Don’t you hate to miss an opportunity to celebrate? It may not be too later for 2021 but it isn’t too late for 2022. Add it to you calendars and get ready to celebrate next year!
Sunday, January 31, 2021
Friday, January 29, 2021
Welcome to the shortest month of the year
Go to the International Friends Webpages
All our meetings and classes are at GMT -5.
Hello, Friends.
Have you seen the full moon this week? It is one of the most glorious! The first full moon of the year is know as the Wolf Moon.
Time is Relative
Our world is changing and expanding. We can meet, socialize, work and learn with people in many locations online. We are not limited by space, but we have to pay attention to time. As we meet around the clock, how do we make sure we are together? GMT or Greenwich (pronounced GREN ich) Mean Time have people joining us across many time zones. Complicating factors for figuring out what time it is where is the practice of Daylight Savings Time. In Indiana (for the most part), we are on EST (Eastern Standard Time) and GMT -5:00 or five hours behind the world clock. Check out this site that helps you understand and gives gadgets to learn more.
Save the February Dates
February is Black History Month in the United States and Canada the recognizes the achievements of the race of people from the African diaspora.
Feb. 2 Two for One: Groundhog Day and Candlemas
- Groundhog Day: This is the day when we find out if we have six more weeks of winter or if we will have an early spring as predicted by the very large rodent called a groundhog. If the groundhog sees his shadow then we will have six more weeks of winter. FYI the first day of spring is March 20. Bill Murry has a delightful film about this legendary day called (a drumroll, please) Groundhog Day! You can find the movie on Amazon Prime.
- Candlemas: This isn't a typically celebrated day in the U.S. It is the day that Jesus was presented to the temple and Mary (his mother) was purified or cleared to participate in public gatherings. In Mexico, the person who got the piece of cake with the "baby" is responsible for hosting a tamale party.
Feb. 11 Butler University Elektronik Musik Fest
Feb.14 Valentine’s Day: Celebrate with all your sweeties! In the U.S. children give cards to their school friends. Families celebrate with chocolate, cake and small gifts.
Feb. 18 Look @ the skies at 6:45 p.m. the Moon and Mars will occupy the same location in the night sky. Meanwhile, at 3:55 p.m. NASA will attempt to land the rover that was launched in 2020 on Mars.
To Do
Try Your Hand at These 10 Winter Indiana Jigsaw Puzzles: Puzzle Friends, you will love this link. Take a mental break without leaving your tech (and we all know we hate to leave our tech) or cluttering up your kitchen table (where would we get to eat?).
Do Not Call Registry
Do you have a lot of SPAM calls? Do you screen all of your calls so you won't get stuck? Sign up for the Do Not Call Registry. You can report phone numbers that are calling.
COVID-19
Good news! The vaccines are out and people are getting vaccinated! There are many questions about the viability, efficacy and safety of the vaccines. The CDC has a nice explanation of the new mRNA vaccines. While some people have hesitated to get the new vaccine, there are vaccine chasers who are people that wait outside vaccination sites in the hopes of getting leftover or unused vaccinations that might be disposed of. Other vaccine chasers are traveling to states hoping to be able to be part of the demographic receiving a vaccination.
J&J announced vaccine success for the DNA based, one shot vaccine that has a longer shelf life as well as easier storage. This vaccine is preliminarily shown to be 66% effective. This vaccine is awaiting FDA approval. Read more in the Wall Street Journal.
Cleared for Travel: Many countries are trying to limit exposure to the new variants. To travel to the U.S. from other countries, people will need to have a negative PCR test or a letter from a physician affirming that they have had COVID and can not catch or give it to others. Meanwhile, the new variants have these rules changing. Stay tuned!
Stories and More: Monday, 10:30-11:30
We read the story about Johnny Lion who had are really bad cold. He has to take medicine to feel better.
February 1: We are starting a new month. Be sure to pick up your February and March packets from Carolyn's porch. Email if you need her address.
American Sign Language: Monday, 5:30-6:30
We reviewed just about everything we learned. We have a new drop box folder that has all of our resources in it. Join us and learn a new language.
February 1: This week we are talking about careers.
