Hello and welcome back to my slow English podcast.
This is your space to learn English slowly.
Did you know that your brain keeps working even while you're sleeping?
When you listen to English at night, your brain begins to recognize words more easily.
So tonight, you don't need to study hard.
You just need to listen.
Now, close your eyes, relax your body, and let's begin.
I wake up around 5am to have an early start to the morning.
I like to start my day slowly.
So first, I read a book.
This morning, I saw a little guija, a small lizard, hanging on my sheets.
They are so cute.
I love the sounds they make.
After making my bed, I stretch, I breathe, and I meditate.
Once I finish warming up for the day, I go downstairs.
I brush my teeth and I sit down to start work.
I check emails.
I edit videos.
I plan my lessons.
And I hop on video calls and meetings.
Then I make breakfast.
Something filling.
So I can feel full for a long time.
Most mornings I like to eat chickpeas, onions, and potatoes.
It's delicious.
After I finish eating breakfast, I put on my shoes, I grab my helmet and I drive to the supermarket.
I go through each aisle to make sure I don't forget anything.
Of course, the bakery is my favorite part, because I always crave a sweet treat at the end of the day.
I like to be well prepared for when I crave something sweet.
That way, I don't have to go back to the supermarket again.
I get vegetables and fruits and I stroll through the detergent aisle.
I love the smell of the detergent aisle.
We drive home and I make lunch.
I love to eat broccoli pasta. with cheese and ham.
What do you like to eat for lunch?
After lunch, I take advantage of a beautiful day and I visit the beach.
I pack my beach bag And I head to the beach.
It was a stunning beach.
I swim for the whole afternoon.
And finally, my favorite part of the day, dinner.
I pick a nice restaurant on the beach and I order some food.
This is the barbecue chicken burger with fries and salad on the side.
I also love fish tacos.
And those were just as delicious.
After I eat dinner, I head home.
I get ready for bed.
I brush my teeth.
I take a shower.
And I put on my pajamas.
And finally, I go to bed.
All in all, it was a great day.
That's a day in my life.
Now it's your turn.
Tell me about a day in your life.
What's your daily routine?
So we'll start by introducing our guest.
What is your name?
My name is Brianna.
And how old are you?
I am 23 years old.
And where are you from?
I am from Norfolk, Nebraska.
Where is Norfolk, Nebraska?
It's in the middle of the United States.
And what do you do for work?
For work, I have different jobs.
I am a teacher and I am a writer.
What do you write?
I write product descriptions.
What's something you do every day?
Something I do every day is probably drinking a banana smoothie.
Every morning, afternoon, or night?
Usually for breakfast.
And what are some hobbies that you like to do from time to time?
Sometimes I like going to the gym.
Sometimes I like playing video games.
I like painting.
And tell us, what is your favorite food?
My favorite food is probably pozole.
I love pozole.
Can you explain what pozole is?
Pozole is a soup made from pork meat, puffed corn, tortilla or tostada chips, and lettuce, oregano.
And if you like it, some spicy sauce.
And can you cook?
If so, what are your favorite dishes to cook?
I can cook.
I like to make, what would it be, chickpea sauce.
And I also like to make lasagna.
And do you have any siblings?
Yes, I have one sister. and one brother.
So two siblings in total.
Yes.
And what's one thing you like to do with your sister?
I like to go to the park, run, and dance.
Dance together.
And what's one thing you like to do with your brother?
With my brother?
We like to play video games.
Mostly video games.
What type of video games?
Video games like we like to play Minecraft together, Fortnite, and Roblox sometimes.
Nice.
Have you ever visited another country?
Yes, I visited the United States, where I'm from, and Costa Rica.
Very nice.
And is there anywhere you want to travel in the future?
In the future, I really want to go to Japan.
Japan and maybe China.
Nice.
In Asia, right?
Yes.
Yes, it's where I have not been.
Mm-hmm.
Yet.
Yet.
And what is your dream job?
To be a scientist.
Very good.
So now that we've gotten to know Brianna a little bit better, now we'll talk about our conversation about sleep.
So, what time do you normally go to bed?
At 11pm?
11pm.
And is that late or early for you?
For me, it's a little late.
And what time do you wake up?
I wake up at 7 or 8 a.m.
Mm-hmm.
So how many hours do you normally get of sleep?
I usually get 7 to 9 hours of sleep.
And do you take short naps during the day?
Sometimes.
Mm-hmm.
If I need them.
Mm-hmm.
How long are your naps?
Maybe a half hour or an hour.
And do you normally feel sleepy after your naps or refreshed and energized?
It depends.
If I take longer naps, I feel sleepier.
And if I take shorter naps, I feel better.
Yeah, me too.
And do you like sleeping in noisy places or quiet places?
I can sleep in both, but...
I prefer quiet.
What about white noise?
I like it, but not always.
Is your bed soft or hard?
My bed is very soft.
And do you like sleeping with a blanket or without a blanket?
I sleep with a blanket, but with no socks.
Always no socks.
And do you like sleeping with a light on or complete darkness?
Complete darkness, I would say.
I usually use a sleep mask.
And do you like sleeping alone? or with someone?
I like both.
Sometimes it depends if it's hot or cold.
True.
Now, what's something you do before bed?
Maybe a routine?
My nightly routine, washing my face, brushing my teeth.
Skincare and my sleep mask.
No shower at night?
I usually shower after the gym.
Okay.
So in the afternoon?
Yes.
And do you like to drink any tea or milk before going to sleep?
I should, but I don't.
Mm-hmm.
And can you use your phone or computer before sleeping?
I do, but I shouldn't.
But you can sleep.
If I'm tired enough.
And if you can't fall asleep, what is something you try to do?
I count sheep.
Literally.
Count sheep.
Yes, I count sheep.
Nice.
And what about music?
Do you like listening to music?
While trying to sleep?
Sometimes, but it's usually distracting.
And what about reading a book before bed?
I should, but I don't.
And would you say you sleep well?
I'm usually a deep sleeper, so...
I suppose.
And do you get enough sleep?
I try to.
Sometimes I don't.
And do you often remember your dreams?
I remember only bad dreams, only nightmares.
Yes, unfortunately.
Can you remember any good dreams?
Even one?
Not right now.
No.
I should keep a dream journal.
What's one recurring nightmare?
A recurring nightmare that I have... Oh, I don't know how to describe it.
A recurring nightmare I have is someone in my room pulling my feet while i'm in the bed.
So you wake up from that dream.
Do you ever have any common dreams, like your teeth falling out, or any normal dreams?
I have a scary but funny dream.
My family is the Adams family and I am really scared of the family, but we are, it's strange.
Okay, so our family is the Adams family or the other way around?
Our family is the Adams family.
Very nice.
Well, thank you, Brianna, for joining us for our interview today at our Slow English podcast.
And now, actually, I want to try with you.
Now it's my turn to ask you, Diana.
Do you sleep with the window open or closed?
I sleep with the window open when it's hot, but closed when I know I will feel cold at night.
Do you use a fan or air conditioner when you sleep?
I don't like to use air conditioner while I sleep, because sometimes I get sick from it, since my body's not used to it.
But I do like sleeping with a fan because of the noise that it makes.
Do you sleep better when it rains?
I do sleep better when it rains because the rain is like white noise.
What color are your bed sheets?
My bed sheets are zebra-striped.
They're black and white.
Do you like sleeping in a warm cool room?
I prefer sleeping in a cool room, but I can also sleep in warm rooms.
It's just cold rooms make me sick and warm rooms I can't fall asleep.
So they have their pros and cons.
Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night?
Yes, I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night, but only because I have to go to the bathroom, because I probably drank too much water before going to sleep.
Do you ever sleepwalk?
I used to sleepwalk when I was younger, but now I don't sleepwalk anymore.
I only sleep talk.
Yes.
Yes.
Do you check your phone before sleeping?
I try not to because the screen keeps me awake, but...
I usually watch my phone before I sleep.
We all do.
What time do you wake up on weekends?
On weekends, I wake up around 9am, but if I'm very sleepy, sometimes I can wake up at 11pm.
Or sorry, a.m.
A. What do you wear when you sleep?
I wear my warm, fluffy pajamas when I sleep so that I can't get sick.
Yes.
Do you like sleeping in a big bed or a small bed?
I need a big bed to sleep because I like to roll around and spread myself everywhere.
Yes.
Do you feel tired after lunch?
If I eat a lot of lunch, yes.
What do you think is the best way to sleep well?
The best way to sleep well is to not eat too much before going to sleep.
And not using your phone too much time before going to sleep.
Do you like sleeping in hotels or hostels?
I like hotels because usually the bed is very comfortable and the sheets are very soft, but hostels usually aren't.
But they're cheap.
Do you ever wake up and feel very tired?
Yes.
I do.
I think it's because I either slept too much or I didn't sleep enough.
Do you like soft pillows or hard pillows?
I prefer soft pillows definitely.
What makes you sleepy?
I don't know.
Reading makes me sleepy.
No, I think reading books makes me sleepy and sometimes when I have a long day of teaching and talking to people, I feel very sleepy.
There you have it, folks.
Today I want to show you some common English phrases, essential for having a conversation with a native English speaker.
I will say the word once fast, once slow, and once with hand gesture explanations.
Hey there!
Hey there.
Hey there.
Long time no see.
Long time no see.
Long time no see.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
How's it going?
How's it going?
How's it going?
How's everything?
How's everything?
How's everything?
How are you doing?
How are you doing?
How are you doing?
What's up?
What's up?
What's new?
What's new?
How've you been?
How have you been?
How have you been?
Not much just chilling.
Not much just chilling.
Not much just chilling.
Same old, same old.
Same old, same old.
Same old, same old.
Can't complain.
Can't complain.
Can't complain.
For small talk and conversations, what do you do for a living?
What do you do for a living?
What do you do for work?
How's your day going?
How's your day going?
How's your day going?
What have you been up to?
What have you been up to?
What have you been doing?
That's interesting.
That's interesting.
That's interesting.
No way.
No way.
I can't believe it.
Oh, that's cool.
Oh, that's cool.
Really?
That's awesome.
Really, that's awesome.
That's cool.
I had no idea.
I had no idea.
I had no idea, no clue.
That's insane.
That's insane.
That's crazy.
I know, right?
I know, right?
I know, right?
Could you please say that again?
Could you please say that again?
Could you please say that again?
Can you repeat that please?
Can you repeat that please?
Can you repeat that please?
Can you speak more slowly please?
Can you speak more slowly please?
Can you speak more slowly please?
What do you mean?
What do you mean?
What do you mean?
I don't get it.
I don't get it.
I don't get it.
How do you say this in English?
How do you say this in English to agree or disagree?
I totally agree.
I totally agree.
I totally agree.
That makes sense.
I see what you mean.
I'm not so sure about that.
I'm not so sure about that.
I'm not so sure about that.
I don't think so, I don't think so, I don't think so.
Exactly exactly, Totally.
Totally.
Yeah, I get you.
Yeah, I get you.
Yeah, I get you.
I don't know about that.
I don't know about that.
Hmm, I'm not sure.
Hmm, I'm not sure.
I'm not sure.
Now to say your opinion or feeling.
In my opinion.
In my opinion.
I think that's a great idea.
I think that's a great idea.
I feel the same way.
I agree.
To be honest, I don't like it.
To be honest I don't like it.
To be honest I don't like it.
That's awesome.
That's awesome.
That's awesome.
Are you free this weekend?
Are you free this weekend?
Want to go grab a coffee?
Want to go grab a coffee?
Or for shorter, you can also say wanna.
Wanna go grab a coffee?
Instead of want to, instead of want to, you can say wanna.
Wanna grab a coffee?
Wanna hang out?
Wanna hang out?
Let's catch up soon.
Let's catch up soon.
What are you up to later?
Let's do it.
Sounds good.
Let's do it.
Sounds good.
Let's do it.
Sounds good.
Let's hang out sometime.
Let's hang out sometime.
Let's hang out sometime.
See you then.
See you then.
See you then.
Maybe another time?
Maybe another time?
I can't today.
Maybe another time?
If you don't like something, you can say, It's not my cup of tea.
It's not my cup of tea.
It's not my cup of tea.
It's not my cup of tea.
I'm not a big fan of that.
I'm not a big fan of that.
I'm not a big fan of that.
I don't really like that.
Now, if you don't know, I'm not sure.
I'm not sure.
I'm not sure.
Let me think about it.
Let me think about it.
Instead of let me you can say let me.
Let me think about it.
Beats me.
Beats me.
I don't know.
Beats me.
I'll get back to you on that.
I'll get back to you on that.
I don't know.
I'll get back to you on that.
Ordering foods and drinks.
I'll have a coffee please.
I'll have a coffee please.
I'll have a coffee, please.
Could I get the check, please?
Could I get the check, please?
Could I get the check, please?
Do you have any recommendations?
Do you have any recommendations?
Do you have any recommendations?
That looks delicious That looks delicious That looks delicious Can I get this to go?
Can I get this to go?
Can I get this to go? to take away?
Asking for directions.
Excuse me, how do I get to the library?
Excuse me, how do I get to the library?
Excuse me, how do I get to the library?
Is it far from here?
Is it far from here?
Is it far from here?
Could you point me in the right direction?
Could you point me in the right direction?
Could you sounds like could you?
Could you?
Could you point me in the right direction?
Could you point me in the right direction?
I think I'm lost.
I think I'm lost.
I think I'm lost Which way is downtown?
Which way is downtown?
Which way is downtown?
For transportation Where can I buy a ticket?
Where can I buy a ticket?
What time does the bus leave?
I'd like to check in, please.
I'd like to check in please.
I'd like to check in please.
Is there Wi-Fi here?
Is there Wi-Fi here?
For an emergency?
I need help.
I need help.
I need help.
My phone battery is dead.
My phone battery is dead.
My phone battery is dead.
Can I borrow your phone please?
Can I borrow your phone please?
Can I borrow your phone please?
And saying goodbye.
Catch you later.
Catch you later.
Catch you later.
Take it easy.
Take it easy.
Take it easy.
See ya later.
See ya later.
Talk to you soon.
Talk to you soon.
Talk to you soon.
Have a good one.
Have a good one.
Have a good one.
Try and repeat these out loud by listening first and repeating second.
Today, I will talk all about me.
My name is Tiana Ortiz.
I am 21 years old.
What is your name?
How old are you?
I am from the United States, specifically Nebraska, and I currently live in Mexico.
Where are you from?
Where do you currently live now?
What I love most about Mexico are the people and the food.
My neighbors are very friendly and the food is delicious.
My birthday is November 22nd and I usually celebrate surrounded by my family and friends.
I like surrounding myself with people who love me.
When is your birthday?
How do you celebrate it?
My favorite season is spring.
And my favorite color is purple.
Purple reminds me of the flowers, the flowers that bloom in the spring.
What is your favorite season?
Spring, summer, winter, or fall?
What is your favorite color and why?
Words we saw today.
Practice.
Specifically, Currently, neighbors, surrounded, remind, bloom, and the seasons.
My daily routine.
Routine you do every day.
In the morning, I wake up at 7 a.m.
I brush my teeth, I wash my face, and I eat breakfast.
My favorite breakfast is oatmeal.
Oatmeal with bananas, strawberries, and honey.
I eat oatmeal every day.
It's my favorite breakfast.
What is your favorite breakfast?
What do you usually eat for breakfast?
After breakfast, I do yoga.
I love yoga.
I love stretching every day.
Then I get ready for work.
I am a teacher.
I am an English teacher.
I teach students from Ukraine, Mexico, Colombia, Germany, Russia, and more.
What is your job?
Who do you work with?
I work with students.
Who do you work with?
After teaching I study.
I study Mandarin Chinese.
Then I eat lunch.
I normally eat a sandwich for lunch.
What do you normally eat for lunch?
After lunch, I get ready for my salsa dance class.
I love dancing.
I dance every Tuesday and Thursday.
Do you like to dance?
What do you like to do in your free time?
In my free time, I like to dance.
What do you like to do in your free time?
In the evening, I relax at home.
I watch TV.
I read a book.
Sometimes I cook dinner.
Sometimes I cook Alfredo pasta.
I love Alfredo pasta.
What is your favorite dinner?
Your favorite dinner.
At 11 p.m.
I go to sleep.
I love sleeping.
I love feeling cozy and comfy.
What about your daily routine?
What do you usually do every day?
My family is very important to me.
I am very close to my family.
I have two siblings.
I have one sister and one brother.
My brother is 15 years old.
He loves playing video games.
He is much taller than me.
But he does not look grown up.
He still looks like a kid.
A very tall kid.
My sister is 23 years old.
She studies quantum physics at university.
She is also an English teacher.
She is also taller than me.
She likes to travel.
She also likes to play video games.
Do you have any siblings?
What do they like to do?
My mom is 42 years old.
She is an English teacher.
She teaches students in the United States.
My dad is 51 years old.
Guess what he does for work?
He is also an English teacher.
He teaches students in Mexico.
What do your parents do for work?
Do your parents work in construction, education, management, or healthcare?
Today, I got a weird phone call.
A strange phone call.
I was at home. drinking a cup of tea, and reading a book.
Suddenly, my phone rang.
I picked up and said, Hello?
A woman with a serious voice answered and said, I know what you did.
I was confused.
I answered.
What did I do?
Who is this?
She said, Don't pretend.
You stole my dog.
Stole her dog?
That was crazy.
I love dogs, but I would never steal a dog.
I said, I think you have the wrong number.
I don't have your dog.
She didn't believe me.
I saw you.
You took my dog from the park.
The park?
I said.
I didn't even go to the park today.
I asked.
What does your dog look like?
She said.
He is small. white and fluffy.
I said, I'm sorry.
But my dog is not small or white.
She said, Oh, oh no.
I think I called the wrong person.
I'm so sorry.
I laughed and said, I hope you find your dog.
I hung up and I sat on my couch.
I shook my head.
What a weird phone call.
What would you do if you got a strange phone call like this?
Have you ever had a funny or weird phone call before?
Today, I want to talk about my goals.
I have many goals.
I have lots of goals for my future.
I have short-term goals and long-term goals.
This year, I would like to get my dive master's certificate.
