Hi Cafetalk Community!

I hope you are doing well! As you know, there are "Black Lives Matter" protests going on not only in America but across the world. If you've heard of some opportunistic people looting and rioting on the news, I'm here to let you know that most people are protesting peacefully across the US. The protests have been going on for at least three weeks since George Floyd was killed.

As you already know, there is systemic racism against African-American people, especially in America. I believe this innate fear, discrimination, prejudice, and negative attitude toward black people have been inculcated since the days of slavery. I completely agree with the BLM movement's claim that the police use excessive and unnecessary force against black people. 

As indicated in George Floyd's case, he was pulled over, abused, and finally fatally chocked to death at the hands of the police. They snuffed out a person's life as if he were a dog on the street.

The fact that the police automatically assume and treat all black people as if they did something wrong is based on the color of their skin. African American people have more melanin in their skin pigment to protect against the hot sun in Africa where they are originally from. 

Naturally, I think all life is precious but I think it is also true that black people, in particular, have been abused, wrongly accused, found guilty, imprisoned, etc. for many, many, many years in America.

In my opinion, I think we are at the cusp of an awakening of consciousness that sheds light on the fact that everyone is equal and should be treated as such. I'm not saying that the issue of systemic racism will disappear overnight. Of course, we have a long way to go, but I think it's a good start. Well, that's my two-cents from the peanut gallery. 
____________________________________

[Let's read "1984" by George Orwell!]

[Summary]

George Orwell's book, "1984" (as well as his other famous book "Animal Farm") has reverberated through time and is now uncannily relevant in today's political culture. What seemed like an impossibility when the book was written is now an uncomfortable reality in this age of technological advancement and abuse of power by politicians and others in high positions.

April, 1984. Winston Smith, thinks a thought, starts a diary, and falls in love. But Big Brother is watching him, and the door to Room 101 can swing open in the blink of an eye. Its ideas have become our ideas, and Orwell's fiction is often said to be our reality. The definitive book of the 20th century is re-examined in a radical new adaptation exploring why Orwell's vision of the future is as relevant as ever.
(Reference: Amazon) 

[Review]

"Skilfully brought to life... . This is a very neat theatrical telling of the classic dystopian parable which is more a study of internal tension and tiny acts of defiance as it is a political drama... a work of extraordinary quality and intensity." - Independent
_______________________________________________________________

[Lesson Plan:]

If you would like to read "1984" by George Orwell, please send me a lesson request. In the past, I have provided easy reading lessons in a 5-Pack Lesson. However, I realized there is a great discrepancy between students who read really fast and others who read very slowly, depending on their English proficiency level.

As a result, please select either single lessons or a 5-Lesson Discount Value Pack until you have completed reading the story. George Orwell's book, "1984" is 328 pages long. As a result, you can proceed with reading the book in one of two ways below:

1.) You can read the book in the lesson. I will listen to your pronunciation and make sure you comprehend what you read. Obviously, this method would require many lessons depending on how fast you read.

2.) The second method is to read the book at home and we can get together for a lesson to discuss the chapter(s) that you read at home. This method allows you to read the book in your own time and convenience. Needless to say, this method will take a lot fewer lessons to complete.

Either way, please contact me if you would like to read "1984" with me. I think it will be a fun project and a great way to improve your English reading and speaking!

If you like futuristic stories about a dystopian society ruled by a fascist government, this is the book for you. The book is considered a classic in anybody's standards and has a laser-sharp focus on what a dystopian future would look like. It is an all-too-true cautionary tale about a government that robs the citizens of their privacy rights, among other freedoms.

I hope to see you soon!

Warmest regards,

Lady Ayame
(Patricia Ayame Thomson)