Hi everyone. I'm interested to meet and learn from you about your language, country and culture. Would anyone be interested to practice with me?

EMPTY YOUR CUP We are all here to learn. Nobody is impeccable when it comes to knowledge. Some people think that they have expertise on a particular field or subject. Perhaps they have, but it does not mean that there is no more room for improvement to accommodate more ideas and lessons. The key to learn and grow more is to empty one’s cup. Sometimes, we just have to accept that no matter how adept or proficient we are in a certain field or subject, there are still a lot more to learn. Without realizing this, we become stagnant like a murky pond instead of being dynamic like a flowing river. Life presents so many opportunities. If our cup is overflowing, there is no more space to fill it with more input. We should be open to new ideas, knowledge, and opportunities because it will pave the way for our never-ending growth.

RAINY DAYS and SADNESS I woke up to the sound of rain outside my window. There was something about the ambiance that made me want to stay in bed longer, hug my pillow tighter and think deeper. Why do rainy days evoke sadness? It is as if heaven itself is crying too much, it cannot contain its own feelings. Why is it that no matter how we try to maintain joy and happy disposition, something along the way will come to slightly make us sad, even if it is as simple as rainy days? Perhaps such is life. Seasons come and go. Rainy days will end and soon we will welcome summer and spring time. All we can do is to live each moment and feel every single experience. In doing so, we give ourselves the chance to really live through our emotions, feelings and experiences no matter what the season is.

WHY ITALKI HAS CHANGED MY LIFE WHY ITALKI HAS CHANGED MY LIFE I was bored… like ultimately bored in the early months of 2016! That boredom prompted me to re-assess my life in general, and I figured I have to do something more interesting than what I was usually doing. It made me contemplate what my passions and interests were at that time, and of course it includes the English language. My instinct led me here. I read that one should follow one’s instinct because it is usually right. And yes, I made the right decision to endeavor English practice. It changed my life. How did it change my life? Learning from my language partners did ( of course, this only applies to my legitimate language partners who were also serious in learning, and not some people who think that italki is a dating site, oh my god!) Well, don’t get me wrong. I am not the luckiest “practitioner” who got all the best LPs in town. To be honest, it is difficult to find the “right” ones. Sometimes, it is was just hard to establish rapport and chemistry with others considering the time difference in the countries, the English levels involved, the personal differences and preferences each person has, and just not being able to connect naturally. In spite of these factors, I met some LPs from whom I learned a lot, not only in improving my conversational skills but also in learning about their cultures, interests, countries, religions, professions, personal convictions and idealisms and a lot more. From those information I got, I feel that I have expanded my knowledge and insights about different life aspects in the comfort of my room. It is an amazing experience. I always believe that each person one meets has a purpose to serve and a reason for coming (and going). I believe that the best LPs I had, from whom I learned a lot about life in general, had done their part in helping me TO GROW as a person through their own insights, advice, convictions and idealism. And because of that, I honor the experiences Italki had given me through English practice.

What is the difference between using "La" and "el" in the Spanish language? Can "la" and "el" be used interchangeably in Spanish like, can "la vida" be "el vida" in usage? or let us say can "el musiko" be "la musiko?" Please enlighten me.

Let us Thank our Househelps and Nannies I consider my househelps and nannies as my living angels. They make my life a lot easier. I usually come home from work tired and stressed. Most of the time, I just want to go straight to my bedroom and rest. I don't have much energy left to do household chores after a day's hard work. And they always make sure to take care of household concerns. Because of their dedication to help me, I already learned to consider them as part of my family. I believe that they should be regarded highly and be appreciated all the time for their efforts to help. That is why i feel really upset whenever I hear news of abuses committed against domestic helpers. I just pray for God to bless my living angels more with good health and fortune because they truly deserve it.

Xin chao - My first Vietnamese word Thank you Ms. Tran for teaching me my first Vietnamese word. :)

The 20-minute English Technique In my pursuit to be adept in the English language, I came across a You Tube video which suggests a technique for English learners. The video says that if a learner is passionate about being fluent in English, he has to devote 20 minutes of his/her time daily to practice speaking and/or writing using the language. Learners are also advised to watch videos that teach different aspects of English. Upon checking, You Tube offers a variety of English lessons that prove to be very useful in daily conversations. I find the suggestions truly practical and helpful that's why I am sharing it now to other people who have the same passion as I do towards the English language. As the saying goes, practice makes it perfect. If we continue to practice, we will surely reap the fruits of our labor sooner or later.

A Beautiful Quote "Look to the past with gratitude, live in the present with passion, and embrace the future with hope". - Pope Francis