My certificate in scuba diving.
I love scuba diving.
Mexico is one of the best places to do it.
I want to travel and see all the most beautiful places, the most beautiful corals and the most beautiful marine species.
Animal species.
I want to help protect the oceans.
I want to help protect the precious corals and precious animals in the ocean.
When I get my diving certificate, I want to visit Thailand.
I would like to visit Egypt, Australia, and Indonesia.
What is a goal that you are working on?
Another goal of mine is that I want to dance all around the world.
I love dancing.
Dancing brings me so much joy.
When I dance, all my worries go away.
I want to take dance classes and learn different dance styles.
Do you want to take dance lessons?
I want to take dance lessons in Brazil, Colombia, India, or Japan.
Do you like dancing?
Do you prefer watching people dance or dancing?
What type of dance is your favorite?
In my opinion, the happiest cultures are the ones rich dance culture.
Where people are dancing people are smiling.
Where people are dancing people are connecting.
Dancing is good for the soul.
Dancing is good for the heart.
What is something that makes you feel so good?
Why does it make you feel so good?
The last goal of mine is to speak Chinese.
I want to speak Chinese fluently.
I want to travel to China, to Taiwan and speak Chinese.
What is a language you want to learn?
Where do you want to go to speak that language?
Today, I will be talking about languages.
Languages are very interesting to me.
I think languages connect people from all over the world.
Languages take time.
Languages take time and patience.
But the feeling when you finally learn a new language is wonderful.
That feeling when you can understand a language is amazing.
The feeling of understanding one sentence or one word feels so good.
Every language is so different.
Every language has its own special identity.
Every language has different tones and pronunciation.
I personally love learning new languages.
I love teaching.
I love teaching students to understand new words, to understand phrases, idioms and eventually use them.
What language apart from English do you want to learn? challenging question.
If you could download any language into your brain, would you do it?
Or do you enjoy the process of learning?
Which would you prefer?
Be reading The Rainbow Fish.
A long way out in the deep blue sea, there lived a fish, not just any ordinary fish, but the most beautiful fish in the entire ocean.
His scales were every shade of blue and green and purple with sparkling silver scales among them.
The other fish were amazed at his beauty.
They called him the Rainbow Fish.
Come on, Rainbow Fish.
They would call, come and play with us.
But the Rainbow Fish would just glide past, proud and silent, letting his scales shimmer.
One day, A little blue fish followed after him.
Rainbow fish, he called.
Wait for me.
Please give me one of your shiny scales.
They are so wonderful.
And you have so many.
You want me to give you one of my special scales?
Who do you think you are?
Cried the rainbow fish.
Get away from me.
Shocked, the little blue fish swam away.
He was so upset.
He told all his friends what had happened.
From then on, no one would have anything to do with rainbow fish.
They turned away when he swam by.
What good were the dazzling, shimmering scales with no one to admire them?
Now he was the loneliest fish in the entire ocean.
One day he poured out all of his troubles to the starfish.
I really am beautiful.
Why doesn't anybody like me?"
I can't answer that for you," said the starfish.
But if you go beyond the coral reef to a deep cave, you will find the wise octopus.
Maybe she can help you.
The Rainbow Fish found the cave.
It was very dark inside and he couldn't see anything.
Then, suddenly, two eyes caught him. in their glare.
And the octopus emerged from the darkness.
I have been waiting for you, said the octopus with a deep voice.
The waves have told me your story.
This is my advice.
Give a glittering scale to each of the other fish.
You will no longer be the most beautiful fish in the sea, but you will discover how to be happy.
I can't.
The rainbow fish started to say, but the octopus had already disappeared into a dark cloud of ink.
Give away my scales?
My beautiful shining scales?
Never.
How could I ever be happy without them?
Suddenly, he felt the light touch of a fin.
The little blue fish was back.
Rainbow fish, please don't be angry.
I just want one little scale.
The rainbow fish wavered.
Only one very, very small, shimmery scale, he thought.
Well maybe I wouldn't miss just one.
Carefully, the rainbow fish pulled out the smallest scale and gave it to the little fish.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
The little blue fish bubbled playfully as he tucked the shiny scale in among his blue ones.
A rather peculiar feeling came over the rainbow fish.
For a long time he watched the little blue fish swim back and forth with his new scale glittering in the water.
The little blue fish whizzed through the ocean with his scale flashing.
So it didn't take long before the rainbow fish was surrounded by the other fish.
Everyone wanted a glittering scale.
The Rainbow Fish shared his scales left and right, and the more he gave away, the more delighted he became.
When the water around him filled with glimmering scales.
He at last felt at home among the other fish.
Finally, the rainbow fish had only one shining scale left.
His most prized possessions had been given away.
Yet he was very happy.
Come on, Rainbow Fish, they called.
Come and play with us.
Here I come, said the Rainbow Fish.
And happy as a splash, he swam off to join his friends.
What do you think the moral of this story was?
I love grocery stores.
I love grocery stores like Walmart, Costco, Sam's, and Target.
Those are my favorite stores to get groceries at.
I like those stores the most because I love trying samples of different food in the store.
And in those grocery stores, they always have free samples with no cost.
Free.
I also love these stores because the aisles are so wide.
Not narrow, but the aisles are wide.
At some stores like Bodega, Soriana, the aisles are too narrow.
That's why I prefer places like Walmart with wide aisles.
My favorite aisle is the detergent aisle.
It smells so good.
It smells so fresh. and clean.
As a customer at Walmart, I always feel comfortable.
The temperature is usually very cool and the shopping carts stroll really smooth. down the aisles.
I like to stroll around on them sometimes.
Sometimes, I like to skate on them or lean on them.
What's your favorite grocery store to visit? and why.
What makes a grocery store feel comfy for you?
The smells, the shopping carts, the people.
When I'm ready to check out all of my groceries, I normally try to go to self-checkout.
The lines, the queue is usually shorter than regular checkout.
So, self-checkout is a lot faster.
And I always prefer to get my fresh produce like vegetables and fruits at the local market.
I prefer going to the local market for food that's fresh. fresh produce.
I usually need a whole bunch of bananas.
I eat one banana every day.
So I need at least five bananas for my week.
One kilo of bananas is usually enough for me.
It's usually a whole bunch of bananas.
How many kilos of bananas do you normally buy per week from Sunday to Saturday?
How many do you buy?
I don't like going to big chain supermarkets to buy fresh produce.
However, when it comes to meat like beef chicken, pork or fish, I prefer to go to a big chain supermarket.
I get nervous buying at outdoor markets.
The meat sometimes sits in the sun all day.
The same with dairy products.
I prefer to go to a big chain supermarket. for my dairy products.
And I really like walking down the aisle at places like Walmart or Soriana to buy my dairy products.
I just love dairy products.
Cottage cheese, greek yogurts, ice cream i love it all, but i am lactose intolerant, so dairy products make me feel very sick, but i don't care.
I get sick and I don't care.
I love dairy products.
Now, when it comes to dairy products like eggs, I don't really like eggs.
I can never buy a dozen eggs.
A dozen is twelve eggs.
It's too much for me.
If I'm with my family though, we will get a dozen eggs.
Can you finish a dozen eggs? all by yourself.
Now when it comes to buying pastries or bread, I always go to the local bakery.
Bakeries, in my opinion, are the only way to buy bread.
Bread has to be made with love.
My friend once told me that bread doesn't go to your stomach, bread goes to your heart.
And you can taste the love put into bread, I think. and the freshly homemade flavor is incomparable.
What do you think?
What's your favorite food aisle?
The dairy aisle, drinks, snacks, canned goods, condiments like ketchup, mayo, mustard.
The prices at each grocery store make a big difference. when you're buying in bulk.
Lots of people prefer to buy things that will last a long time, and places like Walmart or Costco are usually more expensive than places like or Soriana less international big chain stores.
They usually have more sales and discounts.
I like buying expensive things for cheap prices.
When I go to the checkout to pay for my groceries, I normally use my credit card, because I never have coins or change or even bills with me.
So, in conclusion, even though the big chain supermarkets are more convenient because of the shopping carts, the credit card payments and the big aisles, I still always prefer going to local supermarkets to support the community.
What do you prefer?
Big chain grocery stores or local supermarkets?
Now for a little challenge question.
Tell me what is the difference between a bag, a box, a can, a jar, a bottle, a carton and a package.
Tell me one thing you can find in each packaging.
For example, I can find milk or juice in a carton.
I can find jelly or olives in a jar.
Also, remember to use some useful phrases at the supermarket or grocery store.
If you're looking for something and you can't find it, you could say, where can I find the milk?
I'm looking for the milk. do you have any milk?
Or to ask the price of something, you can say, how much does this cost?
How much does this cost?
And when making a card payment, you can ask, can I pay by card or can I pay with cash?
It depends if you're using cash or card.
They might ask you paper or plastic or would you like a receipt?
Today, I want to talk about my day. so far because my day isn't over yet.
It's just beginning.
Today I woke up at 5 a.m. in the morning It was brutal.
Finding the motivation to wake up at 5am can be very difficult.
But I always feel inspired to wake up, go for a run, and take a swim at the beach.
Because the beach at 5am is so, so peaceful.
It's super relaxing.
And for me, it's the best way to start my day.
Plus, the beach is completely empty at 5 or 6 a.m.
So I get to enjoy the beach by myself.
I ran to the beach, I swam for a little bit and then I sat in the sand and I took a moment to breathe and meditate a little bit.
I stretched for a little bit, then I was ready to walk back home, then I was ready to walk back to the room that I'm staying in.
This room was only a 5000 Mexican pesos.
So very cheap.
And I have an amazing view.
I love looking through the window and watching all of the waves. crashing onto the shore.
Puerto Escondido is one of my favorite places in the world.
It really does have a special place in my heart.
I got back home and I was starving. so hungry.
My belly hurt and ached.
So I went to the kitchen to make myself a smoothie with spinach, pineapple, and water.
A nice green juice to start my day.
Now I'm recording for my YouTube channel before going to meet my boyfriend at his work.
He is working at a hotel at the moment.
So I'll take a green juice. maybe some lunch, and go see him for a little bit.
Then I'll work on my computer, I'll finish checking some emails and then I plan to go to the beach again.
I really like eating dinner at home or in a kitchen.
I really love having home-cooked meals, meals that are prepared at home.
And here I have a kitchen, so I always prefer to make something here rather than going out to eat at a restaurant.
Don't get me wrong.
I love eating out.
I love sitting down, ordering a meal, asking for recommendations or suggestions, trying new dishes and tipping the waiters or waitresses for their hard work, talking and chatting with friends.
But I think I love Cooking and eating at home with a movie on my computer.
Even more.
That's why I prefer eating at home.
What do you prefer?
Eating at home or eating out?
And tell me.
Why?
After swimming at the beach, I'll probably start cooking something for dinner.
I'm thinking pasta, but I'm also craving hamburgers.
I also think ceviche sounds really good.
Ceviche is a dish in Mexico with so many vegetables and fish.
It's so yummy.
And usually after eating dinner, I take 30 minutes to study Chinese.
I've been feeling really inspired in learning Chinese lately.
It's difficult to find time to study a language every day.
I know.
That's why I enjoy trying to make learning English lot easier.
I think even five minutes of practicing is more than enough.
There's no need to put so much pressure on yourself to study for one hour or two hours a day.
You can make it so much easier by just listening and maybe watching a movie in English or the language that you're trying to learn.
I love my Chinese teacher because she just speaks to me and it feels like the lesson goes by so fast.
But it's because I'm enjoying myself.
I don't feel the time passing by.
Tell me, what's your favorite way of learning English?
Watching videos, listening to podcasts, or writing and working on grammar structures?
Tell me in the comments.
After I study Chinese, I'll probably just relax, watch TikToks, and fall asleep.
And take a shower, of course.
I always forget to mention taking a shower and everyone in the comments asks me Teacher, you don't take a shower.
And I say, yes, I do.
I just forgot to mention it in the video.
Tell me about your day so far or if you haven't even started the day, Congratulations!
You're starting your day very well with English practice to pursue your passions.
And that's excellent.
Today I want to talk to you about my week and a story of something scary that happened to me this week.
This week I had a wonderful time.
I met some cool people and I made some new friends.
I went to the beach almost every day.
Maybe only one day I didn't go to the beach.
But I just love the beach.
I love the salt water.
It feels so good for my body.
If anything is aching or hurting or sore, I always take a swim in the ocean or in salt water and I immediately feel better.
The only problem is that the waves are massive.
The waves in Puerto Escondido are huge.
For example, yesterday I saw some of my old friends from middle school.
There is elementary school, middle school and high school, then university and college.
But my friends from middle school are in Puerto Escondido right now.
So I went to see them yesterday.
They are my old friends from my hometown.
It had been so long since the last time I saw them but they are such beautiful friends.
I have so many laughs with them.
So we met up and they picked me up from my hostel And we drove to the beach.
To a new beach called Cipollite.
A new beach for me.
Because I had never gone there.
And at Cipollite beach, the waves aren't that big.
So you can still swim in the ocean.
With my friends, we got into the water and we swam for a little bit.
I couldn't feel the sand and I wasn't just floating in the water, but I could feel the current pulling me out.
Little by little, I felt the current pull me out until I couldn't feel the sand at all and it was getting really difficult to stay in one place.
So honestly, I got a little nervous and I started swimming back a little bit intense, but then I realized I couldn't swim.
The current was so strong so I started swimming back, but every time I got close I felt a current pull me back out.
So, I would swim again, then a big wave would come.
And I would have to swim under the wave so that I wouldn't get smashed in the face or water in my nose.
But I would get out of the wave and begin swimming.
With all of my might and all of my strength, I would swim.
Another wave would come and crash right onto me. and I would get out and swim.
And just as I would be reaching the sand, another current would drag me out, until I finally realized I shouldn't swim under the wave, but I should let the wave carry me with it.
So I managed to ride the wave back to shore.
There was even a lifeguard yelling at me.
He was yelling hey, you need to get out of there.
There is a strong current, obviously I know so.
Finally I got out, and my two other friends got out as well, and we were all just panicking.
We were all shook.
It was scary.
The ocean is very powerful.
You have to respect the ocean and you have to always be careful.
No human is stronger than the ocean.
No matter how much we want to be, we aren't stronger than the ocean.
But after that, I ate some fish tacos and I felt just fine.
Then we drove back and I went out to eat pasta. with my friends.
I ordered carbonara pasta and it was amazing but I felt so full afterwards.
My belly or stomach really hurt.
I couldn't finish my whole meal, so I had to order it to go, to take away.
I took my leftovers in a box.
How often do you have leftovers?
Do you like taking your leftovers with you or do you prefer to not carry them with you?
Sometimes it's a little annoying to take my leftovers with me and carry them and walk with them.
But I hate wasting food, so I always take my leftovers with me.
No matter what, I won't waste any food.
Even my family I always eat my family's leftovers, especially my mom's leftovers.
She doesn't eat all the chicken on the chicken bone.
So I always eat the leftovers on the chicken bones that my mom doesn't finish.
But what can I say?
I hate wasting food.
After that, my friends dropped me off back at my hostel.
And they told me Just leave your leftovers and then come back out to party."
I said, yes, I will.
But I was too sleepy.
I went straight to bed.
I was exhausted. from the walking and the intense swimming from that scary wave.
And of course, I was also exhausted from the sun.
But this morning, I felt super inspired.
I decided to go for a run. around 8 or 9 a.m.
But the sun here is intense.
Even at 8 a.m., the heat was very, very intense.
And when I got back, I jumped into a cold shower.
A freezing shower is just what I need after a long run in the burning sun.
It was so refreshing.
After my freezing shower, my friend made me some avocado toast. with eggs.
I had my runny eggs and an avocado toast and it was just what I needed.
I think it's the perfect way to start your day.
So I ate while I finished some work and I wrote some new scripts for my slow English podcast and I did some yoga with my friend.
I've been eating avocado toast with eggs every day since I arrived.
After that, I bought a new beautiful necklace.
And it's amazonite stone.
It's supposed to make me feel more calm and balanced.
I love wearing stones.
I think they're very important to balance out energy, we also bought an orange ankle bracelet.
After that, I took a long nap and I feel so good now.
I feel like a brand new person, energized, and ready for the day.
I'm excited to continue working on making more English videos and I'm excited to continue expressing my creativity in ways that can benefit and help learn English.
I'm so excited to continue meeting you guys.
So try and tell me about your day so far.
Something really good and maybe something not so good.
And how did you deal with it?
How did you get past that negative feeling?
Relax and learn English with me.
I hear tapping sounds.
I like tapping sounds tapping on a table, tapping on a glass, tapping on a phone.
I think tapping sounds are sharp noises to my ears.
Do you like tapping sounds?
How would you describe tapping sounds?
I hear crinkling sounds.
I like crinkling sounds.
Crinkling paper wraps, a crinkling plastic bag.
I think crinkling sounds are very crisp.
How would you describe crinkling sounds?
I hear whispering sounds.
Whisper.
I also like whispering sounds.
Whispering in a soft voice. whispering in my ear.
Whispering sounds are very soothing for me and I feel like they calm me down.
The sound is ticklish to my ear.
Do you like whispering sounds?
How do whispering sounds make you feel?
Are they ticklish, soothing, annoying?
I hear brushing sounds.
I like brushing sounds.
Slow brushing, brushing across the table, brushing along the hair, the light movement across a surface.
I like the soft, quiet noises that brushing sounds like.
Do you like brushing noises.
How would you describe brushing sounds?
I hear the sounds of a keyboard typing away.
I like the sound of typing on a keyboard.
Quick, repetitive sounds.
They are very satisfying sounds.
Do you like the sounds of typing on a keyboard?
How would you describe the sound of typing on a keyboard? keyboard tapping I hear clicking sounds.
I like clicking sounds.
I like the sound of pens clicking or mouses clicking.
A sharp clicking sound. a quick repetitive sound.
Do you like clicking sounds?
How would you describe a clicking sound?
I hear spraying noises.
I like spraying noises.
When someone sprays a bottle of perfume or they spray a water bottle.
The soft and gentle sound of someone spraying a water bottle.
