No more update until 13th Aug.

I am doing ok these days. Apart from feeding roman alphabets to the high school boy on weekday mornings, I have been working more hours to prepare for the exam. Really need to summon and excert for the final game. Six days on the countdown and then it's showtime.


Wish me luck and I'll be back soon.
6.8.05 17:41


Stay tuned...

There will be new update very soon. I'm more than just happy to be back!
13.8.05 11:19


Flash News: Mike returned


Flash news exclusively brought to you live from 20six, world's most conservative weblogging service provider, that Mike the Lucky Boy has just returned from the 13th Aug. IELTS test, to embrace the most lovely blogosphere again.


All right my friends, I really want to thank you for all your wishes, and your luck. It was quite a trying eight-hour period and what's more, an exciting day. But before I start my narration of this hot summer day, I'd like to thank everyone who left comments and wished me good luck. I want to thank Topo, Judy, Aline, Passby, Lady Bela, CS...and more. Honestly, your luck had been with me the whole process and I think I just want to say: brilliant!


And now let's start from the top.


Last night I had some problem of getting into slumber, tossing about in bed and thinking of all the possibilities of today. I had no idea when I fell into sleep. My cellphone alarm wake me up at around 6:40 this morning. Afterwards there were a series of my morning routines: brushing teeth, cleasing face, having a glass of water and then emptying my bowel before breakfast - some breads with a bottle of Red Bull. No milk or other foods. Perhaps this was the oddest breakfast I have ever eaten. A bottle of Red Bull, isn't it sort of uncommon as a breakfast fare? However, it is common in case you have some energy-consuming task to finish. Look what ingredients it has: taurine, caffine, inositol, lysine, nicotinamide, vitamin B16, vitamin B12 ... isn't this a recipe for an athlete to be kicked out from Olympics? Oh boy, no wonder why I felt so adrenalized  the whole day, even now.


The weather didn't cooperate ever since the morning so I took a taxi to obviate the need of getting tanned. Around 8:00am, the teachers who were hired to proctor started to admit us, when arrived the first highlight of today.


"May I see your ID card please?"


"Sure." Handed the card and my photo to her.


"So your name is XXX ..."


"Yep."


"...and where is your mobile phone please?"


"Uh, it's now lying on my bed, at home." (chuckles secretly and she made no reply)


She pasted my photo to a piece of paper, in which other candidates' were joined.


"Please sign your name here in Chinese characters."


... ...


"Your seat number is E3, please."


Went into the classroom and found my seat. Bingo, the second highlight was here: the seat was RIGHT next to a HUGE aircon. "Bugger!" Actually I wouldn't bother sitting next to a machine and it was a large lecturing theater that would be sitting more than 80 candidates later. But consider the sheer noise it made. "All right. Some test of concentration. I'll take it."


So I spent the rest of the morning with the aircon and its noise accompanying me. It turned out that my adapability really astounded me. Or was it the Red Bull that overdosed me? By the way, the writing task 2 was like this: some scientists believe that by studying a three-year-old child's behaviour they can tell the future criminal from other children. To what extent crime is a product of human nature or is it possible to stop children from growing up into criminals? Seriously, this is a question that everyone should ponder for a while.


After the first three parts of tests in the morning I called home at a public telephone to inform them everthing was fine. It'd been several years since I tasted the inconvinience of not having a cellphone with me. Lunch at Dicos, a local fast food restaurant. Chicken chops, french fires, red tea with ice and a bowl of corn soup. Collective show of junk food.


The afternoon was of another kind of experience. You waited outside the test room building just for some rumorous information of what might be asked later on-rumors through the grapevine among candidates, but highly reliable. Perhaps this is the only flaw I could ever find about the IELTS system. The oral test is taken in the form of one-on-one interview between a native speaker of English, as in the examiner, and a candidate. But the problem is, questions appear in the test are repetitive. In other words, the topic given to candidate A might not be given to candidate B or C but might reappear when candidate D or E takes the test. Speculators then mushroom.


(I think I'll just need a thorough sleep before presenting details of what happened next. So ...see you tomorrow. Good night.)
13.8.05 18:14


Ok let's go on.


