Fingers crossed
I've tried. Believe me, I really have tried. I started a couple of days ago and wrote more than two pages. But it wasn't good, and that's an understatement. So I deleted the lot and started again. Yesterday I even got up especially early, to write when it is still quiet in the house and there's no traffic outside. Once again, I managed a couple of pages. This time it was worse. Thank goodness for the 'delete' key. Today it is raining. It's cold and grey and no one is going anywhere. So I thought I'd try once more. The truth is, however, I can't put it off any longer: I simply have to admit to you that I cannot make Lucy's 'A'-levels sound interesting.
 
I even tried interviewing her:
DAD: Lucy, what's the worst thing about 'A'-levels?
LUCY: Not knowing whether you're going to pass or fail.
Promising . Next question.
DAD: What's the best thing about 'A'-levels?
LUCY: Dad, there is no best thing about 'A'-levels.
Not so promising. So now I have to agree with Lu that it isn't easy to make examinations sound interesting.

None of this helps you, though, does it? My solution (because several of you have written asking about Lucy's exams and university application) is to add an information box at the end of this column, and to promise to keep you informed about how things are going, every couple of weeks. Right now, there's a big sign on Lucy's bedroom door. It says: Warning! You are now entering 'A'-level hell! I think that tells you all you need to know for the moment.

Poor Lucy! She doesn't seem to have had her nose out of a book for most of the last month. Never mind , it'll all be over soon. Her first exam is on 24th May and her last will be on 21st June. Then everything can go back to normal – at least until she gets her results on 19th August. And that's a long time to keep your fingers crossed.

Lucy studying hard, as usual.

Don't feel too sorry for her. She's going to Spain for a week with seventeen, yes seventeen, of her school friends, after their exams (should I apologise to Spain in advance?), and yesterday I finally bought our tickets for our summer in New York (I'm still in shock from the price I had to pay!). Lucy will fly out with me and stay for a couple of weeks until she's spent all my money. Then she'll fly back home to wreck the house and neglect the garden, leaving me penniless in Manhattan (sounds like the title of a bad novel, Penniless in Manhattan) for another three weeks.

And, talking of daughters spending all their father's money, here's a depressing little tale. My girlfriend – if you can call a 48 year-old woman a 'girlfriend' – bought a new car yesterday. (Perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned her age. Please don't tell her I told you!) When she got home the first thing she did was telephone her parents. Her mum's reaction was, “How much does she want this time?” and her dad's reaction was to start writing a cheque. Does this mean that I'll never be free from having to spend all my money on Lucy – even when she's 48? Please, if there is someone reading this column who has grown-up children who no longer need their parents' money, write to me to reassure me it is possible!

Strawberries in punnets, ready for Wimbledon

Lucy and I have still got lots of tickets for more summer concerts here in London, and we even have a pair of tickets for the Wimbledon tennis championships next month. In Britain, we manage to forget international tennis even exists for fifty weeks of the year and then every June we go crazy expecting and demanding anyone who is British and can hold a tennis racquet the right way to win Wimbledon.

Only one thing would make my summer complete, and that's a pair of tickets for the FA Cup Final (our domestic football championship) at the new Wembley Stadium. My beloved Arsenal aren't playing, but it would be great to see a match – even if it has to be one in which Chelsea are playing – at this fantastic new stadium.

Wembley Stadium and, inset, the FA Cup

There's something very exciting about having a pile of tickets on your desk (although, of course, you don't get real tickets for plane journeys now, just so-called e-tickets). Jill Huang, from Beijing, obviously understands this. I loved her cheeky little note suggesting I send her a concert ticket “as a gift for my comments and loyalty”. Too bad you're so far away, Jill. I had a spare ticket for a concert just last week.

And what is it about tickets that's so exciting? I suppose it's the promise of something new, something unpredictable, a complete change from our daily routines, a treat. I can still remember the excitement of getting my tickets for the train journey home from Xi'an, in China, where I'd been working for over a year, back in 1982. We travelled on the Chinese Trans-Siberian Express, through Mongolia and across what was then the Soviet Union. The tickets were pink and flimsy and looked just like a supermarket receipt. But they took us almost half-way round the world in style and comfort and with a few adventures on the way.

