My Life after CELTA

We had a lazy day today. After waking up, devouring breakfast and gulping down the much-needed coffee, we hopped in the car and headed for the city to buy a new pair of shoes for me. I checked the make and the availability of the said item on the Internet. Still, when we got there, they very kindly informed us that our journey was in vain: despite the online stock, they didn't have any in the store. I felt like being in Plonkeristan. We bought some toilet requisites, a sandwich for Ági in KFC, and returned home, then came my turn: I ate some cooked rice with tomato and tuna. Once I finished lunch, I gave Ági a foot massage and watched another two episodes of The Walhalla Murders, an Icelandic series. Icelandic is a beautiful language, and speaking it at the C1 level would be great. One day though. At 3 o'clock, I took Abby for her afternoon walk, which was a surprisingly short one, and then we went out for a 5.5k walk with Ági because the weather was beautiful. After the hike, ...

After a not-so-good night's sleep, I had a delicious cinnamon pancake breakfast. The cup of coffee that followed the nosh could elevate my pulse, and 72 seemed the highest it could induce in my woozy system. Anyway, I decided to continue my studies in the morning, so I buckled down to my Destination C1-C2 book with high expectations. However, the semi-self-conscious smirk on my face soon became a frown when I saw how many meanings there are to a couple of phrasal verbs and verbs. I'm okay with "take off" as it has six meanings, and I remember writing a short story using all these meanings, but "put in" is another multiple-meaning one that I need to memorise ardently. When I thought this would be the last ordeal today, I bumped into "to bear". I couldn't believe my eyes. I understand that each language is rich and has its own specialities. But why are there so many different or seemingly close meanings to one word? Anywho, the following list wil...

Well, not verbatim landed his Holiness with his little wings, but he's here. It must be fascinating for those who believe in him and what he represents, the institutionalized faith, which I'm not a big fan of. I'm not saying that it has no relevance in the world. It's the wealth they amass and possess that bothers me. Comparing this wealth to the poverty that Jesus was born into and considering the poverty that still affects billions worldwide, it is not difficult to understand the controversy that irritates me. I don't know what goes on in his head while sitting on his throne and looking at the world, but I'm damn sure he has no difficulties paying for his next meal or medication. I'm not envious of the wealth he and the Church has. They should do more for those who suffer. It's easy to ask for more money and tell everybody how to save when their stomach is full. That's all I'm saying. Nevertheless, Christianity has brought about changes that no...

After waking up and finishing breakfast with the much-needed coffee, I set out to buy a few things. First, I headed for the pet-food store to get some nosh for Abby, and then I drove to another shop to fetch some toilet requisites. Once I got home, I prepared a delicious lunch: fish fingers with jasmine rice and tzatziki. We ate like two hungry wolves. After gulping down the last drop of coffee, while Ági had a lesson, I started to watch movies on chatGPT and autoGPT because Ági has a project about AI and its relevance in language learning. This new area in technology might seem scary and valuable at the same time. However, knowing human nature, I'm not convinced of its usefulness for now. I believe technology is far too advanced for human nature, and we, the mass, are not ready for it. The new AI tool, autoGPT, takes automation to another level, and its ability to serve us with the latest information - because it is connected to the internet - is mind-boggling. I'm not scared ...

After a discussion that turned into a short-lived but rather intensive family feud, I couldn't find the time and energy to write yesterday. It felt like being in a low-budget movie from the sixties. However, I was successful in my studies and made good progress, and the seventh lesson seemed simple. Other than that, the weather could be better. It's a bit chilly right now and doesn't feel like late spring. The cold wind worsened it, and walking Abby was no fun. Nevertheless, let's remain optimistic and believe in what meteorologists predict.

After a good night's sleep and a well-deserved cinnamon pancakes breakfast, I continued my studies with the Ready for Advanced book. I briefly revised the previous lessons and took a new unit afterwards. I couldn't complete it, but that's just as well because it wasn't my intention for today. I only wanted to review the new vocabulary; hence I focused mainly on reading. I solved a few tasks but left the toughest ones for tomorrow. I miss my lessons with Charlette terribly. It would be fantastic to get back to our regular studies, not to mention our little chinwags. Fortunately, the communication hasn't ceased entirely; we keep in touch via emails, though, and she even sent me a new task - which I completed yesterday - but it would be great to return to the classic learning sessions. The weather was terrible today. It wasn't cold, but the greyness was killing us. We had to nod off for thirty minutes after lunch when we saw those enormous clouds slowly creeping ab...

