most fulfilling and most rewarding kind of spy mission you
can go on. It's better than stealing secrets. It's better
than driving fancy cars. It's better than going to fancy
parties because you really get to help someone and that
person never forgets you, even though you're trying to be forgettable.
(17:40):
That person never forgets you in their entire life.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
Wow, I can't imagine how cool it would feel to
save someone, just like like a real superhero.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Andrew, this was so much fun. Thank you so much
for playing.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
Your questions are really really good. Those are actual things
that we consider in real life.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
Nice Emily. Maybe I could actually be a spy someday.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
I definitely think you have what it takes. Andrew. Thank
you so much for your time and hope to talk
to you again soon. So, Louis, what's your favorite thing
you learned after talking to Andrew?
Speaker 3 (18:21):
So many things. I learned that spies are very techy,
but they can also tell if people are lying to
them just by looking them in the eye. They have
to be great at keeping secrets too, and many many
countries have their own spy agencies.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
It's super exciting. Oh, by the way, remember your lunch
spy mission.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
Of course, a good night spy never forgets his missions.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
Well, you were right earlier. I winked twice because we're
getting ice cream with two scoops. What flavors do you
want in yours?
Speaker 3 (18:55):
Oh? No, thanks, Emily, I think I'm good really.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
Oh okay, that's fine, I'll just grab one for myself.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
Just kidding. I want ice cream too. I was testing
out your lie detecting skills.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
That was a good one.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
Louise, just making sure you were cool under pressure like
a real spy.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
Thanks for joining us on this episode of Growing Up.
I hope you enjoyed uncovering the mysteries of being a spy. Remember,
little listener, dream big, and always stay curious. Luis, are
you ready for more adventure?
Speaker 3 (19:31):
There's more?
Speaker 2 (19:32):
Yep, there's loads more to explore on the world's number
one kids learning app, Lingo Kids. It has tons of videos,
games and podcasts just like this one, and every single
one is fun and educational. Download the Lingo Kids app
today for free.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
Why No t servis noted by pap of
Host
Emily Calandrelli
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