英语博客：Eloy Flying at Kiwanis.

I bet if you have downloaded this podcast, you are wondering what on earth it is about. I know, the title is curious. Well, let me tell you. I'm in the city of Yakima at the moment, writing for you from a lounge chair, next to a pool, at the Oxford I

英语博客： A Project of Renovation.

I have an excuse for not updating my podcast for a few days, honestly....I dove into a renovation project in my house. It's something that I have wanted to do for a long time, but something always seems to come up*, so the project gets put off. The p

英语博客：Questions tags.

As you study English, you will become familiar with question tags. A tag is a little something that is added on, just like the tag on your shirt that tells you the size and type of material. We use question tags all the time in English to add a brief

英语博客：Oh, so you don't like phonics?

Hands up any of you who don't like English phonics. I can't see your hands, but it certainly sounded like a lot of them went up. Do you think English phonics are a pain? Well, do you know what I think? I agree with you; they are a pain. Believe me, a

英语博客：A Commercial for Crunch Pak.

My sister-in-law called me the other day and asked me if two of my children would be interested in taking part in a commercial. I think so, I replied. I thought that it would be an exciting, new experience for them. One girl and one boy were needed.

英语博客：A Norman Conqueror at the bank.

You see the strangest people in the most unlikely places sometimes. I was at the bank the other day, making a deposit, when I heard a, Clomp, clomp, clomp to my side. I turned to look at the person next to me, and standing there was a Norman soldier.

英语博客：Stereotypes.

Have you ever wondered what a stereotype is, and why we have them? Do you, culturally, have certain stereotypes about certain people? Of course, all countries do. I'm sure that, in the past, I have judged people according to stereotypes I had learned

英语博客：Build those muscles.

The other day, when I stopped to get some free firewood, I realized that I'm not as strong as I would like to be. The owner of the tree that was chopped down, had left huge chunks of wood to be taken away. But, when I say that they were huge, I mean

英语博客：Money For Blondes.

I came across some interesting information the other day, bizarre information, crazy information, that has led me on a journey of discovery. I was watching one of my sons run during a track meet (1). There were six middle schools all competing in the

英语博客：Analysis time - community colleges.

Community colleges still don't get the dollars of their four-year counterparts(1), but they're standing very much in the spotlight(2) these days. President Barack Obama made them the focus last week when he unveiled(3) his proposed budget. Why all th

英语博客：The Alps from the plane.

The Alps from the plane. Many of you have seen some part of the Alps, I suppose. They're spectacular, aren't they? I saw a small part of them recently from a plane. I was traveling from the south of France up to Germany. Luckily, I was sitting next t

英语博客：A blasting experiment.

It's always fun when my brother comes to visit from New Zealand. Because he is a math and science teacher, he often thinks of interesting things to do that fascinate the children. When he heard that one of my sons does experiments in the kitchen for

英语博客：Very early practice.

When you have a hobby, and you want to improve your skills, you have to practice. There is no substitute for practice. Those of you who come from disciplined nations will know all about this. In the Western world, I think, dedicating ourselves to lon

英语博客：Progress at Walmart.

I'm so used to going to Walmart, that I could probably get there with my eyes closed. It's two blocks away from our house, so it's the perfect place for a quick shop stop. There have been renovations going on there for several months now. It started

英语博客：Expanding Walmart.

For a while now, there has been a lot of construction going on at our local Walmart. I am a frequent shopper there, as it is only a couple of blocks from my house. Walmart is expanding. After a few years of doing tremendous business here, the owners

英语博客：AZ's cafe.

I was running errands today, when I spotted a new business in town. At the bottom of a three story building, in the basement area, a cafe has opened this week. I noticed it because there are some colorful flags flying in the outside eating area. Oooo

英语博客：Look at the details!

About nine years ago, I had some incredible luck in a local charity shop. It was coming up to Christmas, and I had gone to Goodwill to look around at all the second hand decorations, ornaments, and housewares. As I wandered up and down the aisle, tak

英语博客(A cup of English):044 Bionicles.

Beginners. Black, red, green, light blue, silver, orange, swords, lazers, helmets, shields, flying machines, underwater vehicles. The list could go on. What do these words refer to? Bionicles. They are a type of lego. You can buy them in boxes to put

英语博客(A cup of English):053 Own the night.

Beginners. I have a very special friend who lives in the *neighborhood. She is seventy-five years old, and actually comes from England, just like me. She was a war bride during World War two. She is originally from Liverpool (where the Beatles came f

英语博客(A cup of English):058 I'm off!

Beginners. Traveling is a passion of mine. I can't imagine staying in one place for many years without going off to explore another country. Well, I've done it! My brother has lived in New Zealand for eleven years. He has flown out to the U.S many ti