Just because... it doesn't mean...

Just because... it doesn't mean..." is an expression  we use to look beyond the obvious and expected. It shows us that there are other alternatives, possibilities, options or outcomes.

1. Just because I look sexy on the cover of Rolling Stone doesn't mean I'm naughty. - Britney Spears

2. Do not consider it proof just because it is written in books, for a liar who will deceive with his tongue will not hesitate to do the same with his pen. - Maimonides

3. Just because Fate doesn't deal you the right cards, it doesn't mean you should give up. It just means you have to play the cards you get to their maximum potential. - Les Brown

4. I'm not a role model... Just because I dunk a basketball doesn't mean I should raise your kids. - Charles Barkley

5. Just because something doesn't do what you planned it to do doesn't mean it's useless. - Thomas A. Edison

6. People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost. - H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

                                                                                                                          
7. Getting divorced just because you don't love a man is almost as silly as getting married just because you do. - Zsa Zsa Gabor

8. I thank God for my failures. Maybe not at the time but after some reflection. I never feel like a failure just because something I tried has failed. - Dolly Parton

9. I played softball and basketball growing up. I really wanted to play football but both parents said no. I was mad for a second, then got over it. Now, just because I'm tall doesn't mean I can play basketball. I was waaaaay better at swinging a bat. - Jordin Sparks

10. Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn't mean he lacks vision. - Stevie Wonder

A "nice touch"

A nice touch is a small detail that improves the appearance/ atmosphere/ quality/ comfort/ design/ idea, etc. of something.  

1. Do you pay attention to small details at home? Do you decorate your home with nice little things or putflowers on the table? Having some plants, especially in your living room... or at the entrance, is a nice touch.

2. If you've ever been to a wedding celebration, you will have noticed small finishing touches everywhere... from flowers, linen and silverware to placeholders. I think a nice touch is giving the guests some type of keepsake to remember the special day. 

3. Can you remember a nice restaurant or hotel that you stayed in where they paid attention to detail? Was there anything particular or exceptional about the room service or service in general that you could say was a nice touch? Some hotels fold their towels into the shapes of animals and put them on your bed. Some people think that's a nice touch. Personally, I think it's weird.

4. On some flights, after you have finished eating, the air hostess hands out some hot, scented napkins/ towels for you to clean your hands. More recently, flights in Brazil have dispensed with those nice little touches… now, if you are hungry, you can buy ruffles and the sort of snacks that you can find in a vending machine in-flight. I think it's something to do with cutting costs.

5. Putting a cherry on top of a cake is generally a nice touch. If you want to ask someone very nicely to do you a favor, you can say, "Pretty please with a cherry on top!" 

Over + verb

When we use "over" + a verb/ noun/ participle, the resulting adjective or verb describes a situation of being "too much" or "excessive". Likewise when we use "under" + any part of speech, we are talking about, "not enough", "insufficient" or "too little".

1. If someone is “overworked and underpaid”, they earn peanuts (very little money) for the amount of work they do. Do you feel that way about your job?

2. There are many obvious consequences to oversleeping… Such as: being late for work, missing an appointment or arriving late to English class.

3. Some people (including myself) like to complicate things and overthink them. Sometimes the solution is a lot simpler than we think... or life is not as complicated as we make it out to be.

4. Do you feel that you are underappreciated at work or in your family? Do people take you for granted?

5. Do you think the World Cup soccer tickets were overpriced… or do you think there was a price to pay to attend football's greatest spectacle? What services do you think people overcharge for?

A new blog you might enjoy...

Hi guys,

I rarely post anything other than my English teaching material. This is one of those rare moments ;-)

For those of you who are in any way interested in the world of productivity or in organizational apps such as Evernote and Workflowy... or even if you just like Star Wars and other such geeky things, you may find my new blog interesting as well as entertaining. I launched it last week.

Productivity Mashup

The first 2 posts are about a list-making/ outlining app called WorkFlowy. I talk about how I've been using WorkFlowy during the World Cup Soccer this last month: 

• Completing a soccer album with no less than 649 stickers
• Keeping track of soccer scores in my own home-made digital list 

If you've been following Natively Speaking Comics for some time... heck, you may even be curious as to the face behind this blog... you'll learn a little more about me there. It's all in English, of course... and you'll notice that my writing style is a tad bit different! No "dumbing down" (simplifying) my English... so it will surely be a challenge to many of you. Who said English was easy!?

So... head on over there if you're curious (and sign up for email updates!):

Productivity Mashup

I will continue with posts right here next week. The World Cup comes to an end today!! Good luck to both Argentina and Germany. May the best team win!

Beijos,

Frank

On the other hand...

"On the other hand" is a popular expression which we use when comparing and contrasting situations. We may be comparing two sides of a story, two extremes or two possibilities.