So what, if you could choose a pair of tickets for anything at all, would make your year complete? A holiday here in sunny London (the rain has stopped, by the way, and it's suddenly warm and fragrant)? Tickets for the Olympic Games in China, next year? How about a journey into space or a world cruise? What do you think about our spending the summer in New York? A travel writer friend of mine wrote to me recently and ended her letter with “Enjoy New York in mid-summer (I wouldn't!)”. Where would you choose? Fantasise a little and post your comments to share with all our readers.

I just love reading what you have written. Like Farida ( Pakistan ) I go to this website every morning to read your comments – so keep them coming. I admire your courage in writing in English for the whole world to read. Don't worry Claudio (Chile), your writing is fine: the important thing, here, is to communicate and share your ideas. And it is beginning to feel a bit like a family: Marula, in Scotland, remembered that I cry when Arsenal lose (can I confess now, Marula, that that was a small exaggeration?); Kriszta, from Hungary, sent greetings to Lucy (very kind, thank you); Marianna, from Slovakia, who I now know is quite an accomplished artist, is a loyal and generous reader who shared some very personal feelings last time. But it's also great when 'new' people post comments, too. Our little band of 'friends' is growing all the time.

I'm afraid I've just heard Lucy's bedroom door open, upstairs. That means it's time for a break. Any second now she'll appear, like a zombie, in my little study (where I'm writing this), looking pale and exhausted and, let's be honest, a little bit bored. Time for me to perform my parental duties – a cup of tea, a chocolate biscuit and a pep talk. I'll save the gin and tonic for when she's gone back to her books. Cheers!

Some useful words and expressions

understatement
a statement which does not fully express the degree to which something is true
If you understate something, sometime for effect, you suggest that it is less important or significant than it really is.

the lot
everything

put it off
postpone or delay it
If you put something off you decide to do it later.

to admit
confess

If you admit something embarrassing, bad or unpleasant, you say or agree that it is true.

Promising
Likely to be very good or successful

Never mind
It doesn't matter; don't worry

keep your fingers crossed
This is a colloquial expression which is used when you want to wish someone good luck. For example, if your friend is going to take his driving test you can say, “I'll keep my fingers crossed” or “I'll keep my fingers crossed for you”, and that is another way of saying 'good luck'. Here, because I want Lucy to pass all her exams, I can say, “I'm keeping my fingers crossed for her” or “I'll keep my fingers crossed for her” until 19th August.

feel…sorry for
feel sympathy for

in shock
in a state of shock; stunned; unpleasantly surprised

penniless
without any money

domestic
concerning matters within a country; home (i.e. not international)
Here it means the national football championship of England.

so-called
You use 'so-called' in front of a word or term to show that it is usually referred to in a special way, for example, The earth is experiencing so-called global warming .

cheeky (affectionate)
'Cheeky' usually means rude or disrespectful but it can be used in an affectionate way (as I am using it here) to mean socially daring or adventurous in a friendly way.

spare
extra; not needed; unwanted

unpredictable
impossible to know how it will develop or end

a treat
something special to enjoy

flimsy
thin; not very strong or durable; easily damaged

by the way
incidentally

fragrant
pleasantly perfumed

cruise
holiday spent on a large, usually luxurious, ship

premiere
first performance (of, for example, a movie or a piece of music)

Fantasise
Imagine; use your imagination creatively

accomplished
If you are 'accomplished' at [note the preposition] something you are very good at it (for example, an accomplished writer, an accomplished singer, etc).

Any second now
Soon; in just a moment

zombie
'Zombie' literally means a dead person who has been brought back to life by supernatural magic. If you describe someone as looking like a zombie it means that s/he seems completely unaware of things around her/him, and seems to act without thinking about what s/he is doing. It is generally used to suggest that someone is completely exhausted as a result of some kind of extreme effort or experience.

pep talk
An informal expression which means a motivating talk or speech intended to encourage someone (or a group) to make more effort.

'A'-levels and university application Prince William on his graduation day at St. Andrews So what does 'A'-level mean, how important are these exams and (don't even think about it) what happens if Lucy fails? 'A'-levels (the 'A' stands for 'advanced') are the final examinations in our school system. In Scotland there is a different system, but in England and Wales students who leave school at 18+ have usually studied three or four 'A'-level subjects, together with something called General Studies, for the preceding two years. Lucy has studied History, English Literature and History of Art during this two-year period. General Studies is designed to offer a broader education to 'A'-level students and includes work on citizenship, politics, maths and science. 'A'-levels are qualifying examinations for university. Students here apply for a place to study at a university and the universities either reject them or make them an offer . Lucy was rejected by Cambridge (the mad fools, don't they realise how brilliant she is?!) but received an offer from the ancient (1411) Scottish university of St Andrews (look at a map of Britain and you will find St Andrews to the north-east of Edinburgh, across the Firth of Forth ). An offer is when the university tells you they will give you a place there so long as you achieve certain results, or grades, in your 'A'-levels. St Andrews will accept Lucy so long as she gets two As and a B (for example, an 'A' in History of Art , an 'A' in History and a 'B' in English Literature). There are five pass grades, from A to E. You can see, I think, that Lu has a tough target to reach. If all goes well , she will study for a degree in History of Art, with subsidiary studies in Russian and Philosophy. She plans to continue studying French, too. If all does not go well…actually I prefer not to think about that right now.

