Next Meet Up: June 6

Dear Friends.

I’m so sorry. I have been called out of town on family business. Out next official meet up is June 6.

Best wishes for the end of the school year.
I hope you enjoyed May in Indiana and the Greatest Spectacle In Racing.

I hope to see you this summer.

Love,
Carolyn

Have a Great Summer!

Dear Friends,

Thank you for a wonderful end to our International Friends this year!

Practice your English and I look forward to seeing you at our meet-ups this summer.

Love,
Carolyn

Our Last Week.

Hello, Friends.

This year has flown by! We only have one more official week of classes and meetings. Be sure to join us for these last meetings! You won't be disappointed.

Saturday was the Grand Prix race at the Brickyard. How do you pronounce Grand Prix in Indiana? That was the debate on the new Saturday morning. Some people say: Graaahhnd (rhymes with bond) Pree. Others say: Grand (rhymes with sand) Pree. This race is a road race not a race on the oval. Rain doesn't matter: they have tires for that!

Sunday was Mother's Day. Happy day to all you mothers and grandmothers. Mother's

English Tip:

The other day I was at the Goodwill and saw a purse that I wasn't sure if my daughter would like. I asked a beautiful and stylish young lady what she thought of it. She answered me: "I no speak English." As you know, that never stops me! I needed her advice! It all worked out fine. We ended up having a simple conversation (and she let me know that my daughter wouldn't like the purse). Don't be afraid to talk. 

A.J. Hoge's book Effortless English has a surprising chapter called "Why You Should Not Practice Speaking". WHAT?!! You are taking English classes and you meet native English speakers every day. Isn't this the perfect opportunity to practice your English? Hoge advises:
"This is why you must not try to "practice" English with native speakers. Instead of practicing, simply focus on being a true friend. Communicate, without focusing on the English language. Talk about your shared interests. Ask questions and listen to their answers. Show your appreciation and understanding (by listening and participating in the conversation). In other words, treat them just as you would a friend who speaks your own language." He advises:

• Never ask a friend or casual acquaintance to correct your English. (Also, It would have been very rude for me to correct the woman I was talking to and say: "It isn't 'I no speak English'! It is correct for you to say, 'I don't speak English!'")
• Don't apologize for your English; don't ask for any English advice at all. They are not your English teachers. (This is also awkward and interrupts the conversation. If you are stuck you can ask for help, "What would your call this color?" I'm not tall, but if I need help at the store getting something off a high shelf and someone taller walks by I don't say, "I am that I am too short to reach this shelf. Could you correct my height?")
• Listen during your speaking time. Stop worrying about speaking correctly. Stop worrying about remembering vocabulary. Your native speaker friend gives you idioms, slang and you learn the non-verbal clues that go with the conversation. (If you don't know what "lit" means, ask. That is fine...I ask people the same thing. That is just understanding what your friend is trying to tell you.)

If someone engages you in conversation in the store, listen and try to answer their question. You all hear English very well and can answer almost all of my casual questions.

• You can say, "I'm sorry, can you repeat what you just said" or "I'm sorry, I don't understand what you just asked." Often you don't understand because you didn't expect them to talk to you!
• Be patient with yourself. English words don't come readily to me all of the time and I'm a native English speaker!
• Remember pay attention to how you talk to your friends and family in your home language: there is more to talking than just words. Smile. Point. 

A Special Month

A Special Month

This video: How to be a Good Ally to Muslims During Ramadan explains the significance of and how this holiday is observed by the entire Muslim community world wide. In practice, Muslims fast for 30 days from sun up to sundown May 5-June 4. During this time they also refrain from bad behavior such as bad language and reflect thankfully. Mosques offer meals to break the fast at the end of the day. This article from the IndyStar also offers a summary.  Thank you to Syra for describing what it is like to personally observe Ramadan.

So, you’ve got a full day. You’ve got a meeting at 10, then a lunch date at noon. You’ve got yoga at 4 then plan to get ready for your evening. In between all this you try to pray and be thankful for what you have. You have, after all been up since 4 am.

You’re fasting. It’s the month of Ramadan and you, like millions of practicing Muslims around the world, are observing it by abstaining from not only food and drink for a full day but also temptation, bad habits and ill behavior.

It’s not something that everyone is physically able to do, but you feel grateful to be able to do so.  You feel humbled to be able to have the strength to fast, but you also know that you are part of a larger community.

It’s 8:30 pm and you’ve got 16 minutes until you can break your fast. Though, every day this time changes and gets later as it follows a lunar calendar. A crowd has begun to gather at the local mosque, or Muslim place of worship. Plates are filled with fruit and dates (dates being the customary way to break or end a fast at the end of the day). After five minutes, the evening prayer commences followed by dinner. You are tired, but stay up for more prayers late into the night.