In fact no one there would turn their back on any candidate who had finished his/her test. Anyone walked out was likely to enjoy a brunt of eager faces and inquiries. Imbued by the noise and flurry of the crowds, I intentionally kept myself several meters away from them but still stood in the shade to avoid the sunshine, still close enough to overhear their conversation.


At 3:20pm, 20 minutes before my test, I ventured into the waiting room. And then I was granted the chance to talk with an English lady.


"Sit down, please." with a smile on her face. Apparently she was a standardized product of western food with not enough exercise: overweight and potbelly combined. I had the idea just at the first glance. But anyway, she was really kind and easy-going.


"Thank you." And we both were seated.


"Good afternoon."  


"Good afternoon."


"May I see your ID card, please?"


"Oh yes." But I handed my test card to her.


"Ah no I need this." still smiling.


"Oh, I'm sorry." I also smiled, with an apology. See? The symptom of overdose.


"And could I have your full name, please?" her head buried, checking my photo.


"Well, my full name in Chinese is XXX."


"Ok...here's your ID card. First of all, let's talk about yourself. Are you a student or are you working?"


"Well, actually I've just graduated at the end of June from Wuhan University of Technology and right now I'm preparing for higher education in the UK." I thought this answer was just common enough. But also good enough.


"And what are you going to study in the UK?" She used eyebrow pencil, which was baby blue.


"Well, you know my mom's a college teacher and she's my biggest influence in life and I also want to be a teacher. So if I were to study in the UK, Education might be a good option." I started to build up confidence.


"Emmm." Nodded upon my words and also lifted her eyebrow.


"And now let's talk about film. What kind of film do you like?"


"Well actually (I was bored to start a reply with 'Well actually'. But on this occasion, those two words were hard to dodge.) I enjoy many kinds of movie, such as science fiction, love story ...and sometimes animation but I prefer love story." In fact I was to say 'psychedelic movies' but it just slipped my mind.


"Emm and how often do you see a film?"


"Well...there's no way for me to answer this question because I don't watch movies on a regular basis. If I feel like doing so or when I had the need to watch a movie, I'll just turn on the DVD player, pick up a disc, insert it and ..."


"Emm I see. ..."


The following questions were about internet and fashion. And I just gave her some plain answers and told her miniskirt was the most fashionable clothes currently in China. Of course it wasn't and I just couldn't help making some fabricated answer. I'm not a big fan of fashion. How was I supposed to know...


The rest of the Ask&Answer section was basically revolved around Fashion and Clothing. And honestly I can't recall what I said except for the last couple of sentences between us:


"Well that's all for the test. Thank you!"


"Oh thank you, ma'm....It's so fast."


"Oh yes..." Bigger smile and then stood up to see me off.


"Bye! It was nice talking to you!" Even bigger smile...to the point of chuckle. Good sign or just a routine?


"Me too! Have a nice day! Bye!" Opened the door and stepped out. Oh, I waved to her.


This is it. Took a bus home afterwards.


In retrospect, I could have done better that afternoon if I talked with my nerve more relaxed. But you know what, there will be no "if" at all.

14.8.05 18:28


Dream Girl: No. 2


15.8.05 15:50


The night of Punk

Went to a punk show at a local bar on Wednesday. Four local bands, including two hottest punk bands, and a pop band from Taiwan performed consecutively in the dim yet sparkling light. During the three hours' time, your whole body imbibed excitement through every pore so you never stopped sweating. For the first time in my life I've experienced how powerful music could be. It hits you right in the face, violently pulses through your body, stirs up an inner tide that drives you high.




In the bar house I didn't stand close to the crowds, knowing well that sooner or later some pogo would be started by those fenatic fans. Turned my camera into "night mode" but still some pictures failed to come into focus. Note the guitarist with typical punk hairstyle. He's obviously the most eye-catching star that night for both his hair and electrifying performance. The soul of his band named SMZB, an underground force capable of blowing you away by guitars and drums.


 


Rococo the Girl Power. The only girl's punk band to ever survive in Wuhan and to be honest, one of the best amongst all local underground rock bands. Compared with SMZB, which is more of the old school style, the girls are far less violent and are often recognized as a pop-punk group. That's how estrogen and androgen have their effects on the outside.



