Category Archives: Life in the United States

Luck of the Irish

Posted on Monday - March 17, 2008 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Today is Saint Patrick’s Day, the national day of the country of Ireland. A saint is considered a very holy person in the Christian religion. St. Patrick (notice the abbreviation for “saint” is St.) was a famous priest who worked … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in the United States | 6 Comments

Daylight Saving Time

Posted on Monday - March 10, 2008 by Dr. Lucy Tse

Yesterday, Sunday, March 9, at 2:00 a.m. was the beginning of Daylight Saving Time in the U.S. Like many other countries, Daylight Saving is used to save energy (electricity, fuel) by adjusting (changing) the hours of the day to better … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in the United States | 9 Comments

Foreclosures and the U.S. Economy

Posted on Wednesday - February 20, 2008 by Dr. Lucy Tse

As many of you probably know, the U.S. economy is doing poorly right now, with some economists saying that we are going into a recession, a period of major economic decline. The major reason for this downslide (decline) is that … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in the United States, News and Current Events | 6 Comments

Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, Lunar New Year

Posted on Wednesday - February 6, 2008 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

This is not just a big week for American football or the U.S. presidential elections. There are at least three other major world events that happen this week. The first is Mardi Gras (“Fat Tuesday”), which marks (celebrates, commemorates) the … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in the United States, News and Current Events | 10 Comments

Super Tuesday

Posted on Tuesday - February 5, 2008 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Today is being called Super Tuesday in the United States. This is not related to the Super Bowl, which was last Sunday. It’s called Super Tuesday because it is the most important day for electing the candidates of the two … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in the United States, News and Current Events | 10 Comments

Pampering Your Pet (ESL Podcast 343 – Being Alike and Different)

Posted on Friday - February 1, 2008 by Dr. Lucy Tse

In today’s episode, we hear two dog owners talk about their “babies.” Many Americans have pets and they like to pamper (to give every comfort and attention to) those pets. We talk about different ways that American pet owners pamper … Continue reading →

Posted in Discussing the Episodes, Life in the United States | 8 Comments

Snow-Capped Mountains…in Los Angeles

Posted on Monday - January 28, 2008 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

It has been raining here in Los Angeles pretty much non-stop (without interruption) for the past four days. It is normally very dry in southern California, but this year we have received a lot of rain and snow. One of … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in the United States, News and Current Events | 11 Comments

Play Ball! (in China)

Posted on Thursday - January 24, 2008 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Baseball is one of the United States’ most popular sports, but it has become popular in many other countries as well, especially in Asia and Latin America. In the U.S., the organization of professional baseball teams is called Major League … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in the United States, News and Current Events | 13 Comments

Post No Bills

Posted on Thursday - January 17, 2008 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Bill is a funny word. Normally, it means a statement of what you have to pay someone for a product or service, what you owe him or her. In a restaurant, the waiter brings you the bill (also called the … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in the United States | 11 Comments

DWI: Driving While Intelligent?

Posted on Friday - December 28, 2007 by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

The intials DWI usually mean Driving While Intoxicated. To be intoxicated means to have drunk too much alcohol.  As in most places, it is illegal in the U.S. to drive when you have drunk a large quantity of beer, wine, … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in the United States | 3 Comments