Shadowing Practice: whimsy spring days | seattle diaries - Learn English Speaking with Video

Dun, dun, dun, dun

And the moon begins to hide It's not over

in the wind i'll turn and light does not

morning vlog excuse the messy hair we have not gotten ready

for the day yet put on these eye patches i just

got these mediheal eye patches they're like these retinol ones

and i've honestly i've been using them in the morning

and night really trying to brighten up my under eyes

because i haven't been sleeping well so i've been getting some dark circles and i'm trying to

combat it as much as I can.

Spring isn't in the air because my allergies have been kicking my butt.

Yesterday I literally had a very lazy day.

I was supposed to have a very, I was supposed to do a bunch of things yesterday.

I thought I was getting sick again

but then it just turned out to be my allergies

because finally when I took a nap

and took a bunch of allergy medicine it kicked in and I finally started feeling so much better.

But let me show you what I did yesterday.

I used my rest day to put together this lego harry potter mandrake.

Look how cute it is.

I've had it on my shelf for a

while to do in the box

and i was like you know what i don't need a doom scroll today let's just build some legos

so finally took a couple hours and built this bad boy it's

so cute you literally let me nerd out real quick

but anyway i'm gonna put it back on the shelf um

that is what i did yesterday

but this morning i have i just woke up woke up late around eight

because again my allergies have been kicking my butt but I had some breakfast.

I literally just did a sudoku puzzle.

I've been really I've been really trying to get back on my sudoku grind

because I was just thinking about how we need to exercise our brains more

and how much we don't exercise our brains so did my sudoku puzzle.

It was one of the easy ones but I struggled and I completed it.

We have some work cut out for us this morning

because Project Hail Mary is coming out tonight in theaters

but tomorrow some of the but Club Girlies and I are going to go see it in IMAX.

And as you can see, I have half a book to read today.

It is honestly no fret because literally yesterday, I think I read 150 pages.

So that's what our goal is today is to finish that book.

So just going to do some morning stretches, going to read.

I'm going to time myself because I want to read for about an hour

and a half to hour and 45 because today at 1.30, we have our personal training appointment.

Some stretches.

Let's do some light yoga poses and then read before we gotta head out to the gym.

So let's do that.

Get some meditation in and lock in some reading time.

Hi, oh my gosh, hello vlog.

It's the next day.

Do you see that?

Sun.

It's sunny.

It has been so ugly for days here.

Like rain, wind, sideways rain.

It has been truly like Seattle winter the past couple days.

But like I said, it's the next day and it is about 2 30.

I've just kind of been focusing on reading and getting my work done.

I've been I mean I've been kind of getting work done because I've been so focused on reading.

Oh it is just such the most beautiful day right now.

It's like literally truly it's making me giddy because it's been so emo.

Full twilight here.

75 pages away from finishing project Hail Mary and the movie is at 4 30.

So with that being said I kind of want to head out now.

It turned out to be such a pretty day

so I think I'm going to go ride a bike around the city

and then go to the movies to meet the book club release

but like I said we have a big group

so I want to go kind of early and just post up in line.

I don't even know what time the doors open for IMAX.

Let's see.

Hi there, thank you for going to the Pacific Center.

How can I help you?

Anyway, let's go pack our bag, get on a bike, and head to the movies.

And I will see you guys on the bike.

Let's go.

I'm gonna open it up.

I just do it in the box.

I don't think she never went to.

Good morning vlog.

Good morning.

Happy Saturday.

Today is a very special day because I have a very exciting guest coming over.

My friend Gabby.

We haven't physically seen each other in years.

What year was that?

It was the year that Drake toured, which had to be like two, three.

Damn.

Feels like a lifetime ago, but she is in town for the weekend.

So I have a very special day planned for her.

I'm

so proud I vibe coded a website for her to tell

her what we're doing today It's much cooler on the computer

But it opens to this home screen that you must type a password into

and then you type in the unlocking spell It takes you to the next page

and then I even made the cursor a little wand

And then it reveals our itinerary for the day

So this is a saturday in seattle curated for gabrielle

and then you click next and then I just literally put in what our little play-by-play is of the day.

100

I thought she might appreciate that because I think we're both very type A people.

101

I think we both want to know like what time we're going to do things-ish so we know what to wear, how we can be prepared, just all the things.

