什麽時候是個頭兒？：）
I write motions after motions after motions. I write motions 10 hours a day. I am a motion-producing machine.
When I am not writing motions, I go to depositions. I deposed a top-notch doctor who had a literature degree from Harvard and a medical degree from Stanford, charged me $1,000 per hour to be deposed, and the only thing he ever said to me during those two hours was "what do you mean?"
"Doctor, did you see this patient on this date?" "What do you mean?" "Did you write this note?" "What do you mean?" "Doctor, is that your signature?" "What do you mean?" "Doctor, didn't you major in English at Harvard?" "What do you mean?"
After that deposition he came to my dreams for a week. In every dream I had my hands around his throat and screamed "Say it, you are a jerk! Say it!"
I worked against opposing counsel who needed his babysitter to tell him what to do. One plaintiff's counsel I worked against passed the deadline to serve me his discovery responses. He asked for a two-week extension, and I gave it to him. He was past due again, asked for another extension, and I gave to him again. The third time he asked for an extension, I said no. That got him so mad that he wrote me the following "Counsel, if you don't give me this extention, I am going to remember you when it is my turn to serve discovery requests, and I am not going to give you any either!" Oh Mr. Big-shot attorney, that just scared me to death!
Of course I worked against good opposing counsel too. I once wrote a 15-page motion in a case going to be tried in San Diego. I was so proud of my motion that I sent it to the clients before I filed it to the court. Then came my opposing counsel's opposition. In 5 pages, 7 paragraphs, plain English, he crushed my case issue-by-issue. One day before I was to fly to San Diego to argue my motion, I got a call from our local San Diego counsel. The guy whispered on the phone liek he was telling me some top secret: "I have to tell you that this plaintiff's counsel you are dealing with is very good. The judge here really likes him." Oh really? you don't say!
On top of everything at work, yesterday I lost my re-election for a seat on our HOA board of directors. To be precise, I never won. Last time I got on the board was because someone was removed from the board. In the last election I got 22 votes out of 50 something households that voted, not good enough to be elected on regular terms. This time I got 22 votes again and I lost again. On my way home last night I could not help wondering -- did the same 22 houses vote for me twice?
Well it looks like my winning days are over. Not really. Good things still happen to me. My friends on wechat know that I used to get 50% off for my afternoon coffees (only because I drank too much, several people working in that coffee house counted on me to keep their jobs), but not anymore after I moved to my new office and switched to a higher-end coffee house. Well yesterday afternoon I got my first VIP discount from them! For a $2.50 coffee the guy charged me $2.00. I was so happy that I tipped him a dollar.
So I guess, life is fair after all.
I was a big fan of hers. I still am, but she doesn't sing anymore.
我最喜歡的張艾嘉是“愛的代價”。
嘿，你好啊！沒想到會在這裏看到你 ：）
喜歡我的文章？好呀！More is coming :)
哈哈。問好寧寧。初次留言，欣賞你的文章。
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNCICLads7A
沒錯。一忙起來更加感歎時間過的太快。我的逃避隻有出差，可是這半年我連差都很少出，快憋死了 ：）
ZheFei, why do you think it took me 12 years to be where I am today? Writing is SO DAMN HARD!
Even today I still cannot express myself in English nearly as freely as I do in Chinese. The most difficult part is -- language cannot be "learned", it can only be "felt", and the feeling only stays when it is not interrupted. I don't read in Chinese and I don't write in Chinese. I watch Chinese soap shows for three nights, the next morning I'd find myself tongue-tied at work.
That said, I don't believe you have to be perfect in English to be successful in an English-speaking country. Unless you talk and write for a living like me. I have no other choices.
You shouldn't worry. From what you wrote below, your English is both eloquent and accurate, above average at least.
謝謝親愛的 ：）我寫這一篇純粹是為了我自己，to keep myself from going crazy. Counsel, partner, ... the title does not make any difference. It's the same never-ending billable life :)