Live and Learn English with Jean Lee

Dr. Jedidiah is a psychiatrist who loves traveling, meeting new people, and exploring different cultures. As a single father who lost his wife to accidental drug overdose 10 years ago, he has not been his old perky self for the last decade. During those hard years, he has met hundreds of, thousands of people from various walks of life around all over the world. Meeting new people and listening to their stories outside his office have given him different feelings from the ones through their formal encounter groups or support meetings for therapy. These people he has accidentally come across were the paths through which Dr. Jedidiah could look back on his own life, being truly honest with himself. Here is Dr. Jedidiah’s monologue that has left him with some food for thoughts in life. Episode # 2 It was a lazy Sunday afternoon when people in the street looked somewhat listless like the unkempt lawn under the scorching sun. Each time I visit this City of Angels, I find mysel...

Humans are, by nature, a social being. No one can live by himself or herself completely away from others in many different aspects of life. That is why most people always search for relationships or connections with others. This week, we would like to work on some frequently used idiomatic expressions that are related to human relationship. Let’s check out the following expressions and fill in the blanks with proper idioms. (source from https://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/relationship-idioms) bad blood : hatred or dislike among individuals or groups of people. You can't please everyone : No single action can make everyone action. to build bridges : to increase understanding / friendship between different people or groups. to burn one’s bridges : do something that makes it impossible to return to an earlier state Blood is thicker than water : People who are related have stronger obligations to each other than to people outside the family....

Dr. Jedidiah is a psychiatrist who loves traveling, meeting new people, and exploring different cultures. As a single father who lost his wife to drug overdose 10 years ago, he has not been his old perky self for the last decade. During those hard years, he has met hundreds of, thousands of people from various walks of life around all over the world. Meeting new people and listening to their stories outside his office have given him different feelings from the ones through the formal encounter groups or support groups for therapy. These people he has accidentally come across were the paths through which Dr. Jedidiah could look back on his own life, being truly honest with himself. Here is Dr. Jedidiah’s monologue that has left him with some food for thoughts in life….or some fodder to justify his own mistakes with in the past. Episode #1 This mid-aged woman named Amanda looked frazzled and sapped of energy when I first met her at St. James Cathedral in Chicago. Her eyes we...

It is Teacher Appreciation Week! Actually, it is nonsense that we designate a day or a week to appreciate our teachers’ hard work and care for students. They do deserve to be extolled for their efforts to lead our kids to brighter future. This week, let us brush up on some interesting idioms related to teaching. Can you fill in the blanks given below? ^^ Easy breezy!!! (source from https://www.myenglishteacher.eu/blog/idioms-about-teaching/ )     1.    You can’t teach an ________    _________ new tricks. =   You are trying to teach someone a skill but they can’t learn it or they refuse to learn it.     2.    Don’t teach your grandmother to suck _____________. = The expression to use when you're telling somebody something they already know well. That is, giving advice to someone else about a subject of which they are already familiar. The origins of the phrase are not quite clear.     3.    T...

Morning Meditation by Jean Lee As I wake up to the darkness of silence in the early hours, Only the woodnote peacefully dilutes the serenity from the bowers. Imagining countless droopy eyes out there, I mumble to myself “Let’s live it up as loud as we dare!” World news from the radio would make a lot of velitations. Allowing the noise in our lives would take so much patience. Turn the volume down. So the voice of your heart and soul won’t drown. No greetings or friendly faces in sight. Same old footsteps of mine follow me in delight. Another day, another night, ….and another day is here. Still smudged with yesterday’s color that doesn’t disappear. Although it might not be viewed as a wholesome whole, Your today is building a bridge of hope on which you’ll stroll. Keep smiling until all your concerns and wounds come to halve. Say your prayers until the flowers in your garden become a salve.

No matter where we are or how we live, life goes on. Some may say “ YOLO , so enjoy every minute of your life to the max!”, and others may argue “Do your best in whatever you do and search for great cause beyond your ken in life. Do not waste your life being irresponsible”. Some may be purse-proud and focusing only on their own prosperity throughout their lives, and others may uphold philanthropic spirit. Some may have sleepless nights due to carking anxiety or doubts, and others may be interested in merrymaking all the time and not care about anything in the world. Which modus vivendi belongs to you? his week, I would like to share some golden words to live by. (source from https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/life ) Expressions YOLO : (phrase) You Only Live Once ken : (noun) Understanding or cognizance; mental perception purse-proud : (adjective) proud of one's wealth, especially in an arrogant or showy manner philanthropic : (adjective) seeking to pr...

What’s the biggest obstacle in your journey of exploring English? It could be grammar, pronunciation, or huge amount of vocabulary that seems to be endless. Above all, idiomatic expressions that have hidden, figurative meanings. Without understanding the cultural background or conventional usage of idioms, one can hardly imagine what those words are supposed to mean. Using the given list of idioms (that are related to ‘a new beginning’) and your imagination, try to choose a proper expression to fill in the blank of each sentence below. (source from https://www.spellzone.com/blog/post.cfm?title=Twenty_Idioms_for_New_Beginnings ) a a.    new blood : new members of a group (who usually bring with them fresh ideas about how the group might run)    b.    to blow away the cobwebs : to refresh yourself from a state of sluggishness. c  c.     a new lease of life : an occasion or circumstance that leads you to becoming more ener...