Exam Angst

This week we will finish our second Chinese textbook. We have been studying a book called Hanyu Jiao Cheng 1 Xia. We will move into HJC 2 Shang next week. Before that, though, we have to take an exam. Just the thought of it fills me with much angst. The last time we took a test, I failed miserable. It left me on the floor, in the fetal position, rocking back and forth asking over and over again "为什么,为什么 wèishénme,wèishénme" (why,why)? OK, so that is a little bit of an exaggeration, but not much. I was really upset that I did so poorly. Amanda was not much help either. She passed with a grade in the high eighties and afterward kept saying how disappointed she was. Which only made me feel worse as I sat there with a grade that was closer to my age than it was to 100. Aiya!! This time I am determined to do a much better job (can't do much worse). One of my students has actually been helping me with my homework, so I am hoping that that will give me the push that I need. He is a young, teenage guy who recently told me that he thinks I have a gift for languages. Did I also mention that he is delusional? Well, soon we will know what I am made of; the exam is coming. I will keep you posted if I am not catatonic. - 付伟国