International Bible Study: Tuesday, 9:30-10:30
We were talking about relationships and how they can change and need mending. In our reading we discovered that once again Jesus has the answer for our changing relationships. His disciples were eating and drinking instead of praying and fasting. When questioned, Jesus answered: "Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? The time will come when he will be taken away. Then they will fast." Jesus points out that our relationships are fleeting, special and to be celebrated. Luke 5: 33-39
Jesus' answers were very helpful for us in considering all the changes in our lives. When we are confronted by new circumstances or need to mend our relationships, we can't apply the old methods or practices. People long for the old ways but sometimes the new doesn't mesh with our old, worn out way of living. We have seen some ups and downs lately. Complaining is normal. The old or previous way was always better. We learn to adjust and the past is over and done. Jesus advises that we will always long for the good old days when the new circumstances require completely new practices. This has never been any more evident than this past year.
February 2: We will talk about Luke 6: 1-11 where Jesus' disciples continue to flaunt the customs.
International Friends: Tuesday, 10:30-12:00
We had a great planning meeting and talked about our upcoming celebrations: Groundhog Day and Candlemas.
February 2: Click here to go to our ingredient list and cook along with us!
Afternoon Conversation: Wednesday, 4:30-6:00
We had a "mom" conversation. We talked about the new and old ways of caring for our children when they are very young. We talked about first foods. For a long time, we were advised not to introduce foods like peanuts before a certain age, but now the CDC advises that holding back on solid foods is not necessary unless someone in the family has an allergy. We also talked about how infants are supposed to sleep: current guidelines suggest they sleep on their backs. In Japan this heavy metal song Poison by Takashi Sorimachi is famed for putting babies to sleep.
English Classes: Thursdays, 9:30-12:00
We have space in our standard classes. If you have been missing our classes, come back. Join us as we improve our knowledge.
February 4: We have less than 15 sessions in the year! Time flies.
End of the Week Conversation: Friday, 10:30-12:00 (and more)
What a great end of the week. We started talking about schools in Hamilton County. The high schools are large and have wonderful opportunities for our children to explore and learn. There are so many opportunities for our children. One of our Friends has a child leaving Middle School and beginning at HSC. To get a taste of the mindset of the schools and leadership in our community, listen to this Pivot Podcast and our commitment to our children and understand the decision making by a master in the field.
February 5: Thank you for the conversation to close out the week. It is always a pleasure to meet with you and hear what is on your mind.
Wednesday, January 27, 2021
International Friends February 2 cook along Ingredient List
Tuesday, February 2 is a day for celebration! Back in January we had Three Kings Day. The tradition is that whoever found the “king” in their cake hosted the next party. In Mexico, it is a tamale party on Candlemas on February 2.
Hello, Friends.
Tuesday, February 2 is Candelemas which is the next celebration. In Mexico, the person who got the piece of cake with the baby in it on Three Kings day in is responsible for hosting the tamale party on February 2! Join us for the cook along!
Join our cook along. Paola will teach us her tamale “casserole”.
Ingredients:
2 cups of flour Maseca (masa harina)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1-1/ 2 cups chicken broth
2 cups chicken, shredded
1 can (15 oz) mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn) drained
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 finely chopped serrano pepper
1 garlic clove finely chopped
In case you want to use black beans, it would be:
3 cups black beans (1 1/2 cooked with its broth and 1 1/2 ground and refried beans) you can use cans
2-3 cups of cheese of your preference
If you want to try traditional tamales, pick up a package of corn husks by the masa harina. You will need shorting to make the paste for the tamales.
Saturday, January 23, 2021
A Good Week!
Go to our webpages for more information. Class times are Eastern Standard Time (or GMT-5).
Hello, Friends.
As January winds up, you may already be seeing signs of spring. I saw a small flock of robins and sprouting daffodils. What do they know? You may be seeing signs of summer, too! This week there have been announcements for summer camp registrations opening (like Adventure Camp at Connor Prairie).
Our families are getting back to school. Children are getting back in the classroom. College students are moving back on campus. Some of our classes and meetings are growing. Some of our classes and meetings are seeing less people. Be sure to keep in touch! We are worse than your mom and want to know that you are ok!
People are Saying...