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I just feel like it makes type A people feel better.

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You know, I have just been like cleaning up as much as I can.

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Place is probably the cleanest it's been in a minute.

105

First up, we're going to go, of course, get some matcha, some breakfast.

106

We're going to probably run and do like a photo booth, stay tourist for a little bit, go to the market.

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And then we're going to ride our bikes to just up and down the waterfront.

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First, we're going to take out Kuma.

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He's going to come join us for a minute and then hang out here for a bit.

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Maybe go to the art museum, but we'll see.

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We'll see.

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We'll see because it's such a nice day.

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We literally could end up doing anything and everything.

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And then tonight we're going to have dinner and go to sushi hand rolls.

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And then after hand rolls we are gonna go to a bad bunny laser show.

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I forgot about that.

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Oh my gosh It's gonna be so late.

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So we're gonna have to be very Caffeinated today because we have a big day ahead of us.

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It's bad bunny laser show tonight at the pacific science center I'm, actually very excited gabby and her partner are a very very big bad bunny fans

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So when I saw that there was a laser show at the pacific science center, I immediately got to take it So he's gonna join us tonight.

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My boyfriend might join us He's away on a business trip right now, but is gonna come home hopefully in time to join us tonight, but we'll see um, we'll see.

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I think it's time to head out we're gonna go walk

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and pick up miss gabby and then Go get our first matcha

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and things of the day So after the market i'm taking gabby to the pottery studio

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and we're going to do some wheel throwing together So we have a packed agenda today.

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I gotta change my battery.

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Let's go Cheers!

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Cheers!

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The Gabby x Gabby crossover episode Gabby x Gabby!

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We have our breakfast saladers!

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Cheers!

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I'll have it like...

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It's a love book

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so funny the shelf is a little sus

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but we're on a bookstore crawl right now i think this

136

is going to be our last one before we head back to the apartment

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and get on some bikes and go pottery class

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or to the studio we both got one book we got sylvia plath's bell jar

139

but we're seeing if there's anything else that calls our name Everything Everything Everything Can you buy your hands?

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Can you buy your hands?

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This is my That's right That was right That was his souvenir It really is And that's why every piece is like

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Either lower or lower Let's do this.

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Alright, we got our lime gliders.

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We just got done with pottery and now we're gonna go glide our way to Italian food for lunch.

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Are you ready?

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Let's go.

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Look at the chart.

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This is hard.

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Okay, 10 minutes.

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Cheers!

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Got a sesame iced latte.

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See if I can get to it.

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I don't typically order the sesame latte, but I'm treating myself today because it is quite delicious.

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Cheers!

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We are currently at Frida trying out some glasses.

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Yeah, these are better.

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Yeah, that's better.

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That's better.

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These are giving.

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I think I like them.

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I think the other ones were like...

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Yeah.

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I think we went for a rectangle frame.

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Cute!

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Making my way down there.

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We're going to Arendelle Books again because this place is one of the most beautiful bookstores in Seattle, I have to say.

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And I'm excited to see Gaby Traction.

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Oh!

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Yeah, yeah.

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We're just nonchalantly looking at books.

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Whoa!

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I have not seen that.

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It's like peach.

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Why does this look so much bigger than I remember?

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Dude, Iron Flame's fat.

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Ew!

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That's what I was like.

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Wait, the font is- Oh!

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Maybe it has bonus chapters.

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Certain books have bonus chapters.

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Did you read the one with bonus chapters?

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Yeah.

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Ugh.

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No, there's always a bonus.

185

You're lying.

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Shut up.

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And it's only $12.

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You're kidding me.

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I missed bonus chapters.

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Yeah.

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Wait, how do I know?

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It's not going to be at the end, but it'll show Zayvon's appeal.

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Shut up.

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Oh, I don't know how to do this.

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I didn't know that.

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Is this for that.

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Or you can look it up online if your copy doesn't have.

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But there are bonus chapters from ZN's POV.

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But why is it so much bigger?

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And the font looks smaller.

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That's what I'm saying, like how much more is in here?

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Wait, why do I not remember this being in my book?

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That's not in the book.

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Only this is.

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I'm pretty sure.

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Shut up.

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I've never seen this.

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It's only 12 it's used probably too.

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God damn it.

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Alrighty.

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You're coming home with me.

