I finally find a way to read without really reading. Let me explain. I am at the level of lower intermediate in Spanish, which is a very awkward stage. Often people consider this a plateau, The freshness of the language is lost by now; the boredom sets in; the lack of progress is too glaring … Continue reading Reading But Not Really Reading
Tag: Language
My Internet Crush
Image by Mali from Pixabay I would have given up learning long time ago if it were not for him, who has about 200 videos posted online. I only learn it for 20 minutes a day, but often 20 minutes are too long and too boring for me. As you know, Thai is not a … Continue reading My Internet Crush
Cultural Differences In Language Videos
Image by ha11ok from Pixabay I've been watching this immersive Thai channel 15 minutes a day for a while. Of course I would like to spend a little more time on it, but I couldn't do it. Not that I don't have another 10 minutes to spare each day, but rather a 15-minute duration is … Continue reading Cultural Differences In Language Videos
The Sacred Myth (Flash Fiction)
Image by StockSnap from Pixabay Flash Fiction #152 Lea and I have been acquaintances for years, and then about two years ago, I started to talk with her about narcissism. At first she laughed and brushed my idea aside, but then she started to tell me about her mother-in-law Sandi who's a super sized narcissist … Continue reading The Sacred Myth (Flash Fiction)
Different Opinions
Image by Mystic Art Design from Pixabay This is a story I heard when I was a student of a university not too far away from Philadelphia. I lived in an international house with a rule -- no more than two people from each country. And in this house, most students are doing humanity science, … Continue reading Different Opinions
New Word: More Compound Verbs
New Word #105 Last week, I gathered several compound verbs here, and this week I find some more. These verbs are so often used that I can't afford to ignore them, although I have tried to avoid using them as much as possible. Now I am thinking of digging all of them out, one by … Continue reading New Word: More Compound Verbs
New Word: Crazy Compound Verbs
New Word #104 The problem with English is that it is very whimsical. Just when you think you've got a hang of it somehow and figured out certain hidden patterns, you are surely to have a new encounter that will completely overthrow your previous understanding. This whim, unpredictability, and mood swing is difficult to deal … Continue reading New Word: Crazy Compound Verbs
Pre-Christmas Adventure
Image by Gerhard G. from Pixabay At The Grocery Store One just knows the economy is no good when one sees a beautiful blondie stepping out of a BMW and entering a grocery store like Aldi, which is a haven of discount food. I've been frequenting this store for years and have never seen anything … Continue reading Pre-Christmas Adventure
Expectation And Reality
I expected that the boxed Narcissus bulbs would grow and thrive and smile back at me in hundreds of blossoms. The word "hundreds" is obviously an exaggeration, but twenty is a realistic number, which is exactly what the little dainty tag that comes with the box is claiming with its picture. However, after a little … Continue reading Expectation And Reality
A Habit Outliving Its Usefulness
Image by naoamano from Pixabay My grandmother on my mother's side spent the first thirty years of her life in a fishing village, where the only livelihood was fishing or fishing related trades. That was before the arrival of modern boats and other modern equipment. Needless to say, unexpected weather conditions or ocean waves could … Continue reading A Habit Outliving Its Usefulness
A New Approach To Language
Image by Karolina Grabowska from Pixabay My memory is so bad that I start to lose self confidence. In order to boost my spirit, I decide to learn a new language, but this time I want to do it differently from what I did with English (as a non-native speaker). My English learning process has … Continue reading A New Approach To Language
Language And Custom (Flash Non-Fiction #46)
Photo by Jazmin Quaynor on Unsplash This morning, as I spent ten minutes to review some Thai phrases from a website, I suddenly remember several strange incidents happened in school when I was learning English as a second language. I can't remember exactly when this happened, but it could be when I was a forth … Continue reading Language And Custom (Flash Non-Fiction #46)
The Presentation (Flash Fiction #44)
Photo by Alexander Schimmeck on Unsplash Pam is going to give a presentation in a conference and she comes to Ivy Training Center to seek help. Since everybody is occupied, Ivy ends up assisting Pam. The Ivy Training Center almost went out of business several months ago--business was slow to a crawl due to pandemic … Continue reading The Presentation (Flash Fiction #44)
New Word #41: Recently Learned
Image by Karolina Grabowska from Pixabay cabaret: entertainment held in a nightclub or restaurant while the audience eats or drinks at tables.From mjcd2017 here about the happy moments of life. ruddy: (of a person's face) having a healthy red color.From Shammi here with a story of a sage. ableist: discrimination in favor of able-bodied people.From … Continue reading New Word #41: Recently Learned