It's one of my favorite sounds.
It soothes my ears. and it calms my nerves when I hear it.
Do you like spraying noises?
How would you describe spraying noises?
How do they make you feel?
I hear pouring sounds.
I like pouring sounds.
When I pour water or juice into a glass, it's a gentle splash of sound.
Do you like pouring sounds?
How do pouring sounds make you feel and how would you describe pouring sounds?
I hear rattling noises.
I don't like rattling noises.
It's an unpleasant sound for me.
It's not pleasant like rattling keys or rattling coins in my pocket.
It can be a sharp, pleasant sound for others, but it's not for me.
Do you like rattling sounds?
How would you describe rattling?
I hear sounds like rain falling on a tin roof. or rain falling on a glass window?
How would you describe the sound of rain falling?
Would you say it's a gentle, soft sound or a sharp crisp sound.
Do you think the sound of rain falling is soothing or annoying?
I hear the sounds of birds chirping in the morning when I wake up?
Would you say it's a quiet, calming sound or a noisy, sharp sound?
Do you consider the birds chirping in the morning to be a pleasant sound or an unpleasant sound.
I hear the sound of the wind blowing.
High up in the mountains or near the ocean.
You can hear the strong breeze.
Would you say it's a smooth gentle sound or a strong brisk sound?
Do you think the wind blowing is a comforting sound or an annoying sound.
Now let's play a game to practice the words that we learned.
I will play a sound and you will tell me. if it's soft or sharp.
Is it slow or fast?
Is it soft or sharp?
Is it slow or fast?
I think this sound is soft, slow and gentle.
Is it soft or sharp?
Is it slow or fast?
I think this sound is sharp, quick and repetitive.
Is it soft or sharp, fast or slow?
I think this sound is fast and clear.
Is it soft or sharp?
Is it quick or slow?
I think this sound is soft, calm, and quiet.
Is it loud or quiet?
Is it soft or sharp?
I think this sound is loud, sharp and quick.
Is it soft or sharp? fast or quick.
I think this sound is light, soft, and slow.
I think this sound is crisp and sharp.
I think it's fast, not slow.
I think this sound is sharp and fast.
I think this sound is gentle and soothing.
I think this sound is soft, slow, and windy.
Is it relaxing or annoying?
I think this sound is soft, clinky, and relaxing.
Do you think it's a soft sound or a sharp sound?
Last one.
I think this sound is light, crispy, and soft.
If you can name any of these sounds.
When I arrive at the airport, I always make sure I have my passports, my boarding pass and all of my luggage.
Those three things are essential to check.
I triple check. before I leave my house and when I arrive at the airport.
Once I get to the security checkpoint, I show my boarding pass to the security guard and they point me to which line I should go.
So I stand in line and I wait.
I take off my shoes.
I take off my coat. and I take all my electronics out of my bag.
If I have headphones or a laptop or my phone and even my chargers.
I put them all in a basket.
And then I walk through the metal detector.
And I don't usually get checked for extra security.
But sometimes they check with a little metal detector to see if I have any metal on my body.
They will say, can you please step to the side?
And they scan with their little metal detector.
Once, I had a big bottle of sunscreen lotion and they threw the whole thing in the garbage.
It was my fault because it was over 100 milliliters.
But I was still so angry.
They could have just kept it for themselves or given it to somebody else.
It was very frustrating.
Have you ever had anything taken away from you at the security checkpoint?
Have you ever been stopped and scanned at the security checkpoint?
After I get through the checkpoint, I have to find my gate number.
Usually my gate number is on my boarding pass, but if it's not, I check the display screens at the airport.
I always check to see the time and the gate number haven't changed.
I always make sure to ask the service agents if I have any questions at all.
Once I find my gate, I like to wait until the very end to start boarding.
I don't like standing and waiting in line.
And my seat number is usually one of the last ones to board the flight.
So, I sit down anyways.
I show my boarding pass to one of the flight attendants and I find my seat.
I love the window seat.
I always prefer the window seat over the middle seat.
But for long flights, I prefer the aisle seat.
The aisle seat is perfect for longer flights, because that way I can go to the bathroom whenever and however many times I want.
But for short flights, I do prefer the window seat.
Then, on arrival to my destination, The pilot announces, we will be landing soon.
So, I start to get all my things ready.
And if I have a connecting flight, then I am ready to hurry to my next flight.
Connections can be very stressful.
If you don't have much time to switch and to go through immigration, customs and the security checkpoint all over again, I get so frustrated.
But when I don't have a connecting flight, then I usually just sit, relax, and wait.
I eventually get through customs and immigration And if I have a checked bag or checked baggage, then I go to the luggage carousel where I look for my luggage.
After I find my luggage, I order an Uber or a taxi or a bus and I head out to my accommodation.
Airports can be very stressful. but they are also very exciting.
New adventures, new places, new people, and knowing the name of these different things at the airport can help to make your trip less stressful and more relaxed.
Today, I will be talking about friends.
I have a few friends.
I have a few very good friends.
When I feel stressed from work or home or life, I can always talk to my friends.
If I ever need to vent, I can always talk to my friends.
My friends make me smile.
When I'm feeling down, my friends make me laugh.
I laugh a lot with my friends.
We laugh about everything and anything.
Who makes you smile?
Who makes you laugh when you're feeling down?
Sometimes I will go eat with my friends.
We like to eat tacos.
I always get the longanisa tacos.
Those tacos are my favorite.
What are your favorite kind of tacos?
Do you like tacos with cheese, onion, hot sauce, I like to hang out with my friends.
We hang out at the mall, the market, the fair, even at restaurants or parties.
We hang out everywhere.
I don't know what I would do without my friends.
Today, I want to talk to you about food.
My favorite foods.
First of all, I always enjoy sweets.
Anything from cheesecake to candies to sweet bread.
I love it all.
But sweets are not very healthy for you.
They have a lot of sugar.
Sugar makes you fat.
But sugar is also very delicious.
So I think it's worth it.
Some people like salty food more than sweets.
What do you like more?
Salty foods or sweet foods?
I think people who like sweet foods are always very sweet.
But people who like salty foods usually are very direct and straightforward.
I don't know.
That's just my opinion.
I live in Mexico.
In Mexico, we have lots of yummy foods.
Foods that are spicy, sweet, salty, bitter?
We have them all.
Mexican food is very diverse, but I think my favorite food is Japanese food.
I can't resist sushi, rice, Anything with soy sauce is delicious for me.
Today, I will talk about colors.
My favorite color is purple.
Purple reminds me of the sky.
It reminds me of the sunset and the purple, blue, orange, and red sky.
It also reminds me of my childhood.
My childhood bedroom had Tinkerbell bed sheets.
I had purple Tinkerbell bed sheets and green Tinkerbell bed sheets.
And they were my favorite bed sheets as a kid.
I also always had purple clothes when I was younger.
I only ever wanted purple clothes.
What is your favorite color?
What does it remind you of?
Maybe a special memory or a special time.
Now, I use a lot of light-colored clothes.
Light colors like white, yellow, orange, light green, I think my skin tone suits lighter colors.
What colors suit you best?
Every color makes me feel different.
Every color has a different vibe.
That's why I feel my best when I'm wearing light clothing.
They make me feel happier and sometimes less stressed.
Whenever I see someone wearing red clothing, I think to myself wow, she or he is very confident, Because I think the color red is a very confident color.
I don't know what it is about the color red that is so intense and powerful.
It makes any person who wears it stand out.
They stand out in a crowd and they just seem interesting.
That's why I like to wear red. because I want to seem interesting too.
What's a color you think stands out?
Something that draws the eye in.
But I couldn't bear to live with red walls around me.
I think it would make me feel overwhelmed and stressed.
It is too much red.
Blue, however, is a calming color.
Blue walls around me make me feel peaceful and calm.
Do you agree or disagree?
If you disagree, what do you think is a calming color?
I personally love the combination of purple with orange.
It reminds me of the sunset.
Those two colours work together so well.
What are two colors you think work together very well?
I have always associated the color green with trees, grass, and beautiful landscapes.
Landscapes like mountains, rainforests, farms.
I love seeing huge landscapes like farms.
I like farms because my grandpa has a farm.
He has a huge farm in Nebraska.
It is green as far as the eye can see.
No matter where you turn, you will see green and more green and more green.
As far as the eye can see.
Do you associate the color green with anything?
What does the color green remind you of?
I can't imagine my life without colors.
I need colors in my life.
A place I could never live in is England.
I could not live in England because it is too grey.
It feels colourless.
I need the sun.
I need that glowing and bright sun.
When I was in England, I used to get so sad and I was so tired all the time.
I needed the sun.
How important is color to you?
Could you live in a country that was very grey all the time?
Today I will talk about the weather.
I like hot weather.
I prefer hot weather over cold weather.
What do you prefer?
The heat or the cold?
I love sunny days.
Sunny days are bright and warm.
On sunny days, I like to read outside.
Do you like sunny days?
What do you do on sunny days?
I like rainy days.
On rainy days, the sky is gray.
When it rains, I usually stay inside.
I don't like to go outside when it's rainy.
What do you prefer?
To stay inside or go outside when it's rainy?
I stay inside.
I like to watch movies or TV series.
Movies like Love, Rosie, Inside Out, Spirited Away.
Series like Gossip Girl, like You.
On rainy days, I also love to read books. or draw.
I read books or draw inside when it's rainy, not outside.
Do you like rainy days?
What do you usually do on rainy days?
I don't like windy days.
On windy days, the wind is so strong.
The wind blows everywhere.
I prefer to stay inside on windy days.
Do you like windy days?
What can you do on windy days?
I love snowy days.
On snowy days, the ground is all white.
It shines bright and beautiful.
I like to act like a kid in the snow.
I like to make snow angels.
Do you like snowy days?
What can you do on snowy days?
My favorite days are sunny days.
I love when it's hot.
I love the heat.
What are your favorite days?
What is your favorite weather?
In my city, We don't have snowy days.
In my city, it doesn't snow.
I used to live in Nebraska, United States.
In Nebraska, it is snowy.
It is very snowy in the winter.
Do you have snowy days in your city?
In my city, it is also very windy.
The wind blows dust everywhere.
In my city, it is also very dry.
My skin gets so dry, I need lotion.
What's the weather like in your city?
Is it sunny, rainy, windy, snowy, or dry?
Today, I will talk to you about my first solo trip.
My first time traveling alone.
The first time I ever traveled alone was when I was 18 years old.
I booked my ticket to Tulum, Mexico.
And I remember being so nervous and scared.
My family was also nervous for me.
But I took my flight to Tulum and I had a great time.
It was so much fun.
It was a trip I will remember my whole life. because it was the first trip alone that I ever had.
It was the trip that made me feel like I could do anything and go anywhere in the world.
I saw the stunning beaches in Tulum and the breathtaking views of the cenotes.
I saw one of the seven wonders of the world.
And it was the Chichen Itza.
After making lots of friends and having lots of wonderful experiences, I started planning my next trip.
I started planning my trip to Costa Rica.
I went to Costa Rica when I was 19 years old.
I traveled to Tamarindo and I saw the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen till this day.
I also took surfing lessons.
And after that, I traveled to another city.
I went to Manuel Antonio.
And there I volunteered at a hostel for one full month.
I like volunteering at places because you can stay in a place near the beach, near monuments, somewhere beautiful, for free.
I had to clean the bathrooms and clean the kitchen and keep the rooms tidy.
I also worked at reception from time to time.
Have you ever volunteered somewhere?
Maybe at a hostel, a dog shelter, maybe at a farm.
While I was volunteering in Costa Rica, I saw the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen.
And I made two very good friends.
They were a French couple.
One of my friends is actually the girl who tattooed me.
She is a very good artist. a very talented artist.
And my other friend I met in Costa Rica introduced me and showed me scuba diving.
I love scuba diving, so it was a very special moment for me.
They will always be two very special friends for me.
After my trip to Costa Rica, I couldn't wait.
I started planning my next trip.
I had always wanted to travel to Thailand ever since I was a little girl.
I don't know why, but I always have loved Thailand.
But I think it's because my name is Tiana and people call me Thai.
So when I was little and I heard about a country named Thailand, like Tiana, I was determined to visit and see it someday.
I also have always loved elephants.
I have always loved watching videos of elephants and drawing elephants.
And Thailand has elephants.
So, I had two very good reasons or motives to travel to Thailand.
Is there any place you have always wanted to visit?
And is there any specific reason why you want to visit there?
So I started planning my trip to Thailand and I decided to go two days before my birthday.
I wanted to spend my birthday alone.
So I booked my ticket for November 19th, two days before my birthday.
My family was so nervous for me.
Thailand is so far away from Mexico.
But I had made up my mind.
I was going to Thailand, to my land.
So I took one small backpack and my 52-hour flight to Thailand.
I was so nervous.
But the moment I stepped off the plane, I began to feel the nervous excitement.
I ordered a grab.
A grab is like Uber, but in Asia.
So I ordered a grab. and I went to my hostel.
It was around 12pm and I was a little bit lost.
So, I asked for directions.
I asked, do you know where this hostel is?
And this one very kind man saw I was lost and he gave me a ride to my hostel.
He was a very kind person and that was a very nice gesture.
The next days I met so many nice people and nobody knew it was my birthday.
It felt strange but also really cool.
Would you ever spend your birthday alone?
I spent three months traveling through Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
Vietnamese food is incredible.
What country has had the best food you have ever tried?
I loved the Vietnamese people.
They were always singing karaoke and they were always smiling.
Cambodia's beaches were pristine.
They had some very interesting foods.
I will always remember my trip to Asia.
Then, after my trip, I came back to Mexico.
I celebrated birthdays and Father's Day and I head out to travel again.
I went to Portugal.
I volunteered at a hostel in Portugal near Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, in Cascais.
There, I worked with four other people. two from Argentina, one from Ecuador, and one from Brazil.
They became some of my closest friends.
They were all so kind and special.
I had the best time in Portugal.
The work, though, was hard.
Very difficult.
I had to work long hours and hard shifts.
But the hostel was right next to the beach.
So I could swim every day.
But Portugal has freezing ocean water.
It was the Atlantic Ocean.
So the first time I swam in Portugal, I couldn't feel my hands or toes or face.
I was freezing cold, but I felt so refreshed.
After that, I decided I would go in every single day.
And so I did.
Even when I was super sick, I had a fever and a cold and a cough.
I still would go in the freezing ocean every single day.
Do you enjoy swimming in cold water?
Or do you prefer to swim in warm water?
I had some of my favorite memories in Portugal.
Then I went back to Mexico.
I stayed home for a while to spend time with my family.
Then I started planning my next trip.
I took a flight to Cancun in Mexico. specifically to a city or town named Akumal.
It is the city of turtles.
And guess what I was going to do there?
Save the turtles.
So I went to volunteer with the turtles.
At the turtle sanctuary, we looked after and took care of the mama turtles and the baby turtles.
We had to protect the eggs from different predators or even people.
We also made sure nobody had bright lights on because bright lights can confuse the turtles.
The baby turtles can think the lights are the moon.
And that is dangerous.
So we only use red lights.
We also took care of the mama turtles.
We made sure nobody bothered them.
The mama turtles need to feel safe.
They need to feel safe because they need to lay their eggs.
We worked long hours. at the Turtle Sanctuary from 11pm to 6am.
I was always exhausted.
And I had to teach English to my students.
So I was very tired all the time.
But it was totally worth it.
It was an unforgettable experience to help the turtles and make some really good friends.
But a funny story.
My ex-boyfriend didn't get along with one of the other volunteers.
They would always have problems and fight.
So we were kicked out of the turtle sanctuary.
We had to leave.
But once we left, I went back home.
And I have been home ever since.
I am planning my trip to Brazil next week. and I am very excited to start traveling again.
Where was your first trip?
What made it special?
Today, I want to tell you about my trip to Puerto Escondido.
It's a small city in Oaxaca, the south of Mexico.
I started my trip in Oaxaca City.
I love how full of vegetation Oaxaca is.
I love how diverse it is from cities to beaches to mountains and rivers. the full package.
Oaxaca City was so vibrant with color and life.
Walking through the vibrant streets in Oaxaca, getting to see all of the street art and murals.
All of the insanely hard work the artists put in to these murals.
It was very impressive.
Here are some beautiful trees.
I loved these pink flowers.
Then we went to eat at a cute little coffee shop down an alleyway. in Oaxaca City for dessert.
Of course, I love sweet bread, an almond cream croissant, and a chocolate-filled croissant.
That had to be the best croissant I have ever tried.
It was scrumptious.
So many flowers in Oaxaca.
Then we took our bus and we rode all the way to Puerto Escondido, a beach town just two hours away from the city.
It was such a delight to swim in the ocean again.
We arrived in Puerto Escondido around 5 a.m., and we head straight to the beach.
We took a dip in the sea and then we head to our apartment.
The view was magnificent.
Unbelievable that we were able to stay In a room so nice.
I felt so privileged to be able to look outside my window and see something so phenomenal.
All around the city, there are so many flowers hanging from trees, on bushes, just everywhere.
And I recorded them all.
I think you must know by now that I am fascinated with flowers.
I think it's so important to find the beauty in everything.
The smallest things.
We got pizza for dinner and head to bed.
I think you also must know by now that I love smoothies.
So, every day I make myself banana smoothie.
This time I added some spinach, peaches, and bananas.
And for breakfast, I made an avocado toast with ham.
We moved all of our things my backpack, my yoga mat, my computer and microphones and we head to the place we were going to rent for one month.
Our new place was surrounded by gorgeous things.
For example, a luscious tree, a mango tree with mangoes hanging from the branches and the cutest little pineapple I have ever seen.
For breakfast, we made shakshuka with avocado, Even a starfruit tree with the sweetest fruit.
It was so nice to have starfruit whenever we wanted.
There were so many guijes, little lizards that live in Puerto Escondido and they make the cutest little sound.
Whenever you hear that sound, you'll know that there's a guihu close by.
It was so nice staying in our new cabin.
I loved reading in the mornings, waking up slowly, making my bed and then heading downstairs to start my day.
Of course, the first thing on my agenda is to brush my teeth.
Get rid of those nasty smells in the morning.