Shopping Etiquette: We wait in line to check out. If someone has only two items and you have a full cart, it is rude for them to cut in front of you. They may ask to go before you or you may offer for them to go ahead of you. Otherwise, they need to wait their turn.
Interrupting Others: When someone is talking and you want to jump in...You can say, "Excuse me, can you tell me [where to find the potatoes]?"
Swearing In: The new president and cabinet were sworn in or took the oath of office. It is the official ceremony. American custom is to place their right hand on the Bible and the oath comes from Article II of the Constitution:
FYI: this is very different from our "swearing class" where we cover rude words.
Answering "You don't, do you?" For example, "You don't wear your mask at Costco, do you?" If you answer "yes" you are agreeing that you don't wear your mask at Costco. If you answer "no" you are disagreeing and you do wear your mask at Costco. In American English "yes" does not always mean that what is being said is correct. Substitute the words "that is right" or "that is correct" fits the answer you want to give. Obviously, we all wear our masks at Costco, so you would want to say, "No, I wear my mask."
Foodie Movies
We do love food and to talk about food. Bingeable series on Netflix:
- Midnight Diner: Japanese with English subtitles stories about a diner that is open in the wee hours.
- The Great British Baking Show: a baking competition show that pits amateur bakers against each other.
- Street Food: travel the world and learn the stories of fabulous favorite foods prepared by people for people.
Stories and More: Monday, 10:30.
Join us to read a story and do so much more. Packets for February and March are on Carolyn's porch for pick up. If you don't live locally and want to join our classes, register or email Carolyn. We will send you all the information you need for your preschooler to meet with us on Zoom and make friends.
January 27: Join us as we talk about staying well.
American Sign Language: Monday, 5:30-6:00.
We met and practiced conversing. We were surprised at our ability to "read" each other after our few short weeks of meetings. Join our conversations and expansion of our language abilities!
January 27: Continue the conversation with us. We will start by catching each other up with what we did during the week. We have a nice collection of career terms to sign about.
International Bible Study: Tuesday, 9:30-10:30.
We talked about Luke 5:27-32. In this story, Jesus calls a tax collector named Levi. Tax collectors were known for their collecting above and beyond what was due the Roman government at that time. This Jewish man was not liked by the people because he took advantage of his own people on behalf of himself in the name of the oppressive government. Jesus accepts an invitation to be the guest of honor at a dinner party of Levi's friends who were also tax collectors. Pharisees and teachers of the law "who belonged to their sect" complained to Jesus' followers asking why Jesus would dine with sinners (ironically, Levi changes his name to Matthew and writes the book connecting Jesus' and Jewish traditions and history). Jesus tells them that he came to call the sinners to repentance not to call the righteous. What an interesting turn of phrase. We talked about the fact that the church is a home for sinners. We talked how forgiveness requires trust and belief. We talked about forgiveness being an important part of a healing process. If you don't forgive: that can kill us.
January 28: Join us for Luke 5: 33-39 where Jesus is questioned about whether his followers should be feasting or fasting.
International Friends: Tuesday, 10:30-12:00
There was just a few of us on Tuesday. We shared things that make us happy. It is fun to see what things bring us joy. Some are practical and some are practical and fun at the same time! We talked about using Maggi Sauce to doctor up our dishes. We pondered whether the vaccinations have risky side effects and the efficacy of herd immunity. We talked about trending words like umami (the sixth flavor well known to Japanese people but new to the rest of the world) and hygge (creating a cozy or homey atmosphere which is why we love sweaters on our hot water bottle!).
January 28: Join us as we
Afternoon Conversation: Wednesday, 4:30-6:00
We enjoyed talking about poetic devices. As an analogy and alliteration always accents and alphabetical letter. Poetic devices help capture and express an idea or image.
We talked about "back of the envelop" calculations (how poetic is that!) or when calculations are made informally. We noticed that the headlines read "Biden signs slew of executive orders."
January 27: Join us to see what way the conversation wind blows!
English Classes: Thursdays, 9:30-12:00
Each week we meet to learn English and to talk. Sometimes we just need to reach out to each other. Please check in so we know that all is well with you! Either email or text your teacher or contact Carolyn at our email address.
January 28: Classes are in session. Check in!
