Can you taste music? Can you hear colors? Can you smell numbers? These might seem like crazy questions. But they aren’t crazy for someone who has synesthesia. Synesthesia is an amazing condition. People who have synesthesia perceive things differently with their senses. They might hear a symphony and taste the music in their mouth, for example.

Each person with synesthesia has a different experience. The crossed channels in their senses are not often the same. One person might feel colors as emotions, but another person might smell colors instead. For some people, tapping into their synesthesia is wonderful, but for others, it might be scary. Synesthesia will bring on a different experience for each person who has it.

Marni’s mom has synesthesia, and she enjoys her experience. Listen as Marni tells Romeo how her mom sees music in today’s English lesson. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

If you are like most people, there are mornings when you don’t have the energy to get out of bed. You just want to sleep, and you don’t want to get ready for the day. On the other hand, you probably also have mornings when you pop out of bed. You are full of energy, and you can’t wait to start your day. You are up and running from the very beginning.

When a person is up and running, they are excited and ready for the next thing. A machine is up and running when it is working well. Of course, people’s energy level changes during the day. You might start the day awake and excited, but you could begin to fall asleep after lunch. You’ll need to get your blood pumping so you can be up and running for the rest of the day.

Andy needs to be up and running so he can surprise Sheila when she arrives for her party. Find out if he can stay awake in today’s English soap opera. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Sometimes, you want to be a little different than other people. You want to make a big change. You want a body modification. This means you’re going to use your body as art. Maybe, you’ll try a different hair color. Perhaps, you’ll get a piercing. Or if you want a more expensive commitment, what about some ink?

But there are consequences to body art. It can be painful. You need to take care of it. Other people might judge you for it. Also, if you get a tattoo, you can’t take it back very easily. On the other hand, maybe, you want to someday be an 80-year-old person with a dirty little secret… a colorful tattoo! So, will you get some body art?

Body art is all the rage where Jessica lives. Listen to this English lesson to find out if Andy thinks it’s a good idea for her to get some ink. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

What were you doing in 1994? If you’re a millennial, you were probably just a little kid at that time. In 1994, an American man named Jeff Bezos started a small internet company in Seattle, Washington. He called his company Amazon. At first, the company only sold books online. Now, Amazon is worth over $200 billion dollars.

What can you buy on Amazon now? Everything! You can purchase food, books, movies, clothes, furniture, and thousands of other things. You can also use Amazon as a streaming service. Amazon’s newest idea is a store without checkout lines. As you walk out of the store, scanners will charge your Amazon account instead. However, not everyone has an obsession with Amazon, as you’ll see in today’s lesson.

Romeo is upset that Andy made an order from Amazon. Listen to this English lesson to hear why Romeo believes that Amazon is a monopoly. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

“I’m thrilled and honored to have signed with Wilhelmina. They get me.”—Rapper Nicki Minaj, speaking about her new modeling contract (Vogue) -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Where do you go when you want to relax? Your couch, the bar, a bookstore, or somewhere else? Perhaps, you feel the most soothed after a spa day. A nice mud bath or an hour in the sauna can make you really relaxed. Plus, your pores will be clean and your skin will be radiant!

On the other hand, going to the spa for the first time can be scary. You might have to work up the courage to go. Once you get to the spa, though, you’ll relax. You may even have enough courage to ask for the works! After getting the works, everyone will notice how beautifully your skin glows.

Jessica wants to try something new at the spa, but she’s afraid it might hurt. Can Dominique help her work up the courage? Listen to this English lesson to find out. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

Were you ever so mad that you wanted to shout? Or maybe, you were very nervous because something bad happened? Think of a time when you had strong feelings. How did you calm down? If you were mad, maybe you talked through your feelings. The other person listened, and then you both felt better. If you were nervous, a friend might have told you about a time when they were also nervous. Then, you were able to move on.

Emotions can be very strong sometimes, but there’s always a way to get over it. When a person gets over something, they stop having strong feelings. Sometimes, something happens to make the situation better. Or perhaps, a lot of time passes, and you don’t feel the same anymore. Letting time pass can almost guarantee that you will get over your emotions. A little time and space helps us all to move on.

Jordin is worried about seeing Sheila again, but Andy says that she’s totally over it. Find out the details in today English soap opera. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

You’re 18 years old, and you just finished high school. What will you do with your life now? In the US, many people decide to get higher education. This means they enroll in a college or university. But even going to public institutions can still mean student loans. Going to a phenomenal private institution means even more debt.

How much money does the average student owe in the US? In 2016, the average student loan debt was over $30,000. That’s a lot of money! On the other hand, getting higher education makes it possible to learn cool new things and network with other students. The real question is this: is a bigger paycheck later worth so much debt now?

Dominique asks Gary what he thinks about higher education. Listen to this English lesson to find out his thoughts on this topic! -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

We live in a world with amazing new technology! It’s possible to learn more about ourselves than ever before. But is this information good for us? For example, the company 23andMe can create a genetic report for you. With just a small amount of DNA, they can tell you if you have specific preexisting issues. This information could help you with preventative care.

However, some people do not want to know this much about their health. They don’t want to deal with the stress of knowing these future possibilities. Someone who feels this way might be afraid of becoming a hypochondriac. They might panic and spend hours doing research on WebMD. No matter how you feel about 23andMe, it is an interesting example of modern technology.

Romeo thinks that knowledge is power and wants to get a report from 23andMe. Listen to today’s English lesson to find out how Andy feels. -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com

“There were times when tears came out of me, and I went, ‘OK, John, this is not about an on-again, off-again relationship. This is something more profound.’”

—Singer John Mayer, speaking about the songs on his new album. (Buzzfeed.com) -- View this and other great English lessons at www.englishbaby.com