The last movie I watched, about 3 days ago, was the classic 1990 film, The Witches. I've watched it hundreds of times since I was a kid, and now as an adult, I'm still an absolute fan. I love the level of fantasy that it creates for kids and adults, and the plot is quite satisfying. To top it all, the performance of Anjelica Huston as the grand high witch is flawless and elegant. She's creepy, despicable, and beautiful. A new version will be released this month, October 2020, with Anne Hathaway as the new grand high witch, which in my opinion, is a huge shoe to fill in. I'm hoping this new adaptation won't be a letdown. For those who haven't seen this, it's highly recommended. ❤️😉

Earthquake in Davao Around 9:05 am in Davao City, Philippines, on the day October 29, 2019 (Monday), an earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 6.8 shook our beloved city. I was in the middle of typing a birthday greeting post to my cousin on her Facebook profile. As I was about to finish with only three more words left before hitting enter, the tremors began. I passively thought that it would just be a mild and brief one, but I was proven wrong. From mild quick tremors, the ground shook sideways with much stronger force. I couldn't immediately finish my birthday greeting because instead of typing, I found myself holding on the edge of my desk, while cautiously looking up the ceiling and the walls. I was uttering small prayers under my breath, and I felt like I was starting to experience some dizziness. With the strong seism still ongoing, I tried to hastily finish my greeting post when I felt stabler. Given the fact that I was in the second floor of our house in the awful situation, I couldn't hold myself back on typing another Facebook post about the quake, telling everyone in my contact list about my predicament. Emotionally, I felt like I was crying for help! It was a frightening and uncertain feeling of being trapped in your own room. The same room where everything should be familiar, safe, and good. I was also worried about my mom in the first floor, but I couldn't just rush down. >_< After 20 or 30 seconds of such horror, the quake ended. I'm glad it didn't cause any huge damage to our house and neighborhood, nor has any of my friends suffered from severe harm from it. I hope and pray that there won't be any more earthquakes in the future.

First Anniversary It's my one month anniversary as a teacher here!!! YIPEE! \\(^__^)// I'm very pleased to have been a part of this community as a teacher for the past month. I thank my students who have been religiously taking my classes and even to those who just had a few. =) I'm always grateful for your time in taking a chance on me and for the experiences I have with all of you. I look forward to meeting more people and having more students here. Thank you! ^___^ Cheers, Aiza

Ako ay Pilipino Kumusta! Gusto ko lang sanang ipakilala ang sarili ko sa wikang Pilipino. Ako po ay si Glaiza, pero maaari niyo akong tawaging Aiza. Dalawamput-walong gulang na po ako at nakatira sa lungsod ng Dabao. Isa po akong rehistradong nars, ngunit nagtatrabaho ako bilang isang guro sa paksa ng Ingles. Nagtuturo na po ako ng mahigit pitong taon. Sa pagtuturo, ako ay naaliw sa mga taong nakikilala ko at nasisiyahan kapag nakapagtulong ako sa pagpahusay sa kanilang abilidad. ^_^ Kung naghahanap kayo ng titser sa wikang Ingles o Tagalog, maari niyo akong kontakin at ako po ay magagalak na turuan kayo. ^__^ Sa susunod na pagkikita!

Always Tired I miss being a kid filled with energy and have no care in the world. I look at my nephew who's 5 and attending pre-school and I say to myself, "Enjoy it now, Kiddo! Your responsibilities are just beginning." **evil grin** Kidding aside, being an adult is like being 99.7% tired all the time. Tired from work. Tired from lack of sleep. Tired from oversleeping. Tired from thinking. Tired from house chores. Tired from paying bills. Tired from thinking about the future. Tired from find the right partner (for me). Tired from going out with friends. Tired from the same routine. Just tired. And you see? Even from sleeping, you become tired! HARSH! This may just be me, but I just want to get it out there. Thank you for reading my rant.

English Tongue Twisters

Please post your tongue twisters here for the benefit of the English learners and teachers. ^__^

 

Here is one of mine. :)

Having had the chance to teach a variety of students, especially students from China, Korea, and Japan, I've always given this simple tongue twister to help them improve their R and L pronunciations.

 

"Red Lorry, Yellow Lorry.

Red Lorry, Yellow Lorry."

 

 

I encourage the students to repeat it thrice consecutively. 

Once they have mastered the sounds, they are then encouraged to increase their pace and still maintain the same perfect pronunciation.

 

 

What's yours? 

^_^

Rest in Peace, Robin Williams Hearing the news today on how one my my biggest idols passed away is very heart breaking. Sure, I haven't been watching any of his shows and movies lately, but he has greatly affected my life especially my childhood. His movies, Hook, Jumanji, Good morning, Vietnam, Patch Adams, Mrs. Doudtfire, A.I. (Artificial Intelligence), What Dreams May Come, and his voice behind Batty (Fern Gully), and Genie (Alladin) are some of his incredible works that will forever be in my heart. =( A part of me is quite happy to know that he's now free from his sufferings, but the way he went is also depressing. I also feel bad for the family he left behind - his immediate loved ones, his showbiz family, and his beloved fans. Watching some of his video clips online and remember this great man saddened my heart to the point of crying. However, reading articles and other people's posts about him online showed me how much loved he is. This genius has indeed touched many, he is dearly loved even if he doesn't know them personally. Typing this right now is honestly making me all teary again, but I'll find some comfort by making sure that this man will forever remain alive. Just like all the other great ones - Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Princess Diana, Pope John Paul II, I will make sure my children and their children will know the name Robin Williams. They will enjoy his movies and love him as much as I did or even more. They will know that such a wonderful actor and person walked in this Earth and affected many as he had me. Mr. Robin Williams, I will forever cherish how much admiration I have for you as a person and an actor. I will forever remember how you make me laugh, cry, giggle, and smile. I will forever remember how you give that gentle look on your face when you smile. I will forever remember you. You will be dearly missed, Mr. Robin Williams. I love you. **hugs** xxx, --- from one of your biggest fans <3

The first thing you do in a new city

What is the first thing that you do when you're in a new place (city/country/region etc)? =)

IELTS experts

Hi! I have been an IELTS instructor for some time now.

I am quite interested to know how IELTS instructors and experts predict the upcoming types of tests in the next exam? From my experience, most of the time, these predictors are correct.

So how do you do it?