I still remember the day I decided to START OFF this project. During one of the sessions with my English teacher, I expressed my concern about not knowing the meaning of the most common idioms, slangs, and phrasal verbs. She suggested that I use them in sentences in order to memorize them and fully understand their meaning. An idea suddenly CAME TO my mind. How about, instead of writing a single sentence for every idiom, slang, and phrasal verb, I would make it more challenging and write different paragraphs using them all. At the same time, I felt like if I really wanted to PUT IN all this effort to create and COME UP with new content, wouldn’t it be more exciting and worthwhile to share my work with the public? That’s why I TOOK THE PLUNGE and decided that podcasting was my go-to plan. I was committed to uploading 70 episodes in a 5 months period. Here I am AT THE END OF THE ROAD with 70 episodes published. I am really thankful that I GOT MY FEET WET and understood what life looks like with my own podcast to run. However, most importantly, this podcast wouldn’t have come to life without the help, support, and encouragement of my English teacher. She was the one BEHIND THE SCENES working with me to make this project happen. I want to take this opportunity to thank her and show a sincere appreciation to her for STANDING BY me during every step of this journey.

Let’s CALL IT A DAY and I’m looking forward to hearing from you guys. What is your next plan to become fluent in English?

Farewell.

Her latest project had many LOOSE ENDS. She was half way there and had a lot to do before she FINISHED UP her book. Unfortunately, due to her horrible car accident on the i35 highway, she PASSED OUT and was severely hurt. Regrettably, Maria went into a coma. After a whole month, she CAME TO with shock. She couldn’t believe what she and her family have gone through. Following the doctor’s assessment and examination, they were able to LET HER OUT of the hospital with full guidance on how to deal with her situation and take care of herself. Her two little boys were delighted when they saw their mother came back home after she had fully recovered. However, when she entered her small office at home, she remembered her unfinished work that needed to be delivered by the end of next month. She would either SHAPE UP OR SHIP OUT. She didn’t lose faith in herself; instead, she believed that she could MAKE DO and PICK UP where she left off. Maria didn’t want to LEAVE ANY STONE UNTURNED but wanted to find the best way to write the book she had been dreaming of publishing her whole life. She realized it was CRUNCH TIME and was sure she would be able to complete it on time.

My closest cousin EATS LIKE A PIG but is still as SKINNY AS A BEANPOLE. I’m happy for her. I really am. But what really frustrates me the most is that I look like a pig when I EAT LIKE BIRD. My situation is getting worse and I feel like things are GOING DOWNHILL for me since I keep PUTTING ON a few pounds every month. It is unfair. If you ask me about the one thing I would die to know it would be how some people get to enjoy any meal, whether healthy or not, and still be FIT AS A FIDDLE. I want to be like those people. One day I want to feel that I can have both: a great body that looks good in anything and enjoys food all day long and EAT UP everything and anything I want. If this wish comes true I guess I would be the happiest person on earth. I will spend my time ORDERING IN, and getting TAKE OUT on the weekdays and shopping for all kinds of clothes on the weekends.

They advised her to compromise and WATER DOWN the issue, but she insisted that she will be GOING AFTER her heart’s desire. No one was able to CHANGE HER MIND. She thought it was best for her to leave the states and follow her dream of becoming an artist in India. This idea was abnormal and bizarre to everyone in her circle. Her family wanted to KEEP the dangers of living abroad by herself in a strange country AT BAY. Also, she knew that she could only recognize the TIP OF THE ICEBERG when it comes to all the hardships of this journey and that it would be impossible to enumerate them. However, she was convinced and HELD HER GROUND. She believed it was her only shot since no agency in the US has opened their door and sponsored her yet. Aleena was scheduled to SET OFF for India at 10 o'clock the next morning and her oldest sister decided to DROP her OFF at the airport to CHECK-IN hoping that her plane would TAKE OFF, and land safely.

Victoria has recently been facing a hard time with her roommate Scarlett. Scarlett is disrespectful to the people she LIVES WITH. She would borrow things without asking and sometimes she would go to the extent of stealing from Victoria. She is so loud and talks so much that nobody could GET A WORD IN EDGEWISE. She leaves most of her stuff on the LEFT, RIGHT, AND CENTER of the house. She INVITES STRANGERS OVER without asking for permission or even notifying her roommates in advance. She also GETS ON VICTORIA’S CASE when it comes to paying the bills even though she has a lot to PAY OFF. Victoria has GONE ALL OUT since they lived under the same roof. Victoria can’t CAVE IN anymore since Scarlett refuses to DIG IN HER HEELS and compromise. Victoria finally decides to leave the place for good and to find another place to live by herself.