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We're so easy.

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Okay, everyone we have a hole.

214

Hall time!

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I'm gonna get this.

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This is crazy actually.

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I want to film this.

218

Wow, two and one?

219

I know.

220

Okay.

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I think you should go first with your haul.

222

Okay, let's show them what we both got.

223

Okay.

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We both got a book tracker.

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It's for one book at a time and you track your pages.

226

and it was very very freaking cute and i'm

227

so excited what's the nut hold on we both got this

228

i'll let gabby go into depth thing we got together are

229

these little book trackers it kind of gave me like library

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vibe specifically i think it's just a cute way to document

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like where you're at on the page like what are you

232

gonna do once you're done with like each page i am

233

gonna put it in my little memento toolbox that'd be cute

234

i was thinking maybe i'd leave it in the book oh like the front

235

you know like

236

and like the date you read yeah that's kind of cute

237

did you know killian murphy actually every time he finishes a book he puts the date

238

and then where he's at oh that's cute

239

because he like travels a lot

240

so he'll put like the country oh that's good that's really good okay we have to do that then

241

because this has a start finish oh best part of the

242

book it's like a full-on little book report okay we have to write

243

that on the back then that's really smart

244

because he's just an actor traveling around yeah you know he's low-key a fire dj he's just a cool I'm like, honestly, kind of the actor's inspo.

245

That's funny.

246

Like him and Idris.

247

Yes.

248

I am so inspired.

249

Next, we both got copies of The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.

250

This has been my TBR for forever.

251

I'm so excited.

252

And it's used.

253

Yes.

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We went to the used bookstore for this.

255

And this one, I genuinely don't know, but it was $15.

256

It's supposed to be special.

257

This edition for some reason.

258

Actually, I should probably figure that out.

259

I think it's just the old edition.

260

Okay, let's see one that's on the publisher.

261

I love the look of like a really good condition of like used.

262

What's your guess?

263

What's your guess?

264

What's your guess?

265

Um, frick, I don't know.

266

1900?

267

All of these?

268

1971. But like, which?

269

It doesn't seem that old.

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I mean, that doesn't seem that far away.

271

But technically, that's almost 60 years.

272

Oh.

273

Dang.

274

That is kind of old.

275

That is old.

276

Next.

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You have the cool ones.

278

Y'all, these, I did not mean to go this hard, but what was the place called?

279

Frida, I went to Frida.

280

Yeah, she took me to Frida and it's like basically what, like...

281

Vintage curation and some like minor retails.

282

You guys, I've been on the hunt for like the perfect rectangle lens, just clear glass.

283

Yeah.

284

Yeah, it looks good.

285

Is it getting sexy reader?

286

It is getting very sexy reader.

287

Wait, I love that.

288

I'm gonna look in the mirror.

289

No, I'm not.

290

That was so leocoded.

291

I'm looking at the camera.

292

I'm not.

293

I'm not.

294

Let me look in the clear.

295

Wait.

296

No, I'm not getting like, not to glaze her.

297

But like when she put them on, I was like, yeah.

298

Yeah, she knew it was coming out.

299

Oh my God.

300

Kuma.

301

Bro, is it because we're not giving you attention?

302

Obsessed with these frames.

303

You guys know I wear my blue light glasses all the time, but I don't have any rectangle lens like this.

304

They're pretty good.

305

Kuma looks so locked in to what I'm saying right now.

306

This is the toy, you're like, look toy.

307

I know.

308

Right here.

309

Hawaiian son.

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Yeah.

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This is Kuma's toy today.

312

He's an island boy.

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I picked up a new copy of Iron Flame and I dropped it.

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Oh, there's the damage.

315

It's not too bad.

316

It's already used.

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And both don't know why this book is bigger than the other copies.

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It's a little bit bigger than the original.

319

Maybe there's bonus chapters in here.

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She hasn't read the bonus chapters of Iron Flame, period.

321

I didn't even know.

322

There's some in like the first book too.

323

The cover's gorge.

324

The cover's gorge.

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It's like this coppery peach sheet.

326

Oh my god.

327

You are like an animal for attention right now.

328

He's mad.

329

He's so mad.

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Okay, Gabby has another thing in the show.

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And the last thing that I got is my first ever Midori notebook.

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They didn't have just like the regular, what is it called?

