Chicken ribs, sigh!!!

My favourite dictionary Lingoes translates the Chinese slang “chicken ribs” as these: things of little value or interest; something one is reluctant to give up though it is both tasteless and meaningless!

I ate a lot of chicken ribs in these days, and they just so suck! I used exactly 2 whole weeks to finish reading a 120 pages grammar book. To be honest, not everyday I studied during those 2 weeks, which is the major reason why I spent so long time to finish a grammar book. After leaving high school for more than 6 years, it was the first time for me to pick up English grammar book to go over all the grammatical stuff. I do this purposely because I am still so struggling with English grammar even now—after living in an English speaking country for more than 4 years! And the worst thing, always happens, is that making mistakes in the most important bloody IELTS test just because of being weak at English grammar.

Therefore, better a finger off than aye wagging! I commit time to finish reading the grammar book, which is an “internal” material used by new oriental schools to their IELTS beginner class students. What I did was using a big notepad to take notes from that book while reading and I could say it more or less works—it is worthy but only worth a dime. What a weird thing! What else could I do in my current embarrassing situation! After going through the whole grammar book, I did the test in the appendix and got about 80 percent correct for the multiple choice questions there. Anyway, that’s not too bad.

Today I began to prepare my speaking part finally. I have never prepared speaking part before, including 2 tests I took 5 years ago, and 5 bloody tests I failed in these recent 2 years—Oh, goodness, 2 years now, for this bloody test!!!

I spent a few hours today on preparing the oral tests, it sucks! I felt it was another piece of “chicken ribs”! But I do believe it more or less works, so I am just nibbling at this rib now. Uh…in the evening my housemate Mike did the simulation speaking test with me as the examiner, and we recorded the speaking. Sigh! Feel there is still a long way to go.

The only hope is in God now. King Solomon said:” God has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”(Ecclesiastes 3:11) As I am nibbling at the “chicken rib” now, I believe that God has made and is making the way for me!