I wash my face, And I grab a smoothie from the refrigerator.
I sit and work for a while.
I like to start by checking my emails and looking at my to-do list to make sure I don't forget to do something new important, that day.
Once I'm done checking some emails and finishing little things on my computer, I head upstairs again and I take a moment to breathe.
I inhale deeply and exhale all of the air.
I stretch my arms.
I stretch my back.
I stretch my legs.
And once I feel all warmed up for the day, I'll go downstairs to eat breakfast.
My boyfriend cooks the best food and this morning he made me poached eggs with avocado, tomato and broccoli.
It was so fresh and it made me feel good.
That night, we went to see a friend to get some piercings.
He would pierce different people's ears and charge money for it.
He made a lot of money that day.
And in the evening, I ate chickpeas with potatoes.
And that was delicious.
The next morning, we ate a super fresh breakfast.
Papaya with broccoli. with boiled eggs, grapes, and pineapple.
And we walked to the beach.
It was a beautiful day at the beach.
We went to a coffee shop and I sat down to work for a little bit.
Every day in Puerto Escondido, I would go to the beach.
No matter if I was tired or angry or too busy, I will always find time to walk to the beach.
Now on my days off when I don't have any work and the day is completely mine.
I put on my shoes and we get on our bike and head to a new beach. that I had never been to before.
I love the mixture of green and blue everywhere.
The beach is my favorite place to be.
I got frozen yogurt with grapes and strawberries and then we got dinner at the beach.
I ate the best fish tacos and an even better fish burger.
That is what a day off in my life looks like.
Now, on days where we need groceries, that's a different story.
I will usually wake up and head to the store right away so that I can eat breakfast and not be grumpy or hungry.
I get grumpy when I'm hungry.
Do you get grumpy when you're hungry?
I put on my sandals.
I grab my helmet.
And we head to the motorcycle.
Safety first, always.
Then we drive to the grocery store, Chedrawi. and I head up the electric walkway.
I look at some cookies for when I'm craving something sweet.
I look at the teas for when it's late at night and I want to relax and decompress.
I walk around the bakery the croissants, the donuts, the muffins.
I obviously get avocados, because you know I love avocado toast.
I get bananas and maybe some grapes.
It's hard to decide what fruit to get sometimes, especially because the fruit that I like is usually very expensive, like peaches and grapes and kiwis.
Do you know a place where grapes or kiwis are cheap?
If so, I want to go there.
And, of course, I walk through the detergent aisle to smell that amazing smell.
Then we're able to cook dinner.
That is my average everyday life in Puerto Escondido.
Today I am at my aunt's house.
I traveled to the United States to visit my family.
I really missed the big houses and green trees and the hot Cheetos.
Flaming hot Cheetos are my favorite type of Cheetos.
I also bought a new hat at the thrift store.
It was only six dollars.
Super cheap.
I bought it at the thrift shop.
So, it's all secondhand clothing.
Secondhand means that it's already been used.
So, it's previously been worn.
But it's still really good quality.
The weather in Nebraska has been so warm.
But today, as you can see from my red nose, it's a little bit cold.
I had to wear a sweatshirt.
It's a nice breeze, but I prefer the warm sun.
How has your summer been so far?
I know some people get a long vacation during the summer, but some people don't.
I remember my mom and my dad always had a vacation during the summer when it was warm and we could all go out to swim or play at the park.
But some of my friends' parents would always work All year round.
Some all year round jobs are like doctors, sales people, waiters and waitresses.
Lots of workers don't get summer off. only really teachers do.
And only because the students need a break as well.
What I enjoyed the most about living in the United States, specifically Nebraska, were the seasons.
I loved having chilly autumn or fall, snowy winters, blossoming springs and warm summers, or should I say hot summers.
In Mexico, there's basically only two seasons, rainy and dry.
Just like in Thailand, I remember there was only rainy season and dry season.
I really missed having four seasons because even though Winter here is super intense.
The sidewalks are frozen ice.
The streets and roads are slippery.
It's so easy to slip and hurt yourself.
The fall is chilly and sometimes the sun never shines and I can get allergies during the spring.
It's all worth it for the gorgeous summers here.
The summers in Nebraska, they're something else.
They're so lovely.
The birds chirping, the green landscapes everywhere you look, the gorgeous trees blowing in the wind and kids playing everywhere.
Summer here is like in the movies, definitely.
I really enjoy visiting my aunts and uncles and seeing my grandma and grandpa and shopping for new clothes and really just relaxing and eating so much food.
One thing about the United States is the food.
I feel so unhealthy when I'm here.
I eat so much junk food.
Doritos, flaming hot Cheetos, cinnamon rolls, nachos, hot dogs, donuts, slushies.
There's too much here to eat.
And it's so easy to eat everything, especially since I never get to eat it in Mexico.
We don't have the same kind of Cheetos in Mexico.
We don't have Hostess donuts or the slushies that I like.
The Doritos also taste different in Mexico.
Not bad, but different.
So eating junk food in the United States brings me back to when I was a kid.
Are there any foods, specifically junk foods, that you love and can't resist when you're in your home country?
Your home country is where you were born and raised.
It was my cousin's graduation when I arrived, so my aunt had a huge celebration planned.
She got nachos taco meat, an ice cream machine, a whole table filled with every candy you can imagine.
Doritos, Cheetos, juices of all the flavors, and cake.
It was definitely delicious, but my stomach hurt so bad after.
Tomorrow, I'm going to visit my grandparents.
They live on a farm in Nebraska.
My grandpa loves his cows and pigs and chickens and hogs.
He takes care of his farm really well.
And my grandparents bake us some rhubarb pie every time we go.
Tomato soup hamburgers eggs, anything with fresh farm ingredients.
And it is wonderful.
I want to talk about my trip to Puerto Escondido so far.
I arrived in Puerto Escondido a few weeks ago.
I went to the beach for lots of sunsets.
Sunsets at the beach are just something else.
They are all so special to me.
I went to a beautiful beach called Carrizalillo where the view was spectacular.
I ate dried fruit at the beach I love dried fruit, especially if I'm eating it at the beach.
And I also went to other beaches where the waves were massive.
It's very dangerous to try and swim in those waves.
I got fish tacos at a place called Pepes Tacos and they were amazing.
The best fish tacos I've ever tried.
They had guacamole, onion, cilantro, and pineapple all on top.
They were so crunchy. and flavorful.
Then we sat under some trees and we watched the ants marching along the tree stem and branches.
I love looking at the view from underneath the trees, how you can see all the leaves and the branches swaying in the wind, covering you from the sun.
I love looking at all of the beautiful trees here in Puerto Escondido.
All of the trees are filled with flowers yellow pink purple, blue.
So many beautiful flowers and all of the petals just laying on the ground.
Then I also went to a skating competition where I saw really good skaters compete for a prize, for a reward.
I have been volunteering here at a hostel here on the beach.
I really enjoy volunteering because I love staying in beautiful places for free and I love meeting new people and exploring new places without needing to pay for accommodation, because accommodation can be very expensive.
But this hostel that I arrived at wasn't the best volunteering experience for me.
There has been lots of unnecessary drama and gossip.
It's been really nice swimming every day, meeting and meeting up with my childhood friends laughing, rock climbing, surfing and walking everywhere.
I genuinely walk everywhere I can.
I don't like taking buses or paying for taxis and riding a motorbike is scary for me. dangerous.
I always see people crashing.
I saw so many people hurt or injured in Thailand and Vietnam from motorbike crashes.
And in Mexico, People drive like crazy, so I always prefer to walk instead.
And I love walking anyways.
But apart from all the nice experiences, I had some bad experiences as well.
When I arrived at my hostel, I got along really well with everyone, but one night I was sleeping in my room and at 1am I heard a loud banging at my door.
Someone yelling, but I couldn't hear what they were saying.
So, of course, I was scared.
Like, who is this banging at my door?
1 am.
So I got up to open the door and there was another girl volunteer.
She told me there's no water.
You forgot to pump it, to pump the water up, and I said oh, I'm sorry, I forgot.
I will go pump it now.
And she told me, no, I already did it.
Don't go pump it.
And she left.
I was like, whoa.
It was very unnecessary to come yell at me at 1 a.m.
If I was in her shoes, I would have just turned on the pump and forgot about it.
It's not that big of a deal, but she made it a big deal.
So then, the next day, I went out for a hike with my friend and we saw some stunning natural baths.
Baths filled with sulfur water and surrounded by trees and fresh air.
We had to hike two hours to get there and it was such a relaxing, delightful day.
The water was boiling hot sulfur water is really good for your blood circulation and for reducing inflammation, so in general It was a very relaxing day and we drove back to the hostel to make some dinner and chill.
And when I arrived, the girl who yelled at me was there.
She didn't speak to me right away, but after I finished my dinner she spoke to me in a very rude tone.
She said, Tiana, we need to talk.
And I said, oh, okay.
I'll be back down in a bit.
And we can talk.
I just want to shower first.
So I took a shower and I came back downstairs and she started speaking to me in a very rude tone.
Again she said, you don't do anything that you are supposed to do.
I had to wake up last night to go pump water for you.
And last week, you didn't take the trash out.
You are a terrible volunteer and everyone thinks the same as me."
And I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa.
I spoke and said, okay, one second.
Don't speak to me like that.
There is no need to yell or raise your voice.
We can have a conversation if I made a mistake.
I'm willing to talk about it and I'm sorry."
And she continued yelling the same about how she didn't like me, She didn't like my work, and I would try to speak and say that I did do this or why I didn't do that.
But she wouldn't let me speak.
She just continued yelling and speaking in a rude way towards me.
So finally I said, I'm not just going to stand here and be yelled at.
We can talk like two smart people or I can just leave. if you won't let me speak."
And I left.
I can understand why she was angry or frustrated, but it's never necessary to yell at someone, especially someone who you barely know.
The problem was that she was dating the boss of the hostel.
So now, the boss was always trying to get rid of me.
He was always watching me.
Every little thing that I did, there was always an issue or a problem.
And my friends told me I was doing everything right, but they always found something wrong with my work.
So I didn't want to be in a place like that anymore.
I can't stand being around negative energy and I don't need to.
So I left and now I'm volunteering at a new hostel.
Today I ate a pineapple for breakfast with some avocado toast and it was amazing.
Tomorrow, I will probably go for a run and do some yoga afterwards.
Today, I want to talk about certain sounds and noises. that we hear every day.
There are certain sounds and specific noises that make me feel irritated.
They completely irritate me. and ruin my mood.
My mood like my happy mood, maybe my joyful mood, maybe my peaceful mood.
If I get irritated from a noise but there are certain or specific sounds that are very soothing to me soothing, calm sounds.
Gentle sounds like rain falling on a tin roof or the waves crashing onto the shore, or the sound of being underwater in the ocean, where you can hear the crackling corals and the small bubbles popping underwater.
I love the sound of the crackling bubbles in the ocean or the sound of the breeze on a windy day.
The breeze and the chills.
I like hearing how the wind whooshes and blows.
The whooshes and blows are very soothing to hear.
I like how the wind sways the trees.
The wind blows And the trees sway back and forth.
The wind can even create a new song, a beautiful song with the wind chimes.
The wind chimes creating soft, and calming beautiful music.
I love taking naps outside, where I can hear the birds chirping and I can hear the wind chimes dangling and making music.
And I can hear the breeze and the trees all creating a harmonious, beautiful sound.
I love the peaceful, soothing sounds of nature.
I love taking naps in a hammock outside where you can hear all of these sounds while trying to fall asleep.
Any water sounds in general for me are very soothing.
It's very peaceful to listen to water sounds while just laying down.
Some trickling water sounds give me goose bumps.
The trickling water falling from one end to the other.
It gives me chills all down my spine.
I get goosebumps or chills if I hear something too close to my ear.
Subtle sounds give me the chills.
A subtle sound is something very gentle and not very noticeable.
It's subtle.
What sounds give you goosebumps or chills?
Are there any sounds that remind you of a certain person or service.
For example, when I hear certain bells or whistles They remind me of street vendors.
Street vendors that go around and sell things in Mexico.
They could be selling food or toys or a service.
There is this one street vendor in Mexico that goes around and blows a whistle.
Every time he comes around, he blows a whistle.
And he sells camotes.
He sells sweet potatoes, a sweet Mexican treat that we eat in Mexico.
They blow a very loud whistle.
Then, when the garbage collectors come around, they ring a bell.
They ring a very loud bell.
But they ring a bell to let us know that they are coming to take our garbage.
So when I hear that loud bell, I get all of my things, my trash from the bathroom, my trash from the kitchen, and I put it outside for them to take.
So, what sounds remind you of a certain person, product, or service?
Lots of sounds make me feel nostalgic.
Maybe not necessarily sounds, but songs.
Music.
The songs that I listened to when I was younger with my sister or my cousins Remind me and take me back to certain moments, usually very fun and lovely moments.
What's a sound or a song or a noise that makes you feel Nostalgic, nostalgic for the past, longing for a past moment?
For me, music is a huge part of my life.
I listen to music every single day, all day long.
I try to take the time to listen, enjoy and sing my favorite songs and dance to my favorite songs every day.
Some of my favorite artists right now are singers like Kali Uchis, Karen y los Remedios and Danny Ocean.
What's your favorite song to listen to at the moment?
And why do you like listening to it every single day?
Do you think a song has the power to change different moments in your life?
Do you think a song has the power to change someone's mood or emotions?
When I'm feeling sad or down, I put on sad songs.
I feel even more sad and down.
But sometimes a happy song will unintentionally play as I'm feeling sad.
And I will instantly feel happy. after feeling very sad.
So I think that music can definitely affect my mood and my emotions.
I think so can sounds and noises.
If I'm listening to traffic or people yelling all day long, I will definitely feel more stressed and irritated all day.
Whenever I listen to white noise or ASMR, I feel a lot more relaxed.
It's easier to fall asleep when listening to white noises.
White noises like fans or like TV static.
Or like the hum of the air conditioning?
How do you feel about white noises?
Do they help you to fall asleep?
ASMR I don't use to fall asleep.
However, I like watching ASMR eating videos.
They always make me feel hungry afterwards.
And I really enjoy hearing the chewing noises.
Even if that sounds weird to some people, I really like it.
Do you like listening to ASMR videos?
If so, what do you like using them for? for eating, for sleeping, or just for relaxing and for fun.
Even in a big city, I enjoy listening to the chatter.
The chatter between different people in the background.
Background noises like people talking or people walking make me feel very at ease, like there are more people around.
Background noises like people talking, children laughing, or playing.
But background noises can also be annoying.
Background noises like traffic.
Traffic can really get on my nerves.
If something gets on your nerves, then they really annoy you.
But things like traffic jams get on my nerves.
Some alarm clocks even in the morning when they go off they are so loud And some people have very obnoxious alarm clocks.
It's not a good way to wake up after sleeping for so long.
And if you sleep with someone who is snoring a person who snores is really frustrating because it makes it really difficult to fall asleep.
At least for me, I can't fall asleep next to a snorer.
I'm not a snorer.
At least I think I'm not a snorer.
Are you a snorer?
Do you use really obnoxious alarm clocks in the morning?
If so, why?
How do you justify annoying alarm clocks?
Do you know anyone who uses obnoxious alarm clocks?
I think it's very important to be surrounded by peaceful and pleasant sounds.
What do you think?
Today I want to practice some common job interview vocabulary.
Some different phrases you might need at a job interview.
A story about my experience with job interviews.
I always keep my resume up to date.
Any new qualifications or experience or employment positions, I add to my CV resume right away.
I never hand in an old resume.
How often do you update your resume?
How important is it for you to keep your resume up to date?
I have worked in a few different areas.
Education, translation, and transcription.
But mostly, I have only ever been an English teacher.
I have only ever had part-time jobs.
I have never had a full-time job.
Do you have a few part-time jobs or one full-time job?
I prefer part-time jobs because my schedule needs to be flexible.
I travel a lot, so I need to manage and change my schedule a lot.
The different time zones in the world can be difficult to manage with a full-time job.
I think one of my biggest skills are my social skills.
It's one of my greatest strengths to be able to communicate very well with others.
What are some of your greatest strengths?
What are some of your skills?
Some weaknesses of mine, however, is the idea that I can do everything in one moment.
I can't manage my time.
And I sometimes don't sleep or rest and I end up feeling overworked and tired.
Now I try to limit myself. so that I don't end up feeling overworked and tired.
What do you consider to be your weaknesses?
Have you ever ended up feeling overworked and exhausted?
It feels nice to be hired.
For someone to say, you're hired, is nice.
But just as it feels nice to be hired, it feels really bad to be fired.
I got fired one year ago, and it was awful.
I felt so lost, and I felt like a failure.
But it's important to remember that whether you're hired or fired, you are not a failure.
Success is a feeling you can give yourself.
You define your own success.
Not a company, not a paycheck, not money, not anybody but yourself.
Have you ever been fired before?
How did it feel?
And what did you do to feel better?
Tell me about your dream job.
Today i'm going to be interviewing and asking questions to my sister, brianna.
So first of all, where did you grow up?
Um, i grew up in norfolk nebraska, in the united states.
And what was your childhood home like?
My childhood home was very American, you know wooden houses.
It was a two bedroom house, one bathroom with a basement, because where we lived there were a lot of tornadoes.
Did the basement ever scare you?
As a kid, yes, it did scare me a lot.
When it came to going to bed or turning off the lights, I would always run back up the stairs so monsters wouldn't get me.
And did you have a favorite toy or stuffed animal when you were younger?
When I was younger, I did have a favorite toy.
It was a stuffed toy cat.
It was a Persian cat.
She was white and fluffy and I loved her a lot.
And what was your favorite thing to do as a child?
My favorite thing to do as a child was probably swimming.
We enjoyed swimming a lot.
Wherever I lived, there was always a public pool nearby and yeah, we'd spend all day long when it was summer over there.
And who did you enjoy hanging out with the most when you were younger?
I don't know.
I enjoyed hanging out with my sister a lot.
We have a two-year age difference and we always got along really well.
It was always a great time.
And where do you think your favorite childhood memories have been?
My favorite?