1. When Fortaleza (One of the host cities for the World Cup in the Northeast of Brazil) hosts a soccer game, you can almost be guaranteed that there will be no rain (which is a good thing)… But on the other hand, it is so hot that players need a time-out to refresh themselves because of the heat and humidity. 

2. Life in the tropics is fantastic, because it is quite literally an endless summer. On the other hand, we have to find ways to keep cool.

3. When a Third World country hosts the FIFA World Cup (or Olympics), it is a mixed bag of blessings. On one hand, there is the benefit of an influx of tourism which lasts until long after the World Cup ends, as well as a renewed interest in Brazil in general… On the other hand, the country oversteps its budget in preparing the infrastructure and building stadiums. There is also a demand for - and therefore an increase in - prostitution.

4. It is incredibly frustrating when referees make obvious bad calls during a game. For example, not awarding a goal when it really is one… Or calling a penalty when there shouldn't be one. Also, there are unpleasant stories in the news. For instance, African teams not receiving their money from their confederations... On the other hand, what would the World Cup be without a little controversy? Don't you think we need these types of things to happen so that we have something to talk about… Something newsworthy?

5. Brazil's top goal scorer and star player, Neymar, did not score any goals against Chile during their recent match, apart from a penalty (because there were always 2 to 3 Chilean players on top of him). He was not able to shine as he usually does… On the other hand, we know that he worked really hard because he ran about 13.5 km during the game, where normally most players would run about 10 km. Maybe that was also because of overtime.

6. I live one block from the FIFA Fan Fest in Fortaleza. They have a super big mega screen to watch matches, tons of foreigners supporting their teams and plenty of other events planned during the World Cup. It sure is a lot of fun! On the other hand, the activity and "noise" is constant. It starts at about 9 AM and continues until past midnight... every day. That makes it difficult to sleep well. 

Once in a while

"Once in a while" is the same as saying "every now and then" or "from time to time".

1. I don't get on Facebook every day… just once in a while. 

2. These days, do you see your best friend(s) once in a while because you are so busy living life?

3. From time to time I transfer or upload the video clips stored on my phone to the internet so that they are not lost if I lose my phone or it gets stolen. It's a good idea to back up any type of information periodically, just to be on the safe side.

4. Standup paddle surf is the type of hobby that gets boring (for me) if you practice it every week… So I only go every now and then.

5. What activities do you only do once in a while because they are kind of expensive? It's not every weekend that I travel out of the city.

6. From time to time I clean my air-conditioning units… However, I really should clean them more frequently. What activities, responsibilities or tasks do you think you should do more often?

7. Every once in a while there are strikes throughout Brazil. Once in a while it's the post office or the schools… But most often it's the banks.

Go through (something)

When you go through something, you use, consume or finish it. 

1. Newborn infants and babies go through a lot more diapers than older kids because they need to be changed more often. This would only be a point of interest if you were a parent!

2. Do you think you go through a roll of toilet paper quicker or slower than the average person? It also depends on what you use the toilet paper for.

3. I go through about four or five LaserJet printer cartridges a year. When the prints start to get light or get streaks, I know the ink is running out.

4. Imagine how many light bulbs Las Vegas goes through every year… I know they have neon lights… but many hotels still use screw-in light bulbs, especially for their huge signboards. 

5. What household items do you go through a lot quicker than the average household? Is it because you have a big family or because you simply consume a lot of whatever it is? I go through a lot of bananas and oatmeal because I eat that for breakfast every day.

6. Brazilians go through a lot of coconut water… So there is an industry devoted to using the coconut husks. What do people in your country or region go through a lot of?

Didn't see it coming

If you never saw/ didn't see something coming, it was totally unexpected.

1. Sometimes an event or circumstance takes us by surprise. Often, the untimely and premature death of celebrities (or loved ones) shocks us, because we never saw it coming. 

2. When the ending of a movie turns out way different to what we expect, we call that a twist (in the plot). The storyline is designed in such a way that we don't see it coming. Can you remember a movie that turned out completely different to what you imagined?

My example: Memento.

3. Do you know someone whose husband or wife cheated on them? I'll bet they never saw it coming. 

4. The Turkish prime minister has recently banned Twitter in Turkey, because of its power to mobilize masses and the quick spread of information. This follows a tragic mining accident where more than 300 Turkish miners were killed. The families of the victims never saw the accident coming. The prime minister didn't see the protests and the general unrest coming. The population didn't see the banning of Twitter coming. It is still possible to connect to Twitter through alternative routes… The prime minister didn't see that coming.

5. If something happens "out of the blue", it happens quickly and unexpectedly. If something happens out of the blue, you don't see it coming. It appears from “out of nowhere”.

6. Sometimes, important characters in the TV series "Game of Thrones" are killed... and unless you have read the book, you definitely don't see it coming.