To each their own. That means, everyone likes what they like. They may have good reasons. They may have bad ones. Or, they may have no reasons at all! We all have very different tastes and preferences. For this reason, one person’s bucket list might be very different than yours. Maybe they have things like sight-seeing or travelling around the world. Others might want to do some very, very strange things like… riding a camel?

Camels are large animals with humps on their backs that live in deserts. Their humps actually protect them from extreme heat. They can drink 52 gallons of water in three minutes and live up to 40 or 50 years! Some consider them to be amazing and majestic. Others really, really hate them. They think they are stinky, awkward, and precarious. One might want to put ‘riding a camel’ on their bucket list. The other… might barf. To each their own.

Dominique can’t wait to ride a camel. Listen as Andy and Dominique talk it over in today’s English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Have you ever had a stressful vacation? Maybe you got lost when you tried taking a shortcut? Or you weren’t very lucky and your wallet was stolen? Or you were stuck in a traffic jam on the way to the airport and you missed your flight? Even though you had plenty of things go wrong, though, it’s possible you still had fun. You got to visit awesome museums and eat delicious food. You met new people, and got to visit a wonderful new city. Your vacation definitely had its ups and downs!

When you have your ups and downs, that means you have good experiences and some bad experiences. Lots of things in life have ups and downs. Relationships have their ups and downs. Working at a job you enjoy will have its ups and downs. We are not exaggerating when we say that all of life will have its ups and downs. And that’s completely normal and totally OK!

Dominique and Kelsey had quite an adventure getting to the park. One might say it had its up and downs. Listen as they tell Jordin about their experiences. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Has anyone ever done something nice for you that you didn’t necessarily deserve or expect, but it made your whole day? Did it inspire you to do something nice for someone else? If so, then you were practicing the concept of paying it forward. Paying it forward means that when someone is kind to you, you turn around and are kind to someone else.

The barista at your local coffee shop is probably very familiar with paying it forward. Customers sometimes buy coffee for the person in line behind them, starting a chain of paying it forward. Even just one small act of kindness, like picking some flowers and leaving them on your coworker’s desk, might make your coworker intrigued enough to do the same thing for someone else.

Someone recently bought Dominique’s coffee when she was in line at Starbucks. Listen as she and Romeo talk about paying it forward. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Louis CK began his comedy work in the 1990s. He wrote jokes for many famous people, such as David Letterman and Chris Rock. His jokes were always very clever, and they made people laugh. Since this time, he began doing his own stand-up comedy, and he also made his own TV show, named Louis. People like his self-deprecating tangents and his cynical ideas. Maybe, these things make his audiences feel better about their own lives.

Recently, Louis CK released a new comedy special. It has many jokes about dreary ideas, and he even talks about some very touchy topics. Some people loved his 2017 comedy special because it seemed very honest, but other people were bored by it because it seemed like the same old jokes.

Find out what Marni and Andy thought about Louis CK’s new comedy in today’s English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

“I think a good chunk of this album is making peace with my arrogance. I don’t think that was really a great representation, an honest representation of who I am.”

—Singer and songwriter Brandon Flowers, speaking about his mistakes and his new album (NME) -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Fear and anxiety. Who isn’t afraid of something in life? Maybe, you’re afraid of spooky things like being in the dark. Maybe, you’re afraid of things in life, like being alone or being rejected. These fears can sometimes become anxiety. In medical terms, anxiety is stress or fears that make daily life difficult. In the worst cases, these anxieties turn into phobias.

Phobias are extreme cases of fear and anxiety. There are many, many phobias. Claustrophobia is the extreme fear of being in compact spaces. Cibophobia is the fear of eating. Agoraphobia is the fear of going outside. For people who have phobias, it can be very hard to face that fear and overcome it. But some of them will actually expose themselves to their fear to overcome it. They do exposure therapy.

Romeo has a phobia and describes it to Andy. Listen as Andy gives him advice in today’s English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

You can read. You have use of a computer. You have food to eat. You have a place to live. You are quite talented and have a terrific imagination. You have survived some hard times. You have had to successfully navigate some tough situations. We bet you have friends or family who care about you. You have many blessings, and counting your blessings is a very healthy thing to do.

When you count one’s blessings, this means that you think about all the good parts of life. Studies show that people who are grateful and spend time counting their blessings are much happier in life. They are also smarter and more successful. Counting your blessings is a great way to navigate the obstacle course of life. Life can throw many challenges at you. If you take the time to think of all the good things in life, it can help you deal with all the bad things.

Kelsey recently spent a lot of time counting her blessings. Listen as she tells Jordin about the difficult time she had getting to the park. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Looking for work can feel like looking for water in a dry desert. Good jobs can be like mirages or hallucinations. They are there for a minute, then poof! Gone! The job market is competitive for many, many reasons. If a job seeker is smart, they will always try to improve their interviewing skills, professional skills, and resume. The employer will always see a resume first. So, how does one make a killer resume?

First, KISS. KISS means ‘keep it simple, stupid.’ This means, don’t make anything harder than it must be (people have a tendency to do this!). Just put down what is necessary. Don’t make it too busy with wacky fonts or bright colors. You don’t want to blind the employer with an ugly resume. Make sure your accomplishments shine. Then, check it over for typos and polish it up. And, presto! Your killer resume is fresh out of the oven.

Marni needs to make a killer resume. Listen to Romeo’s professional resume tips in today’s English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Vintage toys can be very creepy. Clown dolls, pale porcelain dolls, talking monkeys, crazy, purple bunnies are some terrifying examples. It seems like toys improved over time. Now, they look more realistic, natural, fun, and interactive. Technology is now more sophisticated and advanced. So now, toys can talk, dance, and move around.

Does technology make toys less creepy? Some people might say toys are creepier than ever. Teddy Ruxpin is a great example. Teddy Ruxpin is animatronic, has huge LED eyes, plays cassettes, and comes to life. He was made in the 1980s. Some people think he’s really cute. Other people think he’s very creepy and downright terrifying!

Andy saw a new, upgraded Teddy Ruxpin at the mall. Listen as Romeo and Andy talk about this toy in today’s English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

“Acting wasn’t something I was really pursuing because music takes up so much of my creative energy. But I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work with such great people.”

—Singer John Legend talking about creativity and his role in the movie La La Land (The Aquarian Weekly) -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com