自打相识起，Etto同学唯一一件可以让我至今都嘲笑且作为打击自尊的事情就是--普通话不标准。其实说起来，用大众标准衡量，他的普通话应该已经算是合格了，只是个别平卷舌音或前后鼻音容易出错。但除了此事Etto同学实在没有什么把柄让我用来嘲笑，所以我一直固守阵地，吹毛求疵，每每获胜都格外洋洋得意。

 

今天给各位看官带来的就是其中一段小故事。

 

话说某年某月某日的黄昏，我们百无聊懒躺在床上，吹着空调享受难得的清凉。Etto同学突发感叹的说：“我们去换个床diang吧！”我一时耳晕，追问一句换什么？不知哪根神经搭错了，他突然很大声的很认真且一个音节一个音节缓慢的说：“D I ANG，Diang，床Diang的Diang!”

一秒钟过后，2人狂笑不止。。。

 

诸如此类的笑话很多，特别是两个后鼻音的字相连或前后鼻音相连时，Etto同学经常会失控的无法分清。其中经典语录如下：最早艇仔粥都是在Chuang（船）上煮的；Liang Xiang（联想）电脑。

One night, Etto came back from his english lesson. He asked me a question they discussed in class, "Are you satisfy with the relationship between you and your lover? And why?"  I replied him without hesitation "Yes, I am quite satisfy with it." Here below is my point of view:

 

The relationship between Etto and I is strong. We are being supportive, helpful, caring to each other all the time in both working life and personal life.  We are making self-development side by side.

 

We like sharing feelings/informations about work, story happened within department. I was invited to join his team building activity while he was one of the guests of our department gathering. In personal life, we influenced each other a lot, or I can say we learned to compromise. He is now fond of reading books and I would like to go out with him for more exercises, such as climbing mountain.

We enjoyed living together. Much better, sweeter and closer than being apart.

 

Last night, he suddenly told me "I felt my change/improvement pushed by you.  I wanna set goals for our future life and strive for it. "

 

It is very sweet indeed.

。。。。。。

 

（此处省去两百字。。。。总而言之，某个吹着空调的晚上，Etto同学和我就某无聊问题开始了争论。。。）

 

Echo: 综上所述，从你小时候睡觉的姿势就能够充分论证，如今你还是睡得像个大字型，抢占别人的位置！

Etto: 没有！没有！

Echo: 事情都是发展的，发展都是有规律的！从昨日的特征能推论今日的行为。这是马克思主义哲学辩证唯物主义形而上学的思想！ （昏了！居然辩证形而上都放在一起了，我还是趁早撞墙算了）

与此同时Etto同学抓住我话中的词语：

“对！就是形而上学，我一直都是行而上学的，走路上学，不像你，都是车而上学！坐车上学！”

 

神阿！让我撞墙去！蛋糕拿来！

认识刘老师纯属机缘巧合。2007年的某几个月我发疯似的寻找支教信息，仅仅因为一个深深打动我的网页，由一个云南藏区学校的支教老师制作。我尝试着联系了网页上其中一个电话号码，那个号码正属于刘老师。

 

时隔数月，他离开云南辗转珠海后到西安，因云南这段支教经历开始真正从事公益事业，我也从上海移居广州，开始新的生活。我们的交流不过几次，但有限的沟通中并不妨碍我面对纷繁芜杂良莠不齐的NGO时，对他们的信任与支持。因为没有多少人能够真正抛开既有的城市生活，去到生活条件极其艰苦的穷乡僻壤，做一些完全不图回报（甚至回报辛酸失望）的事，只为精神的满足充实。看着他们的网站几经更名、调整，却始终是我喜爱的风格，质朴、感人。08年初，我订了几套义卖贺卡，算作小小的爱心贡献，却没有想到收到的成品比网站上的宣传还漂亮。这个草根NGO的默默坚持与精益求精让我感动。

 

周末终于通过壹个村小捐助了一个学生，etto说，对我们而言这简单的等同于一个普通的2人聚餐。但却足够保证一个学生完成一学期的课程与生活。

希望更多的人关注他们，关注村小，关注需要帮助的孩子。这就是本文的目的。

渐渐变暖和潮湿的天气，蚊子适时登场。

 