My favorite childhood memories have probably been in my second house, which was a house in Iowa, one state over from Nebraska.
And that house was a little bigger.
It was a I think five bedroom, two bathroom.
And I was really excited to move in.
So was the rest of my family.
We created a lot of memories with my cousins and with new friends.
And what was your favorite holiday to celebrate as a child?
My favorite holiday was probably Christmas.
Christmas was always a big deal from where I'm from.
It is a very Christian community and there was always a big fuss about it.
Lots of gifts, lots of dinners, lots of parties.
It was a great time.
And what has been your favorite present you've ever received on Christmas?
My favorite present was probably when I got a Ken doll and a baby Barbie doll so I could finally have a whole family for my Barbie dolls.
And why did you enjoy playing with Barbies?
I enjoyed playing with Barbies because I've always loved storytelling, I feel.
And with Barbies, you can be anything.
You can create anything.
So it was always fun that there were no limits to what I could do.
Do you remember any places that you dreaded visiting when you were younger?
I can't remember now.
Maybe a dentist or the doctor or maybe even school.
A place I dreaded as a kid.
So the million dollar question.
I know.
What was the place you dreaded visiting when you were younger?
I dreaded visiting It wasn't so much my grandparents' house, but in the back of my grandparents' house when I was a kid.
There is a chicken coop and they had a few roosters and the roosters were always really mean and would chase me around and pick at my legs.
So I didn't dread my grandma and grandpa's house, but I dreaded seeing the roosters.
Okay.
And what was your favorite thing about going to your grandpa's farm?
My favorite thing about going to the farm was probably, I have two favorite things.
I enjoyed seeing the animals around the farm, especially the pigs, the baby pigs.
And I also really enjoyed being inside my grandparents' house, because my grandma's house had a lot of toys and that was really fun.
And what was your favorite subject in school?
My favorite subject has probably always been math or science because they're my strong suit.
And it was something I could also always comprehend and find beauty in.
And what was your least favorite subject in school?
My least favorite has probably always been social studies and history.
I do like social studies and history, but I kind of like to choose the topics that I want to learn about.
And I feel like there's a lot of unnecessary information in history classes.
Hot take.
Hot take.
Did you play any sports or have any hobbies growing up?
Growing up, I had hobbies like swimming, volleyball, mostly sporty hobbies.
I did want to get into musical hobbies, but I only ever got to play piano for a few years.
And what type of musical hobbies would you have wanted to get into?
I probably would have wanted to try violin, possibly drums.
I feel like my sense of rhythm is probably the weakest thing as far as my... musical expertise goes.
So something in that area would have been nice.
And did you ever get into trouble at school?
Were you ever the troublemaker in school?
Not really.
I was a pretty good kid.
Maybe you were a little bit of a troublemaker.
A little bit more than you, I guess.
A little bit more.
But what's a moment that you can remember where you got in trouble at school?
Something memorable.
I can't remember specifically trying to get into trouble or being bad, but I do remember one time when all the students were having a water balloon fight.
I don't know, I think somebody just brought water balloons to school and we were all fighting.
But for some reason I was singled out and told that I can't be doing that or I'd get written up and was threatened to talk to my parents about it.
But I mean, everybody was doing it, so I wouldn't say it was necessarily a troublemaker thing.
Yeah, I guess that's true.
You've never gotten into trouble.
I can't even think of a time.
I have a few examples that I could think of, but I don't think you have any.
What was your favorite meal or snack as a kid?
My favorite snack has probably always been and I get hated on a lot for it celery with peanut butter.
I think it's one of the best snacks it's fresh you can eat it in the summer in the winter like whenever and yeah probably celery and peanut butter sticks okay I thought you were gonna say flaming hot cheetos oh I guess that would be another one of my favorite snacks but now if I eat flaming hot cheetos my stomach really hurts did you have any chores at home I didn't have many chores, but I had the basic ones, doing dishes, taking out the trash every once in a while, and just making sure the house was picked up.
How do you think childhood today is different from when you were younger?
Well, obviously a big difference is the childhood. how technology-centered childhood is nowadays.
Most kids have iPads, phones, or at least are exposed to it.
And in my time, the most contact I ever had with technology was through the TV.
But even then, my access to TV was limited to one or two hours a day.
So I think there's not a lot of creativity and not a lot of outdoorsiness to the fun that kids have today.
It's a lot of being inside and on the phone.
And what was your favorite show when you had your TV time?
SpongeBob every once in a while.
Those were probably my top favorites.
SpongeBob's a gem.
And what advice would you give your younger self?
I would tell my younger self to not be so afraid.
That it's okay to show who you are and that people are going to love you for it.
Nice.
Now, what do you think has been your favorite age and why?
My favorite month?
My favorite month is... Or was it a month?
Your perfect date.
I'd have to say April 25th because it's not too hot, not too cold.
All you need is a light jacket.
Sorry, ask me again.
So what has been your favorite age and why?
My favorite age.
I probably didn't have a favorite age, but rather a favorite moment, which was when I was about 12 years old and we had to move to Mexico with my entire family.
It's my favorite moment because I feel like it was a pivotal moment in both of our lives.
And it changed us and our family for the better.
Good age.
Good answer.
So can you explain what pivotal means?
Pivotal comes from pivot, which is a sharp turn.
So it turned.
Big change.
Yes, it was a big change.
A pivotal change.
Alright, now if you could go back to one specific moment in your childhood, what would it be?
What moment would you choose?
It could be like Christmas or I don't know a time when you went ice skating, or I remember for one Christmas I came down a little too early.
It was about six in the morning.
And I came down and saw the tree and saw that there were no gifts.
And I was very sad.
And I went back upstairs and I fell asleep for a couple more hours.
And when I came down, I saw there were presents under the tree.
And that's when I started to suspect what we all know.
So i would have sent myself back to sleep probably, so you would go back to that moment.
To send yourself back to sleep yes, to keep the magic going.
I meant like return to the feeling of the moment.
Oh well, i thought you were like you would want to go back in time.
I thought that's what it meant.
Oh well, now i gotta think about that one i would probably try and go back to.
I believe it was my eighth birthday.
I don't remember a lot, but whenever I see a photo of it it just really brings up a warm, fuzzy feeling.
My grandma had cooked me a lemon cake for my birthday and they were visiting in our house and I think I invited two of the neighbors that we had around.
And I was with my sister and it was a really nice time.
It was a simple but fun birthday.
Today I want to talk about gratitude, about feeling grateful and appreciative about the little things in life.
Gratitude means to say thank you for good things in your life.
Some daily affirmations and statements of gratitude that I like to repeat every day so you can practice gratitude with me every day while practicing your English listening and speaking.
Let's start.
I am doing my best.
I am enough.
I am doing my best.
And that is enough.
I am worthy of love and kindness.
I am worthy of love and kindness.
I trust myself.
I trust myself to make the right decisions I trust myself to make the right decisions.
I have the power to create a great day.
I have the power to create a great day.
I am calm.
I am strong.
I am focused.
I am peaceful.
I let go of what I can't control.
I let go of what I can't control.
I believe in myself.
I believe in myself.
I am growing, learning and improving every day.
I am growing, learning and improving every day.
I am proud of how far I've come.
I am proud of how far I've come.
I am grateful for this new day.
I am grateful for this new day.
I am grateful for the people.
I am grateful for the people who love and support me.
I am grateful for the people who love and support me.
I appreciate the small moments of joy.
I appreciate the small moments of joy.
I am thankful for my body and all it does for me.
I am thankful for my body and all it does for me.
I am thankful for the lessons that I learn every day.
I find beauty in the small things.
In the simple things, I see beauty.
In the trees, in the plants, in the sky, I see beauty in everything and in everyone.
I am lucky to be alive today.
I am grateful for the food that I eat, the air that I breathe and the love that I receive from everyone around me.
The love from my neighbors, my family, my friends and just people.
The love I receive from everything.
My mind is clear, focused, and open.
My mind is clear, focused and open.
I release all the thoughts that don't serve me.
I release and let go of all the thoughts that don't serve me.
I am calm, centered and in control.
I am calm, centered and in control.
My thoughts are peaceful and positive.
My thoughts are peaceful and positive.
I honor my body.
I respect my body.
I love my body.
My body is strong and full of energy.
My body is strong and full of energy.
I listen to what my body needs.
I listen to what my body needs.
Every breath I take fills my body with calm.
Every breath I take fills my body with calm.
I am grateful for my healthy body and all that it does for me.
I am grateful for my healthy body and all that it does for me.
My soul is peaceful and light.
My soul is peaceful and full of light.
My soul is peaceful and full of light.
I am connected.
I am connected with the energy of the universe.
I am connected with the energy of the universe.
I trust the journey of my life.
I radiate love, compassion and peace.
I radiate love, compassion and peace.
What are you grateful for today?
I am most grateful for my health, for my strength, and for my joy and happiness.
If you liked this type of slow English, with positive affirmations to say and listen to every day.
I want to talk about essential idioms. and phrases in English.
The first idiom is to get a big head.
Sometimes I don't give compliments to my sister because if I told her every day, She would get a big head.
Her ego would be too big.
Some people I see here surfing or skating are really good at it.
But I see their attitude and the way they speak to other people.
And they definitely have a big head, a big ego.
They act like they're better than everyone else.
I sometimes get a big head only when I read my comments on YouTube.
All of the beautiful comments boost my ego.
And sometimes I get a big head.
But I try not to get a big head.
And I'm just happy that my followers enjoy my videos.
You have to be careful with idioms because you can't just translate from your language to English.
It won't make any sense.
For example, to get a big head.
You can't say that in Spanish.
It doesn't make any sense.
What's the version of getting a big head in your language?
How would you translate it?
Another common idiom is cold feet.
Just like that.
Cold feet.
If you get cold feet, you get nervous about something before it happens.
For example, if you have an important job interview or maybe a presentation, you might get cold feet and not go because you're too nervous.
The other day, I was at the beach and the waves were massive.
You could hear them crashing onto the shore.
I was with my friend and we decided to go in anyways.
Even though we were nervous, we still went in.
But then, as soon as I got in the ocean, I remembered a scary experience in the ocean and I got cold feet.
I decided not to go in.
I was too nervous.
My friend said, oh no, you got cold feet?
And I said, yeah, it's too scary.
Have you ever gotten cold feet before doing something scary or important?
Now, another common idiom is to throw someone under the bus.
It's a crazy idiom, but when you throw someone under the bus, you basically blame them or betray them.
You do it to save yourself only.
I have thrown people under the bus before But I've also been thrown under the bus myself.
I was thrown under the bus by my sister once.
One time we were watching TV together in the basement.
When I said mmm, I could really go for a big bag of Cheetos and a big tub of ice cream.
Not just any ice cream, but cookies and cream ice cream.
And we have one in the freezer downstairs.
My sister smiled mischievously and said, me too.
So we both went downstairs to the kitchen and we ate the whole bag of Cheetos and ice cream.
When my mom got back home she asked who ate the Cheetos and the big tub of cookies and cream, ice cream.
My sister threw me under the bus and said, Tiana did it.
Then I said, no, she did it.
And we just went back and forth, throwing each other under the bus, mutually.
After that, I assume my mom knew it was both of us and she punished both of us.
Our punishment was that we couldn't watch TV in the basement for two weeks, which I think is a fair punishment.
Have you ever been thrown under the bus by a friend or a sibling or a cousin?
Tell me what happened.
What did you do?
Or what did you not do?
Another common idiom is to blow off steam.
Blow off steam.
To blow off steam is to do something that releases stress or tension, that gets rid of stress and relaxes you.
This one really resonates with me because I find myself Constantly blowing off steam.
I can go two days maximum without running.
I need to run to blow off steam.
I need to meditate or do yoga or even just journal. to blow off steam.
It's so important because I get so frustrated easily and I take it out on everyone around me and that's not fair.
So in order to not take it out on my friends or family, I prevent it By blowing off steam every day.
How often do you blow off steam?
And how?
Do you run box draw, meditate clean?
Another idiom that I love is to pull it off.
To pull something off means to succeed at something.
To succeed at something that was difficult or maybe surprising to you.
Like this one time, I had online lesson and I had a super bad Wi-Fi connection.
My camera kept on freezing My slides weren't working.
My microphone was crackling.
But somehow, I pulled it off.
At the end of my lesson, my student told me she loved the lesson.
But sometimes, even if it's difficult or messy, you can still pull it off.
Another thing that I thought I wouldn't be able to pull off was a shaved head.
But three years ago, I shaved all of my hair off and I actually pulled it off.
It looked really nice on me.
What's a look that you think you can pull off?
Have you ever pulled something off when you didn't think you could do it?
And our last one for today, on the same page.
If you're on the same page with someone, it means you both understand each other, you both agree on something.
This happens a lot in different relationships.
If you're not on the same page with someone it can cause conflict or problems.
My sister and I, for example, always on the same page.
We both love going to Walmart, watching movies, and eating grapes.
We also love traveling, exercising, and eating healthy.
So when we travel together, It's so easy.
We are always on the same page.
Who are you always on the same page?
My trip to Brazil was so much fun.
I started my day around 4 a.m.
I had to catch the 5am bus to the airport.
My flight took off at 9am.
But I like to be at the airport at least two hours before my flight.
Just in case.
I arrived at the airport around 7 a.m.
And I was feeling a bit hungry.
So I ate my Greek yogurt, but I forgot my spoon.
So I had to use my yogurt lid to scoop all the yogurt out instead.
After finishing my Greek yogurt, I was all ready to go through the security checkpoints.
I put all my electronics on a tray and I took off my sweater and my hat.
Once I got through the security checkpoint, I found my gate number.
I sat and I waited for boarding to begin.
Once boarding started, I sat in my seat with my headphones and some music.
I love listening to music as the plane takes off.
I also like watching movies during my flight.
And I ate a strawberry biscuit on this four-hour flight.
Then I finally arrived in Panama for my layover.
I boarded my next flight that would take me straight to Rio de Janeiro.
And seven hours later, I was in Brazil.
But my legs hurt so much.
They were so cramped and rigid from being sat for seven hours.
I usually like to stretch. as much as I can when I have long flights.
Do you think it's important to stretch in between flights?
What helps you get through long flights?
Does music help you? movies, sleep maybe.
But when I arrived at the airport, it was 1 a.m.
One o'clock at night.
And it's never a good idea to arrive in a new city at 1 a.m.
But for me, it was the only flight option.
So I asked a kind lady where I could order a taxi or Uber driver.
And she pointed me in the right direction.
Then I took a 30-minute Uber ride and finally arrived at my hostel on Copacabana Beach.
I dropped all of my bags, all of my luggage, all of it in my room and I went to the bathroom to take a shower.
There, I met two very nice girls.
We talked and decided we would go to a bloco in the morning.
A bloco is a little party on the streets in Brazil.
So I went to bed and I got up at 7 a.m. to go to the Bloco da Anitta.
We all went together and we danced and we sang and we had a good time.
After that, we all went to the beach.
And the water was freezing.
But I love cold oceans.
They are so refreshing to me.
Do you prefer cold water beaches? or warm water beaches.
We felt hungry after swimming so we went to get a burger at a cute little restaurant near the beach.
I got a cheddar cheeseburger and it was really good.
It was just what I needed.
Later that night, I went to the Sopodromo to see the huge carnival that they throw in Rio.
And it was incredible.
Every dance, one after the other, was better than the last.
The amount of talent and skills that these dancers had was insane, but finally I really enjoyed seeing all the dances, all the parades and all of the effort that was put into this crazy presentation.
I really enjoyed this one specifically.
But finally, around 5am, I decided to go home.
I was so exhausted from the day.
And the next afternoon, I went to get lunch with a friend.
And for dessert, of course, we got an acai.
I love my acai with coconut cream, granola, And coconut shavings.
What toppings do you like to eat your acai with?
After having our acai for dessert, we wanted to hike the Pau de Azucar sugar loaf mountain.
But when we arrived, they told us it was closed.
So we couldn't hike the mountain.
But it was still very beautiful to see from afar.
So instead, we went shopping.
I bought a cute blue necklace and a Brazil shirt.
We also got caipirinhas and we walked around the boardwalk.
Then, I saw a man giving another man a massage.
But I don't know why everyone was watching.
It was very confusing, but also very funny.
Then the next morning, I went to the beach.
And I ate a juicy peach.
It was very nice to spend time with myself.
And in the afternoon, I went to another beach.
And my friends made me a mermaid tail out of sand.
They tried very hard to make me look like a mermaid.
Then in the evening, we went to go see Pedra do Sal.
It's a big reunion, a big gathering with music and drinks and lots of different people.
But it was so crowded.
I could barely move.
I also... ran into a girl who listens to my podcast.
It was so sweet to meet her.
The next morning I had to get up at 9am for a tour around Rio, but I was so exhausted from the night before and it was a very difficult tour.
But the view of Sugarloaf was so worth it.
We took the cable bus up to Sugarloaf, And I could see all of Rio from that marvelous view.
And I also ate an aรงaรญ while enjoying the view.
Then, we head to our next tour, which was the Escaladerรญa Celarรณn, or Lapa Stairs.
The Lapa stairs have tiles from all around the world.
They're so colorful and beautiful.
Then, of course, I had to try a pau de queijo, which is a cheese bread.
And wow, was that flavorful.
I had no idea it's all cheese.
No bread, just cheese.
Finally, I went to see Christ the Redeemer, one of the seven wonders of the world.
The view, of course, was remarkable. as was all of Rio.
And that night, I had a chill evening and I went to bed early.
The next morning, I had a big watermelon for breakfast.
And the best part was that I ate it all at the beach.
Eating watermelon in the hot sun at the beach is an experience I would highly recommend.
Then we decided we would go see the botanical gardens.
We saw huge lily pads, breathtaking mountain views, and some really fascinating trees.
I love trees.
This was definitely a highlight of my trip in Rio.
The botanical gardens are not to be missed.
After taking in all of the wonderful scenery, we had to try feijoada, the typical dish in Brazil.
So we ordered picanha at a Brazilian restaurant.
And it was definitely one of the most delicious meals I have ever tasted.
What's a tasty dish from your country?
Describe the flavor and the ingredients.