After waking up and having a delicious cinnamon pancake breakfast with the much-needed coffee, I finished the short essay. Then we decided to go out for a long walk because the weather was so lovely that it would have been a sin to remain between the walls. We jumped in our hiking boots, and off we went for a 5.5k hike. The temperature was already high when we left the house, but it got even warmer on the way back. Nature is booming. The last few days brought back the summer feeling, but it's a shame that the next few days will be rainy and cold. It's just as well since the soil and the plants need more water to thrive, so we can deal with a few bad-weather days. I prepared lunch, which, nowadays, is the fish-fingers sprinkled with lime, mashed potato and peas. We ate the meal like two hungry wolves. I then gave Ági a foot massage and watched two more episodes of Elementary. Needless to say that after finishing Ági's feet, I lost consciousness and passed out for an hour. Th...

Today we decided to go on a hiking trip. After breakfast and a much-needed coffee, we jumped in our hiking boots, and off we went on a 5.5k walk up to one of our favourite spots. It was tiring but pleasant, mainly because the weather was divine. The temperature was already high, +20°C; however, the cold gusts of wind reminded us how carefully we had to choose our clothes. Anyway, it took us 75 minutes to climb up to a hill and return home, but the delicious lunch made up for all our efforts. When we finished devouring the nosh, I gave Ági a foot massage and watched two more episodes of Elementary. Then I passed out, which meant the Saturday afternoon dizziness was guaranteed. As for my English studies, I did a bit of revision today, read Charlette's articles, and wrote a draft version of my summary of the excerpts. Then I double-checked the text in Grammarly, corrected the two comma mistakes it suggested, and asked chtGPT to check the text to see if it was good enough for a higher-...

I took a day off today. After waking up, I knew I wouldn't be able to focus and concentrate on my studies, so I jumped in the car and took a long drive through the Pilis Hills. I did this despite receiving Charlette's email yesterday in which she sent me a new task to complete as a preparatory exercise. I'm supposed to read, summarise and evaluate two articles using a maximum of 240-280 words. I read them, and they seem intriguing, so the topics, Endangered Species and Ecotourism, are an excellent basis for a short essay. Anyway, I'll give it some time to sink in first, and when I'm ready with my evaluation, I'll come back and write an essay. The weather was beautiful today. When I crossed the Pilis Hills, despite the ongoing road works, I enjoyed the ride tremendously. Nature is blooming, the foliage is back on the trees, and greenness fills the horizon finally. It was a long ride, and it took me two hours to get back home, shopping and car wash included. It wa...

My performance today could have been better. I made so many mistakes, mainly caused by my being heedless, that I decided to put my studies aside and focus on my homework. Akuc asked me to jot down unknown words, phrasal verbs and idioms while watching some series or comedy and incorporate them into my blog entry. With that in mind, after finishing lunch, I gave Ági a foot massage while watching an episode from one of the best series out there, Elementary, with Johnny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu.  So here is the list I need to use while writing this entry:   to depredate - to plunder or lay waste to; prey upon; pillage; ravage. Synonyms: Attack, loot, maraud, pillage, plunder, raid, ravage  stint - a period of time that you spend working somewhere or doing a particular activity. synonyms : assignment, duty, job, stretch motley - consisting of many different types of people or things that do not seem to belong together. synonyms : mixed, varied to be on your beam ends ...

I continued my test review today. Out of a hundred questions, I made nine mistakes, which is a lot. I was fuming because I could have avoided most of the errors had I paid attention to the context or memorised the previous mistakes. My knowledge is incomplete and insufficient. However, the time I allocated to achieve my goals will help me improve. The weather was beautiful today. It was warm and sunny, and despite the clouds in the sky, there was no rain. The highest temperature was +19°C, so my walks with Abby were pleasant. She behaved and tried her best to live up to our expectations. The road with her is still long and fraught with tasks, but I'm sure she'll nail it. She doesn't have any other choice :)

Today was a great day. After waking up and having a delicious cinnamon pancake for breakfast and a much-needed cup of coffee, I started my studies by returning to the tests I'd done already to see how much I remembered the corrections. I was pleased to see that apart from the two mistakes I made because I was unattentive, the result was promising.  The weather was beautiful today. The highest temperature was +19°C, so the afternoon walk with Abby was very nice. I could go out wearing only a T-shirt and a fleece waistcoat. I enjoyed being outside without all those heavy winter clothes we had to wear during the chilly months. And studying while the windows were wide open was heavenly. It's still early to expect "Hochsommer"; however, I could do with a few heat waves and dog days.

After waking up, I drew up my schedule: nothing out of the ordinary, just the same old routine, hitting the books, grabbing some grub, and hitting the books again. However, having a lesson with Akuc later in the day was unusual, but great. Anyway, let's stick to the natural order of events.  My morning study consisted of finishing the preposition section in my test book, which resulted in me being exceptionally angry with myself for making so many mistakes, most of which I could have avoided had I paid attention properly.  Then we had lunch, during which we watched another terribly mind-numbing episode of Derrick, which made us so sleepy that we had to nod off. The half-coma that the slumber party induced was unavoidable. No wonder taking Abby for her afternoon walk right after coming to was a real challenge. I had to put on a brave face and be the alpha dog, the leader of the pack that even a hungry wolf pack would consider following blindly through thick and thin. But let's ...