Luiza Regina, Sao Paulo , Brazil
Hello!It is always very pleasant to read your column. Very good luck to your Lucy. I'm an English teacher and my daughters, though living with me in Brazil for the last ten years, are British nationals and are going to go back to London by the end of the year.Their dream is to go to University there, and your text was exteremely helpful; their journey won't be easy,from what I can infer of your lovely description of those "A"'s preparations.Thank you anyway for your spirited account!

Marianna, Slovakia, Bojnice
Relax just relax! We`ve learnt from you. Was I supposed to learn a sci-fi style from the blog`s lessons which I started with you? I could feel your hesitation and torment you had to undergo as you was writing those pages to us while I was exploring a fairy-wild, small piece of natur here. However, you never fail and first paragraph smile at me.(My colour explosions I throw into a shower-bath, instead, wasting cost material.) And, my life was like fantasising only. I was punished many times and listened to the sermons afterwards. I am wondering that it is possible to understand my sentences in this curious language where is so easy to miss the correct meaning. Expressing thoughts in my family it would be like come from another planet sometimes. Dear Professor, we all are studying with similar enthusiasm and cheating in each age as I am looking at Lucy! Russian, French Philosophy!!, pretty much load on her! Peter, my nephew, is on his maturity exams right these days. I can only say, his body is trained to the rock which impressed the military entrance jury and other applicants were out of breath.(Really, he is a stout and sensitive young man -although I can`t understand why is there the constant need to protect us!) Oh, I peeped via the BBC internet camera on a view from Waterloo bridge and thought, it was not what would appeal me to be there! The `tale´ about money will end, I am sure, by neverending joy to spend them to the delight your future grandchildren as you are Dad as there are mothers with big M (some of them `two in one´packung). Except, she might to meet the prince once..wish you cordialy, having one of your famous drink with!!

George Tonchev, Bulgaria
Dear Mr. Keeler,I am impressed with you column! I have subscribed to receive the BBC learning English e-newsletter several months ago. However, so far, I haven't explored all the features that it contains. Today, i have been very disappointed from the environment that surrounds me (I live, work, and study in Seattle, WA, USA) and decided to take a look around your column. I have been fascinated by a lot of stories on the BBC web site but i never ever write a single word back to express my satisfaction. Today i am doing it because you triggered something very precious in side me - my humanity. I have been so concentrated on building my resume (doing two jobs, studying for Bachelor's Degree, and participating in a students' organization)that I forget that we are all human and that there more important things in our lives - the people we do care about. Thank you for sharing your wonderful column.Regards,George

Claudio, Chile
Hello Stephen!I'm writing from Chile again. I am very grateful for your comments about my style of writing. It's very important to me to know that someone is interested in my letters. All that you have said encourages me to carry on, because I want to improve my english, especially on writing. In connection with the subject about tickets. Well..., I would say that I want to travel to England again.The first time I went I visited River Thames, St. Paul's Cathedral, Soho, the lovely neighborhood of Candem Town. If I go to Britain again I want to travel to Scotland. Someone said Edinburgh was a wonderful city and maybe I'd like to visit your daughter at St. Andrews. Ja, ja. Don't worry. I'm just joking.Finaly I'd like to go with you to the next FA Cup Final with the Gunners on the field.I hope to read your column again. It's very funny and interesting.Thank you, StephenHave a good time wherever you go!!Good byeClaudio