Then, of course, for dessert, I had to get an acai.
And I was so tired from walking all day, so I went to bed early.
And I hadn't seen the sunrise in Rio yet, but I had heard people say that the sunrise in Copacabana was wonderful.
So I woke up at 5.50 a.m. and I ran to the beach to watch the sunrise.
And it was a beautiful sunrise.
I took in the sunrise for a while. before buying some strawberries and bananas for my breakfast.
The strawberries and bananas in Brazil are a lot sweeter than the strawberries and bananas in Mexico.
Then, we took the subway to Uruguayana Market.
An outdoor market where they sell everything from bikinis to food to souvenirs.
And I bought a bikini, some souvenirs, and some delicious food.
And on the way back, we decided to go all the way to Barro de Tijuca station to see Joatinga Beach.
And I have to say, Joatinga Beach is one of the most spectacular beaches I have ever seen.
The waves would crash against the rocks and make thunderous noise.
By the way, it's so impressive how people are always playing soccer at the beaches in Brazil.
I wish...
I could join them, but I'm not that good at soccer.
That evening we went to another Brazilian restaurant and there was a man who really liked Michael Jackson.
Whenever a song from Michael Jackson would come on in the restaurant, He would stand up and start dancing.
It was actually pretty admirable.
He was so confident and he didn't care about what anyone else thought.
I want to be that confident when I'm older.
Then, unfortunately, my trip was over.
I took my Uber around 2am and my flight to Panama left at 5am from Rio.
Then I went from Panama to Mexico City.
But I am happy to be home and I'm very excited to go back to Brazil and visit more beautiful places and meet more beautiful Brazilian people to practice my Portuguese.
Today, I'm going to talk about my trip to New York.
The whole entire story, from the moment I arrived at the airport to my home in Nebraska, to New York and back in Mexico City.
First in the morning my family and I woke up at around 4am super early because my dad had to drive us to the airport and then go to his work.
So my mom, my sister, my brother, and I woke up got our bags and head to the airport in Mexico City.
Once we arrived at the airport, we had to find our airline.
Our airline was United or Aeromexico.
So we found our airline We checked in, we checked a bag, and we went through security check.
The security check this time was so chill.
The security guards were super friendly and not intense or angry at all.
So it was a good start to a good trip.
Then, once we were past security, we had to walk through the duty-free section.
The section where everything is duty-free, and we were so hungry we hadn't eaten anything since the night before.
So, we all made a unanimous decision to get breakfast at Carl's Jr.
And it was so yummy.
I had the deluxe meal that has pancakes, bacon, tater tots, and a piece of toast.
My brother and my sister got the breakfast burrito.
And my mom got the breakfast burger.
We had plenty of time to find our gate.
So we were in no rush.
We were in no hurry.
We took our first flight in Dallas.
That was our first layover.
And then our second flight to Omaha, Nebraska.
And that's where my aunt picked us up in her car and drove us to her home.
I saw the big roads right away.
The roads in the United States always surprise me.
They're so big.
They're unnecessarily big, with almost no cars, just roads.
I can't imagine walking somewhere in the United States.
Right away, my aunt took us all to eat ice cream.
We got the biggest ice cream cones I've ever seen.
You can't even imagine unnecessarily big.
But they were very friendly at the ice cream shop and it was a very delicious ice cream.
We relaxed at my aunt's house for a few days and we ate some delicious fresh vegetables from my aunt's garden.
And after a few days we went to my cousin's graduation.
He is 19, graduating from high school.
My aunt, my cousin's mom, made a huge celebration.
She went all out on this graduation party.
She had an ice cream machine unlimited ice cream.
She had a candy table.
She had hot dogs, hamburgers, nachos, and lots of fun games like Jenga or tic-tac-toe.
The graduation party was really fun.
And for the next few days, we hung out at my aunt's house.
My aunt's house is in the same city where me and my family used to live.
We all used to live in Sioux City.
And it brought back so many nostalgic feelings, so many warm memories.
I walked around the streets in Sioux City with my sister.
And we saw all of the old houses that we used to see every day on our way to our cousin's house or just going for walks every day when we were little.
There's nothing like that nostalgic feeling of being in your childhood home. or childhood city?
What place brings back nostalgic feelings for you?
What things bring back nostalgic feelings?
For me, it's all of the green trees and the big houses and even the big roads.
What brings those feelings for you?
We saw a house with cute little mushrooms and a tree that had a hole cut through the middle for the cable lines going through the tree.
It was funny to see.
Instead of chopping down the whole tree, they just cut around so the cable could go through it.
And one day, before heading to my grandma and grandpa's farm, We decided to go to the gym with my cousin.
It was so nice because we got a hydro massage after.
A very relaxing massage.
The next day, my aunt drove us to my grandma and grandpa's farm.
I got to see all of the huge landscapes of fields and fields of grass, fields and fields of corn and fields and fields of just lots of vegetation, the huge windmills.
And arriving at my grandma and grandpa's farmhouse brought back so many warm and nostalgic feelings.
The piano that i used to play when i was little, even though I didn't know how to play the piano.
The screen door to keep bugs out of the house.
The living room, the photos, the farm so many wonderful memories.
I feel so lucky to have had such a beautiful childhood.
Can you think of one heartwarming story from your childhood?
One person, thing, place, or story that you feel grateful for having as a kid.
I went outside with my grandpa to see his vegetables like his rhubarb, his tomatoes, his potatoes and more.
He's very proud of his garden and I felt very proud of his garden too.
We hung out in the living room for a little while and played with our cousins and grandparents, and it was a wonderful day full of remembering happy days from the past.
The next day we had to go to get my driver's license, so we drove my grandma and grandpa's car all the way to the DNV, the place where you renew or get your driver's license.
It was really funny because the car was all torn apart everywhere for some weird reason.
I don't even know how it could have gotten torn up on the ceiling.
It's an old car, definitely, but it was a funny memory.
We arrived back at the farmhouse and my brother mowed the lawn.
I relaxed under the trees.
I like looking at the view from underneath the trees.
And I chatted with my grandma and grandpa.
It's always so nice to see the hogs, the chickens, and the cows at my grandma and grandpa's farm.
The next day, we had to head back to Nebraska and take our flight to New York City.
The view from our first flight was so beautiful.
A huge river winding around the city.
But the view of New York City when we were flying in was even more impressive to see.
Buildings and lights everywhere.
Even the taxi drive to our hostel was so impressive to see.
All of the lights, the buildings, the cars, the people, and our taxi driver drove us through Times Square, which was really nice of him to do and that was crazy to see.
It felt like I was in a movie because I feel like every movie is filmed or based in New York.
We arrived pretty late in New York City so the first thing we did was head to bed.
I passed out.
We were all so sleepy.
But the next day, we all woke up early to walk around the city.
We saw gift shops, construction sites, the Rockefeller Center buildings and more buildings.
It was sprinkling on our first day.
Just a little bit of rain.
And for me, that was perfect.
That way we could walk all around the city. without feeling hot.
We ordered at a food stand in the streets.
I ordered a chicken kebab because I love kebabs.
And it was pretty decent.
But it was $20.
Now I don't know if I was scammed because I looked like a tourist, but to me that was crazy expensive.
I still sat down at Central Park and enjoyed my kebab. my $20 kebab.
We saw some street performers, but they didn't really do anything that impressive.
It was pretty average.
I think they are just good at scamming people, getting you to pay attention to the show so that behind you they can take your wallets and your phones.
So be careful.
Be aware in big cities.
Is there a big city in your home country where you need to be aware of your surroundings and careful with your things?
Later that evening, we ate some chicken strips and french fries at Cane's.
It's the first time that I've ever been to Cane's.
It was pretty good.
Then for desserts, we had to get a crumble cookie.
I've been obsessed with trying crumble cookies since the first time I saw a video of somebody eating one.
I've been dreaming of this moment for so long because in Mexico, there's no crumble cookie.
We tried a snickerdoodle cookie and it was everything I expected and more.
I definitely love cookies, specifically doughy cookies, so maybe I'm being biased because of that.
But in my opinion, they're the best.
Have you ever tried a crumble cookie?
If not, would you like to?
The next day, we woke up, got some smoothies and some ginger shots.
And we took the subway to see the Statue of Liberty.
And like I said before, it felt like I was in a movie.
Eating a salted pretzel in New York was a dream.
And then for dinner, we had the best pizza ever at a place called Joe's Pizza.
Later that evening we walked to Times Square and we were able to see everything completely by ourselves.
The next morning we got breakfast and I ate an avocado toast and we went to see the Harry Potter shop.
Now, I'm not the biggest fan of Harry Potter, but my brother and my mom are.
So, of course, I had to go and send them some pictures and buy them some souvenirs.
I got my brother a Harry Potter wand and I got my mom a Gryffindor mug.
We walked to see the Empire State.
And we got some Chinese food to eat and chill at a really pretty spot.
And that was our last day in New York City.
The next morning, we took the train to the JFK Airport.
We ate our leftover Chipotle. while waiting for our plane to board.
I always prefer to be early to my flights, so I'm always just chilling, eating a snack and waiting for my flight to board.
We put on our hats and we boarded the plane.
The takeoff was just as beautiful as the landing.
Taking off from New York City in the daylight was so beautiful.
It's probably one of my favorite cities to see from the sky.
Then we arrived back in Mexico City a beautiful sight to land, with beautiful lights and buildings, and my family, of course.
I got to see my mom and dad's new dogs, Pablo and Huera.
They're so cute.
And it was really nice to be home.
Now, let's take a deep breath.
And begin.
I am a fast learner.
I am a fast learner.
I am a fast learner.
I learn languages with ease.
I learn languages with ease.
I am a confident speaker.
I can read, speak, and listen with confidence.
I am a confident speaker.
Speak and listen with confidence.
I am a confident speaker.
I can read, speak, and listen with confidence.
I am proud of how far I've come. of how far I've come.
I am disciplined and hardworking.
I am disciplined and hardworking.
I am disciplined and hardworking.
I stay focused on my goals.
I stay focused on my goals.
I practice English every day.
I practice English every day.
I practice English every day.
I am grateful for the challenges I have because they make me stronger and smarter.
I am grateful for the challenges I have because they make me stronger and smarter.
I am grateful for the challenges I have because they make me stronger and smarter.
My mistakes are opportunities to learn and improve.
My mistakes are opportunities to learn and improve.
My mistakes are opportunities to learn and improve.
I improve my English every day.
I improve my English everyday.
I improve my English everyday.
I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and communicate in another language.
I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and communicate in another language.
I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and communicate in another language.
I am a natural English speaker.
I am a natural English speaker.
I am a natural English speaker.
My mind is focused on learning English.
My mind is focused on learning English.
My mind is focused on learning English.
Every word I learn brings me closer to fluency.
Every word I learn brings me closer to Every word I learn brings me closer to fluency.
I am confident when I speak English.
I am confident when I speak English.
I am confident when I speak English.
I express myself clearly and naturally.
I express myself clearly and naturally.
I express myself clearly and naturally.
I enjoy learning English.
I enjoy learning English.
I enjoy learning English.
English is opening doors for me.
English is opening doors for me.
I am a fluent English speaker.
I am a fluent English speaker.
I can communicate perfectly with native speakers.
I can communicate perfectly with native speakers.
I can communicate perfectly with native speakers.
Repeat these affirmations daily and your brain will unconsciously work its hardest at being exactly who you want to be.
Stay positive and believe in every affirmation daily.
Believe in your ability to be fluent in English.
Comment.
Which affirmation inspired you the most and comment down below what affirmation would you add to this list?
Today I want to talk about sports and hobbies.
I have always enjoyed playing sports, anything from soccer to ballet.
I have always loved participating in different social activities.
Throughout my whole life I have gone to soccer cheerleading basketball gymnastics, dance and baseball.
Do you play any sports?
Do you prefer team sports or individual sports?
I don't enjoy watching sports. as much as I enjoy playing them.
I do love watching gymnastics competitions and dance shows like dance moms or dancing with the stars.
Do you think watching sports is as enjoyable as playing them?
I also enjoy going to the gym, but if I don't have time to go to the gym, I always make sure to go for a jog.
Jogging for me is very therapeutic.
It helps me clear my mind and stops the overthinking.
Physical activity not only helps my body, but also helps my mind.
Is there any type of exercise you do to help you clear your head?
Having a clear mind?
How can exercise help us to stop worrying about things?
Sometimes hobbies aren't physical.
Hobbies like drawing writing knitting, gardening or cooking can be a big help to mental health as well.
Do you enjoy non-physical hobbies?
If so, which ones do you enjoy?
Today, I want to talk about sports and hobbies.
I have always enjoyed playing sports, anything from soccer to ballet.
I have always loved participating in different social activities.
Throughout my whole life, I have gone to soccer, cheerleading, basketball, gymnastics, and baseball.
Do you play any sports?
Do you prefer team sports or individual sports?
I don't enjoy watching sports as much as I enjoy playing them.
I do love watching gymnastics competitions and dance shows.
Dance shows like Dance Moms or Dancing with the Stars.
Do you think watching sports is as enjoyable as playing them?
I also enjoy going to the gym, but if I don't have time to go to the gym, I always make sure to go for a jog.
Jogging for me is very therapeutic.
It helps me to clear my mind and stops me from overthinking.
You know, physical activity is good for the body and it is good for the mind.
Is there any type of exercise you do to help clear your mind?
How can exercise help us stop worrying about things?
Sometimes hobbies aren't physical.
Hobbies like drawing, writing, knitting, gardening, or cooking.
They can be a huge help to help mental health.
Do you enjoy any non-physical hobbies?
Today I'm excited to talk about airports.
I hate airports.
Airports are the worst.
My experience with airports is probably very similar to everybody else's.
Whenever I go to the airport, I just pray.
I didn't forget one tiny, tiny detail.
One tiny, tiny detail that could make me miss my flight.
I triple check everything.
I triple check every single detail.
And when I'm done, I check one more time.
I always make sure to check in online.
I check in right away. so that I have more peace of mind.
My peace of mind is very important for me at the airport.
I usually get my boarding pass on my phone.
Then I am ready to go.
I prefer to check in online than to check in in person.
I think it's less stressful checking in online than it is in person.
What do you prefer?
Checking in online or in person?
Convince me.
Why?
Why is it better?
The worst part of going to the airport is the security check.
Everyone is yelling and rushing and it's pure chaos.
It's too chaotic for me.
Finding my gate is usually less stressful than going through security.
But it still is very frustrating to find my gate.
Especially if the airport has like eight terminals.
But once I am at my gate, My worries go away.
Now I just have to board my plane.
I only need to board and take a seat.
I usually am the last person to board the plane.
Everyone is always so eager to board.
But I prefer to stay seated and wait.
Do you prefer to board the plane right away?
Or do you prefer to take your time and wait?
I usually only bring one personal item.
A personal item is a small bag.
I don't pack very many things.
I am a light packer.
I don't need a carry-on, and I don't need to check my luggage either.
I am a light traveler.
What luggage do you usually bring on a flight?
Do you bring a personal item, a carry-on, or checked luggage?
My flights rarely get delayed.
But when they do, it is very annoying.
Once I had to sleep at the airport.
It was eight hours.
An eight hour delay at the airport.
But me and my family were in economy class, not first class.
So no hotel, no accommodation for us.
We weren't first class.
Do you travel in economy class or first class?
But one thing I can say about airports is that anything goes.
You can see people sleeping People eating McDonald's at 8am.
Watching movies.
Running.
Stretching.
You can see people doing anything.
Anything goes at the airport.
Where else can you see people doing all of those things in one place?
Nowhere.
Only at the airport.
Airports also give me that nervous excitement That feeling of butterflies in my stomach.
Butterflies for all the adventures to come.
What is something you like about airports?
What are some tips you can give me to enjoy airports more?
I used to have long layovers.
I wanted to save money. as much money as I possibly could.
So I would book flights as long as 52 hours with 12 hour layovers.
For my trip to Thailand, I had a 12-hour layover in Los Angeles.
I took advantage of my long layover and I visited Hollywood with my cousin.
Then I took my next flight to Japan.
I stayed in Japan for 12 hours.
And I visited.
I visited Osaka.
I went shopping, and I even ate sushi.
Then finally, I got on my last flight to Bangkok, Thailand.
After 52 hours of flight, I finally arrived to Thailand.
But 52 hours of flying is very bad for your sleep schedule.
But it was worth it for the price.
And I was able to visit two extra countries.
But I wouldn't do it again.
I would not repeat that experience.
Now I prioritize my time and my sleep.
What has been your longest layover?
Would you rather have a cheap 52-hour flight or an expensive 12 hour flight.
Today, I want to tell you a story about the bus.
The other day I was on the bus.
My friend and i had to get home, so we waited for the bus to come for maybe 10 minutes until finally it arrived, but it was so packed full of people like sardines.
The driver stopped and told us to get in.
But we said, no, we don't fit.
We'll take the next one.
So the driver moved on and we waited another 10 minutes.
But at that point, we had already waited 20 minutes.
I wasn't waiting any longer.
So we got on the bus and we fit just right.
But the driver was driving like a maniac.
I had to hold on so tight so that I wouldn't fall or trip.
I could barely hold on.
Then the driver stopped one more time to pick up a family.
It was a mother and her two young boys.
They were very short, so the two boys could not hold on to any of the handles.
So they were going side to side, falling and tripping.
I told one of the boys, hold on to me.
And one older lady said the same.
One older lady told the boys, hold on to me.
Hold on to my sweater.
So the boy did.
He grabbed the lady and held her tight and he didn't fall anymore.
It was a very nice scene.
It was a very cute experience.
We all rode like sardines the whole way home.
And once we finally arrived, we all said goodbye.
Nice to meet you.
And it was a very nice experience.
I always have nice experiences on the bus.
I love the beautiful people I can meet every day in my normal day-to-day life.
I love seeing kind actions and really appreciating all the kind people I meet throughout my days.
I love being in Mexico where you can see all kinds of nice actions every day without a doubt.
Tell me about a nice experience you've had with complete strangers.
Describe how it made you feel and why it was so special, but also so normal.
Why am I learning Chinese?