Etto同学：喂，有没有擦驱蚊水啊？

Echo：没有哦，偶今天用了香水呐。

Etto:哦，什么香水啊？

Echo(心里洋洋得意，炫耀而迫不及待的):今天是 相遇法布尔。 （爱马仕还没说出口）

Etto: “香芋”？ 好像没有哦，怎么闻起来还是驱蚊水味儿？

 

*%￥……#@*&……%￥#@*$%^&*

Echo：拜托！是相遇，"MEET"，不是香芋，不是地瓜，也不是土豆。土老冒~

Etto同学恍然大悟般：哦，是MEAT阿！ 那是牛肉，还是羊肉？

 

偶的脆弱小心灵阿。。。。。

转眼间，在广州生活已有3月之多。充分领略可以穿T-shirt+外套过冬至之外，也终于领会了以前百思不得其解的所谓干燥、灰霾和上火。
俗语说：一方水土养一方人。的确如此。曾经喜欢的川湘口味、松鼠鲑鱼、水煮系列、干锅黔菜都开始变得不合时宜，无法消受。
 
昨日地铁，一个女孩子穿黑白条文相间的裙子外加黑白相间长袜，我心里琢磨着怎么搞得像斑马。正此时，etto同学悄声在我耳边说：“她穿的很像斑马哦。” 我呵呵的笑，怎么跟我想得一样。出站的时候，etto同学拉着我的手笑盈盈的问我，“你知道公母斑马的区别么？”我摇摇头。
 
“公斑马是黑底白条纹，母斑马是白底黑条纹。”
我醍醐灌顶般点头，心里佩服，回答：“这么厉害，这个都知道。”同时，心里一面勾画着黑底白条纹和白底黑条纹的区别。。。。。
 
十秒钟后。。。
 
喂！！ 好过分，耍我！

某几天前我告诉etto同学，古语形容两人关系的成语我最喜欢两个：一是举案齐眉，一是相濡以沫。他认真地问我含义。

 

举案齐眉出自东汉书生梁鸿与妻子孟光的故事。《后汉书·梁鸿传》里：“为人赁舂，每归，妻为具食，不敢于鸿前仰视，举案齐眉。” 这个起初用于表述女子尊敬丈夫，送饭都会将托盘举至眉梢高度的动作，渐渐演化成形容两人相敬如宾的短语。

 

而相濡以沫源自庄子“泉涸，鱼相与处于陆，相呵以湿，相濡以沫，不若相忘于江湖”。尽管庄子所追求的可能是“相忘于江湖”的逍遥，但“相濡以沫”的传情动人，使得这个相容鱼儿相互把自己嘴里的泡沫喂到对方嘴里才能得已共同生存的四字诀，千古流传。

 

故事听罢，电话那端的etto同学象征性深邃性的“噢，哦，喔”了几声，算是给我答复听过了，明白了。

 

至此故事还未告于段落。。。。 精彩稍后继续。。。。。

 

昨夜临睡前，etto同学依然家中努力加班。我睡意已浓，聊以电话表示精神支持。

临近挂电话，我不忘鼓励外加蜜语下下：“回头我帮你按按肩膀算作体恤”。

岂料etto同学并不领情，一语道破天机的回击“得了吧！你才不是那啥啥型儿呢！”

我一时羞愧外加恼怒，穷追不舍“啥啥型儿是啥型儿？”

etto同学一时语塞，在电话那头呵呵呵的笑，然后突然一句“反正，你肯定不是把杯子举过头顶那种型儿的！对了，你说的那个词是什么？”

 

哈哈哈~~~ 我倒！！ 除了这种没头没尾的回复，我更佩服etto同学的概括总结。我对你的敬仰如滔滔江水连绵不绝。

昔日霍金用简明文字写著《时间简史》解释高深科学理论，今有etto同学用如此形象生动鲜活通俗易懂的语言概括历史上含情脉脉前无古人后无来者的经典词语。以至于我在挂断电话之后，脑海回顾对话，又忍不住自得其乐的笑了一分钟。

