ESL Vocabulary

Vocabulary ( Interview with Queen of Fairies)

1.To take for granted - underestimate the value of someone or something

2. Showcasing- exhibit; display

3. Self Sabotage - deliberately destroy, damage or obstruct someone or something 

4. Healer- a person who claims to be able to cure a disease or injury using special powers

5. Ancestors- a person, typically one more remote that a grandparent, from whom one is descended

6. Trauma- a deeply distressing or disturbing experience

Idiom of the Day

Idiom of the Day 

Like two peas in a pod 

Example: Sarah and Jessica both love drinking wine; they're like two peas in a pod!

Definition: very similar

ESL Conversation Questions (South Beach Fun in Miami)

ESL Questions for South Beach Fun in Miami

1. What is the nickname for Miami?

2. Who was the man who brought stability and business to the beach?

3. Which two famous hotels are mentioned in the article?

4. What activities  do you like to participate in on the beach?

5. When was the last time you went to the beach?

6. In your opinion what do the majority of the models look like that you see?

ESL Vocabulary ( Sundays on Lincoln Road)

ESL Vocabulary ( Lincoln Road)

1. Cuisine - a style or method of cooking, especially a characteristic of a particular country region or establishment

2. Affluent- having a great deal of of money; wealthy

3. Pedestrian- a person walking along a road or in a developed area

4. Exotic- originating in or characteristic of a distant foreign country

5. Latin American- relating to or characteristic of Latin America or its inhabitants

6. Savory- food that is spicy or salty rather than sweet

7. Catwalk- a platform extending into an auditorium, which models walk to display clothes in fashion shows

Sundays on Lincoln Road

A very popular tourist destination in Miami Beach is the Lincoln Road Mall. Located in between Washington Avenue and Alton Road, this mall is a road of outdoor shops and building offices. There are several coffee shops to enjoy such as Starbucks or if you want customary  Miami cuisine there’s a restaurant named La Havana. 

In 1912, Carl Fisher, a prominent man in Miami’s history, cleared a path to what is now known as Lincoln Road. This road stretches horizontally from Collins Avenue to Bay Road in between 16th and 17th street. 

This area grew to a high level of prosperity because of all the elegant shops that surrounded the road. Exclusive stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Bonwit Teller, the Cadillac Salon and Elizabeth Arden prospered in the Miami sunshine. These high end stores attracted very affluent shoppers who spent a lot of money on Lincoln Road. 

Now, Lincoln Road Mall is an eight block pedestrian area were locals wine and dine and tourists shop. There are several cafes to enjoy such as Books & Books and if you want local Miami cuisine there’s a restaurant named YUCA. Also there are some tremendous galleries that have upscale art from famous creators such as Romero Britto, Peter Lik and others. 

 My favorite day to go to Lincoln Road Mall is on Sunday, because usually there are a lot of interesting activities happening. 

This summer the World Cup took over Miami! Business boomed for restaurants with large screen televisions, because there were several people who wanted to watch the games and enjoy their meals. Even though the United States did not qualify to the 2018 edition of the World Cup tournament, there were still a lot of people coming to watch the games. 

The reason the World Cup still drew big crowds in Miami is because this city is very international. Even if you are not a fan of soccer, the World Cup is very enjoyable because of all the different countries being represented. It’s a time where people can put their political differences aside and enjoy the beautiful game. 

On Sundays on Lincoln Road there’s  an outdoor market day where vendors of all kind set up shop to sell to locals and tourists alike. Some of the more popular stands usually sell exotic fruits such as mangos, papayas, star fruit, pineapples and so much more.  

Miami has a very strong Latin culture and you can see this manifest on the Lincoln Road Open Market. Some stands sell typical food you see in Latin American countries such as arepas or empanadas. The empanada has a small purse like figure with a crispy breaded outside that is packed with savory flavors of beef, chicken and even sometimes sweets depending on the recipe. 