End of the Week Conversation: Friday, 10:30-12:00+
Sometimes we have weighty conversations about family, school, jobs, COVID, children, parents, and more. Other times we need to talk about our favorite subject: food. We compared cultures. In America we talk about getting three squares a day. This means that we are in the habit of eating three meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner or supper. We eat snacks in between, but there is some negative "press" about eating snacks, so most of us don't want to admit it! We found out that many of our Friends have five standard meals a day! Wow! They have discrete names and are part of the eating culture. We talked about grains (What kind of rice do you have at your house?) and beans. In the U. S. we tend to use potatoes as our filling vegetable, but many other cultures use rice.
January 29: Join us for conversation. Bring what is on your mind.
Did you know that all the underlined words in our Update are defined? Click on the read more to see the vocabulary!
Saturday, January 16, 2021
Words, Words, Words
Click to be redirected to our webpages for more information and updates.
Hello, Friends.
This week has been a week of words: good words, bad words, changing words, defining words. American English is comprised of words from many languages and unusual and unexpected pronunciations. Words can have power when used correctly or incorrectly, or they can be empty words. Word order can change a meaning or can make a good or bad impression. How a word is said can mean the the opposite. And when we can't find the words maybe they were better left unsaid.
At the Movies
The Professor and the Madman on Netflix is the story of the Oxford Dictionary and the editor Sir James Murry.
Words We’ve Heard
- a mythical creature (either a giant or dwarf) that lives in a cave or in the hills Billy Goat's Gruff is a classic American tale about this kind of troll (and three ways to handle them)
- to search or hunt (we were trolling for fish)
- a doll
- internet trolls are people who make nasty, distracting comments on social media to divert the direction or hurt a conversation (a cyber bully)
trope: an overused word or figure of speech (that being said)
Core, core, corps
All these are pronounced exactly the same but mean some very different things.
Repair Work
- Plumber: works on leaks, pipes, faucets, and gas (think pipes!)
- Electrician: works on wiring and general electricity
- Technician: repairs appliances and equipment
- Repairman: fixes appliances, equipment, or other specific projects
- Handyman: a general fixer for projects around the house
- Painter: paints walls, ceilings, trim (baseboards and windows inside), interior, exterior
- Carpenter: works with wood or cabinetry (cabinets or cupboards)
- HVAC (pronounce the letter H and then say vac) technician or repairman: repairs or maintains heating and air conditioning
A Public Service Announcement
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Let's Eat...Some More: Devour Indy is January 20-February 2.
Helping Others and Helping Yourself
Prevail Reads Together link. Listen and read along. Join the challenge and record a book!
From January 10, 2021 Hamilton County Reporter.
Consignment Sales for Missions: Cleaning house can help others. Drop off clothes and household goods to CLC to generate income to help people here as well as abroad.
Little Mom Shop: Donate to help mothers with small children. Or, if you need help, "shop" for what you need.
COVID-19
- Variants: COVIDs are changeable. This one is no different. Are the variants more dangerous? Can the vaccines cover variants? The CDC working to understand, address and attack.
- Register for the Vaccine: Vaccines are available for healthcare workers and first responders and people over 70 years of age. Indiana has 170 vaccination sites with five in Hamilton County and 11 in Marion County.
- International Travel and COVID-19: Effective January 29, 2021 all travelers coming into the United States will have to have a negative COVID test within three days of travel or a document of recovery stating they have had and have recovered from COVID 19. If traveling to another country, you can view each country's requirements when traveling from the U.S.
Stories and More: Monday, 10:30-11:30
This week we read the story called The Mitten by Jan Brett (click for the read aloud on YouTube). This is a fun book to read over and over again. Children can call out the animals.
January 18: Join us for some more snowy stories and fun.
American Sign Language: Monday, 5:30-6:30
We met to increase our vocabulary and to sign about our holiday. We learned a very interesting fact about the American hearing impaired culture. This group relates to others three ways: deaf, hearing or hard of hearing. When conversing in ASL someone may ask you what you are, and this is the categorization that they are expecting you to answer (not your nationality).
January 18: Join us as we learn more vocabulary, expand our conversation skills, and talk about American and deaf culture.
