Have you read the story China Kid?

[Cristina68]

An amazing story and very similar with my own childhood – in Romania! The same mosquitos in the hot nights of summer, the same cold bedroom during the winter, electricty blackouts and long homeworks, crowded classrooms – we were the most numerous generation in the whole history of my country, due to a law against abortion.
At the age of 14 we also had to pass a very difficult exam which influenced all our future life.
I can also remember the long queue for each piece of bread, milk, butter and meat.
So what could I explain why my childhood was the most wonderful period in my life? „Thanks“ to the Romanian television (only two hours a day of broadcast, cartoons only a quarter of an hour a week, on Sunday) I stayed most of the time in fresh air, playing with my friends.
I spent all these long summer holidays in a little village somewhere in the middle of the country, running on the hills and picking up wild fruits. Once I saw a wild boar…
Sorry for my English, I started learning it few years ago, when I was 27, with a new job and two little children. Not exactly the proper conditions. I’m thinking you are right, if you really want you can be your own teacher – this is why this site is so useful to me.
I decided to write because it‘s so strange to hear the story of your own childhood from a Chinese mouth!

All the best,
Cristina Turtoi

[Torsten]

Dear Cristina,

You are probably referring to this article by Clark Zhang:

http://www.english-test.net/stories/36/index.html

Many thanks for sharing your experiences with us.
If you like you can tell us how life in Romania has changed within the past few years.
Also, it would be interesting to know how you practise your English language skills at work. What is your job?

TOEIC listening, photographs: A mighty vessel