It’s scorching hot today. I felt like I was melting just standing on my balcony. To celebrate Independence Day, Dad took us downtown for a fancy meal. He ordered a huge crab bigger than my face! Great-Grandma loves seafood, so she gobbled up a lot of it. As for me, I love all sorts of fillet. Peeling crabs or other shellfish feels like too much work for just a few strips of meat, maybe I’m just lazy. Tomorrow I’ll accompany MeeMaw to church. I might even sneak in with her, since I don’t want to wait around under the blazing sun.

Turkish Words in Ukrainian and Russian: More in Common Than You Think! Did you know that both Ukrainian and Russian contain words borrowed from Turkish?Thanks to centuries of cultural contact — through trade, migration, and history — many everyday Turkish words have entered both languages. Ukrainian has slightly more Turkish loanwords due to its long-standing contact with the Ottoman Empire and the Crimean Tatars. But Russian shares many as well! Here are some common Turkish-origin words, and which language they entered: коридор (koridor – Russian & Ukrainian) – from Turkish koridor сарай (saray – Russian & Ukrainian) – from Turkish saray, originally meaning "palace" тютюн (tiutiun – Ukrainian) – from Turkish tütün, meaning tobacco Note: Russian табак is not from Turkish — tabak in Turkish means “plate”! базар (bazar – Russian & Ukrainian) – from Turkish pazar, meaning market тюк (tyuk – Russian & Ukrainian) – from Turkish tük, meaning bale or bundle шалаш (shalash – Russian & Ukrainian) – likely of Turkic origin, meaning hut айва (ayva – Russian & Ukrainian) – from Turkish ayva, meaning quince килим (kylym – Ukrainian) – from Turkish kilim, meaning woven rug баул (baul – Russian) / валіза (valiza – Ukrainian) – both from Turkish bavul, meaning suitcase or large bag Borrowing goes both ways! Turkish has also taken in words from Russian — and possibly Ukrainian — especially during the Soviet era and regional contact. Examples include: semaver – from Russian самовар votka – from Russian водка kapuska – a cabbage stew, from Slavic капуста (possibly via Ukrainian or southern Russian) palto – from Russian пальто (originally French, but borrowed into Turkish via Russian) Although direct borrowings from Ukrainian to Turkish are rare, some words may have arrived indirectly through historical interaction in Crimea, trade routes, or shared border regions. So next time you hear the word сарай or валіза, remember: you're speaking a piece of Turkish history!

ATTENTION ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS: Do you want to sound more like a native English speaker? If you need help with any of the following things check out my tutor profile and book one of my lessons. Pronunciation, phrasal verbs, prepositions, basic conversation and or basic vocabulary. You must be A2 level or higher in English to take my lessons. I've tutored over 3,400 one on one lessons since 2018.

My friend won the Bibliobattle in her class. In her class, they made groups and chose one person to represent each group. My friend didn’t prepare much, but other people were worse than she expected, so she was chosen. She looked very sad and disappointed because she didn’t want to win. I couldn’t stop laughing because the situation was funny, but my friend got angry at me. I felt a little sorry, but it was hard not to laugh. I hope she will do well in the next round.

Hello. I didn't have anything to do this morning, so I slept until noon. I'm going to work part-time now. I want to travel a lot this summer, so I'll work hard at my part-time job. Recently, my face gets red easily, so I went to the dermatologist. They told me that the redness on my face is due to an illness. They don't know if it can be cured with medicine alone, so it might cost money. See you tomorrow

Some people may associate religion with negative images due to past incidents in Japan, such as cults. However, religion in Japan has characteristics that differ from monotheistic religions such as Christianity. Religion in Japan is less about belief and more about daily habits, customs, and cultural values. Many Japanese people say they are “non-religious,” not because they lack faith, but because religion is so deeply woven into everyday life that it feels normal and unnoticeable.

It was very hot today, so I stayed home and studied. After that, I played with my pet bird called Pino. Pino loves playing in water, so I let him play in water and he was very happy. He was cute today too. I will continue to let Pino play his favorite games.

I'm afraid of the sea. Because sea is deep, dark, and strange. When I see deep sea photograph, I usually scared. I prefer to mountain to sea. A mountain is not drowning, and I really hate swimming. I have a mental block because I once nearly drowned in the sea.

Hey! Could you explain the difference between “being in the spotlight” and “being in the limelight” to me? Am I right that when you’re in the spotlight you can be easily criticised? Such attention can be both positive and negative. And when you’re in the limelight, it’s usually positive attention…

Mandarin Teacher, Beijing, Full-time Dear HR Manager of H, I am writing to express my interest in the full-time Mandarin Teacher position in Beijing. My career journey started out as a teaching assistant at the B and have obtained the CELT-P (Certificate in English Language Teaching – Primary) qualification. I was curious to do something Mandarin related. Then I got into Part Time Mandarin Teacher. I am passionate about Mandarin teaching and I am currently teaching Mandarin on a Hong Kong-based language learning platform and Jeremy E. Watson Educational Center, Inc., Miami FL, where most of my students are Westerners. I have been coached a head of high school face to face in Beijing through an online platform (a). Please feel free to read his comment below. During the past Christmas holiday, I tutored Mandarin after school in Thailand for an American charity (Baan SuFan / Home of Destiny). I have been taught 300 hours totally. Thank you for your consideration. Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. I look forward to your reply. Sincerely, X