333

Lines.

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But I got dotted and I'm really not dotted I got grid

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and I'm excited because it's like a flat lay book And I've been needing a new journal anyway, so I'm almost done with my Muji one,

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but I'm finally on the Midori chain Just graduating look there's one right there.

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I'm gonna you that's my learning log.

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I Was inspired I think I was influenced by the I bought sir.

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I bought the last one at that place This is the one I got

340

but I thought they would have restocked right now But this is a dotted one like the daughter is nice.

341

That's nice.

342

But I got the grid.

343

I'm gonna Undies this for you guys.

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This is my last thing that I got It's a coffee table book about the hundred

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and fifty bookstores that you need to visit before you die That's such a cute book.

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I almost got that book too.

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I think you need to go back for it because it's quite Nice cool.

348

It is cool.

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And it's like a travel bucket list, too.

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It's fun I like these books

351

because it gives me it's like aspirational places to visit around

352

the world dude imagine you went on like a quest to

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go to all of that's what i'm saying like i kind

354

of want to do it like this is one of those things like you you technically could

355

oh oh

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and soul soul remember you went to soul yeah i wish i was only there for two days

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so i didn't get to see that one

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but i did see the one that's in all of the uh like those all the Instagram tick-tock yeah

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that is our haul mr. Kuma is begging for attention ready look it that is our haul That's our haul now.

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I hope we're gonna play puzzles.

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I love that everything is like so book coded

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Besides these what is he they are they are you're gonna read in them.

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I wear my blue lights all the time That's so cute I need a pencil sharpener

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I don't even know where mine is I think I have like Not the intense I know Yeah, it's basically easier.

365

Yeah, cuz I need to like lock it.

366

No way.

367

Dude, it's not a comp!

368

No, you're so fast!

369

I really am.

370

Five minutes!

371

Um, one, two, one.

372

Stop!

373

You're gonna find one.

374

So, when you're stuck, I like to go vertical as well, like switch it up.

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Oh, you're so- I didn't do that!

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Do you go box by box?

377

No way!

378

No, no, no, not that thing.

379

I do, I do.

380

I never thought about it that way.

381

Oh my god, you just unlocked some more of my brain.

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This is one.

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Yeah, I was going box like box my whole life Yeah,

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bro We're here to go Some beans Hey,

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I like the little mushrooms She's not a cheap I just saw fried garlic Okay.

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First part!

387

Cheers!

388

Oh, that is so juicy.

389

Okay, we both have hamachi and a...

390

Jutaro.

391

Looks juicy!

392

Which one are you doing first?

393

Hamachi?

394

Cheers!

395

Oh, damn.

396

I love being Japanese

397

Hello everybody It's been a couple days This looks

398

so cozy right now It's currently 10pm I just wanted to

399

check in as I've had some time to reflect on the incredible day that I got to have over the weekend.

400

Drinking some peppermint tea or I'm waiting for it to steep.

401

I've been having a little bit of a busy work week and just existing in the physical realm.

402

But I've had a few days to just reflect on all the abundance of fun and love in my life right now.

403

Especially the day that Gabby and I got to spend together.

404

I just feel like I'm reeling from that still

405

and it was such a good day and really just makes me feel

406

so incredibly grateful to have such amazing friends in my life

407

and friends that truly feel like they have been sent to exist,

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that they have been sent to be in our lives for so much grander reasons.

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I fully believe that there are no coincidences in this realm

410

and that everything is meant to happen for a reason

411

and I truly feel like my friendship with Gabby is just such a beautiful thing.

412

I'm so grateful.

413

We had such a good day On paper was just a like cute Girly day.

414

I mean we went to bookstores.

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I mean you guys saw it went to bookstores.