 

P.S 晚上九点离开公司的时候，妈妈打电话催我早点回家。尽管肩膀很酸，我还是坚持在回家之后更新完本篇blog，然后再洗澡休息。

小芳同学要捧场。

不知从哪一天起，etto同学一改宿日里那随意无方向的个性。变得好似大军社会主义好少年般的有理想有目标、干劲十足。

这一变化起初不那么明显，至少劳动节的长假中，他充其量也只是抱着本大书躺在沙发上煞有介事的翻翻，然后，睡着了。

 

长假过后，我们固定的每天超过30分钟的电话，开始因为种种原因简短或是取消。

我才突然发现Benny对他的潜移默化可真是彻头彻尾，让我心服口服。

 

百年不能看完一本书的etto同学居然紧锣密鼓的读完《高效能人士的7个习惯》，外加破天荒得跟我分享心得感悟。昔日周末睡到正午12点，这个星期六却起大早去公司加班一整天。更有甚着，周末里每每问起“你在做什么啊”，这个平时最爱答复我“没做什么啊，歇着呗”的etto同学，开始将“别浪费生命”作为口头禅。答复我的句子依然总那么一句，但已经变成“在工作，写文件”。

 

评语：

etto同学的变化之大，速度之快，令（老师）我刮目。希望他能戒骄戒躁，保持现有成绩，争取在新的学年取得新的进步。

 

哈哈~~~~

20：40分进家门的时候，闻到空气中甜蜜的百合香。打开门，桌子的正中间11支火红怒放的玫瑰簇拥着一朵静静绽放的香水百合，呼之欲出。想起今天是Rita与平平相识三个月的纪念日。无怪乎，昨夜睡前她郑重其事的问我送什么礼物合适。今天我已看到了她收获的浪漫。

 

从见平平的第一面就很是鼓励他们的交往。抛去JD研究生的学历和在关键政府部门供职的背景不谈，但是老乡的来头已让我为他加分不少。当然最重要的我喜欢他的细致、可靠、内敛和“闷搞”。。。呵呵。第一次会面我就从那为数不多的语出惊人中知道，即使沉默、不多言，但难掩他幽默的本性。

 

三个月间，在我们有意无意的撮合、鼓励、戏谑、调侃中，当事人终于不负众望，收获满堂欢喜的恋爱开始。

固执不浪漫如Eric，积极主动温情如平平，都居然出手之快得捧得玫瑰归，而etto还是那样一如既往的无法被改造。

 

有时候我假象一个场景。etto兄进入花店，选花、付钱，然后捧着花束行走街头。。。。送给我，惊喜！

天！ 这简直是确定一定以及肯定不可能发生的奇迹。。。。。。

 

我已经双手投降，放弃改造的决心。。。 呵呵。。。

 

也许对于我，我习惯的反而是这样：

手拉手走在大街上，路边花农的竹筐里有我喜欢的亭亭玉立的马蹄莲。

echo:买几支回去插好不好？

etto:好啊。。。。你挑吧。

 

echo:老板，要这几支，多少钱？

etto在旁边付钱。

 

所谓幸福，不过是每人心底的感觉。对于每一个享受其中的人，如同美食满足味蕾，各取所爱，没有伯仲。

 

P.S 关于香水  Glow by Jennifer Lopez

上次同事帮我在HK买蓝茶的时候，买了mini装的Glow。因为早些听闻评价不很高，一直也没尝试。

上周五上班前，闲来使用了一下，oh！我的神阿！弄得我一天郁闷，这款诉求"fresh, sexy,clean"犹如女子刚刚沐浴完毕的体香般的香氛,反而香气浑浊，前调刺鼻，更像洗澡后没有冲干净泡沫残留的劣质香皂味。

 

    ECHO for men by Davidoff was the first bottle of perfume I gave to Etto as a present when his had first birthday celebration after we confirmed our relationship.   