International Bible Study: Tuesday, 9:30-10:30
Whew! What a great study. We started with the very end of the Bible: Revelation 22: 11. In this book, John receives a very strange prophesy and as the event winds up, Jesus and the angel speak these words. We discussed the implication of let in this context. Does let mean allow or permit or is let used as a command. We found the answer in the Portuguese translation where the word is permitir or allow. What great advice for us when dealing people and events are out of our control: Let go and let God.
We got back to our stories in Luke 5: 17-26. We truly enjoyed this story. Especially as doctors, teachers and lawyers we are taught by Jesus in our fields.
Friends tear open a roof to break into a meeting to present their friend to Jesus for healing. Jesus first forgives the man. He reads the Pharisees minds and questions them about the legal legitimacy of his right to forgive sins. He then tells the man to walk and immediately he is healed. What a lesson!
January 19: We will talk about Luke 5: 27-31 where Jesus calls Levi and eats with sinners. Why would the Son of God work with and dine with these people? Jesus does not follow the norm.
International Friends: Tuesday, 10:30-12:00
We made cottage or fresh cheese. It is a simple recipe that feels like an exotic science experiment. It was fun to learn how milk, heat and an acidic food react to make a delicious treat. We learned about using bittern, nigari, or brine to curdle soy milk into tofu. The chemistry of cooking is so interesting!
January 19: It's show and tell time. Bring something that makes you happy and be prepared to share the story behind your joy.
Afternoon Conversation: Wednesday, 4:30-6:00
We met the youngest member of our class. It was wonderful to see her, finally! You never know how a conversation can turn. We wrapped up with advice not to visit Mexico City in the summer because of the floods.
January 20: Join the conversation. We always have plenty to say and the time flies.
English Classes: Thursday, 9:30-12:00
We always welcome new class ideas. Our expanding need for Professional Conversational English that gives us an opportunity to talk about our profession or ideas and develop and use advanced and specialized vocabulary.
Now That You Know Your Preferred Method of Learning...
When you know how you prefer to learn (reading, listening, seeing, doing or some combination) you can discover gaps in how you approach learning to become even more efficient. Trying a new learning technique can be awkward, but that helps you to think and learn in a new way to helps you retain information.
For example if you learn best by repeating and hearing a word over and over, try drawing pictures. Those pictures are meaningful only to and for you. When you do this, you are making new pathways and distract your brain from censoring information that does not fit the usual learning paths.
Another example is to combine your favorite form in another way with a less typical form. For me "doing" is a great way to learn. I listen to audiobooks while walking the dogs or cleaning house. I adjust the tempo of reading so that I will pay attention and not space out.
January 21: We have room! Register and join us to develop your American English skills
End of the Week Conversation: Friday, 10:30-12:00
We talked about Greek Life and the Greek fraternity and sorority system. Apparently this is a unique aspect of American college life. Fraternities and sororities are college "clubs". These are social and professional organizations perform philanthropic work. They also provide an alternative to college dorms and apartments. Students "rush" or apply to the different "houses". While "pledging" the "pledges" prove they are serious about joining by performing initiation acts (things like having to wear a white dress and tall, high heeled shoes when out in campus or having to stop and sing a certain song when running into a sorority member). There is a history of fraternities getting in trouble with school administration for wild parties and hazing. Houses or chapters can be suspended from a university for this behavior. (Which reminds me of the R rated 1978 movie National Lampoon's Animal House).
We had a great conversation about volunteering and philanthropy, community service and more. We compared the culture of service in the United States with home countries. We talked about service jobs (gardening, housekeeping) and status. We talked about getting and demonstrating knowledge and skills on through non-paid opportunities and identifying this on resumes to show our capabilities. We talked about companies and people who use philanthropy for promotion. Volunteering is not always a passion or altruism. Sometimes it is work that needs to be done and people pitch in and do the work.
January 22: Join the conversation.
Saturday, January 9, 2021
Back to Work!
Click here to go to our webpages and view this Update.
Hello, Friends:
It was very nice to get together and see one another again this week. We got to hear about our Friends' vacation and staycation holiday activities. We found out that we had some down time to pursue interests, relax and see family either via the web or in person.