I've been learning Chinese for four years now, on and off for four years, because I get lazy sometimes.
I'm sure you know how hard it is to find motivation every day to study a new language, to sit down and read or write or take a lesson.
And it's the same for me.
I get really lazy and unmotivated to study.
Chinese sometimes.
And that was actually a huge inspiration for me to start with my slow English podcast.
I found a YouTube channel.
I found a YouTube channel who told slow Chinese stories.
Her channel is called Lazy Chinese and she uses comprehensible input.
But it was the first time that I actually felt excited.
Excited because I understood the language I had been practicing for four years.
And it was so easy to understand.
And without even trying, I was learning so many new words and practicing so many new grammar structures just by listening and looking at her slow hand gestures and facial gestures.
I was so inspired to continue studying Chinese because It was the first time I actually understood Chinese, because she was speaking so slow.
The first time after four years of studying, practicing listening, I finally felt progress and achievement.
And when you don't feel progress or achievement, when you don't feel like you're improving at something, it's hard to keep giving your best at improving.
It's hard to give your 100%.
So, I thought, how many students, especially my own students, feel the same way?
Feel like they don't understand English and they never will.
Only because It takes a long time to see progress in the real world, but in a slow, demonstrated way, so many people would realize that they actually do understand English.
They actually understand much more than they think.
So I decided one day to make a video, Specifically a TikTok, where I spoke slowly and I made lots of hand gestures at a speed that anyone could understand, using hand gestures in a way where you could understand even if you had never studied English.
Because body language speaks much louder than words.
The video did amazing.
Everyone felt exactly how I imagined they would feel and my TikTok went viral.
The next day, I woke up to my phone going crazy and I knew I had to make more videos.
Longer, shorter, on YouTube, on TikTok, as many as I could make.
Now, here we are today, and I'm still trying to come up with creative ideas every day to find new ways for you to understand and speak English with confidence.
Confidence, the only thing that matters.
My dad, for example, he came to the USA when he was 17 years old.
And he didn't know a lick of English.
He would just walk around with his dictionary and speak order food, buy groceries, ask for directions.
He had no other option.
He was thrown into the deep end right away when he arrived in the US.
He only had himself and a will to learn.
Confidence, it's all you need.
Fake it until you make it.
His dedication is admirable and I know for a fact That's where I got mine.
When you truly believe something, no matter how absurd it could be at the moment.
If you really believe, you can make it a reality.
Just pretend or fake it until you make it.
But anyways, going back to the topic about why I am learning Chinese, a lot of people ask me why I decided to learn Chinese.
And to be honest, My sister was the one to inspire me.
She used to be obsessed with learning Chinese. and all she did was study and practice Chinese.
We got to talking and I was overwhelmed with the same desire to go to China someday.
I also loved the complexity of Mandarin and how challenging it would be to learn it.
It has no similarities whatsoever.
And I can't imagine learning a language with no similarities whatsoever between each other.
Imagine if I have been learning Chinese for four years.
And I can barely form a full sentence.
And Chinese people are learning English the same way.
It's very difficult.
But I also loved the idea of being in English, Spanish, and Mandarin teacher.
That would be a dream for me.
So, I started studying Chinese and I was determined in learning Chinese.
I found the best podcasts to listen to.
I watched every video of anyone who had successfully learned Mandarin, and I even started taking Chinese classes online.
I had a great teacher.
She was so patient and she was always able to turn a casual conversation into a grammar lesson where I learned new words, new grammar structures and I never felt burnt out or frustrated after a lesson.
I always felt energized and inspired to continue learning Chinese.
I used to teach English online and I've been inspired by many teachers in my life, my parents included.
My mom and dad have to be the most dedicated and hardworking teachers.
My mom was born to be a teacher.
She is patient and graceful.
She's always willing to help without rushing or judging you.
And thoughtful in all of her lessons.
You can feel the care she puts into every lesson.
My dad's students always have the highest scores and the kids love him.
They both put so much work into teaching kids and I know firsthand that teaching kids is a challenge.
It's hard to make a lesson entertaining, educational, and memorable.
But my mom and my dad both work very hard to do just that.
That's where my passion for teaching comes from.
All in all, you don't have to end up living in a place where they speak that language to learn that language.
Because at the end of the day, the journey of learning a language is the most important part.
Learn for you.
Enjoy the journey.
Savor every new word you manage to remember.
Relish in every win.
It's a privilege to learn.
Don't take it for granted.
Today, I want to talk to you about my comfort food.
When I think of my comfort food, the first thing that comes to mind is Flaming Hot Cheetos.
Since I was a little girl, my sister and I have always enjoyed a big bag of Flaming Hot Cheetos while watching cartoons or movies together.
What is your comfort food?
Are there any people, holidays, or places attached to this dish?
Lots of people that I know don't like spicy food.
They can't stand spicy food.
And I used to agree.
I used to think spicy food was not enjoyable because it was unbearable to eat.
I would just cry and sniffle.
But now I can't get enough of it.
I love spicy food.
Do you eat spicy food?
If you do, what are your favorite dishes?
If not, why?
One thing I can't stand is bitter food.
The flavors are too bland.
Bland and boring.
They lack flavor.
That's why I don't like bitter food.
What's a type of food that you can't stand and why?
Sweet foods, however, are my favorite foods.
I have a huge sweet tooth.
My sweet tooth is so bad, I can sometimes eat up to three conchas before bed.
Three conchas before bed.
I have no limit.
My favorite sweets are conchas, cheesecakes, and cinnamon bread or cinnamon rolls.
What type of food do you like the most?
Spicy, bitter, sweet, or salty?
When I was younger, I used to sneak into the kitchen to steal the sweets, the bread my father had put.
He bought conchas, orejas, cuernitos.
I would steal it all.
I couldn't resist.
In the morning, if my dad asked, where did all the bread go?
I would stay quiet.
My silence made me look guilty.
Of course, he knew it was me.
Are there any foods you can't resist?
Any foods you couldn't resist when you were younger?
Today, I will talk about languages.
I speak two languages, English and Spanish.
When speaking, I feel almost like I have two separate personalities.
One in English and one in Spanish.
The distinction between each language is not just the way I speak but also the volume of my voice.
I am much louder in English than I am in Spanish.
However, in Spanish, I have a much more outgoing personality.
It's weird how a language can change your personality.
English is my first language.
I speak it with my family at home and whenever I teach English.
But when I speak Spanish, I have only ever spoken at school or with my friends.
Today I only ever speak English with my friends.
I believe that's why I have a lot more casual vocabulary in Spanish than I do in English.
I have a lot more laid back Spanish than English.
At least that's why I think I have two different personalities in each language.
What about you?
Do you ever feel like you have two different personalities in each language?
Today, I want to talk about dreams.
Don't be confused.
I don't mean dreams as in your life goals and aspirations.
When I say dreams, I'm referring to the dreams we have when we sleep.
The worlds we create inside our brain.
Our subconscious mind creating worlds, creating stories, creating our dreams while we sleep.
Those are the dreams that I love talking about.
They are so mysterious.
I dream almost every night and I love it.
I love waking up from a crazy dream and writing it down. in my dream journal.
It's a journal where I write down all of my dreams.
The moment I wake up from a dream, I immediately start to forget. right away.
It's really frustrating because I want to remember it.
That's why I write them down right away when I wake up.
I've had the best dreams where I wake up feeling inspired to try new things, to study new things.
I have had dreams where I wake up and I feel I can do anything.
Have you ever had a dream that inspired you to learn or do something?
I have also dreamt that I can fly.
Have you ever had a dream where you could fly?
What did it feel like?
Describe the feeling to me.
I have had flying dreams before and it feels extraordinary.
The wind in my hair, on my skin and the nervous feeling in my stomach like I might fall at any second.
It's exhilarating to feel like you're flying high in the sky.
What's the coolest dream you have ever had?
But I've also had very scary dreams.
I think we all have had a scary dream before.
Maybe a dream where we are falling, falling, falling.
And just before we hit the ground, we wake up.
At least I have had lots of dreams like that.
Or maybe a dream where someone is chasing you, running after you, and we can't run away.
We keep trying and trying, but our legs just won't move.
What's a scary dream you have had before?
What do you think that dream means?
I think dreams can have many meanings.
They can mean many different things.
I think dreams show us different signs.
Maybe a sign that only our subconscious mind can pick up on.
Dreams are very helpful for us.
I think they help us to get inspired and to get excited for new things.
They also show us maybe some scary, maybe some worrying things, but they help us to make the changes necessary for our lives to be the happiest we can possibly be.
Sometimes I think our dreams can make us appreciate and be thankful for things we might take for granted in our lives.
If you take someone or something for granted, maybe your dream will show you that person and show you you need to appreciate that person more.
I think our dreams can sometimes tell us to not take something for granted.
Do you agree that dreams have meaning?
Let me know your take on it.
If you disagree, let me know why.
Some recurring dreams that I have had before is when I dream that all my teeth are falling out.
I desperately try to catch them, but I just can't.
Another recurring dream that I have is actually a very nice dream.
I love my flying dreams.
I really enjoy those.
What are some of your recurring dreams? meaning they happen again and again.
How do you interpret your dreams?
What do you think they mean?
There are lots of different cultural interpretations that can be made about dreams.
I love hearing about them.
This is one of my favorite topics to talk about with my students.
I would absolutely love to hear your interpretations. or cultural beliefs about dreams.
This story begins in Costa Rica and ends with me getting a tattoo in a car, and flying to Thailand.
Have you ever done something so new and so scary that it completely changed your life?
Let me tell you the unforgettable story of my first scuba dive and how it changed the way I see the world.
Learn English with slow stories, with subtitles and pictures to guide you along the way.
English is easy.
You can learn it just by listening.
I met a couple of friends in Costa Rica about two years ago.
They were a French couple.
One of them is a tattoo artist, and she travels the world tattooing her art.
And the other one is a scuba dive instructor.
We got along really well and I told them, in Costa Rica, if you ever come to Mexico, let me know.
And about three months later, they let me know.
They were visiting Mexico, Cozumel, a breathtaking island in the south of Mexico.
So I didn't even hesitate I didn't think twice.
I booked my flight And they picked me up at the airport.
We saw the stunning lakes in Bacalar, the lagoon of the seven colors, with seven different shades of blue.
We went canoeing and snorkeling.
Bacalar was such a beautiful place.
And after a couple days there, We began our journey to Cozumel, a stunning island on the coast of Cancun.
My friends drove us all the way to Playa del Carmel, where we took the ferry to the island of Cozumel.
The first thing to do, of course, was to go snorkeling.
We got our snorkeling gear and we drove to the beaches of Cozumel.
I brought my mask my snorkel and my fins.
Well, I didn't bring fins, but my friends lent me some extra fins that they had brought.
The corals and marine life were impressive to see.
I had never seen anything like that in my life.
It was my first time snorkeling, actually.
Imagine that.
I was about to go scuba diving And I hadn't even gone snorkeling yet.
So it was crazy that I got to see one of the most beautiful coral reefs in the whole world for my first time, snorkeling.
It was unforgettable.
I saw fish corals octopi, eels, and my personal favorite, sea cucumbers.
They're so cute and squishy.
The next day we all got ready to go scuba diving.
We read all the precautions and instructions that we had to follow, some important things to know, things that you need to know in case of an emergency and I can't lie, it was nerve-wracking to read all of the dangers of scuba diving.
I was definitely nervous.
Nevertheless, we got on the boat and we drove to our diving spot.
When you get in the water, you start to sink immediately, and since I had weights on me, it made me sink even faster.
We began descending deeper and deeper into the ocean.
My ears started to pop. right away.
So immediately I had to start unplugging my ears.
To unplug your ears, you cover your nose and blow. and blow and blow.
If you stop blowing, your ears will start hurting, feeling so much pressure.
That to me was the most intense part.
So I was blowing Every two seconds while taking deep breaths.
Calm breaths. to save your energy and oxygen, but it was such a crazy feeling.
I felt weightless underwater, like I was gliding through the water.
Like I could go up and down and around like an airplane in the sky.
I felt like a fish.
It was crazy living like a fish.
Even for just a few moments, being able to really admire the corals, to scrutinize every little detail, I realized it's a whole other world.
It felt like I was visiting another planet with strange creatures, with strange homes.
The ocean is definitely filled with alien creatures.
It made me happy to follow the stingrays and watch an octopus go into his home.
The cuttlefish strolling along the seabed.
The boxfish were the cutest thing I have ever seen.
I got so excited whenever I would see one.
We saw a turtle swimming along the seabed, although it was a little sad.
Seeing her stroll along The lifeless corals.
Actually, there were a lot of damaged corals.
I was told that it was a reef graveyard, and it looked like a graveyard.
Where it was once vibrant with color and life, it was now colorless. and dead.
We soared around the reef for about 30 minutes until it was time to return to the surface.
We reached the surface and I immediately couldn't shut up.
I was bursting with excitement for all of the fish that i saw and the turtle we saw, and the feeling of being under water.
It was an eye-opening moment The silence of being underwater, with no sounds other than the corals crapping and the fish swimming around their busy lives.
Just my breath. and nothing else.
No way to communicate other than with your hands.
It was so surreal.
It was a dream come true.
A dream that I didn't know I had.
After that day, I felt like a brand new person.
It felt like I had a new goal and dream to follow.
That day, I remember I couldn't stop being excited for my future.
It was a real turning point in my life.
I made so many significant changes. in my life.
After that experience, I realized what I wanted to do with my life.
An experience that was nerve-wracking in the beginning ended up opening my eyes to an amazing future for me.
The next day, I was feeling so inspired.
I asked my friend if she could tattoo me.
But we had to get back to the mainland in Playa del Carmen for our flight.
So we decided she could tattoo me in the car.
We set up the tattooing gear.
She sanitized everything and we set off to our drive to Cancun.
First she drew my tattoo with a sharpie and then she tattooed it, and all while we took the fairy to the mainland.
She wrapped my tattoo in plastic and they dropped me off at the airport.
I got on my flight to Mexico City and I was picked up by another friend at the airport.
That whole trip was such an eye-opening experience that two days later, when I got home with my parents, I told them that I always wanted to travel to Thailand and that I was going to buy a ticket in November.
Two days before my birthday, they were shocked and a little bit scared.
But they told me to stay safe and have fun.
And I did what I knew I always wanted to do. even though sometimes my fear would get the best of me.
That trip inspired me to conquer my fear.
I booked my flights and my hostel and I said goodbye to my friends and my family and I got on my 52 hour flight to Thailand.
Including layovers, of course.
One layover was in Los Angeles, where my cousin picked me up and took me to get donuts and Chinese food.
And then I got on my second flight to South Korea.
Finally, I took my last flight to Bangkok, Thailand.
And the first thing that I did when I arrived was sleep.
I slept so well that night.
And the next morning, I got a massage.
I have never needed a massage more than that day.
My shoulders and neck were killing me, especially after carrying my backpack around for 52 hours.
Anyways, I'll have to make another podcast about my trip to Thailand. in a future lesson.
But it just goes to show that one moment of stepping out of my comfort zone brought me a kind of joy that I didn't know was even possible.
It opened up a whole new world for me.
Now, I want to ask you, have you ever had a life-changing or eye-opening experience?
A moment when you stepped out of your comfort zone?
If not, what is one dream or life goal that you want to try?
Something that scares you a little bit but excites you a lot.
This is one of my favorite topics.
Life goals are so inspiring to hear about and to talk about.
And I hope that I was able to inspire someone to step out of their comfort zone as well.
Today, I want to talk about imagination.
How would you define imagination?
I think imagination is something we all have, whether it's daydreaming or simply drawing, writing or having a conversation.
My imagination goes wild when I'm talking to certain people.
My brain comes up with crazy ideas and I'm able to Add on to the other person's opinions and perspectives.
I witness it a lot when I'm teaching.
I have some pretty cool students and I have the privilege of talking to people from all around the world and having conversations about so many different topics.
Topics like dreams, languages, age, brains, or even about imagination.
And I always seem to stand impressed by my students' opinions or thoughts on one topic.
Every student is have has some unique and interesting perspective on a topic, and all of it is due to imagination and creativity.
As a kid I
I had so much imagination.
I would jump on the couches while the floor was lava.
I would talk to my stuffed animals and create the craziest scenarios.
I used to love writing. as a kid.
I would write so many books.
One about a guy who had flying pants.
Another one about a girl who could talk to her toys and fly on shooting stars.
Did you have a lot of imagination as a kid?
What are some fun scenarios that you used to create in your head as a kid?
Do you think imagination is more important in childhood or in adulthood?
I personally think Imagination is more important as a child, because it helps you to begin solving problems and finding solutions using your creativity.
Even if they are imaginary problems, it's still good practice for future situations where you will need that same imagination to get past stressful or difficult situations.
What do you think?
Is it more important in your childhood or in your adulthood?
I think it can also be important as an adult since we are all creative creatures.
And I think Every human needs an outlet or source to express their creativity, whether it's with videos or drawings, or writing, or creating things, building things.
How do you Express your creativity and imagination.
I think imagination is very powerful.
It can change the way we see the world and the way we want to see the world.
It can play a huge role in careers like business, science and art.
What role does imagination play in your current career?
For me, for example, imagination plays a huge role in my career.
When making my lessons, I have to make them as engaging and creative as possible.
I have to use a lot of imagination to create questions that will intrigue my students and help them to continue speaking and practicing their English.
It also challenges their English listening on the spot with crazy imaginary questions that help your English and imagination.
And now, when I make videos, I also have to use my imagination and creativity to think of creative and interesting topics to talk about.
But I mostly like to use my imagination when it comes to drawing or writing.
Those are my hobbies that I enjoy using my creativity for.
Now, imagination and fear can work together.
When I was a little girl and I let my mind wander into the darkness, I could start seeing things that weren't actually there.
But my mind would wander away and get lost in the darkness.
My imagination would run wild and think of the scariest situations my mind could come up with.
What's the craziest thing that your mind has come up with?
What's the craziest scenario that your mind has come up with?
I would always run to go sleep with my sister.
I had a very active imagination as a kid.
Now I can control my fear better.
But I'm still scared of sleeping alone after watching a scary film.