The group HAD A BONE TO PICK with James. He hasn’t been an effective team member ever since his relationship with his ex-girlfriend CAME TO AN END. James dated his ex-girlfriend for 15 years but a lot of negative things were GOING ON between them. James and his girlfriend reached a stage where they couldn’t GET TO THE BOTTOM OF things and had no idea what the main reason for their troubles, stresses, and anxiety was anymore. This led James to leave and reflect on the things he did right and wrong. The team tried to GET THEIR HEAD AROUND James’ situation. They knew that this separation was not like any separation they have LEARNED ABOUT or heard of. They were aware of his emotional pain and suffering. That’s why they made every effort to provide the comfort needed and take care of his work for a certain period of time so they could help reduce at least one source of stress he had to DEAL WITH. They gave him two weeks off to rest. They sent someone every day to CHECK-IN ON him and make sure he was okay. They started slowly and gradually increased his workload to its normal rate when he returned to work. But even after all of the team’s effort, James’ performance still was not meeting the minimum expectations. The team agreed that they had to be honest and ON THE LEVEL with James. He needed to PULL HIS OWN WEIGHT or else he might lose his job.

Because her mother turned out to be a snake doesn’t mean we should TAR Pauline WITH THE SAME BRUSH. Pauline’s mother was a WOLF IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING, outwardly kind but inwardly vicious. She had cheated on, TOOK ADVANTAGE OF, and FAKED OUT her close friends for years. She hid her real malicious intent and pretended to be harmless. But in reality, she caused five dear friends to TURN INTO enemies, three couples to SPLIT UP, and two small businesses to CLOSE DOWN. Now Pauline is GETTING INTO DEEP WATER since everyone knows about her mother and her rotten history. Pauline can’t get herself out of the loop of hate and resentment that people have toward her and her mother. LET ME SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT, yes sometimes, the children pay the price for their parent’s wrongdoings. Unfortunately, that is what Pauline has been going through since her mother’s true colors have been shown.

When we were teenagers we used TO LET THE CHIPS FALL WHERE THEY MAY. We used to be reckless and love to take risks. We used to be impulsive and full of energy. Yes, we made a lot of mistakes, FOOLED AROUND, and messed things up. Our family and society were okay with that too. They didn’t judge us. They didn’t even give us the sense of being guilty or being responsible. But now, in our adulthood, things are totally different. The whole society STANDS AGAINST us once we hit 18 years old. They believe that we are grown-ups now and that we need to quit failing and figure out everything as if things are AT THE PUSH OF A BUTTON. They PUT PRESSURE ON us as if each and every decision we make at this age will either lead us to total success or complete failure. Old people need to GET OVER this mentality that prohibits people in their 20s, and 30s to take risks and be creative. Old people forget that they had the FIRST-HAND experience with the lack of a supportive system to uplift them. Old people sometimes FOCUS ON the insignificant details that they can’t SEE THE FOREST FOR THE TREE. I hope that this message will be an EYE-OPENER for some of them.

Having SMALL TALK with you

Has always been my dream

I’ve wished I could SPILL THE BEANS

And feel like I am back to being fourteen

I wish I could trust you

And you could always be nearby

But it is unfortunate

That it might only happen WHEN PIGS FLY

I have to COUNT ON what my mom used to say

Because it is the only way

OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND

This is how she used to BACK me UP

So I can MOVE ON and RISE UP

I have to get away and try to forget

the memories of when we first met

I can’t let my hard work GO UP IN SMOKE

This situation is hard; it is definitely no joke

I have to KEEP myself AWAY

Remember this mistake

To shield myself from heartbreak

I need to stay strong

For this has been going on for far too long

I have always been a RUN-OF-THE-MILL kind of person in life. I have never been excellent or bad in any subject at school. I was neither chosen to lead a sports team nor was I the last person to be picked to play for both teams. At college, I decided to pursue a business major which was considered a field for every average person. I wasn’t hired in a big tech company in Seattle nor did I work for a small office around the corner. I wasn’t the first person to get promoted nor was I the last one to be considered. At home, I am neither the oldest nor the youngest kid in my family. I was neither the troublemaker nor the peacemaker. Does my situation RING ANY BELLS? Well, yes! I am the middle kid. They say that the middle kid is the invisible one. They are viewed as less charismatic or less intelligent than their siblings. But we have KEPT A LID ON the truth for a long time. In fact, we, middle kids, conceal our potential, and rarely has anyone noticed how we GET THE HANG of things. We intentionally COME OUT into the world claiming that we were LEFT OUT just because we want people to assume that we are the victims of this world. Our goal was to let the outside PAY ATTENTION TO our unfortunate reality of being the middle kid by TUNING OUT our capabilities. Our ability to LAY LOW was absolutely OUR ICING ON THE CAKE.