Monica, Brazil
Dear Stephen,Poor Lucy. I know exactly what she has been through.My dearest daughter, Bebeta, has had her nose in a pile of books lately. Like Lucy,she is trying to get a place at University, she wants Medicine. Here in Brazil the system is quite different.Students take an entrance college examination on all subjects they´ve studied at school and according to their results they will be accepted or not. For Medicine the score is really high, around 80%, which I guess refers to your Bs. So tell Lucy that she is not alone in this boat of Zombies.Let´s keep our fingers crossed for both of them!If all goes well,we can open a champagne in our community cyberspace to celebrete their victory.This would actually make my year complete! But as you pushed me to fantisise a little, I´d say I´d love to be loaded so that I could by tickets to travel around the world in great sytle and a lot of comfort. Why not?Love,Monica

Rita, USA, IL, Chicago
Hi Stephen, I hope you and Lucy are doing well.. Since this is my first time writing to you, I would like to say thank you very much for your time and for sharing your wonderful stories with us. I found your columns very interesting to read. I'm excited to read each column and I can't wait for the next column..As for going to New York this summer, I think you and Lucy will have fun there. I haven't been there yet, but I heard it's really nice place to visit.. I'm looking forward to raed a column about your visit to NY:)..Lucy is doing a great job. I felt sorry for her when I saw her picture.. I will keep my fingers crossed for her:).. Take care all:)

Jameel Hijazin, Smakieh - Jordan
Hello Mr. Stephen, first I would like to point out that I like reading your Blogs; they are not only very informative and funny but also grabs the reader's attention.I just want to start with a brief introduction, I remember reading a saying that I can not really recall right now. But in general the main idea of this saying was: "If someone tells you a good thing about your personality, appearance, etc. Although you know that you don’t have that good thing, you will feel happy and pleased (somehow!)". For example, I have a very unbeautiful voice, and I know that!. Lets suppose that two people heard me singing, the first one told me the truth which is that my voice is absolutely horrible. However, the second one wanted to be nice so he said: “your voice is relatively beautiful and nice!”.Compare my feelings in the two cases?! When I hear the first people comment I will be a little bit embarrassed and teased –though I know deep in myself that it is the truth!-. However, when I hear the nice but relatively untrue comment of the second person, I will be like: “I am a little bit tough on myself! My voice is not so excellent but it is not how much bad I think!”. If I didn’t feel a little bit happy after the second comments, then for sure I will not feel as terrible and bad after hearing the first comments!The reasons why I wrote the all above lines, is that you said there is a big sign on your daughter’s room saying: “Warning! You are now entering 'A'-level hell!”. My point of view is that instead of putting such a true but devastating and miserable sign, your daughter can put a motivational one though it might not be that true, like: “Smile! You are now entering ‘A’-level heaven!”. Don’t you think that such sign would not only be a big motivation but also, a relief of all the passive thinking? I used to hate physics back at high school, but to help myself cope with it, I wrote on the physics book like: "Physics! I love it!", "The most beautiful subject: Physics". It really worked! (By the way, don't believe me, I believe that it is the most boring subject of all!).

Fellype, Brazil
Dear Keeler,I read your column for the first time a couple of weeks ago. As soon as I finished the reading, I listenen to the Marsellesa and Pathéthique. You´re completely right. They are amazing. Since on, I´ve been waiting anxiously for the next one. You did not let me down !! I have two children, a 3-year-old boy and 4 year-old girl. I just cannot believe how they grow so fast. As my children have a long way until University exams, I will keep my fingers crossed only for you daughter (Is there any advantage in exclusiviness for this purpose?).I really want to take part of this "little band of friends".Best wishes,Fellype

Nayonika from Bharat
thanks very very much.I really love to read your column and its truth.

Paul Klimos, Lebanon
Hey Stephen, I have tried downloading the PDF of this column, but there must have been a technical problem. The document I have downloaded from the link given above for this version was related to the column of the "tears" subject. You should update it. Thank you
BBC Learning English Thanks for letting us know about the PDF issue Paul. It was a mistake by the team here rather than Stephen. It should be fixed very soon.

elkheir elhaj
hello teacher.can you help me im an english taecher ilive in sudan [please help me ]how can teach spoken or show me about the good methods of teaching spoken. Im looking for ward to hear good thing from you
BBC Learning English Please do not give contact details in your comments. We are not able to publish these details.

Xiaohelong ,ChangSha China
I am a UNIVERSITY student,I have to pass the cet4 next term.To study English is my favorite activity,not just only for the exam. After reading that, I studied a lot,and feel the true english from Chinese english.So many words in the text is familiar but not able to recall it. Reading your Explaination Script really helps a lot.Appreciated for what you have done for us,see you.