That's why I do believe that imagination can power fear.
And that's why kids are a lot more fearful than adults.
I think, because as an adult you can see things for what they are, and as a kid you can come up with the craziest ideas, because your imagination runs wild.
It's a blessing, but it's also a curse.
Those are my thoughts about the power of imagination.
I will tell you my story once slowly and the second time a little bit faster.
Today, I want to talk to you about sickness.
I've been feeling very sick lately.
I think it has to do with my trip to Rio, Brazil.
Normally, whenever I get sick, it has something to do with my sleep schedule.
Normally, it has to do with the amount and the quality of sleep that I'm getting.
And just keeping up with my rest and sleep in general is very important for me to stay healthy.
But now that I think about it, I don't think I even got one full night sleep in my whole week in Rio.
And I'm usually very sensitive to changes in my sleep schedule.
If I don't get a full night's rest, I'm crabby all day long.
I'm moody and angry and just insufferable to be around.
I'm very crabby and especially with my English lessons, I need to have lots of energy.
And I need to be in a good mood and mindset to be able to give my English lessons in a fun and structured way.
But this one weekend, for example, I pulled an all-nighter.
To pull an all-nighter, means to stay up all night and not sleep.
Have you ever pulled an all-nighter before?
Well, I did.
And let me tell you, I will not do that again.
I was tired the whole week after that one all-nighter.
I literally couldn't function.
I would wake up in the morning and have my normal routine.
I would eat breakfast, teach a couple classes and after maybe five hours I would feel exhausted, ready to sleep.
So I would have to take a nap, maybe a one or two hour nap. to recuperate, then I would be fine.
A couple hours of being awake would pass by and I would be feeling exhausted again.
It was crazy.
It was like I had an insane amount of sleep debt.
We call it sleep debt when you basically owe your body sleep or rest.
Just like you can owe money or be in debt with money, You can also be in debt with sleep.
But I finally paid off my sleep debt after four days of sleeping.
That's why, like I said, I wouldn't pull an all-nighter again.
It's too intense for my body.
But anyways, that's why I feel I got sick this week.
Because I was pushing my body too far.
I swear I was walking every day at least 40,000 steps a day.
I remember checking my phone and every time at least 40000 steps day and I would be so tired my body would be aching everywhere ready to sleep, but I would still go to sleep late and wake up early.
So, apart from pushing my body too far, I wouldn't even give my body the chance to recuperate that energy or rest even a bit.
So I think I pushed my body over the edge.
And now I'm paying the price.
I'm paying the consequences.
That's why I feel super congested.
Like I blow my nose and I don't know how it never stops.
The mucus just keeps coming and coming.
I don't even know where it's coming from at this point.
And I also had a terrible cough.
One of those coughs that's just always tickling your throat.
You feel a constant tickle. that you need to cough.
I hate coughing.
And after a while of coughing, it starts to hurt my throat.
So I try to take cough drops. to soothe my throat.
Cough drops are really good for relieving and soothing the pain temporarily, only for a short period of time.
But for long-term solutions, it's best to take antibiotics.
That helps relieve the pain altogether and gets rid of the virus or bacteria that you have.
But usually when I get a sore throat and I don't want to take antibiotics, I always try home remedies first.
My home remedy for a sore throat is tea, but not just any tea.
I like to make turmeric tea with turmeric, honey, lime juice, pepper, and ginger.
This tea works like magic.
It soothes and relieves the pain in my throat right away.
Turmeric is just magical.
I swear it's the solution to so many different sicknesses that I get, but it's especially useful for a sore throat.
You should definitely try using turmeric if you haven't already.
What are some of your home remedies you use for a sore throat?
What's your go-to tea? when you have a cough or a sore throat.
I have to say this sickness that I have isn't that bad comparing it to other sicknesses that I have had.
One time I remember I had salmonella and I literally didn't move from my bed for two whole weeks.
Any movements would spin me out and make me feel dizzy and eventually make me throw up.
Every food that I ate or smelled would make me feel nauseous.
It's so sad feeling nauseous because I love to eat. so much.
But even my favorite foods, my stomach just couldn't handle.
I lost so much weight in those two weeks.
My doctor told me to stay hydrated and take your medication and stay rested and eventually you will feel better.
There wasn't much else that I could do.
I don't get sick very often, but when I do, it's usually very bad.
I'm just lucky that I'm at home right now and my family can take care of me in my sickness.
Who takes care of you when you're sick?
Even the smallest things like going to the store or cooking a meal or simply making a cup of tea for myself can be such a struggle.
So it's really nice to have my family here to help me.
I've been sick in foreign countries before while I'm alone.
And let me tell you, it's not nice.
I did make some good friends, who would help take care of me while I was sick.
But essentially you are alone in a country and you have to go out and buy your medicine alone and make your own tea alone and cook your own meals all by yourself.
And generally, just take care of yourself all alone.
Being alone in a foreign country when you're sick did end up helping me in a way.
It helped me by making me more independent and capable of taking care of myself.
Being sick anywhere is not nice, but I've learned some really useful remedies from different friends, all in different countries.
In Portugal is where I met a friend who showed me that turmeric is really good for you.
She was from Nepal.
She showed me to grab your turmeric and heat it up on the stove, in the fire, and eat it.
And it's a huge boost to your immune system.
And it's really good for a sore throat or a throat infection.
She also showed me golden milk, milk with turmeric, ginger, lime, and pepper. and honey.
And that was a huge aid to my sickness when I needed it.
Are there any more remedies that you know of that you can teach me?
Maybe some for a headache or a runny nose.
Maybe some for a stomach ache, for example.
My grandma lives in a small town in Mexico.
And once, I had a really bad stomach ache.
So, she made me a green tea with lime, ginger and honey.
And she gave me a massage across my belly and back.
And it was like magic.
All of my pain disappeared.
It happened several times now where my grandma has so many natural remedies, home remedies.
I don't think she ever would need to buy pharmaceutical medicine.
And it's not good to take antibiotics all the time, because sometimes a sickness will go away with time, but sometimes it's so hard to wait out a sickness.
So I just resort to antibiotics for faster and easier results.
It's very bad to do because you can build immunity to antibiotics. after a while of using them.
But I can't help it, especially if it's during the week when I have to teach.
When I teach, I talk and I smile and I laugh And I can't be a good teacher if I'm in pain.
It's the same when I used to go to school.
When I was younger, maybe around 8 to 15, my parents worked at the same school that I studied at.
So whenever I would get sick, I had no other option but to go to school.
I couldn't stay at home because both of my parents worked at the same school as me.
So instead, I would stay in my mom's classroom under her desk and I would lay there and sleep.
I remember her students would see me and say, whoa, who's that?
Is that your daughter, Miss Jessica?
What's she doing under the table?
Meanwhile, I was just laying there, feeling so sick and having a really bad fever.
But it was a better option than being in my own classroom with that sickness.
When you were a kid, who would take care of you when you had to stay home from school?
Tell me about your experience as a kid with sick days.
I used to hate going to school despite feeling so sick.
But I understand now that work is time consuming and it's a big deal to take even one day off of work.
What do you think?
When do you decide it's worth taking a sick day off of work?
Where do you draw the line? between going to work and needing to stay home from sickness.
Comment all your answers down below so I can see your progress.
Like this video for more content like this and subscribe to Improve Your English every Monday and Wednesday.
Now I'll repeat everything faster so you can practice in a slow and a fast way.
I've been feeling really sick lately.
I think it has to do with my trip to Rio, Brazil.
Normally, whenever I get sick, It has to do with the quality and amount of sleep that I've been getting.
And just keeping up with my rest in general is very important for me to stay healthy.
But now that I think about it, I don't think I even got one full night rest in my whole week in Rio, and I'm usually very sensitive when it comes to my sleep schedule.
If I don't get a full night's rest, I'm crabby all day and I just become insufferable to be around.
I get very crabby when I don't get enough sleep, and especially with my English lessons.
I need to have a lot of energy to be in a good mood and to be able to give a fun and structured English lesson.
This one weekend, I pulled an all-nighter.
To pull an all-nighter means to stay up all night.
Have you ever pulled an all-nighter?
I did and let me tell you, I will not do that again.
I was tired the whole week after that one night of not sleeping enough.
I literally couldn't function.
I would wake up in the morning, I would have breakfast and I would teach, and maybe five hours later I would be feeling exhausted, ready to sleep again.
So I would have to take a nap, either a one or two hour nap just to recuperate.
Then I would wake up and feel energized again.
But only a couple hours later, I would be feeling exhausted again.
It was crazy.
It was like I had an insane amount of sleep debt.
We call it sleep debt when you basically owe your body rest and sleep.
Just like you can get in debt with money, you can get in debt with sleep.
But I finally paid off my sleep debt.
That's why, like I said, I would not pull an all-nighter again.
But anyways, that's why I think I feel congested.
I was doing things every day in Rio, walking at least 40,000 steps a day.
I remember checking my phone and seeing at least 40,000 steps every day.
And I would be so tired.
I would be so ready to sleep, but I would still go to sleep late and then wake up early the next morning.
So, apart from pushing my body too far, i wouldn't even give my body the chance to recuperate.
So i think i push my body over the edge and now i'm paying the price.
I'm paying the consequences.
That's why i'm congested.
I blow my nose and i don't know how.
It never ends.
The mucus just keeps coming and coming And I don't know where it's even coming from at this point.
I also had a terrible cough.
One of those tickles in your throat that just won't go away.
I hate coughing.
And after a while of coughing, it starts to hurt my throat.
A good remedy for that are cough drops.
Cough drops help soothe my throat. and relieve the pain.
But cough drops are good for relieving the pain temporarily.
But for long-term remedies, it's best to take antibiotics.
That helps relieve the pain and get rid of the sickness completely.
Usually, when I get a sore throat and I don't want to take antibiotics, I always try home remedies first.
My home remedy for a sore throat is tea, but not just any old tea.
I like to make turmeric tea. with turmeric, ginger, lime, pepper, and honey.
This tea works like magic.
Turmeric is just magical, I swear.
It's the solution to so many different sicknesses that I get, but it's especially useful for a sore throat.
You should definitely try using turmeric if you haven't already.
What are some of your home remedies for a sore throat?
What's your go-to tea for when you have a cough or a sore throat?
I have to say this sickness is not that bad comparing it to other sicknesses that I've had in the past.
One time I had salmonella and I literally couldn't move from my bed for two whole weeks.
Any movements would make me feel dizzy, would make me spin, and I would have to throw up.
Every food that I ate made me feel nauseous, and it's so sad feeling nauseous because i love eating food and even with my favorite foods, my stomach just couldn't handle it.
I lost so much weight in those two weeks but my doctor told me to just stay hydrated and take my medication and wait to feel better.
It's all that i could do.
There was nothing else I could do.
I'm just lucky I'm at home right now.
And I have my family to take care of me.
Who takes care of you when you're sick?
Even the smallest things, like making tea for yourself or cooking for yourself or going to buy medicine for yourself.
It's really nice having people around to help you out. like your family or friends.
Because I've been sick before in a foreign country, and it's not nice.
I did make some good friends while traveling, and they would help me out whenever they could.
But essentially, you're in that country alone and you have to go out and buy medicine alone.
You have to make your tea alone.
You have to cook by yourself and just take care of yourself alone.
Being alone in a foreign country did end up helping me in a way.
I definitely felt a lot more independent and comfortable being alone than I did before.
It taught me to fend for myself and to take care of myself.
Being sick anywhere isn't nice, but I have learned some really useful remedies from friends in different places in the world.
In Portugal is where I made a friend who showed me that turmeric is really good for you.
She was from Nepal.
She showed me to grab turmeric and heat it up on the stove, in the fire, and then eat it.
It didn't taste the best, but it's a huge boost to your immune system and it's really good for sore throats.
I also learned how to make golden milk, which is milk with turmeric ginger, lime and pepper and honey.
And that was a huge aid to my sickness at the time.
Are there any more remedies you know for different sicknesses?
Maybe some for a headache, for a runny nose, or maybe for a stomach ache?
For example, my grandma lives in a small town in Mexico.
And once I had a really bad stomach ache.
She made me a green tea. with lime, ginger, and honey.
And then she gave me a massage all around my belly and back.
And it was like magic.
All of my pain disappeared.
It's happened several times now where my grandma knows so many home remedies.
I don't think she would ever need to buy pharmaceuticals.
I know it's not good to take antibiotics for sore throats all the time, because sometimes it will eventually go away on its own.
But sometimes it's so hard to deal with it that I just resort to antibiotics.
It's bad because you can build immunity to antibiotics after a while.
But I can't help it sometimes, especially if it's during the week when I have to teach.
When I teach, I talk and I smile and I laugh. and I can't be a good teacher if I'm in pain.
It's the same when I used to go to school.
My parents always worked at the same school that I went to as a kid.
So whenever I would get sick, there were no other options but to go to school.
I couldn't stay home because both my parents worked at the same school as I went to.
So instead, I would have to stay in my mom's classroom, under her desk, and sleep.
I remember her students seeing me and saying, Whoa, who's that?
Is that your daughter, Miss Jessica?
What's she doing under the table?
Meanwhile, I was just there. with a terrible fever, feeling sick and bad, just trying to sleep.
But it was definitely better than being in my classroom learning.
When you were a kid, who would take care of you when you had to stay home from school?
Tell me about your experience as a kid with sick days.
I used to hate going to school despite feeling so sick.
But I understand now that work is time-consuming and it's a big deal to take even one day off of work.
What do you think?
When do you decide that it's time to take a sick day?
And when do you decide that you can still go to work even though you're sick?
Today, I want to talk about the human side of online learning.
As many of you know, I am an online teacher.
I have taught online for five years now and I have made friends from all around the world because of my job.
I think many people believe that online equals less connection, less engagement.
But it doesn't have to be that way.
Sometimes people disconnect being online with real people on each side of the camera.
When you're looking through a screen to another person, it's easy to disconnect your humanity and it's difficult because sometimes people can be very mean or hateful online because they feel like it's not real.
But it is real.
It's still a person.
Even if it's online through a chat, through a post or even a comment, it's still a real person behind the screen.
And I think if you can't say something to someone's face in real life, then you shouldn't say it online.
Why would you say it online?
In my online lessons, I always try and remember that.
That teaching doesn't have to be so serious or boring.
I like to be friends with my students and talk about real things, real stories and interesting topics.
I like to tell stories about my life and I like to listen to their stories about their lives.
And there's no better way to learn a language than being genuinely interested in using that language.
So when my students talk about their lives, their jobs, or an interesting topic for them.
That's the best way to practice speaking in English.
Personally, I love talking about topics like dreams or life goals or relationships or scary stories, intelligence and the different types of intelligence and imagination.
Topics that I am passionate about.
And I'm usually passionate about deep topics.
Just like the topics that I talk about with you guys.
Just like my lessons would be in person, I have them online.
And I have met some of my students in person before.
I had a student from Costa Rica who was a really good friend of mine.
She always had the coolest stories to tell and she had the most interesting takes on topics that I loved talking about as well.
We got along really well in class and we were really close friends.
And I coincidentally was planning a trip to Costa Rica, but it was a complete coincidence.
I didn't plan it because of her, but she was so excited and she told me she would pick me up at the airport and she would show me around.
She was so sweet.
She came to pick me and my friends up at the airport and she showed us a really good place to eat and some nice places to chill.
It was such a nice experience to meet a friend that I met online in person.
And when I came back from my vacation in Costa Rica and I had another lesson, it was so much fun.
Our connection leveled up.
Definitely.
And it was like we were friends in real life, just chatting online through a webcam.
Since that moment, I consider my online students can be real friends to me.
And I have so many students like that.
Well, I had students like that.
Lately, I haven't had time to teach online anymore.
So I don't teach online anymore.
I just make videos. and courses.
But once I get back home and settle down, I hope to see them again.
I miss hearing their stories and catching up with them, because there's a lot to catch up with them about.
When was the last time you made an online connection with someone?
But teaching online isn't easier than teaching in person.
It can be hard expressing emotions and keeping a conversation flowing through a webcam.
It's a challenge to stay patient and happy through a webcam.
I almost feel like my smile has to be extra big online.
So after about five lessons in a row, My smile hurts.
I use a massager to soothe the pain and massage my cheeks.
But just keeping a high energy and dealing with silence can be exhausting.
Especially with kids.
When I had group lessons with kids, I felt like I was talking to a wall.
Talking to a wall is an idiom, like talking with no one, basically.
No response.
Just like if you were talking to a wall.
But it's so important to keep the class fun and comfortable for the students.
It's important to be warm and kind, but keeping that kind of warmth online is difficult.
So I always try to avoid burnout and I know for a fact that if I have more than five lessons in a row, I will be feeling drained and very burnt out.
I wouldn't be happy or energetic in my class.
And that's not fair for my students.
So I know my limits.
Have you ever felt burnout?
How do you avoid feeling burnt out of work.
But for me, it's the most important part.
Being human in my classes is the most important part.
Technology is the medium, but humanity is the message.
Even in my YouTube videos, my stories are all real.
I talk about personal experiences and I connect with my audience in a genuine and real way.
With so much technology in the world, people need real teachers, real connections.
My body language through a webcam has to be a little bit extra, since I don't want my students to feel ignored or like they're boring me, because it's easy to have misunderstandings online.
I don't want my students to feel like they're talking to a wall.
Sometimes when I talk with my sister, I feel like I'm talking to a wall.
She gets distracted very easily.
So sometimes I get really frustrated with her and we fight because I say you're not listening to me.
And she says, yes, I was.
I'm just looking at my phone while I'm listening.
And I say, no, you can't really listen if you're looking at something else.
We disagree on that.
What do you think?
Can you actually listen to what someone is saying while looking at something else?
Do you know anyone who gets distracted easily like my sister?
I'm really happy and I feel lucky. to have an online job.
What do you think about this topic?
What do you think about the human side of online learning?
What are some of the pros and cons of learning English in an online classroom or on YouTube versus learning in a real classroom with classmates and notebooks and pens and papers?
What do you think?
Thank you for watching this video.
I hope you enjoyed.
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Comment down below what your favorite topic was.
Bye!