    I prefer to say the shape of this bottle catches my eyes more than perfume itself. Pure and clear were the first image I had with this perfume. Actually, accoring to the classification, ECHO for men by DAVIDOFF is Eau De Toilette which is just like what I want to buy for Etto. Light, tender and refreshing.

 

    Blend of rich spices and soothing woods, ECHO, like a breath of fresh air, is designed for the urbane man.

    This was a Karaoke night!

    Etto and I sang almost the whole night to each other through phone. haha~  

    I am not good at singing at all but he still said I did well, even more, he clapped for me... I knew it was a kind of encouragement since I usually sang out of tune.

 

    But still, it was really happy to share my time with Etto.... 

    After accompanying with me for almost whole week, Etto went back to Guangzhou this afternoon.

 

    I didn't see him off in airport as usual as he wanted me to stay at home and have more rest. In addition, I was really really sad..... 

 

    Always like these, pick-up in the airport, stay for hours, and then see-off in airport again...... being together for really really short period and far away for a long time ......

    Etto went back Guangzhou tonight after spending 2 nights for business trip here.

    He had really tight schedule these days, taking plane from Guangzhou to Shanghai on Monday morning and auditing one manufacturer in Kunshan, two factories inspection in Suzhou on Tuesday later on and two in Shanghai today, and then went back to Guangzhou from Shanghai tonight. Still, he tried to stay in Shanghai every night and took train to factories in next morning to another city. I knew it was inconvenient for him and took more time, but he came to accompany with me. Monday night, our company held a dinner with CEO. Fortunately, my boss knew Etto was waiting for me and let me go earlier than others before the dinner finished. We met in metro around 9:30 PM. He came back from Suzhou a little bit late base on the tough work yesterday and finally we met at 8:00 PM.

    Although we were very close to each other, still we got together only for hours.

 

    In day time today, I thought always I could see him after being off duty, the same as last two days. On my back way home, I realized finally he was in waiting room in Hongqiao airport and ready for the back way, dialing his mobile phone without control, I hoped to hear his voice and felt he was still being with me by my side, we could hand in hand and share every moment while talking freely. But we were not…. After 36 hours from 9:30 PM on Monday, we separated from each other again…..

 

    Gosh!! I hate this distance….  

    Couple of days before, I was informed that only ten yuan was available in my mobile phone’s account and reminded to add some money for monthly payment. I did not pay much attention on it and finally be cut off service in Thursday afternoon because I made several long-distance calls with Etto those days. I didn’t know I was cut off service at first until almost five o’ clock when I didn’t get any message but was told twice that a SMS had been sent to my mobile phone by a salesman, who was helping to find a suitable apartment for one of my colleagues and sending his email account to me. I dialed my mobile phone number using office line and was told that “the subscriber you dialed is out off service now”.      

    At that time I got an email from Etto. He told me that he got a call from a company and was informed to attend an interview on Monday. He told me the name of the company and asked for my opinion. But I couldn’t reply him in time as a lot of work was waiting for me.

Running out off office quickly when it was almost 7:00 PM, yeah, I took a little bit overtime work, rushed into EF school for my workshops and finished them at 9:30 PM. After getting some money from ATM on my way home, I bought a prepaid card and added those money under my mobile phone account once got into home.

    The fixed telephone was ringing. It was from Etto. Yes! It was him! Actually I heard a ring when I was outside the house but couldn’t pick up the phone before the ring stopped as finding keys costs me time. I prepared to have a bath after adding money successfully, but the ring rang again. This time I picked it up and heard a very terrible voice from Etto. He sounds like suffering an agonizing pain but suddenly recovered when he heard and noticed my voice. Yeah! He was worrying about me, about my absence, because I couldn’t be reached by either Email or telephone. He told me that he knew I was cut off communication by China Mobile service and probably was attending workshop in EF during the whole night but still he couldn’t confirm and stopped worrying. He couldn’t do anything but call my office, my home and my mobile phone in turns, in addition, he sent a SMS to Susan, the friend I lived with, but still no news about me.

