Several days ago, I said I was tired. Now I'm still tired. I'm really tired, physically and mentally

Strictly speaking, I'm worried. The driving test will be hold in a week. For having not prepared well, I'm worried about it.

The test is very strict and I must pass it once. I'm not ready, but I can't wait. I must go to school before March 8th. So I don't have enough time to do exercises. I must take the test before going to school. If I can't pass it this time, the next test will be hold in twenty days, according to the rule. At that time, I will be at university. It means the exact time when my next test will be is unknown. The date will be very remote. I know that clearly.

Now I'm praying. I'm praying for my being able to succeed. Will I? Wish everything will be fine.

Today is the 15th day of the first lunar month in China, i.e. it is Chinese Lantern Festival. It's the secondary most important festival in this month, I think. The most important one is certainly the Spring Festival, the 1st day of this month.

According the lunar calendar, the round moon is is and brightest in the 15th day each month. So, the night of the Lantern Festival is very beautiful. It's pure and white, completely.

People celebrate the Lantern Festival in many ways. Such as guessing hanged riddles and eating yuanxiao. Lanterns in various forms are seen everywhere. It can be said to be colorful Lantern Festival.

Happy Lantern Festival!

I'm tired.

I'm serious. Really tired now.

These days I'm spending my learning hours at driving school. I have stayed there for four days. 9:00 am ~ 12:00 am and 2:00 pm ~ 5:00 pm each day. It seems I'm busy learning how to drive a car. Maybe. Actually not. I'm not busy every minute there. Most of the time, I'm just waiting in a queue. Many students there, but few vehicles. If you want to drive for five minutes, you will need to wait more than sixty minutes. You can't imagine how bad the situation is.

So I'm telling you that, although I have spent four days there, I got little. I'm still a rookie. I don't know how many minutes when I was in the vehicle. It must be very short. Because every day I could just exercised for four times. Less than five minutes each time. I'm still trying to feel it. I haven't got the right feeling.

But I have been tired. And a little sleepy. I have felt not good on my shoulder and arms. Controlling the vehicle and turning the steering wheel are very tiring and arduous. The vehicle we are driving is a nearly outdated worn-out jeep. It's hard to drive it. I'm standing it.

Learning driving at driving school is fresh to me. But not interesting. Long time waiting for queuing up is terrible and very lack of efficiency. It's pity that no one would change this bad situation. Maybe the director of the driving school cares about the profit, not the efficiency. How to help the students learn driving better is not his concern.

I'm worried now. I mean to take the examination in this late month. There are not many days left. It seems impossible to finish the lesson and pass the examination in such a short period. But I have to do it. If I can't finish it this time, I won't have enough time to finish it since. I'm nervous.

I heard of a piece of bad news that tomorrow there will be more people and fewer vehicles there. I'm considering that whether I should go. Who can help me?

This entry is posted here for Winnie, a promising girl.

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I like writing entries on my space. And I also like visiting spaces of others. Via this way, I have learned a lot and met many friends. I get much from their spaces. Not only writing ability, but also other more important aspects. Such as thinking way, attitude and living pattern. I have been having a good time in the community of Live Spaces.

This January, I kept on visiting people's spaces. Unconsciously, I dropped in at a space owned by a user called Lee.潔.winnie. Honestly, there are not quite a number of contents on this space. Just a few entries and photo albums. I read those contents and left a comment as usual. At that time, this space didn't seem very attractive. So I wasn't attentive to this space and then went on visiting other spaces. Now when I think about it, I nearly made a big mistake.

Like what most of other users did, Winnie paid a return visit to my space by courtesy. And she left some comments and even sent me a message. To my surprise, I got some uncommon points from her words which were different from other visitors. I felt it special. I replied to her. At the beginning of our communication, I made a mistake. From her words, I took it for granted that it's a man, an experienced man. Because she asked me whether I was 22 years old and said that male students at high school were childish. When she told me she was a 18-year-old girl, there was a terrible shock to me. I couldn't believe that. I couldn't believe a high school girl told those words. How did she do that?

It puzzled me so much. After a few days' communication via page words, Winnie invited me to be a friend. I approved and then we began to talk on the Internet, most times on MSN.

