Professional exam and visit to Tainan
Yes, I know it's been ages since I updated. This is due to a variety of reasons, including an unsavory incident involving an international espionage agent. Very cloak-and-dagger stuff, there were people in formalwear and alcoholic cocktails and exotic people with exotic accents, stuff like that. Anyway, so I haven't posted, sue me.
Last Wednesday to Friday (4th to 6th of June, 2008) I took my interpretation professional examination. All my training over the last two years has been a straight road, to this one gleaming moment in destiny. This one radiant clash of shield and spear, sword and bone, and flesh and blood.... err, hang on, that might be a bit of an exaggeration. But it accurately summarizes how it feels. Endless hours of training, culminating in this single, crucial exam. Which lasted three days.
Between twelve and fifteen people took each exam, four subjects in total, which explained why it had to take so long. It also meant that we had long periods of waiting before it was our turn to show our prowess once again. The first day was consecutive interpretation, from English to Chinese and Chinese to English. The subject was urban planning, which we'd been preparing for a week, and the exam took place at NTNU (ie, not my school).
I arrived at the venue at 8:30 am, despite being second to last in the testing order. I did this to minimize nerves by the time it was my turn, since I'd have a few hours to get tired of being nervous. It helped, partially. By the time I went in, at around 12:30 pm, I was very tired of being nervous. Though I was also very tired in general, so I didn't perform as well as I'd hoped. The afternoon exam was at 7:30 for me, and I eventually left NTNU at 8:30 in the evening, having spent a total of 12 hours sitting in their reading room. I don't think even the NTNU people like to spend 12 straight hours in their reading room.
On day 2 and day 3 we did simultaneous interpretation, at FJU (my school). This time I was either first or second in the testing order. The subject was economic regionalization, which we'd also spent a week studying.
Overall, I'd say the exam was hard. Not as hard as the worst interpretation classes or cases I've encountered, but not a walk in the park either. Not sure how I did, but I don't think I did myself justice. Let's see how things go, results should be arriving within the week.
On Saturday and Sunday I visited Juliet in Tainan. On Saturday we saw Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, which was around two and a half hours long yet felt at least double that. This is not necessarily a bad thing, it meant we felt like we got more movie for our ticket. On Sunday I tried to install a new antivirus program on Juliet's family's computer and managed to severely break it. Very chagrined.
Overall, it was a relaxing visit, during which we got to spend time together doing nothing, which is a luxury in itself these days. So, from that perspective, it was good.
Best girlfriend ever.
Last Wednesday to Friday (4th to 6th of June, 2008) I took my interpretation professional examination. All my training over the last two years has been a straight road, to this one gleaming moment in destiny. This one radiant clash of shield and spear, sword and bone, and flesh and blood.... err, hang on, that might be a bit of an exaggeration. But it accurately summarizes how it feels. Endless hours of training, culminating in this single, crucial exam. Which lasted three days.
Between twelve and fifteen people took each exam, four subjects in total, which explained why it had to take so long. It also meant that we had long periods of waiting before it was our turn to show our prowess once again. The first day was consecutive interpretation, from English to Chinese and Chinese to English. The subject was urban planning, which we'd been preparing for a week, and the exam took place at NTNU (ie, not my school).
I arrived at the venue at 8:30 am, despite being second to last in the testing order. I did this to minimize nerves by the time it was my turn, since I'd have a few hours to get tired of being nervous. It helped, partially. By the time I went in, at around 12:30 pm, I was very tired of being nervous. Though I was also very tired in general, so I didn't perform as well as I'd hoped. The afternoon exam was at 7:30 for me, and I eventually left NTNU at 8:30 in the evening, having spent a total of 12 hours sitting in their reading room. I don't think even the NTNU people like to spend 12 straight hours in their reading room.
On day 2 and day 3 we did simultaneous interpretation, at FJU (my school). This time I was either first or second in the testing order. The subject was economic regionalization, which we'd also spent a week studying.
Overall, I'd say the exam was hard. Not as hard as the worst interpretation classes or cases I've encountered, but not a walk in the park either. Not sure how I did, but I don't think I did myself justice. Let's see how things go, results should be arriving within the week.
On Saturday and Sunday I visited Juliet in Tainan. On Saturday we saw Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, which was around two and a half hours long yet felt at least double that. This is not necessarily a bad thing, it meant we felt like we got more movie for our ticket. On Sunday I tried to install a new antivirus program on Juliet's family's computer and managed to severely break it. Very chagrined.
Overall, it was a relaxing visit, during which we got to spend time together doing nothing, which is a luxury in itself these days. So, from that perspective, it was good.
Best girlfriend ever.