Before you invest in a relationship, invest in yourself first.

FLO TALKS 

INVEST IN YOURSELF FIRST BEFORE INVESTING IN RELATIONSHIPS

《入乡随俗》
    来中国半年多了，我已经渐渐地习惯了这里的生活。
    刚来中国的时候，最不习惯的就是早上八点钟上课。因为我是个夜猫子，喜欢晚睡晚起，所以经常迟到。你进教室的时候，别人正上着课呢，大家都看着你，真不好意思。为了不迟到，我买了一个闹钟，每天早上一到七点钟，它就大叫：”懒虫，该起床了！懒虫，该起床了！“虽然不好听，我还不能不感谢它。因为有了它，我现在已经很少迟到了。
    我还有以减不习惯的事，就是打招呼。有些中国人和我见面不是问好，而是问一些奇怪的问题。下面就算今天早上我和邻居的对话：
    ”早！“
    ”早上好！“
    ”吃了吗？“
    ”吃了。”
    “去上课呀？”
    ”是。“
    ”外面正下着雨呢，带伞了吗？“
    ”谢谢，我带着呢。“
    这要是在半年以前，有人这样跟我打招呼，我肯定生气了。可是，现在我却觉得挺亲切的，因为我知道，他们跟熟人才这么打招呼。要是你不想回答他们的问题，问好就可以了。
    中国有一个成语叫”入乡随俗“，意思是：到了一个新的地方，就要适应那里的风俗习惯。

Yasmine's Chinese Reading - elementary

入乡随俗 When in Rome, do as the Romans do

The Little Prince in Cantonese - Chapter 4
Book: https://www.cantonese.com.hk/lepetitprince/text-jyutping/ch4/

RealLife Cantonese with Grace(细菌)

The Little Prince in Cantonese - Chapter 4

 5月20日 星期五 晴
   今天中午女儿回家，带回了一张练习（lian4xi2, exericise），因为现在一年级(yi1nian2ji2, grade 1)和二年级的小朋友是不可以有考试(kao3shi4,exam)的，练习就是知道孩子学习情况(qing2kuang4, progress)的最重要的方式(fang1shi4,method)了。
   我一看，"妈呀"(ma1ya, byword, expressing surpise)，数学老师在练习的左边写了一“好”字！再一看计算(ji4suan4,calculation question)居然(ju1ran2,unexpectedly)都没有错！后面的一些题目(ti2 mu4,exam questions)虽然还是错误(cuo4wu4,mistake)不少，但是看得出来，是小朋友看不懂题目才写不出来！老母亲和老父亲欣慰(xin1wei4, be gratified at)得快哭了出来。数学老师应该和我们一样的感受(gan3shou4,feeling)，所以才会在练习上写了个激动(ji1dong4,exciting)的“好”字！
   我的女儿挺(ting3,quite)聪明的，就是不喜欢在学校里，在课堂里一板一眼(yi4ban3yi4yan3,Idiom,following a set pattern in an action)的学习，特别(te4bie, experically)是回家还有作业，不能再像幼儿园一样，整天都是玩耍(wan3shuai3, equals to play)。所以她在写作业的时候非常的困难(kun4 nan4,difficult)，非常的慢，有时候连一个字都不愿意写。于是，每天她做作业的时间，就是我和她爸最痛苦（tong4ku3,painful）的时间。批评(pi1ping2, criticize)她，她就觉得自己笨，没有自信(zi4xin4, confident)，不批评她，作业根本没法做完，怎么做都不行。
   实在没有办法了，我们就找了老师来帮忙，真的非常感谢她的语文老师和数学老师，给了她很多心理(xin1li3,psychology)上的支持(zhi1chi2, support)，鼓励(gu3li4, encourage)她，和她聊天，和她做朋友，也教我们怎么和孩子沟通(gou1tong1, to communicate)。当然，虽然有了帮手，但是，每天作业的时间还是很难，很累。但是，这个过程(guo4 cheng2,process)，我们一起走过来了。孩子也慢慢地走过来了。
   我们和孩子一起来想办法完成作业，一起和她身体里的小怪兽(guai4shou4, monster)比赛(bi3sai4, to compete)，一起看着她坐在作业前，5分钟，10分钟，15分钟，认识的汉字越来越多，写的汉字越来越好看，和数字做朋友，每一天都在进步。
   今天这张练习，如果是其他的孩子做的，可能就是一份很普通的练习，甚至(shen4zhi4,even)不能说做得很好。但是，对于我们父母来说，对于老师来说，真的是一份非常珍贵（zhen1gui4,valuable）的练习，是我们父母，老师们、和孩子，一起合作(he2zuo4, to cooperate)完成的练习。我们真的都非常棒！

中文小天地 Little Chinese world

Episode 7  A ”good“  一个”好“字

ACL Podcast🎙episode #46

This is the Anyone Can Learn English podcast, episode #46

My name is Spencer and I’m an English conversation teacher. 

