i was a science student, studying maths in hong kong, so long long time ago. then i took on a job in box-making factory in china for quality post (you think there is not much quality to say on paper box? you know nothing!). quite some years back then, i bought a car. in china, car is as important as a private toliet, which gives you that sense of security. in the first few weeks, i drove to a place called toastmasters club in shenzhen. people there did not have as much advantage in english (humble i am) as their arabic. i was in the focus, and i felt the pride. when you tasted something nice, you would want more. then i went to improve my english with BBC. before then, i did have some fancy in british english because hong kong was a british-rule city and british accent did give people a distinctive impression. i took on BBC then. that was year 2010. i remember the very first podcast was "world business report" mentioning the riot in Greece as austerity was introduced for EURO crisis. i was listening to this 30-minute podcast in a minibus at the border. i understood so little from that podcast. i thought my english was not that bad as i could perceive in the toastmasters club. i was disappointed, soon turned humiliated, angry. i was kicking the front seat in the minibus, like the riot in Greece in the podcast. i did not give up. i watched BBC documentary with subtitles so i could pick up words. i carried on BBC listening. it's a real deal after all. six years on, i can understand almost all the radio programme (well, something the interviewees speaks spanish for places or names). i even took ielts exam in 2015 and i got score 8. with fluent english come the pride and the advantage at work. and to me, british accent is as important as a private toliet, which gives a sense of mystery.

thank you, BBC. i love you more than i love my girlfriend, Maggie. After all, her english is not british at all!