Last night I dug into the dusty grave of my documents folder and here is what I found. An entry that should have been posted 2000 years ago but wasn't posted due to unknown reasons.
I think there was a time when I posted an entry asking the whole wide universe to pray for me so that I can get the scores that I need in a certain exam that I was to take. I took the IELTS exam. Why IELTS and not JLPT? Wahleylung. I just want to waste money. juk! Personal reasons :) I applied for the exam last February (this year) online and got the April 2 schedule for listening, reading and writing part. The schedule for the speaking part of the exam as well as the test venue will be given 2-3 weeks before April 2 via snail mail. I asked some of my friends who already took the exam for some tips and where to find good reviewers. Since I already spent too much (too much = 24,+++ JPY yes ansakit sa bulsa) for the exam fee I just relied on sample exams and free reviewers online. purita much kasi. I have more than a month to review. Carry :)
Fast forward. March came and I haven't started reviewing. Galing noh? Then the March 11 earthquake happened. Lalong hindi ako nakapagreview (makapagdahilan). I thought the exam will be cancelled. Para akong batang nagdadasal na sana walang pasok bukas. When I checked the website of STEPS (Society for Testing English Proficiency), the official partner of IELTS in Japan - I think, only the March 12 and 19 schedules were cancelled. April 2 was spared. Oh great. On the last week of March I received the mail regarding the location of the exam as well as the schedule of my speaking test. Tuloy na tuloy na itwu. I used the remaining week before the exam to review. Bahala na si batman.
April 2. I reached the venue, which was Toyo University, 1 hr before the exam. It was my first time to enter a building of a Japanese University. There were lifts and escalators inside. I mean school with escalators? Ako na galing bundok. During my time, the engineering building in Bulacan State University was the highest with 6 floors but it doesn't have any lift or whatsoever. Anyway I was a little bit shocked when I heard the lady on the first floor speaking in Japanese giving instructions on the whereabouts of the examination rooms. Like huh? Am I in the wrong place? They're suppose to be speaking in English because it is an IELTS exam. Dabah?
Since I arrived early I stayed in the cafeteria first. 95 percent of the examinees were Japanese. But of course nasaang bansa ba ako? :) I was hoping I can talk to someone in English while waiting for the eaxamination to start then be friends with her/him/them, etc. When I take an exam I usually do not review hours before it start. Dapat relax mode lang. My hopes were gone when I saw that most of the examinees were still studying. So I just sat and pretend I can read the writings in the bottle of my mineral water while waiting for the staff to call us.
The exam started and instructions were given first. Also we were told of what to do in case an earthquake happens. Dumagdag pa sa nerbiyos. The proctor was a tall Caucasian male and has a british accent. I get kilig everytime I hear someone speaking in british accent. Landi ko lang. Honestly speaking I think the test wasn't really that hard (if you're just after an OK-ish score). Especially for us Filipinos who have studied the English language since we started going to school. Pero ginahol ako sa listening and writing part. Lalo na sa writing kasi umihi pako tapos yung kasabay ko tumae pa yata kaya antagal namin nakabalik. Jusme.
I took the speaking part of the exam on the next day on the same university but on a different building. We were called by batch of ten and we're asked to line in a corregidor. On the other side of the line were the examiners. Para kaming mga batang kalye na binebenta sa mga pedopilyang porenjer. Sa aming sampu na kumukuha ng exam ako pa yung pinakamaliit. Nagmukha akong midget habang kasabay kong naglakakad papuntang testing room yung kakausap sakin. Ayos lang naman yung mga questions. Pero sa hindi ko malaman na kadahilanan e may mga parte na na-engot ako. Lalo nung kailangan kong dumakdak ng mga 1-2minutes. Hindi ko alam kung ano pumasok sa kukote ko at 30sec lang ako nagsalita. Ako na nagmadali at nagmagaling!
And the result....
I think there was a time when I posted an entry asking the whole wide universe to pray for me so that I can get the scores that I need in a certain exam that I was to take. I took the IELTS exam. Why IELTS and not JLPT? Wahleylung. I just want to waste money. juk! Personal reasons :) I applied for the exam last February (this year) online and got the April 2 schedule for listening, reading and writing part. The schedule for the speaking part of the exam as well as the test venue will be given 2-3 weeks before April 2 via snail mail. I asked some of my friends who already took the exam for some tips and where to find good reviewers. Since I already spent too much (too much = 24,+++ JPY yes ansakit sa bulsa) for the exam fee I just relied on sample exams and free reviewers online. purita much kasi. I have more than a month to review. Carry :)
Fast forward. March came and I haven't started reviewing. Galing noh? Then the March 11 earthquake happened. Lalong hindi ako nakapagreview (makapagdahilan). I thought the exam will be cancelled. Para akong batang nagdadasal na sana walang pasok bukas. When I checked the website of STEPS (Society for Testing English Proficiency), the official partner of IELTS in Japan - I think, only the March 12 and 19 schedules were cancelled. April 2 was spared. Oh great. On the last week of March I received the mail regarding the location of the exam as well as the schedule of my speaking test. Tuloy na tuloy na itwu. I used the remaining week before the exam to review. Bahala na si batman.
April 2. I reached the venue, which was Toyo University, 1 hr before the exam. It was my first time to enter a building of a Japanese University. There were lifts and escalators inside. I mean school with escalators? Ako na galing bundok. During my time, the engineering building in Bulacan State University was the highest with 6 floors but it doesn't have any lift or whatsoever. Anyway I was a little bit shocked when I heard the lady on the first floor speaking in Japanese giving instructions on the whereabouts of the examination rooms. Like huh? Am I in the wrong place? They're suppose to be speaking in English because it is an IELTS exam. Dabah?
Since I arrived early I stayed in the cafeteria first. 95 percent of the examinees were Japanese. But of course nasaang bansa ba ako? :) I was hoping I can talk to someone in English while waiting for the eaxamination to start then be friends with her/him/them, etc. When I take an exam I usually do not review hours before it start. Dapat relax mode lang. My hopes were gone when I saw that most of the examinees were still studying. So I just sat and pretend I can read the writings in the bottle of my mineral water while waiting for the staff to call us.
The exam started and instructions were given first. Also we were told of what to do in case an earthquake happens. Dumagdag pa sa nerbiyos. The proctor was a tall Caucasian male and has a british accent. I get kilig everytime I hear someone speaking in british accent. Landi ko lang. Honestly speaking I think the test wasn't really that hard (if you're just after an OK-ish score). Especially for us Filipinos who have studied the English language since we started going to school. Pero ginahol ako sa listening and writing part. Lalo na sa writing kasi umihi pako tapos yung kasabay ko tumae pa yata kaya antagal namin nakabalik. Jusme.
I took the speaking part of the exam on the next day on the same university but on a different building. We were called by batch of ten and we're asked to line in a corregidor. On the other side of the line were the examiners. Para kaming mga batang kalye na binebenta sa mga pedopilyang porenjer. Sa aming sampu na kumukuha ng exam ako pa yung pinakamaliit. Nagmukha akong midget habang kasabay kong naglakakad papuntang testing room yung kakausap sakin. Ayos lang naman yung mga questions. Pero sa hindi ko malaman na kadahilanan e may mga parte na na-engot ako. Lalo nung kailangan kong dumakdak ng mga 1-2minutes. Hindi ko alam kung ano pumasok sa kukote ko at 30sec lang ako nagsalita. Ako na nagmadali at nagmagaling!
And the result....
Gusto kong iuntog ang ulo ko sa pader ng 1 million times. Napakasakit Kuya Eddie... Ako na tanga sa Writing. AKO NAAAAA! (TTT_TTT)