    You know what? I was totally and deeply moved by Etto. If you heard what he said, if you felt how different mood he was in during short period, if you touched by his deeply concerns and love, you will love him too. I can imagine what he suffered during the past hours, worry, uncomfortable and missing, and I can feel how happy when he found me and heard my voice, sounds like something makes you really excited, safe and satisfied.

    I had the same experience before. Etto used to meet his friends outside without taking mobile phone. I couldn’t find him for hours and really worried about although I knew he was in the party with his friends.

    Maybe sometimes when you deeply loved with somebody, you can’t separate yourself from him/her and always are concerned about his/her without reason. You can’t control but involve in.

 

    Today is Etto's twenty-fifth birthday according to solar calendar which he seldom celebrates. Actually he almost didn't celebrate neither solar birthday or lunar birthday with his friends or his family members.

    I almost forgot this date although we talked about this couple of days before, but the idea came up to my mind suddenly when I was on the way to EF school from home passing by a supermarket.

    I gave a call to him without any gifts.

 

    But still, I 'd like to say Happy Birthday To You, Etto!  

 

    Still remember that poem I made in year 2004 which I put as a profile of myself in QQ:

 

 

    Business warms up for Valentine's Day, but we didn't join in.

    Sweetshop, flowershop, department store and main street, everywhere is crowded with pairs of people with rosees or gifts in hands. 

 

    We didn't prepare any present for each other as both of us are not very interested or care about this stuff......

 

    I got an E-card filled with thousands of red roses from Etto last night although I never got a one in reality from him, still felt happy.

 

    And an e-mail sent by him this morning to my company mailbox unexpectedly, giving me a surprise and warming my heart, although there were only 4 lines included with his special writing style,  very simple and flat....

    I was deeply touched twice yesterday. Moved to tears ……

    "I really hope that you can come to Guangzhou next year, although it is really really hard to get out of a habit, even more, leave a city which you have got used to. Echo, don’t hesitate but come here, live with me. "

    "I love you, Echo! I love you this year, next year, the year after next year, till the year we die ……"

 

    ......        

 

Workshop Culture Focus 

Topic: Drinking Games Teacher: David (M)  Time: 16:45  

Drink too much=Got drunk=Get pissed (informal)

beer

wine alcoholic drink made from the fermented juice of grapes (red, white, sparkling, rosé)

spirit strong distilled alcoholic drink (whisky, brandy, vodka, gin, rum, Bacardi)

 

hangover n. unpleasant physical effects following the heavy use of alcohol

to have a ~, to be ~

hair of the dog (infml) another alcoholic drink to cure the effects of drink

bar hopping v. changing drinking locations many times in one night

buzz n. humming sound, used to express the feeling of being half drunk and half sober

drowning your sorrows using alcohol as a way to forget worries or problems

binge drinking drinking an excessive amount of alcohol in one night

to be addicted to / alcoholic

social lubricant

Chinese Drinking Games

Finger guessing / animal betting / dice game

(scissors, paper, stone / stick, tiger, cock and insect)

Western Drinking Games

Ace of spades / The shake game / Century club / High or Low

 

Workshop Culture Focus

Topic: Planning Ahead Teacher: ? (F)  Time: 17:45

Plan (Budget / Tour Group / Schedule / Reservation / Itinerary / Equipment)

Language covered

itinerary [ai5tinErEri] n. a plan for a journey listing places in the order in which they are to be visited

essentials adj. of the highest importance for achieving something

depart v. to leave especially at the beginning of a journey

forecast v. n. a prediction of something that is likely to happen

potential adj. with a possible or likelihood of occurring, or of doing or becoming something in the future

equipment n. the tools, clothing, or other items needed for a particular purpose of activity

emergency n. an unexpected and sudden event that must be dealt with urgently

tour group a group of people who go on an organized tour

cruise [kru:z] n. a holiday on a cruise ship

safari holiday [sE5fB:ri] tours through Africa national parks to watch or hunt wildlife

Different kinds of Holiday

Beach Holiday / Hiking Holiday / Camping Holiday / Sightseeing Holiday Backpacking Holiday / Cruise Holiday / Safari Holiday / Leisure Holiday

Out-door Holiday