In the Rhineland (North Rhine-Westphalia), the street carnival begins TODAY on Weiberfastnacht (Women's Carnival Day), during which women traditionally symbolically "take over the reins." Typical customs include cutting off men's ties, "storming" town halls, and large street and pub parties starting at 11:11 a.m. In Cologne, the carnival season begins every year on November 11th at 11:11 a.m. and ends on Ash Wednesday (46 days before Easter Sunday). During this time, Carnival session and events take place daily everywhere, where there is a lot of celebrating (and a lot of drinking 😅). During these days, everyone is in costume. Up to two million spectators flock to Cologne for the Rose Monday parade alone. The people of Cologne are proud of their city, its cathedral, the Rhine, their language and its carnival. Thanks to its carnival songs, Cologne is the most sung-about city in the world. I could write so much more... 😅

Gearing up for a possible trip to Montreal's Chinatown on the Lunar New Year IF the weather is good...

Great job today, everyone -- see you again soon! And a big shoutout to our hard-working heroes @Linus Z, @Luna Liu, @Louis R, @Anni Anni, @Rory Yuan, @Shirley Lee, @Sherry Zhan, @Xinyao Zhang -- keep up the great work!

📅 LIVE Classes (Feb 11) 🕧 12:30 PM MSK — AMA w/ Coach Miguel  (LA: 2:30 AM | Beijing: 5:30 PM) Who is it for: AMA Members Only What it is: Ask any English questions and get personal guidance Best for: Clarifying doubts and learning effectively Vibe: Interactive and student-focused 🕒 3:00 PM MSK — 📚 LME Page Pals  (LA: 5:00 AM | Beijing: 8:00 PM) Who is it for: Everyone What it is: Group reading & discussion Best for: Improving reading comprehension and vocabulary Vibe: Fun, collaborative, student-focused 🕞 3:30 PM MSK —  AMA w/ Coach Richard  (LA: 5:30 AM | Beijing: 8:30 PM) Who is it for: AMA Members Only What it is: Ask questions and get clear, logical explanations Best for: Understanding tricky English points Perfect if: You like personal, logical breakdowns 🕞 4:00 PM MSK —⏱️ Word For a Minute w/ Coach Serge  (LA: 6:00 AM | Beijing: 9:00 PM) Who is it for: Everyone What it is: Quick, focused vocabulary exercises Best for: Learning how to SPEAK automatically with words you should know Perfect if: You like short, sharp, practical lessons 🕠 5:30 PM MSK — 🆓✨ AMA Global with Coach Shane (LA: 6:30 AM | Beijing: 10:30 PM) Who is it for: Everyone (Open / Global session) What it is: A global AMA where you can ask any English questions and get clear, practical answers Best for: General English questions, mindset, study strategies, and big-picture clarity Vibe: Open, supportive, global classroom — practical and straight to the point 🕞 10:00 PM MSK — LME Speaking/Listening (LA: 12:00 PM | Beijing: 5:00 AM February 12)

... Let's play SPEAKING GAME!!! Who’s Up for a Word For A Minute? Want a simple way to boost your fluency, think faster in English, and have some fun? 😄 Try Word for a Minute ⏱️🧠 How it works: 1️⃣ Go to a random word generator 2️⃣ Get one random word 🪄 3️⃣ Speak about it for 60 seconds — no stopping, no translating 4️⃣ You can: - describe it 📝 - tell a story with it 📚 - give examples 🗣️ - say what you think about it 💭 The goal: keep speaking for at least the whole minute — even if it feels messy or silly 😅 That’s exactly how fluency grows 🚀 Why it’s useful: ✨ forces you to think in English ✨ builds vocabulary naturally ✨ reduces fear of “not knowing what to say” ✨ trains real-life speaking, not textbooks Who’s in? 🙌 🗓️ Wednesday, February 11 JOIN ME GUYS! 👇 https://www.skool.com/lme/calendar?eid=fb008d540ef84bcfac2758bbd9607194&eoid=1770814800 WE LEARN FROM EACH OTHER! 🤝