It’s 10:20 pm. You are ready to sleep and start it all over again the next day.

You feel connected to your community and to your faith while also welcoming the sharing of ideas and cultures from all people.

Summer Meet Up!

Just because classes and meetings adjourn (and we are all on vacation) doesn't mean that we won't continue to see each other over the summer! Let's plan to meet the first and third Thursday morning of the month beginning at 11:00. Bring a drink and a snack to share (if you wish). Family and friends are welcome to join us. Mark your calendars:

June 6 and 20

July 4 and 18

August 1 and 15

Lawrence W. Inlow Park is 1.5 miles East of CLC at 6310 East Main Street.
This convenient park has a splash pad, a walking trail, Frisbee golf and more.

International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00, room 100
Join us for our last meeting of the 2018-19 year.

International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:00-12:00, room 100
It was a very happy day to be at International Friends! We have so many things that make us happy:

• Donuts: White House Donuts in 212 Main Street, Westfield has delicious donuts. This joint is open Tuesday-Saturday 5-11:00 or until they run out of donuts). They only take cash, but you can get a "six bucks box"!
• Healthy family: when your family is healthy life is great!
• Daily events that make you smile...Like bringing home squirrel leftovers and having a cat chasing a chipmunk off your front porch!
  
  Enjoy this little video. What makes this funnier is that our friend was bringing home squirrel leftovers!
• Cats: cats are so much fun! They always do something to make you smile.
• Rainbows, children and happy babies: is it a coincidence that the end of a full arc of the rainbow ends over your home or your son? I don't think so!
• Beautiful pictures of life events: In this case we got to take a break to Bolivia and imagine ourselves joining on a beach.
• Brownie chips and coffee: sitting down to chocolate and a cup of coffee! how much better can it get?
• Son's Graduation from Ball State: Having family come to the States and celebrate a family milestone; especially a milestone that includes a decision to give up life in your home country for your children.
• Hiking: Indiana hiking isn't usually rugged, but there are beautiful and interesting places to hike: Turkey Run was our favorite (today).
• Paddle boat on the canal in Indianapolis: Spending a beautiful spring day on the water in downtown Indy with your family! Wheel Fun Rentals has rentals
• Spring vegetables and cooking: Cooking for friends and enjoying spring foods. The Chinese chives are up and perfect now. Sticky rice stuffed with sweet and savory deliciousness. And pancakes made with chives, noodles and egg. YUM!
• Rosemaling is a Scandinavian craft. Getting in touch with your roots through the arts makes us happy.

• Jesus says "don't worry": Who can argue with God? Knowing God loves you and is always there for you makes our Friends happy and content.
• Singing and playing instruments: We had a great time singing and learning about ukuleles.

May 14: Bring a dish to share as we meet for our closing party! Join us for a pot luck. No special requirements! Let's eat and drink and be merry!

English Classes: Thursdays, 9:30-12:00, upstairs classrooms.
We celebrated the end of our academic year with the traditional, American pizza party complete with cake and soda or pop. I am so glad to get everyone together for one last meeting with this annual tradition. I hope that you are able to meet up over the summer and have a restful holiday! Don't stop talking and reading in English!

May 16: Parties are on. I think most of you are off campus enjoying your last day together as a class.

stylish: well dressed

worked out fine: was ok

debate: a discussion with opposing views presented publicly a formal setting
engages you in conversation: starts to talk to you casually when you are out

casual acquaintance: someone you just met or know informally

ally: a friendly association with someone; usually used in a situation where one group of people supports another

significance: importance and meaning

observed: customs and behaviors practiced during a 

fast: do not eat or drink as a religions practice or

refrain: to avoid doing something

Mosque: Muslim place of worship (Christians: church, Jews: temple)

personally: subjective, from a personal standpoint

funnier: more funny

What makes you happy?

Hello, Friends.

A quick note about ukuleles For those of you that would like to join in learning to play, the meetings are on Fridays at CLC in room 102 at 10:00.

My ukuleles are Mahalo Rainbow. You can find them on Amazon for under $40. These ukuleles are respectable and are strung with good strings, which makes a difference in how they perform. Of course you can buy a more expensive instrument that may have a better sound. No matter what you choose, be sure to read reviews so you aren’t disappointed.

I use the n-Track turner app that is free on my from the App Store..

There are plenty of sites that have information for learning how to play. You can watch You Tube videos, too.

Here is the link to You Are My Sunshine for you to enjoy.

There are plenty of websites to help you learn more. You can learn along with You Tube.
Live Ukulele: find music and basic information with a Hawaiian vibe.
Ukutabs: find the top searched songs and music along with the tabs (music written for the instrument).

I hope you can try this new adventure in music and learnings and Don’t Worry, Be Happy!