Like what I have said above, she seemed special while we having our conversation. I told her who I am and what I am. So did Winnie. We chatted every day, a whole day chat, as long as we were both online. If either of us was offline, a message would be sent. You must not be able to imagine our situation and our being a little bit crazy. I can't imagine that, either. But we actually did.

We talked about everything, pubic or even private contents. We had many in common while talking. We are both of one kind of people who always think a lot about everything and want to be mature in their thoughts. Deeply thinking is our pursuit. We care about everything, especially those which are not likely to be cared about by people who are of the same age as us.

She is a girl. Exactly, a 18-year-old high school girl student. But she is not only a girl. She is doing and will do what most of other girls can't do. She is different from other 18-year-old girls. She is special -- I really mean it. I'm several years elder than her. But I still felt kinda childish when I talked to her.

She thinks more than her peers. She knows more than her peers. And of course she is better than her peers. She is interested in fashion, make-up and love, which her peers also interested in. But she is also interested in politics, society and human beings, which even mature women are not interested in. This attracts me. There is such a kind of girl, who knows everything and care about everything. We can't believe that. But it's the fact.

She is one of a kind.

She is mature of her age.

Books and examinations are just part of what she concerned about. It's impossible to a girl, especially one who is studying under the China's education system. It's hard. But she did it. And she has a good command of English. She speaks fluent and original English. It's also hard.

I felt happy during the days and nights when we talked online. We knew each other on the Internet. But we have been real friends. It's not virtual between us like the Net. I felicitate myself that I met her.

Unfortunately, she must go to school after the Spring Festival. She is in her third year of high school. Although she is on the winter holidays, she must continue her preparations of College Entrance Examination, which is the same as other Chinese high school students.

After a phone call and some cell phone messages, she said goodbye to me. Now she is studying at school. She is working hard for the CEE which is hold in June. She must score well enough if she wants to enter a famous university. I'm sure she will. She just needs to wait several months.

I can almost see her success. I'm just waiting here. I remember that she told us she wants to be a girl of wisdom and beauty together. It sounds pretty nice. I'm sure of everything of her.

I know that she can't read this entry until next time when she is online after the CEE. However, I want to say Good Luck to her. And I will say Congratulations when we meet again.

Winnie, a promising girl, whom a promising future is waiting for.

According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of 2008 is a Year of the Rat, which begins on Feb. 7, 2008 and ends on Jan. 25, 2009. First in the cycle of 12 Animal signs, Rat Year begins the sequence and recurs every twelfth year. 

People believe the Rat Year is a time of hard work, activity, and renewal. Some say this is a good year to begin a new job, get married, launch a product or make a fresh start.

By the way, do you like rats?

Happy Spring Festival, all my friends!

Wish everyone enjoy this lunar new year. May everything beautiful and best with you. Wish you more future successes this year.

Best wishes for all of you and your family!

What do Chinese people do on their own New Year's Day? Are there some special customs and traditions when people celebrate the Spring Festival? Read the passages below and then you will know that.

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In the morning of the Chinese New Year's Day, people put on their new clothes and shoes. The young members of the family will extend greetings to the parents and elders. Children will get money as a New Year gift, wrapped up in a red envelope or a piece of red paper.

People in northern China will eat jiaozi, or dumplings, for breakfast, as they think "jiaozi" in sound means "bidding farewell to the old and ushering in the new." Also, the shape of the dumpling is like gold ingot from ancient China. So people eat them and wish for money and treasure. Southern Chinese eat niangao (New Year cake made of glutinous rice flour) on this occasion, because as a homophone, niangao means "higher and higher, one year after another."

Starting from the New Year's Day, people begin going out to visit relatives and friends to wish them a "Happy and Prosperous New Year." Common expressions heard at this time are: Guonian Hao (Happy New Year), and Bainian (to congratulate the New Year). The caller is served tea with sweetmeats; melon seeds, both red and black; and fruits and delicacies such as puffed rice cakes, dumplings and deep-fried round doughnuts. In addition, liquor and tobacco are offered. Before leaving, the well-wisher present gifts of money wrapped in red paper to all the unmarried children of the family.