Well, the first half of the day was active. However, in terms of studying, it was quite the opposite. After doing another test, I decided to do some sports, which resulted in me training for an hour. It made me so hungry that right after finishing training, I prepared lunch: nothing fancy, only the leftovers from yesterday with some mashed potato. After devouring the nosh, I gave Ági a foot massage, after which I lost consciousness and fell into a self-induced coma. Waking up was extremely difficult, as these short snoozes tend to be. But seriously, these afternoon slumbers are the worst. Eventually, I pulled myself together and mopped the whole flat while Ági was out with Abby. Then I started to study some English. Though I did some tests, I was somewhat unsatisfied with the results, because I made a lot of silly mistakes. Nevertheless, I'm determined to continue my studies and hope Charlette will return soon.

The day began with an excellent breakfast and a much-needed coffee after a not-so-great night. Both of us had a terrible night's sleep. We tried to pull ourselves together, but neither of us had the energy to act like adults. Eventually, we decided to pop into the capital to buy a nice bottle of gin for one of our mates at the shop that specializes in liquor. They have a wide selection of beverages, so we felt lost among the racks brimming with bottles. The shop owner gave us some good advice, and in the end, we bought a Japanese gin, Nikka Coffey Gin, which is said to be promising for a connoisseur. But boy, was the traffic horrible in the city? The normally 10-minute drive took us half an hour; that's how terrible the traffic jam was. Anyway, after buying some food at our favourite fast food restaurant - Csirke Csibész - we drove back to devour the nosh. After finishing lunch, I gave Ági a nice foot massage, which was when our afternoon sleep ordeal started. I passed out righ...

I wouldn't say I like this weather. We're back in autumn. Today's highest temperature was around +10°C with heavy rain and strong wind. It's still raining, and I can see the clouds running across the sky from the south to the north. Tomorrow seems similar, and the following days too.  I did a few preposition tests today and made a few annoying mistakes. I don't like being that headless, but this is a great learning curve for me, as I can use it for my benefit during my future studies and exams. There are four more units in the test book to complete, and after finishing them, I can move on to the next one. An old friend came over today, whim we practised fencing 33 years ago. We last met seven years ago when we attended an old mate's funeral. The guy was only 48, but his lifestyle could have been healthier. Still, far too early to leave this world. He was a good pal.

All my tests today were about prepositions. The conclusion: there is work to do and plenty of room for improvement. I'm not going to beat about the bushes; I must correct and memorise the correct versions ASAP. It's clearly not critical or something that I should be hysterical about. It's the notion of having issues in some parts of the English grammar and vocabulary that irritates me. But I'm on it, so this is half-success so far. The weather was okay today. It wasn't too cold, but it wasn't as warm as yesterday, and we didn't see the sun at all. It's getting worse tomorrow because the rain is arriving and will stay with us the whole day. Moreover, the weather forecast predicts a similar Saturday, so cheerio for the lovely weekend. I had to pop into town to take Ági's car to the garage. It was a pleasant journey with the old Skoda. She turned eighteen this year, which is considered adulthood in human terms according to the Hungarian law. Apart from ...

The roof is ready, and it looks fantastic. The roof guys came early in the morning and finished by 1 p.m. We took the construction waste to the scrapyard, and the guys packed their gear and left with a hefty sum in their pockets, which was well deserved. They did a fantastic job. As for my studies: I completed some tests today and asked chatGPT to create open and multiple cloze text and check my answers. It is frightening how AI handle such requests. It only took three seconds to make them and another two seconds to check my answers. The weather was unbelievably good today. It was sunny with no clouds and only mild wind from the East. The next few days will be different as they'll bring a lot of rain and wind.

Charlette got in touch today. Fortunately, all is well over there. It's the unreliability of the internet that impedes further lessons. But once they get to Argentina, she can continue giving lessons. Till then, I'll stick to my plan and progress as much as possible. Besides reviewing the previous units, I did several open-cloze tests with promising results today. Although I could have done better, I'm not despondent. On the contrary, it inspires me to learn from my mistakes. The weather was beautiful today. The temperatures were high, and the mild wind and the short drizzle couldn't make it unbearable. Tomorrow will bring much better weather, according to the weather forecast, which we'll need since the roof guys will come to finish the job. What an exciting life I'm leading, aren't I? Anyway, spring is unequivocally here. The buds are booming, and the birds are tweeting and chirping almost 24/7.  Despite Abby's progress, we decided not to take her to V...

