Video: Garbage Bin Goes Kaboom! Fun Theory

They say that human minds are so complicated. But some things are solved with simple actions. We are kids by heart no matter how many years are added to our resume. We find joy in things we already know and yet feel excited because there are added sounds or effects that make us feel young again. We giggle like how toddlers would and laugh at ourselves just because we we looked silly.

This video shows how throwing garbage could be fun by just adding a twist. Enjoy it. I hope our government has the funds to do it for us too.

Video: Take 'Note' Of The Escalator

Watch this video and you'll see how a piano can change a lifestyle. We all have one life to live and there's no better way to do this but enjoy every moment of it. Live it like there's no tomorrow or at least it's the end of your day off. haha! :) You must remember though that happiness starts with healthy living. Try substituting your cab ride with walking and appreciate your surroundings. Or why not the escalator in the malls with stairs?

I came across an interesting video that shows how music and a simple workout could mean fun. I enjoyed it!

I Do Something Fishy

I went to a new toy shop in a new mall in town and bought my kids these sticky-glowing creatures which I know they would die for. Haha! Sounds like my kids love gooey things? They definitely do. I am proud that I make my kids happy even with the cheapest toys around. Hey, it's the thought that counts!

While I was taking their pictures with their gooey little pals this afternoon, it actually dawned on me how we are exactly like those small creatures in real life. Like this pink fish here, I can't help but wonder how I personally would "fish for compliments." I started thinking of the times when I would jokingly praise my work for everyone to hear.

I know it's not a good practice but I sometimes need it to keep my confidence on the run. Admittedly, we all feel the need to fish for compliments one time or another in our lives so that all the negative emotions that scare us would go away. I also admit that when someone tells me that my written story is particularly good, I feel the urge to do another and hopefully, better.

I say, I just wait for the right time for any person to ingest what I'm trying to get at until this person is hilariously obligated to build me up. Sounds like a plan? It sure works with you.

Oh, no, I'm not getting away from being your teacher my dear. This little-pink-gooey fish is not here for your eyes only but with the purpose. "Fish for compliment" is an idiomatic expression you may have heard of. This time, try to use it and wait how others would compliment your knowledge in conversing with English.

I'm gonna play with my kids again now. ;)

I'm Almost Out Of Time

For days now, I have been suffering from time loss. I easily lose track of time especially when I'm at the pinpoint of my task, be it teaching, learning a new item, freelance writing or simply updating my files. This started when my favorite Timex watch broke. The watch itself is okay and the straps are still good, however, the little belt that holds the strap together when I wear it suddenly snapped!

I tried wearing other watches but it just don't feel the same. I love the date, time, day, alarm, timer, and snooze features it has so I was desperate to find the belt replacement. Unfortunately, I could only buy the whole strap. Not only it is hard to find Timex branch, it's also hard to find time to go there.

Thanks to an instant glue, I tried to stick the ends with it. I just hope this first aid action I did would last. Call me hopeless but this will sure help me a lot especially when I'm in the pits of doing my duty on time.

Time is really gold friends!

Brewing Sentence Patterns

It can be really challenging to think of a lesson to teach to a student who is trying to learn English as his second language especially when he's already got a good vocabulary for a basic learner. The only problem I have now is how to make him compose his thoughts with correct grammar.

Well off I go to start giving him the basic sentence patterns in English. This may sound boring for most of the English speakers out there so I know even if I am teaching a 20-year old, I still needed to make it enjoyable for him.



Here are the 5 Basic Sentence Patterns

• • Subject + Verb
    ex: I dance. Joe dances. They dance.
  
  
  • Subject + Verb + Object
    I write a poem. Joe watches TV. They sang a melody.
  
  
  • Subject + Verb + Complement
    I am tired. Joe became a pilot. They feel bad.
  
  
  • Subject + Verb + Indirect Object + Direct Object
    I wrote her a song. He teaches us Music.
  
  
  • Subject + Verb + Object + Complement
    I left the engine running. They named him Chewy.

That's it for now while I contemplate on what activities shall go with this lesson. I want him to really enjoy but at the same time learn the pattern with ease.

Friendship And Ajee

Student: It's hard for people to have relationship with me.
Teacher: You mean that it's hard for you to enter a boy and girl relationship?
Student: No. It's hard to be close to me.
Teacher: Are you referring to gaining friends?
Student: Yes.
Teacher: Don't you have a lot of Filipino and Korean friends here now?
Student: No.
Teacher: You have golf coach, don't you? He must be your friend.
Student: No. We can not be friends because different ajee.
Teacher: But he is your companion everyday, you must have shared stories together.
Student: He is coach but no friend. Our ajee is cannot be for friends.
(The teacher is confused now.)


Confusion and misunderstanding between the teacher and a non-native speaker of English starts when the student mispronounce words. This is understandable as Koreans for example has a different sound. Their words come out as harsh and loud for us who do not speak their language. I tried not to look puzzled while trying to understand why my student and his golf coach couldn't be friends. Until we came up to this point of our conversation:

Teacher: Ah, you just want to work with him professionally?
Student: No. Because of his old and my level is low.
Teacher: Oh, it's because he is older than you. Are you trying to say that you have a big age gap or age difference?
Student: Yes. Our ajee.

It took me about ten minutes teaching him the right way of pronouncing the soft "g" sound. It was difficult for him at the start but he was able to pronounce the word 'age' correctly which made him smile in the end. As simple as it may seem, the word will spare him and his listeners the exchange of questions and answers until one can figure out what he's trying to say.

• A soft ‘G’ is pronounced ‘j’ as in general, giant, gymnastic, large, energy, intelligible, changing
• A hard ‘G’ is pronounced ‘g’ as in golf, pig, running, great, gum, fragrant, grasp, glut, progress

I'm Not Your Boyfriend

I have a 4-year old girl and a 6-year old boy and little by little I am starting to teach them how to interact in English. They can well converse in their mother tongue (Filipino) right now and immersing them in the world of English is their next big step in language.

Thanks to cable T.V. and the cartoon channels, I began observing which shows they are most interested in. My eldest, Eissey is fascinated with animals and construction, so the Discovery channel is an option. However, there are some words he can't really understand yet, although he is able to capture what it shows through the videos or pictures he sees on the screen. My little girl, KC hooks up with any cooking show. It's not surprising with her appetite anyway.

But there's one thing that they truly enjoy most in cartoons and could even imitate what the characters are saying. It's Chowder. I can also recommend this for English starters. It's about a young child named Chowder who dreams of becoming a chef one day. He's an apprentice to a chef named Mung Daal, who owns a catering company serving the fictional Marzipan City.

I love Chowder personally when he says his famous tag line, "I'm not your boyfriend!" Watch and you'll know why.

It's English Tutorial Time

It's half past six and I started to wrap up my list for my student. My Korean student can speak comprehensive English although he needs more refining. I could understand him since I am a teacher and it's my duty to analyze his sentences and correct them if needed. However, for foreign listeners, it might be difficult to understand him. Listeners would need to catch the context clues he's throwing to get what he is trying to say.

This is my duty now. I contemplated over the ideas I can use for my student and figured, simple words pronunciation drills would do for now. Like me, he's juggling his time between golf and learning English so an hour a day would be enough to put his speaking skills in place.

We're not rushing anyway. The idea for today is learn to focus on how he would learn rather than racing with time.

Got to prepare and meet my student now.