 
20.8.05 19:24


Still here

WARNING: If you find the following words or any part of it disturbing, please don't hesitate to close the window.


I got on my bed and was about to sleep. The quilt had already covered me entirely and the light turned off effectively when a sudden fit in the lower stomach befell me. I knew I needed to empty my bowel. Oh this was perfect. Using the toilet in the middle of night with no particular reason but the consequence of an evening-gluttony. By this, I mean I could have committed one of the seven deadly sins. But don't get me wrong. I'm not getting any religious and would never be so in the near future. The thing is, I've been completely obsessed with a thrilling, horrible, violent, old yet absorbing movie lately. Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt. You know the name, don't you.


Along with Gluttony, Sloth serves fairly well to depict my recent life portrayal. Fooling around the net after finishing the tutorial without updating this blog. You might wonder where I'd been or what I'd done. To offer some detailed description or rhetoric explanation for those, another entry or two would be indispensable. Since there are only three days to go before I could finally collect my money from my highschool-boy client's father, I'd better reserve some of the best parts when I am done.


Just some afterthoughts telling the world that I am still breathing vividly. Now seriously, I've got to be off for bed.
23.8.05 18:12


Result

It said on the IELTS registration website that my result would not be available until the 27th. But five minutes ago a random login revealed some unexpected, surprising truth - the result was there! How could they have played such a trick on their client? Imagine some faint-hearted having a heart attack upon seeing his/her pre-displayed, far-from-satisfying result. I don't think the Cambridge ESOL or the Examination Center of the Ministry of Education could afford to pay such a huge amount of medical charges for the lion's share of the less fortunate IELTS takers in China. 


Alright I've got so much to say but I'd better save my blitherings. Here comes the result:


Overall band: 7.5 (out of 9)


Listening: 8


Reading: 7


Writing: 7


Speaking: 7


Which means my second language is qualified enough for actually any course for a Master's in all major UK universities. Top 30 by the Times maybe?


Good news? Good news.
25.8.05 17:06


超級女生（Mocking Version）

李宇春周筆暢張靚潁玉米筆迷涼粉超級女生天娛湖南衛視快樂中國每周五晚八時半短信投票移動聯通小靈通8088900097000AX101108PK……


老爹對老媽說，「我不會因爲我姓張就去投那個姓張的娃子，也不會因爲妳姓李就去投那個姓李的娃子……」


判斷一檔節目收視率的高低只需要將自己家的電視機音量調到零然後聽一聽周圍的聲音。不開音量也可以邊看邊聽的情況歷史上只在兩個時間段發生過：


1）每天19：00—19：30


2）大年三十20：00—24：00


第三個時間段為截至2005年8月26日的每周五20：30—23：30


除此之外，另一個事實告訴我們：中國大陸的民主程度已經大大領先於臺灣甚至美利堅。他們每四年一次的大選每位選民手上只有一票，我們超女的支持者們每週有十五票；他們的選民必須年滿十八周歲，我們超女的支持者只需要擁有一部手機，兩歲的小孩子也不例外。


善哉善哉，中華終于看到了希望。
27.8.05 08:10


Sick humour

烏鴉說：我是天鵝中燒炭的；


麻雀說：我是孔雀中抽鴉片的；


鸚鵡說：我是燕子中坐台的；


烤鴨說：我是自焚的。
27.8.05 18:25


對話

傍晚全家外出晚飯，路遇老媽的同事，二人對話片刻。


「兒子剛考了那個什麽吧？……」


「雅思啊，7.5分……」


「妳兒子學習太刻苦了搞個人怎麽這瘦……」


「……他想出去就讓他出去吧，我們也攔不住」


……


這段對話揭示了一個驚人的但是卻無比荒謬的理論：原來我瘦是因爲學習刻苦。真是頭一次聽説這麽有意思的分析。看來沒考到8分確實是有點對不起母親的同事啊。
28.8.05 17:36


Another one in the other language?

This blog seems to be more Chinese lately. I'm not saying this will last for long. The fact is, I'm having this idea of making here entirely English while starting a new blog in Chinese. But I'm not sure if I could keep two blogs simultaneously, and more specifically, synchronized. Or how long I could keep them going, with two divergent mindsets.
28.8.05 17:50