Through the Spring
If you are continuing with us into the Spring semester, you do not need to register again.
We are always open for new and old Friends to join us! If you would like to meet, Register to get the Zoom links. You don't have to be local to hang out with us on line!
Activities for Children
It's time to start looking for fun and activities for our children. Registration for summer camps, 4H and preschools are open and opening.
- Cornerstone Lutheran Preschool Registration is open. Click on the link for the specifics for the dates.
- 4-H is a club activity for children in third through twelfth grades. Children complete projects in and can compete for ribbons. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn and to present work. Hamilton County 4-H Information has complete information how to get involved. Contact me if you would like help or more information as a parent of children who participated in 4-H.
Nature's Inspiration Art Show at Cool Creek Park February 20-March 7. Read more about this opportunity to show (and sell) your fine art!
The Great Dine Out in Hamilton County January 4-31, 2021: enjoy carry out deals and discounts 35 restaurants.
Another Holiday to Celebrate
January 6 was Three Kings Day, the Twelfth Day, or Epiphany. While this isn't necessarily a significant day in American culture many people wait until after this day to take down their decorations. Three Kings Day commemorates introduction of Jesus to the non-Jewish people or Gentiles as documented in Matthew 2: 1-12. Many of our Friends have great traditions of eating and gift giving and celebrations on that day.
- In New Orleans, Louisiana a special "king cake" made with cinnamon and glazed with purple and yellow icing and sugar is bought or baked. Who ever gets the "baby Jesus" baked in their slice is the host of the next year's celebration. Here is a recipe with a great video to follow.
- In England, the Twelfth Night is celebrated with a feast including a fruitcake. William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night was first performed in 1601).
- Spain and Mexico also celebrates this day with presents for children and a "king" cake with a baby baked in the cake. Here is a recipe for the Rosca de Reyes. In Mexico person who gets the baby in their piece of cake hosts the tamale party on February 2 or Candlemas Day (yay! another celebration!).
- Our friend Jerry's birthday is on January 6. If you want to celebrate with his favorite cake you could have a Japanese-style Strawberry Shortcake or an ice cream cake from Cold Stone Creamery.
COVID-19
- Hamilton County is COVID-19 red and will remain red until numbers of COVID cases remain in the orange category for two consecutive weeks (the implication is that this status will remain for at least three weeks). Additional COVID restrictions including limiting gatherings to 25, limiting attendance at sporting events to athletes and immediate family, suspending activities at senior centers to name some of the changes.
- The informative Current article, A Pediatrician Talks About COVID in Children. In this article, the doctor talks about symptoms (generally mild in children like a cold: runny nose, cough, sore throat). COVID and to wait five days for testing for contact tracing before getting tested to avoid a false negative test (you still should finish the quarantine).
- Testing in wastewater in Carmel from the Current has some interesting information about how Carmel is using wastewater testing to prepare for COVID.
Stories and More: Mondays, 10:30-11:30
We were supposed to have the day off, but I was too excited to see everyone! We met to share stories and chat. We covered many fun topics
One of our Friends has her first loose tooth! This is very exciting. In the United States the tradition is to put your tooth under your pillow at night and the Tooth Fairy takes your tooth and leaves money (usually loose change). The amount left by the fairy is different in every house and situation. Sometimes the Tooth Fairy will leave a small gift along with the money.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a popular Christmas book and story.
- Here is the link to the 1988 cartoon version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas
- Here is the link to the read along for the book of How the Grinch Stole Christmas
American Sign Language: Monday, 5:30-6:30
Join us as we share our experiences over the break with American Sign Language January 11. If you are new to this way to communicate, don't worry! We are all beginners!
International Bible Study: Tuesday, 9:30-10:30
We discussed Luke 5:12-16. The headline: Jesus heals a man from leprosy.
12: A man with leprosy asks if Jesus is willing to make him clean. Leprosy also known as Hansen's Disease is a bacterial disease that is curable with antibiotics. From the discovery of the source in 1873 to treatment in WHO hoped to eradicate the disease this has not happened in poor and remote parts of the world.
13: Jesus tells the man he is willing, touches him and the leprosy immediately leaves him.
