Таанышканыма кубанычтамын. Мен кыргыз тилин окуйм. Кырыз тили үчүн ресурстар аз го. Анда-санда бул жерде кыргызча жазам, бирок мен баштоочумун эле. Мен дагы жардам берем, англис тили боюнча суроолоруңар болсо. :)

Why friendship doesn't exist.

I took this photo last year in Beijing. It was in a cafe called Central Perk, just like the fictitious place where Chandler, Joey, Ross, Rachel, Monica and Phoebe hung out. The TVs in the shop even play episodes of Friends with Chinese subtitles. I actually know a lot of people who grew up watching Friends. Unlike them, I watched my very first <s style="background-color: rgb(250, 204, 204);">my</s> episode 3 years ago and (I) fell in love with it. The show helps to escape reality and give some hope, but we still have to be realistic. The (type/kind of) friendship <s style="background-color: rgb(250, 204, 204);">is</s> depicted on Friends is just a fairy tale we can dream of because friendship <s style="background-color: rgb(250, 204, 204);">as</s> itself just doesn’t exist. You know, being the best friend who's gonna be there for you 24/7 and other fancy stuff is nothing but <s style="background-color: rgb(250, 204, 204);">just</s> something that exists in our vivid imagination. [1]

I used to think I had had friends, but I realized that I'd been wrong. So-called friends are not going to be there for you each time when you need support. Nobody but <s style="background-color: rgb(250, 204, 204);">only</s> close relatives and family will [1], and the scary thing is that even this sometimes has limits. You will get some support at the beginning but sooner or later you’ll be left alone with all of your circumstances that you have to overcome. So-called friendship is just <s style="background-color: rgb(250, 204, 204);">a</s> fake, something that we believe in, something that we play at, something that we pretend to do. [2] We are human; self-protection is one of our basic needs. It is an instinct, [3] and making friends is a form of it. We need food, we need sleep for 8 hours [4], and we need to hang out with someone in order to not get bored. We need to get things off our <s style="background-color: rgb(250, 204, 204);">the</s><s> </s>chest when we are anxious and worried. Friendship is <s style="background-color: rgb(250, 204, 204);">just</s> a human invention. Just like <s style="background-color: rgb(250, 204, 204);">as well as</s> the wheel and fire. [5]

<s style="background-color: rgb(250, 204, 204);">But didn't you think that</s> When you are really upset for a long time, when you may have lost a loved one and are struggling to get through your hard time, you can't rely on your friends because their time for you is limited. Deep inside, they just don't care, and deep inside you know it. You <s style="background-color: rgb(250, 204, 204);">and him</s> can raise a shot or two in a bar together, but you can't do that every time you need to [1] because one day your friend won't pick up the phone, one day he will be busy, one day not his words but his voice will be telling you "I'm sick of you". [2]

We help each other because we want to, not because we really care for/about each other. We do care for/about each other, but (it's) because we feel obligated, and we are <s style="background-color: rgb(250, 204, 204);">but</s> reluctant to realize it. There's nothing wrong with that, but, to some extent, we are all liars and actors.

Flash cards. Unless you live and speak the language all day every day, you just can't get enough exposure to the words otherwise.

I look up words that are important to describe myself and my interests, some basic nouns and verbs, and then I use frequency lists. Once I exhaust the frequency list, the best source for new words, I find, is simply the dictionary.

Please check my email :) Thanks in advance for your help!

I can relate to it so much! Exam season is always challenging. Students are usually under a lot of stress, and it can take its toll on health! I hope you are doing peachy? My last exam is on Monday, so we can meet afterwards. Come to my city, and we will hit the town! I know that you have never been to Berminster; let me try to persuade you into coming here. Berminster is famous for its vibrant nightlife. There are loads of nightclubs, so we'll be spoiled for choice. The restaurants here are quite posh, so we'll give them a miss. As I know, you are more into the street food and lively bars. The streets are also lined with shops, so before the parties we can dress to the nines. The people here are friendly and always ready to help you if you get lost or carry heavy bags. Of course, like in every bustling city, nights here are not as safe as they could be. Sometimes there are muggings in the suburbs <s style="background-color: rgb(250, 204, 204);">of the city</s>. In the daytime Berminster is quite dull, and the roads are congested with traffic, so it's much easier to walk. By the way, <s style="background-color: rgb(250, 204, 204);">on the</s> next Friday the music festival is going to be on. You see, the city has a real buzz. If you get tired of such a hectic pace of life, we can drive to my grandmother's village. There is an incredible rustic charm, which you won't forget. The views are absolutely picturesque. There we can ride bikes and have the time of our life. I hope you'll decide (I think 'consider', 'think about' 'ponder' etc. sounds more natural here.) whether life in the fast lane is what you truly want. Let me know when your train gets in, and I'll come and pick you up. Or you'll have to hail a taxi, which is quite expensive. Take care, Liza.