I personally would say: "Look, pineapple I can take. But Pineapple with jalapenos? That's pushing it." People will likely have different answers. "just barely, but I can do it" may sound like extra words.

Hey Albert, your sentence is not bad! Here is a natural way to say this: "My brother completed his doctorate at 33. However, there is a dark side because he gives very little attention to his family and friend." This sounds more natural as two separate sentences with two separate ideas. If you only want one sentence, consider this: "My brother completed his doctorate at 33, but there is a dark side to this accomplishment as well."

Both are grammatically correct. “We were playing” is past continuous tense, and I would say it is more common.

It is impossible to answer this question. We don't know. However, since the word background is used, we could guess that the work is outside the offices. But they are making room for new associates which could mean the construction is nearby/on the same floor.

All of them look good actually. The simplest way to say it would be, "What's the Spanish word for resilience?"

A2 says that the mother playing the guitar was THE influence (one influence). And A1 says that the mother playing the guitar was ONE of the influence (many influences). -- They might both be able to be used depending on the context.