14: Jesus orders him not to tell anyone, but to go to the authorities and follow the laws to assure he is able to move freely in the society.
15: More crowds of people come to Jesus hear his message and for healing.
16: Luke tells us but Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Jesus did not seek notoriety but solitude.
We had a lovely discussion about faith and fear. "We need to have faith and my religion is for this time. I can't be scared. It's a contradiction." We talked about whether we are testing God when we risk or if we are trusting God.
International Friends: Tuesday, 10:30-12:00
After a nice time catching up with one another, we took a minute to talk about what to do next week:
January 12: We will meet in our kitchens to make fresh cheese. You will need whole milk, vinegar (or lemon or lime juice), and cheese cloth (or coffee filters, paper towels) and a colander or strainer.
February 2: Who will teach us to make tamales?
Afternoon Conversation: Wednesday, 4:30-6:00
Free ranging conversation is always a great opportunity to hone skills. This week we talked about what was important to us, celebrations and birthdays and holidays.
January 13: Come and practice your vocabulary and English language in an organic conversation.
English Classes: Thursdays, 9:30-12:00
We had a great time catching up and sharing what we did over the break. We worked on pronunciation (mobile phone for one) and had some conversation where we picked out specific common vocabulary words and pronunciation and practiced them. We talked about how to discover our preferred method of learning. We talked about strategies for expanding our methods of learning to get outside of our comfort zone to expand how we learn. Exploring and using other methods can speed our learning and retention. This article of Eight Learning Styles helps identify some preferred methods. By our choice of adjectives and verbs, we can easily identify what is our (or others') preferred learning methods or styles:
- How did you hear about it? Learning or getting information by listening or being told. Classes and lectures, audio books, etc.
- Where did you see it? Visual learner: Learning or getting information visually. Reading, diagrams, graphs, movies, internet, etc.
- How did you find out about it? Kinestitic: Actively moving or engaging with the information, take breaks, study while moving around. How many breaks do you take?
- Reading/writing: takes notes, reads and rereads.
Watch this video to help you discover your style:
* grab you: catch your attention
*drift toward: move
Try this inventory to assess your favorite style: Learning Style Questionnaire
Knowing or identifying learning styles can also help you communicate easily with others. You can choose a method (tell a story, show a diagram, write directions, use hand gestures, etc.) to better get your point across.
End of the Week Conversation: Friday, 10:30-12:00
Conversations to wrap up the week continued with theoretical discussions about brains and how we learn. These concepts can be important to reflect on when we are learning and growing. Be careful not to think so much about how and what and forget to "do".
Sunday, January 3, 2021
Welcome to 2021 and Our Spring Semester!
Click to go to our webpages for your best experience with our pages.
Happy New Year and welcome back, Friends!
All our meetings and classes begin this week. I am looking forward to hearing about your vacation. I hope you had time to practice your English. It is always funny to be talking about a spring semester when we have just started winter! Have you noticed the days are getting longer? It’s subtle, but significant.
American Gestures
Watch this great little video to explain game common gestures. The unspoken language of a culture is so important for understanding and being understood. Since we are all wearing masks, using gestures can help us be better understood. I did notice that when people wear masks, they don’t use as many gestures. I wonder why this is since they can help us understand and communicate when our words are muffled.
If you would like to join our meetings and classes, register online and I will send you the Zoom links.
Look at our Meetings and Classes to see we offer, and try some of our meetings for the new year!
Stories and More: Monday, 10:30-11:00. Join us to read a great book about a lost mitten and celebrate animals and snow!
American Sign Language: Monday, 5:30-6:30. We will sign what we did over the holiday and learn more vocabulary to keep signing. Signing is a physical language, and you can learn a lot about American English and culture while learning this language.
International Bible Study: Tuesday, 9:30-10:30. We will continue reading Luke 5 with stories about Jesus healing two people.
International Friends: Tuesday, 10:30-12:00. Let’s set our agenda for 2021!
Afternoon Conversation: Wednesday 4:30-6:00. Zoom over to share your holiday fun.
English Classes: Thursday, 9:30-12:00. Come back to class! We are looking forward to hearing about your time away from us.
End of the Week Conversation: Friday, 10:30-12:00. Wrap up your week with our friends and some good conversation.
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