For English Conversation lessons, you can find me on Italki.com/spenceramansick 

This podcast is a weekly collection of my student questions and answers or (Q&A). Some Q&A may repeat. 

Today, we are covering 5 topics:

Brunch
Home stay
Corridor
Pile and piled up
The proposed rule 

 - - REVIEW - -

During my HOMESTAY in America, the family I stayed with had a PROPOSED RULE to never PILE UP dirty laundry in the CORRIDOR before BRUNCH.

My daughter’s friend from Japan is on HOMESTAY with us and they both ate a PILE of pancakes each for BRUNCH while walking through the CORRIDOR back to my daughter’s room.

Thank you for your time!

Please contact me for a copy of today’s script or video.

For English conversation lessons, you can find me on Italki.com/spenceramansick 


Thank you for listening to episode #46

Until next time!

This is Spencer from anyone can learn English podcast! Catch you later. 

Anyone can Learn English Podcast

ACL Podcast🎙episode #46

Saudi Arabia scored a big win in its campaign to attract major sports events to the kingdom when it was formally named as the 2034 men's soccer World Cup host on December 11.

For the last year, there hasn't been too much doubt that Saudi Arabia would be confirmed as host, as the only other contender — Australia — had withdrawn from the contest to host the World Cup.

Awarding the tournament to Saudi Arabia has been seen as controversial by some soccer observers.

That's mostly because of the country's human rights record. Some have said that Saudi Arabia is using sports to divert attention from social or environmental problems, something that's known as sportswashing.

Saudi Arabia has denied this is the case.

The World Cup may be a number of years away but there are a lot of questions that need to be answered about the tournament, from where games will be played to how workers' rights will be protected.

Saudi Arabia aims to host all 104 games, though there has been speculation that some games could be played in neighboring or nearby countries.

Currently, 15 stadiums have been proposed, although eight are still on paper. They include a 92,000-seat venue planned in Riyadh and another near the capital that's set to be on top of a 200-meter cliff.

The timing may also be an issue. The tournament may have to be moved from the traditional period of June and July to the cooler months of November and December.

This also happened for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, although it wasn't a move that was popular among European soccer clubs, who had their domestic seasons interrupted.

The question of workers' rights was also discussed before and during the competition in Qatar. Saudi Arabia has promised to reform and enforce labor laws, and fully respect migrant workers, but some human rights groups are skeptical.

In the meantime, there are still World Cups in 2026 and 2030 to think about!

Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

Saudi Arabia Confirmed as 2034 World Cup Host

Modern Chinese(時代華語)B1- Reading(短文)

Try it now！
Keywords to help you understand：
星座 [xīng zuò]  n. constellation
属相 [shǔ xiàng]  year of birth ; Chinese Zodiac
天秤座 [tiān chèng zuò]  n. libra
命运 [mìng yùn]  destiny ; fate 

他们在聊啥？What are they talking about？

星座和属相 Constellation and Chinese Zodiac

-----script-----
私は4年ほど前から寒暖差アレルギーに悩まされています。
寒暖差アレルギーは英語で、vasomotor rhinitisというそうです。
気温の差が原因の鼻炎のようなものです。暖かい場所から寒い場所に移動すると鼻水やくしゃみがとまらなくなる、という症状があります。
私は特に冬、寒いときに外でジョギングをすると、毎回この寒暖差アレルギーがひどくなってしまいます。
漢方薬を飲むと、一時的に良くなりますが、ジョギングをするとまたひどくなってしまいます。
鼻水のせいで呼吸が上手くできないし、鼻をかみすぎて、鼻や口の周りも痛くなるし踏んだり蹴ったりです。
この寒暖差アレルギーを治すには、規則正しい生活をすることが一番大切だそうです。これは私にとって一番難しいことですが、今年は頑張って克服したいです。
——————

🌟寒暖差（かんだんさ）=temperature difference
🌟寒暖差アレルギー=vasomotor rhinitis
🌟〜に悩（なや）まされる=to suffer from~ 
🌟鼻炎（びえん）=rhinitis
🌟くしゃみ=sneeze
🌟症状=symptom
🌟漢方薬=traditional Chinese medicine
🌟一時的に=temporarily
🌟（病気や状況などが）ひどくなる=to get worse
🌟鼻をかむ=to blow one's nose
🌟踏（ふ）んだり蹴（け）ったり=insult to injury
🌟規則（きそく）正しい生活=orderly life
🌟〜を克服する=to overcome~