The weather in Miami is usually very hot and you can tell when you walk on Lincoln Road by the way people dress. On Sundays you can see all sort of the latest summer fashion. Lincoln Road Mall may be the only mall where it’s acceptable to have on swimming trunks and some flip flops, because of how close the location is to the beach. 

Also women love to show off their latest new hairstyle or elaborately designed leggings on Lincoln Road. Sometimes Lincoln Road feels more like an outdoor catwalk than an outdoor mall, because of the models that live in Miami Beach.   

ESL Vocabulary (Interview with Monique)

ESL Vocabulary (Interview with Monique)

1. Guru - an influential teacher or expert

2. Incorporate- take in or contain something as part of a whole; include

3. Enlightenment- the action of enlightening or the state of being enlightened

4. Self Transmutation- the action of changing or the state of being changed into another form

5. Marginalized - treat a person, group or concept as insignificant or peripheral

6. Aesthetics- concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty

7. Threshold- the magnitude or intensity that must be exceeded for a certain reaction, phenomenon, result, or condition to occur or be manifested

Yoga in Miami: Interview with Monique

When people think about yoga they may picture fairer skinned women wearing black leggings and  tight tank tops doing difficult poses on their yoga mat in a studio. So when I saw Monique Morris doing intense yoga poses in everyday clothes in her backyard on Instagram I knew I wanted to know more about her philosophy concerning the great practice of yoga.

Thank you so much for doing this interview. Can you explain your background a little bit. Like where are you from? Where did you study? 

It is my absolute pleasure. Well I am from the beautiful and deeply cultured island of Jamaica and I grew up in Kingston. Through hard work I was given the privilege of studying at the Immaculate Conception High School for girls. My experience at Immaculate equipped me with the tools necessary to attain excellency in whatever goal I imagine. If my mind’s eye can see it, it is achievable.  

What inspired you to start doing yoga? 

Whilst studying I came across an Indian yogi named Paramahansa Yogananda. At age 17, he found his guru and dedicated his time to meditation and yoga. He later went on to get his B.A and opened an institution for yoga. 

I was inspired by his journey and his discipline and wisdom as a youth. I studied the philosophy of yoga, and decided it was a beautiful practice to incorporate into my daily routine to help me heal. 

 Obviously there are physical benefits to yoga, but what are some of the spiritual and emotional benefits you obtain from doing these exercises? 

Yes the physical benefits are most obvious and it is rewarding to be able to get into those difficult poses, but that is only one branch of yoga. 

The full practice is meditation, devotion, wisdom, knowledge, service and pose. This entails everything from family and diet to sex. I know when people see the physical act of yoga ( with the aid of intense marketing of now) without knowing the philosophy they might think it’s trivial to say this can be life changing.  

Spiritually I have learned that I am not my thoughts and I am not the observer of the thoughts, I AM. Yoga creates a neurological pathway to enlightenment. The physical act connects the mind and body and we can utilize this process for self transmutation. 

Do you feel like people of color are well represented within the yoga community in Miami? If not how can more people be encouraged to partake in yoga? 

I do not think people of color are well represented in the yoga community in Miami or most places. The yoga community has been marginalized and those that are able to financially meet the requirements and the aesthetics of the community are praised and paid to bring traffic to companies.  

There is a wave of colored women and some men applying themselves to a practice. Social media is a great tool to encourage more people of color to participate in yoga. You have full control of the content you put out. Embody your knowledge, be mindful of the image and mindset you want to see and be a walking representative of that. 

 What advice would you give to young people like yourself who want to practice yoga through a self taught method? 

I began practicing yoga through a self taught method because I had no money to do otherwise. It was a blessing in disguise. Being self taught teaches you how to be focused and self motivated. 

In general, my advice to ALL people is be safe, please, you can hurt yourself, understand your limits. Know when you have completely passed your threshold. Utilize the internet! A lot ain’t going right with this society but trust me the internet is useful.