Today was Easter Monday. The day when men and boys sprinkle ladies with eau de cologne or a bucket of water. In return for their favour, they are given an egg dyed red and some alcohol. No wonder they all are inebriated like hell by the end of the day. As I mentioned earlier, I don't like this tradition. Anyway, the day is over, and hopefully, the brave men are now home sleeping. I did a bit of revision today. I went through the previous lessons and checked the texts and the unknown words, and I'm satisfied with the result. I'll continue the revision tomorrow morning and start a new unit on Wednesday. I miss Charlette's lessons. I hope they are alright in South America, and nothing sinister happened to them, but I find it quite strange that she hasn't replied to my email I sent three weeks ago. I'd hate to look for another English teacher. Other than that, the weather was fantastic today. It was warm, the temperatures were +18°C, and despite being windy and rain...

Today was Easter Sunday, also known as Resurrection Sunday. The world celebrated Christ's resurrection, and although this is the last day of Easter, tomorrow will still be part of the festive season, when men go out of their ways to sprinkle females with eau de cologne or, in the countryside, with a bucket of water. All in the name of fertility. I never used to understand why; moreover, as men get some alcohol in return for their favour, the majority of the country gets bladdered by the end of the day. I don't follow this tradition. As for my English studies: I did a few tests today with mixed results, for which I could have been happier. I made some irritating mistakes; hence my overall performance could have been better. However, apart from these pesky errors, I was satisfied with the results. The main focus of the tests today was: 1. filling the gaps in texts and 2. word transformation. Tomorrow I'll start a revision week, during which I'll go through the previous le...

The Christian world celebrates Easter. Besides Christmas, this is the most significant Christian Holiday in the world. The story of Jesus is still the most painful yet beautiful in the world, despite the cruelty he had to endure before and during the crucifixion. The Passion of the Christ by Mel Gibson depicted the last days of Jesus with great precision. A truly heartbreaking story. Jim Caviezel , who played the role of Jesus, was struck by lightning, accidentally scrouged, had his shoulder dislocated, and suffered from pneumonia and hypothermia . Yesterday, right before buckling down to my daily routine, i.e. writing my entry, one of my mates called, saying he was around the block with a test car and invited me for a test drive. I couldn't resist the temptation and agreed to go on a ride. It was a brand new Volkswagen ID BUZZ, a bi-colour micro-bus. What can I say; a forty-million-forint car that accelerates like a cheetah and has plenty of room for seven people gave me goosebum...

Winter is around the corner. Again. It's irritating that the cold weather is still with us after a long grey winter. We didn't see the Sun today, and the temperatures dropped significantly. And to top it off, it was snowing, covering the Eastern countryside with 10cm thick fresh snow. The next four days will bring more rain, so we are unhappy. As for my English studies: I was exceptionally productive today. I did a lot of tests with fairly good results. Half of the mistakes I made were irritating - I attributed them to the lack of attention - and the other half - mainly phrasal verb-related ones - because I needed to be 100% sure of the meaning. And the scariest part of my learning today was my chat with chatGPT. The way and speed with which AI can explain even the most complicated grammatical rules and structures are simply baffling. I was shocked to see how easily it could come up with an explanation, and how it interacts with humans is scary. But it was a great experience an...

I got a sad message today on Facebook. One of my classmates from high school suddenly passed away a month ago. He was only 51, and there were no signs of his death. I know we are not young anymore, as 35 years have passed since graduation, but isn't it a bit too early to kick the bucket?  Rest in peace Gyuri. ✝ I finished the sixth unit today. It was simple; however, I needed some explanations in causatives. I had some controversy with the following sentence: "I heard that Susie had her motorbike stolen.", in which the causative indicates that "they did something to Susie's motorbike without her intention or control". However, it shouldn't necessarily mean it since some fraudulent intentions could be involved, e.g., Susie wanted someone to steal her motorbike because she deliberately wanted to commit insurance fraud. So, once again, the context is essential to understand how and what to use and why this structure means what it means. Then I completed som...

Despite making a vow to myself that I'd write a short entry every day, I couldn't find time yesterday to do so. It's not that I wouldn't want to, but the circumstances had different plans for me. For some inexplicable reason, the gum behind my tooth, which they had replaced the filling in last Friday, got inflamed. By the end of the day, I couldn't close my mouth, so I decided to check the non-stop dental ambulance at eight p.m. We drove to Budapest and waited half an hour to get in, but the swelling reduced completely, fortunately. They gave me some mothball-smelling ointment, which made me feel like being in a wardrobe amongst my granny's favourite fur coats. Anyway, by the time we got home at 10:30 p.m. I wasn't in the mood for writing. Today I had to pop into Budapest for a check-up at my dentist, and the good news is, there is nothing wrong with my inflamed gum. Hurray. As for my English: I went through the sixth lesson yesterday and today, and it went ...