New Word #34: Recently Learned
Image by Iván Tamás from Pixabay rambler: A person who walks for pleasure, especially in the countryside. I wonder if it may also means a person who talk or write at length in a confused or inconsequential way.This is from colinmcqueen here. squish: make a soft squelching sound when walked on or in. This is … Continue reading New Word #34: Recently Learned
Targeted
Photo by Christopher Gower on Unsplash Language Ever since I started to learn Thai for 15 minutes a day, I've seen advertisement about language learning programs one after another. I used to hear a lot about Rosetta Stone software years ago, but now it has disappeared--no advertisement from Rosetta Stone. However there are plenty of … Continue reading Targeted
New Word #33: Different Kinds Of Villains
Photo by Taryn Elliott from Pexels desperado: a desperate or reckless person, especially a criminal. degenerate: an immoral or corrupt person. rogue: a dishonest or unprincipled man. scoundrel: a dishonest or unscrupulous person; a rogue. fugitive: a person who has escaped from a place or is in hiding, especially to avoid arrest or persecution. Actually … Continue reading New Word #33: Different Kinds Of Villains
New Word #32: Humor
I've been complained about the sheer number of English words for a long time, especially when a lot of words can be used to describe one thing, each representing a slightly different shade of it, the subtlety of which can be easily detectable by native speakers but often escape notice from everybody else. However when … Continue reading New Word #32: Humor
New Word #26: Singular Or Plural
Photo by Lucrezia Carnelos on Unsplash I have never been very comfortable with this issue since there are so many exceptions to the rule that I often wonder if I would be making a mistake if I follow the rule--as a non-native speaker, this is nothing new to me. At first I was quite frustrated … Continue reading New Word #26: Singular Or Plural
At The Hair Salon (Flash Fiction #17)
Arlan, Maylin, Wani are doing their hair at the hair salon, although only Maylin has the money to do the flat ironing and highlighting. They always book the same time so that they can talk and catch up with each other. Sometimes if they don't think they have talked enough, they would go to the … Continue reading At The Hair Salon (Flash Fiction #17)
New Word #13: Learned Amid Pandemic
oximeter: an instrument for measuring the proportion of oxygenated hemoglobin in the blood. zoonotic: pertaining to a zoonosis, which means a disease that can be transmitted from animals to people or, more specifically, a disease that normally exists in animals but that can infect humans. endemic and epidemic and pandemic: Endemic means the baseline, or expected, … Continue reading New Word #13: Learned Amid Pandemic
Computer Puns
I only knew cat lovers love to conjure up puns for their purr-fect pets, but I didn't know computers have so many pun-able words too. I only just discover this. One can never underestimate one's ignorance. It's not that I didn't know these words; I just never connected them with puns. They are hiding in … Continue reading Computer Puns
Insomnia vs. Somnia
"Somnia" is not a word; "insomnia" is. That's just English. Non-native speakers (like me) beware. There are as many exceptions to the rules as those that follow the rules. Not only many words starting with "in" don't have corresponding antonyms that lose the prefix "in", but also some "in" and non-"in" pairs completely disregard the … Continue reading Insomnia vs. Somnia
Event Before Election
"Have you registered to vote?" The lady behind the thick plate of glass asked. "No." I answered."Why do you answer for her? I am asking her?" The lady said, pointing to my friend W. I translated for W and W shook her head. So I said "No" across the glass barrier again."Do you want to … Continue reading Event Before Election
What Does It Mean?
What does the word "russet" mean? Also words like "orb", "presage", "quaff", "brogue", "dirigible", "druid", "patisserie"? I have no idea. Some of them I've already looked up at least several times, but still I forget what the meaning. It must be my disappointing memory, but that's another story for another day. It sounds rather exhausting … Continue reading What Does It Mean?
Short Story: Trouble With Language (Part 2)
Click Here For Part 1 One week later, they met again. Pammy looked haggard, her under eye circles darkened, her eyes more guileless and fierce than usual. "My old man (her term of endearment for her husband which sounds more of a term of respect in her native tongue than in English) and my father-in-law … Continue reading Short Story: Trouble With Language (Part 2)
Short Story: Trouble With Language (Part 1)
Lu, Pammy, and Armei met at Armei's little cosmetic store, specializing in Asian cosmetic brands, every Monday afternoon. It's not really Armei's store. She's just a shop assistant. Monday is slow and a perfect time to meet her friends. If the owner of the store happened to come in, which she never did on a … Continue reading Short Story: Trouble With Language (Part 1)
Haoyan Do 