Warum nicht?

Hello Nuala! Welcome back! Now that you are a master of Chinese, why not try some German too! Can you guess what this German title means?
Why not? You just said it! :) So before I update you on my recent life, why not revise my sentences first?

1. You can hardly judge if it's still autumn --> You can hardly tell if it’s still autumn.

2. I have several intimate friends --> I have several close friends

3, I have been offered a perfect chance --> I have been offered an ideal chance… (I think “ideal opportunity” is also right but not as good as “chance”, right?)

4. I… have turned out a faithful soul --> I have turned into a faithful soul.

5. Jin Lu sounded too wrong to be a baby name --> Jin Lu would sound awkward as a baby name.

6. It’s now reasonable to assume that his parents might have called him “Ming Ming” when he was a little boy – the kind of cute baby-name I wanted but could never get because apparently, Jing Jing, as an official name, also possessed all the essential features of a baby name.

--> His parents might have called him “Ming Ming” when he was little. I wanted a cute baby-name like that too, but could never get one. Because Jing Jing, as an official name, could also be used as a baby name.

7. But they have been, in a quiet way, very important and indispensible. The time and situations they appeared never allow a baby name.

--> But they are already part of me now. There was never a right time for a baby name, but maybe I just never needed one.
One more thing, Nuala, I clicked the link you put there and the “Nuala should work more and talk less” comment was so mean! What did your parents say when they saw it? Did they have a good laugh, and then start to cultivate your interest in debating? :) You know what was on my first kindergarten report: Our little girl Jing Jin is very clean.

Now, back from kindergarten to my college life.

This Monday I did something I had never done before: going to an audition. The drama group of English department at University of Heidelberg will be presenting a play by Agatha Christie next summer and they were recruiting the cast. It was just a small flyer precariously stapled on the bulletin board but it attracted me when I passed by. I hesitated for a while then thought WARUM NICHT? Why not? Maybe they wanted a mysterious girl from the east; maybe they wanted someone very slim and small and with straight black hair. Maybe they would want me.

It was a decision I took a long five seconds to make. It should’ve taken no time at all.

I have never done any drama before. I was never a talented actress in school. The furthest I went was a Best Voice Actress award in high school when I hid in the backstage and voice-acted for the Juliet (in Romeo and Juliet). I wrote a few screen scripts too, but have never really been the one that is in my story. Nonetheless I always wish I could do drama: what could be more magical than giving life to the silent words?

There were about 12 people that night in the audition room. Most of them were experienced actors and actresses. Since no one would like to go first for the audition, I filled my name on the top of the list. I had hope but no expectations. It was more for fun and simply a wish than for competition.

Once I dreaded speaking English in front of many people because I would look even smaller, but one day I saw the English debating club in my home university debating against Sydney University, and the debaters looked just fabulous. I suddenly decided. Why not give it a try?

Once I would faint standing in a swimming pool because I was nearly drowned when younger, but one day I realized what a great swimming pool we had only 3 minutes away from my dormitory and it was cool in summer and warm in winter. I suddenly decided. Why not give it a try?

Once I disliked Korean food because Kimchi was too spicy and I could not handle the heavy silver chopsticks, but one day I met my Korean friends, and they looked happy like a child when they ate their food. I suddenly decided. Why not give it a try?

Once I was so annoyed by this person in my college, because he talked too much and in bad mandarin, but one day he asked if I could accompany him to tour around Beijing because he was not from the mainland and felt lonely. I was not from Beijing and I was alone too. Suddenly I decided. Why not give us a chance?

Now, my favorite activity, sport, food and man : ) would all have been bubbles in dreams if I hadn’t given it a try – if not for a simple phrase: Why not? There are many miraculous things we don’t know yet in our lives. I give them some light, and wait for their blooming

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