The Greatest!

Dear Friends,

Saturday, May 4 is Star Wars Day: May the Fourth be with you!
Saturday, May 4 was the running of the Kentucky Derby
Sunday, May 5 is Cinco de Mayo: celebrate with tacos and a Corona beer! This Mexican holiday is celebrated in the states, but not so much in Mexico.

May in Indy is a wonderful time of the year. Saturday kicked off racing month with the Mini Marathon that started in Indianapolis, runs past the zoo out to the Brickyard and back to Military Park. Runners get to run on the race track. While Saturday was gloomy and wet (which seems to be the weather pattern this spring for our long races), it was a great day for racers. There was some talk about whether the runners would kiss the bricks since they would be wet. This tradition went unbroken.

Check out the schedule at the Brickyard: Indianapolis 500

• Click on the events tab to see all the racing including practice events, Grand Prix, concert and so much more.
• There are many community events in which to to participate. One favorite is to rock your race gear on Fridays for a discounts at various restaurants.

There are more than 50 Programs and Events planned as a part of the 500 Festival throughout the month of May. May 25 is the 500 Parade which is televised internationally (the only other American parade is the Rose Bowl Parade). Watch to see the new pace cars around town. People may break out models from the past in true Indy500 spirit.

International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00, room 100.
Our Bible Study class wrapped up the twentieth chapter of John, which describes the resurrection of Jesus from the dead and his first appearances to his followers. Their responses mirror our own as we consider today what Jesus’s resurrection means. Some people believed immediately. They remembered what Jesus had predicted during his ministry, put the facts together, and accepted his resurrection as genuine. Other people believed after being presented with indirect evidence. Their initial doubt was removed when they received further information such as the empty tomb and the way the grave clothes were neatly left behind. Finally, some people, like Thomas, only believed when they were provided with direct evidence. They saw Jesus with their own eyes or even placed their finger into the nail holes in his hands. In her book, The Women of Easter, Liz Curtis Higgs writes, “The Lord’s resurrection is the most glorious, victorious moment in history.” We have enjoyed reading and discussing this Gospel of John, which is an eyewitness account of Jesus’s life, death and resurrection.

We finished our study of John with the last chapter on April 30. Jesus revisits the disciples while they are fishing. Jesus brings peace, reconciliation and closure to the group over a meal of fish.

May 7: No Meeting.

International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:30, room 100.
We had a great Food Challenge! I am so planning to do that again! I made squirrel in the crock pot (just Chicago steak seasoning so everyone could taste the meat). We feasted on 1000 year egg, duck stomach and pig knuckles with wide noodles, a Chinese "bread" dish, cow tongue, red velvet cake, spicy cheezy popcorn, Chinese snacks, pork lettuce wraps Hong Kong style, 100 percent dark chocolate, sweet rice crackers (they go great with beer). Everything was so delicious.

May 7: We are "down to the wire" for our meetings. This time of the year can make me begin to feel sad and nostalgic because our year is coming to an end. To combat the blues, bring something that brings a smile to your heart and the story that goes with it.

English Classes: Thursdays, 9:00-11:30 or 12:00, Upstairs Classrooms
We only have two more meetings. Don't miss your chance to see your friends and practice, practice, practice.

May 9: We will have our annual end of year pizza party!

Parents with Children: Thursdays during our English Classes
This week we learned the nursery rhyme Humpty Dumpty. Saying Humpty Dumpty is fun. The rhythm of the rhyme is so pleasant and it is a usual meter: 8, 8, 10 10 or an AABB pattern. Is there significance to this rhyme? The oldest documentation says that Humpty Dumpty is "egg" Dutch "or some such language". The meaning? If an egg falls and breaks no one can put it back together (not even a king's army). Some people like to try and ascribe a political riddle, but its just for fun. In terms of language learning, the pronunciation and rhythm help practice the cadence and stress on syllables that make up the sound of English.

May 9: No official Parents With Children lessons, but we will have crafts and games at the pizza party.

Free concert.

whether: if; a question of if conditions are met

tradition...unbroken: a practice that continues to occur 

rock your race gear: wear clothing and accessories in a certain theme; racing gear can include caps, shirts, fan gear, black and white checkered anything.

break out models: display, show, bring out from storage

wrapped up: completed; finished
mirror: reflect
predicted: foretold
genuine: real; actual

indirect evidence: not seen first hand, hearsay

direct evidence: by a witness

revisits: meet again to discuss or finish business

reconciliation: restore friendly relations

closure: the feeling that an emotional or traumatic event has been resolved

over a meal: a meeting during a meal

nostalgic: wishing for the past
combat the blues: fight sad feelings
brings a smile to your heart: makes you happy; give you contentment

ascribe: attach a meaning

cadence: beat