On New Year's Day, the lights on the porch and in the parlor are not turned off but left on continuously. To retain good fortune and wealth in the home, the house is not swept for fear of weeping out the good fortune. Quarrels are to be avoided. Words with bad connotations such as defeat, illness, surgical operations, a coffin or death are not to be used. Dishes are handled carefully, for breaking a dish on New Year's Day indicate bad luck for the coming year.

The Spring Festival (chunjie) is the most important festival for Chinese people and a time for family reunions. Before the eve of the New Year, people try to get back home from every corner of the country to join the entire family, making it the busiest time for the country's transportation systems.

The Chinese New Year's Day falls on the 1st day of the 1st lunar month, often one month later than the Gregorian calendar. It originated in the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600 BC-c. 1100 BC) from the people's sacrifice to gods and ancestors at the end of an old year and the beginning of a new one.    

Traditionally, the Spring Festival starts in the early days of the 12th lunar month and lasts through the middle of 1st lunar month of the next year. Of them, the most important days are the Spring Festival Eve and the following three days. The Chinese government now stipulates people have seven days off for the Chinese New Year.

Now the Spring Festival is coming. It's the most important festival in China. People make preparations for the celebration and family reunion. Out of question, it's the hottest thing within a year.

The Spring Festival has been popular for thousands years in China. It's concerned about by all Chinese people. Whoever you are, and wherever you are, the Spring Festival is always there.

But lots of foreigners are not familiar with the Spring Festival. They know little about the Spring Festival and the lunar calendar. Some are curious about the customs and tradition. They are interested in the Spring Festival's being special in China.

Now I will post some entries about the Spring Festival here. I will give foreigners some brief introduction of this Chinese particular festival.

Nowadays, with a trend of globalization, a country need to know others and also needed to be known. China is being open and developing. China needs to know the others countries and is needed to be known. It's necessary. So I want to make you know more about China, and more about real China.

Hey buddy, what about your English language level? Are you satisfied with it?

There is a page on cn.msn.com which provides a free testing for English language level. If you are interested, you can go there http://englishtown.msn.com.cn/sp/tests/start.aspx for a test by yourself.

I took it hours ago. I got a 52 score which is the same with Winnie's. Honestly, the test was very simple and easy to answer the questions. But I just got 52 instead of 60. As a former student of English when I was at middle school, I should have got full marks. However, I didn't. I have been losing some basic and primary knowledge. It's dangerous. Without that part of knowledge, my using English couldn't be better. I must recollect it right now.

Of course this test has a commercial background. And it's not absolutely exact. So just for fun when you take it.

Where is the sun? Where is the sunshine?

Many people in South China haven't seen sun rise for more than half a month. They were living under the snowy or cloudy sky. This damned weather has made them involved in the somber situation. Every day, when they got up and looked out of the windows, surrounded by the white scenes, they just felt unknown about everything which will happen next. The power of snows is very huge. It has made the snowy weather produce snow disaster which seems to happen impossibly in the southern area of China.

But it really happened. No matter whether you believe it or not. You just have to face it.

Now people had fought the snowstorm for many days. They are tired. The sunrise is expected by all. They were waiting.

Luckily, it is sunny today. The smiling face of the sun came out eventually. Although the sun are not shining brightly, it's enough. If only it were sunshine, people would be excited. They don't care how bright the sunshine is.

And it will be snowy again tomorrow. People hope the sun would stay in the sky. But it's impossible. They could just have a rest today and go on struggling. It seems no ending. But no way until now.

When could people enjoy the sunshine next time? No one knows.

It's cloudy yesterday. And the snow began to melt away a little. I thought it would be cloudy today.

But today, when I got up, I found white outdoors again. It is still snowing. And more heavily than before. What a pity! It seems no evidence that it will stopped snowing soon. When you look at the sky, you just feel that it will be snowing, and never-ending.

Does it mean this winter holiday will end up with no sunny days? I don't know. It's horrible if it really happens. I haven't seen the sunshine since the day when I got home. How much I miss the sunshine! I wish I would feel the sunshine soon.

I took some pictures during these snowy days. I would like to share some of them with you.

We all know that this snowy weather in South China at present doesn't mean romance any more.