Hello! English tutor Alice here. Here's some information about me. I'd love to know more about you. I have lived in the US my entire life and I've never been overseas. What country do you live in? Have you ever been over seas? I have been to Canada but not since the mid 1990's. I have been to multiple states here in the US. Here's a few of them that I have visited. Michigan, Florida, Georgia, Indiana and California. Some may wonder... Alice... Why have you not traveled overseas before? Well the answer is simple. Actually I have a few answers for this. First of all... the United States is massive. Depending on where you live in a state, it could take anywhere from a few moments to a few hours to just get to the state next to yours. And traveling across country can for some Americans feel worlds different. Cost of traveling. The cost to travel overseas is quite expensive. And the flights last many hours, much longer than a domestic US flight. Many of those flights are what we call 'Red Eye' flights....where the flight is during our over night hours. Which maybe stressful to some. The fastest flight from my hometown airport in Kentucky to London's Heathrow airport is 7 hours and 40 minutes. The fastest flight from my hometown airport in Kentucky to Los Angeles LAX airport is around 5 hours. Some people, like myself do not like flying. I find it incredibly stressful. I have flown a few times before within the US but it's something I get a lot of anxiety about. Plus also factor in the cost of lodging and food when traveling. Cost of transportation when landing. I think for some international students the massive size of the US and the distance between major cities that one would visit is something that is hard to realize. Did you know...even with living in the US my entire life... I have never been to Seattle, Washington DC, New York City, Chicago, Dallas or New Orleans. That's just some major cities that I've never been to.

I like shopping, so I went to Kisarazu Outlet today with my friend. I wanted to visit this place for a long time. There were many shops, and I looked at different brands. I saw a lot of cute bags and shoes. It was difficult to choose because I liked many things. After looking around for a while, I bought a cute bag and a pair of shoes. I am happy with my new things, and I want to use them soon. When we got hungry, we went to the food court and ate ramen. It was nice to sit down and have a meal after walking around so much. There were many food choices, but I wanted ramen today. After shopping, we went bowling in Kisarazu on the way home. I had not played bowling for a long time, so I was not very good. My ball did not always go where I wanted it to go. Still, it was fun to play again, and I enjoyed spending time with my friend. I had a good day today. I want to go shopping again soon and visit more shops next time.

English learners: Does disagreeing make you nervous? What other problems do you have with conversation? Maybe I'll make an episode about it!

Vocab Challenge (B2) #day7

This week, I met up with my friends, and we spent time together recording music. I really enjoyed making songs with them because music is one of my favorite things to do. We also talked about school, our daily lives, and studying abroad in the future. Talking about studying abroad was especially interesting because I want to experience a different culture and improve my English. We shared our dreams and ideas about what we want to do in the future. These conversations made me think more seriously about my future and what kind of life I want to have. I realized that I need to think about my goals and take action to make my dreams come true. I also want to continue making music while studying at university. This week was a good opportunity to learn more about my friends and myself. I hope I can have more experiences like this and make good memories with my friends.

Recently, I have almost no motivation for anything. I sometimes miss my classes, even though I know I should go. My club activities are not really fun for me now either. I don’t know exactly why I feel like this. Maybe I am just tired, but it feels like every little thing takes more energy than before. At the same time, I don’t want to waste my time at university. I came here because I wanted to learn and have new experiences. So when I spend a day doing almost nothing, I feel bad about myself. But feeling bad doesn’t make me more motivated. Sometimes it just makes it harder to do the next thing. I think I have been telling myself that I need to do something meaningful all the time. Maybe that is too much pressure. For now, I want to start with small things, like going to one class even when I don’t feel like it. I am still not sure what I want to do, but I don’t want to give up on my university life.

😶The Silent Treatment: Meaning and Examples😶 The silent treatment is when someone deliberately stops talking to another person, ignores them, or refuses to respond to their messages because they are angry, upset, or want to punish them. It often happens in romantic relationships, friendships, or families. For example, imagine a couple has an argument. Instead of explaining why he is upset, the husband refuses to speak to his wife for several days. He ignores her questions and acts as if she doesn't exist. This is called giving someone the silent treatment. Sometimes, people need time alone to calm down after an argument. This is normal and can be healthy if they explain that they need some space. However, the silent treatment becomes unhealthy when someone uses silence to control, manipulate, or emotionally hurt another person. Example sentences: - My girlfriend gave me the silent treatment after our argument. - Ignoring someone for days isn't a healthy way to solve a problem. - He uses the silent treatment to make his wife feel guilty. Useful vocabulary: - Ignore someone: To pay no attention to someone. - Give someone the cold shoulder: To deliberately behave in an unfriendly way toward someone. - Manipulate someone: To influence or control someone unfairly. - Set boundaries: To make clear what behavior you will or will not accept.

ESL students try this.

Today, I have a part-time job in the evening. Before going to work, I want to finish my university assignments and relax at home. Sometimes, working after school makes me tired, but I think earning my own money is very important. Recently, I have been thinking about my plans for winter. I want to save as much money as possible because I would like to travel during winter vacation. There are many places I want to visit. For example, I want to go somewhere with beautiful scenery, eat delicious local food, and spend time with my friends. It would also be fun to stay at a nice hotel and take a lot of pictures. However, traveling can be expensive because I need money for transportation, food, and hotels. That is why I want to be more careful about how I spend my money. From now on, I plan to work hard at my part-time job and save money every month. I also want to avoid buying things that I do not really need. Even though working can be difficult sometimes, thinking about my winter trip makes me feel motivated. I hope I can save enough money and make wonderful memories with my friends this winter.