416

We biked around It was such a fun day

417

but being able to have a friendship where uplifts you

418

and challenges you and just aligns with your mentality your morals

419

and your dreams is just such a beautiful thing and I'm

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so grateful for that and I do have I guess I do have some pride in

421

that I'm very proud of that because one making friends is hard two making friends

422

that truly just align with you is another battle

423

and I'm so grateful and I and I just am I just am

424

so grateful on April 2nd we just had the pink full moon in alignment with the first of the month

425

and I feel like I am just letting

426

that sink in I think I'm thinking about all this too

427

because I actually spoke on campus at UW last night on a panel to a new club

428

that a new club chapter that just started at UW called Reach

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and I didn't I unfortunately didn't vlog and I honestly was a bit nervous

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so I was just focusing on getting ready and getting out the door

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and getting to that panel but I don't know

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if any of you watching this are from like my OG vlogging days

433

but I started vlogging on YouTube when I was in college at University of Washington

434

and sitting in that room with these new students curious about content creation

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and that stuff did not exist when I was in school and it just was such an out-of-body

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experience truly to answer these young people's questions and

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filled with gratitude here we are again yapping a lot anywho

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thank you guys as always have a lovely sunday everybody comment

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a teapot emoji have a lovely rest of your day i will see you guys in the next one

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This video has 438 sentences and 3700 words to shadow. The speech runs for 24:19. The speaker talks at a natural 152 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 82% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.

Key vocabulary in this video

15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
bonus noun	/ˈbəʊ.nəs/	Something extra that is good; an added benefit.
grateful adjective	/ˈɡɹeɪtf(ə)l/	Of a person or their actions, feelings, etc.: expressing gratitude or appreciation; appreciative, thankful.
haul verb	/hɔl/	To transport by drawing or pulling, as with horses or oxen, or a motor vehicle.
allergy noun	/ˈæl.əɹ.d͡ʒi/	A disorder of the immune system causing adverse reactions to substances (allergens) not harmful to most and marked by the body's production of histamines and…
laser noun	/ˈleɪzɚ/	A device that produces a monochromatic, coherent beam of light.
shelf noun	/ʃɛlf/	A flat, rigid structure, fixed at right angles to a wall or forming a part of a cabinet, desk, etc., and used to display, store, or support objects.
puzzle noun	/ˈpʌzəl/	The state of feeling confused or mystified because one cannot understand a complicated matter, a problem, etc.; bewilderment, confusion; (countable) often in…
bunny noun	/ˈbʌni/	A rabbit, especially a juvenile one.
pottery noun	/ˈpɑtəɹi/	Fired ceramic wares that contain clay when formed.
sexy adjective	/ˈsɛksi/	Having sex appeal; attractive.
friendship noun	/ˈfɹɛn(d)ʃɪp/	The condition of being friends.
reflect verb	/ɹɪˈflɛkt/	To bend back (light, etc.) from a surface.
stretch verb	/stɹɛt͡ʃ/	To lengthen by pulling.
reader noun	/ˈɹi.dɚ/	A person who reads.
butt noun	/bʌt/	Body; self.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
shut up	/ʃʌt ʌp/	Stop talking (usually in the form of making annoying, irrelevant, or false comments, during a period of peace and quiet, or when one is not allowed to talk)…
come out verb	/ˌkʌm ˈaʊt/	To be discovered; to be revealed.
head out verb		To leave, depart; to go on ahead.
pick up verb		To lift; to grasp and raise.
wake up verb	/ˌweɪk ˈʌp/	To stop sleeping; to awake.
clean up verb		To make an area or a thing clean; to pick up a mess; to tidy.
come over verb		To affect in a sudden, unprecedented or surprising manner; to overwhelm a person's ordinarily contrary impulse.
end up verb		To bring to a conclusion.

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 144 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, we're, gonna. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “th” sounds: theater /ˈθi(ə)tɚ/, booth /buθ/
The “sh” and “zh” sounds: shelf /ʃɛlf/, friendship /ˈfɹɛn(d)ʃɪp/, gosh /ɡɑːʃ/, inspiration /ˌɪn.spɪˈɹeɪ.ʃən/, sheet /ʃit/
Long words — get the stress right: technically /ˈtɛk.nɪˌkəl.i/, inspiration /ˌɪn.spɪˈɹeɪ.ʃən/, incredibly /ɪŋˈkɹɛdɪbli/, genuinely /ˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.ɪn.li/, coincidence /kəʊˈɪnsɪdəns/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like bonus, grateful, haul.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on	i've been using · haven't been sleeping · have been kicking
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	have not gotten · I've been · has been
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	being said · can be prepared · Was inspired
Past continuous was/were + -ing — an action in progress at a moment in the past	was getting · was just thinking · was thinking

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

Key vocabulary in this video

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Pronunciation to watch

How to practise with this video

Grammar in this video

What is the Shadowing Technique?