Kirsti France/Finland
Bad news, Stephen.You might well be obliged to spend your money on Lucy when she's 48. My eldest son became 33 yeaterday, still living at home. Years ago his little brother lent us the film about Tanguy. Have you seen it?

Sami-ul-Haq, Pakistan
Dear Stephen, I hope you will be O.K. I 'm student of English so, I would like to tell that I have improved my English but still I face such problems in Vocabularies and listening. Please informe me that how to improve my vocabulary and Listening. Essy WAY? Yours truly, Sami-ul-Haq

Jill Huang From Beijing
(Part II) Not like you, I don’t usually buy tickets. (Because I don’t have much money, if I have much more money in the future, I guess I will buy even more tickets.) But I do like collecting used tickets. New tickets give us promises while used tickets give us memories. In my small box, I have collected many many tickets (movie tickets, concert tickets, football tickets, train tickets, garden tickets, museum tickets, etc.). Does it seem that I have lots of money? No. I used more than five years to collect them and some were paid by my friends. When I see them, they remind me what I did at that unique time and with whom. Sometimes they are the same place’s tickets but the tickets themselves are completely changed. It’s interesting!You mentioned the Olympic Games in Beijing, 2008. Will you and Lucy come to Beijing then? Very near to my house, it’s the softball stadium. And… maybe I will get married during the Olympic period. Ooh, I have told you a big secret, isn’t it? My boyfriend and I are planning a travel at that time and we all hope we can visit some European countries.It’s still raining outside and it has rained for a whole day. It seems that when I go back from work to home, I will get wet again. Whatever, who cares! I’m really glad to read your update. Let’s make your/our band of ‘friends’ grow bigger and bigger. Best regards to you and Lucy. Jill.

Jill Huang From Beijing
Hello, Stephen. It’s the first time I felt that a fortnight is a so long period! You don’t know how eager I want to read the pages that you deleted before this one. I don’t think they were bad. Every article you wrote is wonderful and interesting and full of useful information. How lucky we are!This morning in Beijing, we had a heavy rain! I got wet when I arrived my office. When I reading your updated essay, I was thinking: when it’s raining, we did completely different things. Stephen was sitting in his warm house and writing everything that he wanted to share with us. But I must cycle in the rain… Poor me!After reading your today’s essay, I think every reader will keep his/her fingers crossed for Lucy during the next few months. We all wish her good luck and what’s more, have good rests because I saw her sleeping by the books. And Lucy, I hope our wishes could make that ‘A’-level hell a little bit warm and bright! Good luck, pretty girl! Ooh, talking of daughters spending all their father’s money, here is my response. Since I graduated from my college, I don’t need my parents’ money, instead, I give them some money and buy some presents for them when I come back home at the Chinese traditional Spring Festival. So, Stephen, take it easy. When Lucy graduates from St. Andrews, you will receive more and more presents from her year by year. Can you imagine that? :)

Sayed Hamid, Afganistan
I have got this lesson very interesting and learned very nice and important words and combination of sentences ,so i thank Mr Stephen for his free humanitarian support.

José Rubel, Brazil
Hi Stephen,I'm doing an English course at Curitiba, a city in southern Brazil.I'd loved your article. I have a daughter as well. Her name is Julia. I've found you are a pretty good father. Best luck to Lucy.José

Lu, Tinjin, China
Thanks very much! I really love to read your column. It seems like chat with you and at the same time I can improve my English. To be honest, I am fall into despair of my English, it is like on a stage, hard to develop! However, I feel better after read you words. Thank you very much again.

Ana Paula, Brazil
Hello Stephen!I think will be delightful hear from you when you and Lucy go to New York. I really want to know your impressions about the "Big Apple". Hmmm... As you´re predicting, there is a great possibility of you´ll be penniless in this trip, I think maybe you could start to write the novel "Penniless in Manhattan", because you know, this kind of bad novel always become best-sellers, and then become a blockbuster movie. So, I can assure you won´t have problems with money for a long time! ;-) My fingers are already crossed for Lucy. She´s studying hard, and I have no doubt she´ll do very well in her 'A'-levels exam.See you in the next fortnight,Ana Paula.

Juan Luis, Spain
Dear Stephen,It's the second time I'm writing to you and I love reading your column.I perfectly understand your feelings because my twins daughters who are thirteen study in the High School and I feel very stressed with their exams.Thank you very much for explaining us about how apply for a place to study in a British university.I live in a small city called Jaén in the South of Spain, around 116,000 inhabitants. Best wishes,Juan Luis
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