LA to Houston: My Experience Traveling During the Pandemic

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https://youtu.be/gSiFpGF4k7E Hey everyone! Today's vid comes a day earlier than usual...but this week is special because it's the week before my birthday...so I wanted to give you two videos. One today, one tomorrow. Enjoy!   I just got back from my first trip to Houston! I was there for Memorial Day weekend. As many of you know, LA is currently under a "safer at home" order. Texas is not.  As one can imagine, I was…

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It’s Not About The SIZE, It’s How You Use It: GoPro Hero 7 for newbies

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https://youtu.be/5AOgK3q9R2s  In February I got my first GoPro. It's a Hero 7.  I filmed the unboxing before my trip to Cuba. As you can see in the video, I was surprised by how small it really is. The videos I'd seen of it always seemed to make it look bigger(!) The size was a bit of a surprise, but once I got over that I started watching a ton of Youtube video tutorials on how to use…

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Doing good vs. doing well, Moot vs. Mute, and another EMBARRASSING Story

https://youtu.be/25wzApSHZYYHey everybody!  A few videos ago I talked about common mistakes I see in English writing.Here is one of them:https://youtu.be/AP2gUskPwEoHere is a second one: https://youtu.be/tsPnjbn3KFA The thing is, some people see these videos and say "I could care less about my writing, as long as people get what I mean."Let's stop right there.You could care less? Don't you mean "I couldn't care less?"Because if you could care less, it means that you do care...at least a little bit. Because…

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Can You PRONOUNCE Qatar, Bahrain, and other Arabic Names? Let’s Review.

https://youtu.be/sMdbWlAQgSUI was recently talking with a friend about the upcoming FIFA World Cup in 2022 which will take place in Doha, Qatar. My friend expressed a sense of awe at my pronunciation of Qatar ("ooh that sounds so fancy!") -- well, the Arabic name does sound a bit..authentic...but that's because it's an Arabic word to begin with.  After that conversation, I thought it would be a great topic to delve into for this week's video.  I think…

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Ramadan in DUBAI: things to KNOW before you GO!

https://youtu.be/J7HRDh-Fsj4 Hey everybody!    A few weeks ago I talked about my life in Dubai, and common misconceptions about what life is really like there (here is the link: https://youtu.be/clSZi_43JEM) That video is really the tip of the iceberg, because there's SO much more to talk about when it comes to living abroad in Dubai. Case in point: Ramadan! As some of you may know, the holy month of Ramadan started last Thursday evening, April 23rd. Life in Dubai…

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Arabic Tattoos: Advice and MY Tattoo Story (from your fave translator)

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https://youtu.be/dVMz1fxP4A8 Hey everybody!  I recently re-watched the Arabic tattoo video I did about 3 years ago (if you haven't seen it, here it is: https://youtu.be/6sTZB4oaIYs One of the first things I noticed is how much quieter my voice is compared to the videos I do now. Sorry about that-- had a very sensitive neighbor who would bang on the shared wall if I was being too loud, so had to muffle things a bit.  Anyway, I re-watched the video and…

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Affect vs. Effect, Who vs. Whom, and One EMBARRASSING Mistake

https://youtu.be/tsPnjbn3KFA Hey everybody! In my last video I talked about 10 words and phrases that even native English speakers get mixed up.  If you haven't seen it, check it out here: https://youtu.be/AP2gUskPwEo Before we continue... I want to remind you that I'm definitely not one of those annoying people who points out everyone's spelling and grammar mistakes...er, at least not anymore. It's true that in 2013 I did point out a misspelling in one of…

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Writing: 10 Words That Even Native English Speakers Get WRONG

https://youtu.be/AP2gUskPwEo Hey everybody!  I decided to begin this week's video with a story to help you get to know me a little better before we all get super intimate. You, me, and your English writing, that is.When I was in fourth grade, I won the school spelling bee. For the WHOLE SCHOOL. Yes, that means I beat out the 5th and 6th graders to represent Waynewood Elementary at the preliminary regionals. Mind you, I was…

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Make Love in Arabic: habibi, hayati, and 15 other ways to address your lover

https://youtu.be/_N-ww5ovWkg Hi everyone!  After my last video, a friend mentioned that the only word he had known in Arabic was "habibi." We talked about uses of the word--how we say "habibi" to a guy, and "habibti" to a girl.  We also use "habibi" when we are frustrated and trying to soften a statement that may seem a little harsh.   After that conversation I thought about other names we call a sweetheart or lover in…

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The green dress in Madrid

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I needed a long-sleeve dress for a wedding in Illinois. I missed the wedding due to flight delays/inclement weather unfort :( But got to wear the dress in Spain! I actually got it on Amazon--the first dress I'd ever bought on their site...actually love it! Super comfy. Here is the link--they have a few diff colors. I'm wearing Size S: https://amzn.to/3cmWJFq

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