RE: CCIE journey raised me to become an accountable network

From: Steve Means (smeans@ccbootcamp.com)
Date: Tue Oct 07 2008 - 18:39:36 ART

First of all, congrats on the pass, sounds like you deserve it.

On the subject of improving your English, I have some input based on
experience. My wife is Polish and had only been in the states a short time
when we met. Her English has improved by leaps and bounds since then in the
most simple way possible. We talk together. When she makes a grammatical
mistake I correct her. Nicely of course. Does she still have an accent? Of
course. But if you knew her when she came here vs. today you would be
astonished.

You might not have this luxury. But if you can, find a native speaker who can
spend even a half an hour a day with you. Its important that they not be
embarrassed about correcting you. Talk. You'll get better quick.

Another tip from my own language learning. The pimsleur method materials are
very good. They are really helping improve my Polish pronunciation and
comprehension. They do have a series of English for XXX speakers which might
help you out. Worth a look at least.
Steve Means
Security Instructor/Consultant
smeans@ccbootcamp.com
CCBOOTCAMP - A Cisco Sponsored Organization
877.654.2243 Toll Free
+1.702.968.5100 Direct Outside the USA
+1.702.446.0357 Fax
YES! We take Cisco Learning Credits!

________________________________

From: nobody@groupstudy.com on behalf of Mohammed Naviwala
Sent: Tue 10/7/2008 1:34 PM
To: Long Nguyen
Cc: Fernando Carvalho; Leo Leung; Cisco certification
Subject: Re: CCIE journey raised me to become an accountable network engineer
(CCIE# 22227)

very well written....Indeed motivating......

specially 'no excuse is acceptable'

On 10/7/08, Long Nguyen <longoc@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Amazing man, hopefully I will join the ranks myself one day. Its so far
> away
> it seems.
>
>
> On Tue, Oct 7, 2008 at 11:42 AM, Fernando Carvalho <
> fernando.cagica@t-online.de> wrote:
>
> > Congratulations, you deserve your number.
> >
> > Fernando
> >
> > Leo Leung schrieb:
> >
> > Dear GS members,
> >>
> >> I passed the lab last Wed. on Oct.1, 2008.
> >>
> >> Before I first sat R&S lab in 2005, I had 10 years voice experience
> >> and got my CCNA/CCNP. I was surprised with the report shown "0%" in
> >> many sections. I asked myself did I forget to save config? Yes, I
> >> did save; but no, I totally underestimated the lab as I studied only
> >> from Cisco websites without taking any vendors workbooks. Then I
> >> realized I need to change my way of thinking to look for help; you see
> >> CCIE journey began transforming me. I got IPexpert and ccbootcamp
> >> workbooks and found myself pretty much relied on solution guide,
> >> meaning I was unable to perform a lab section myself and the speed was
> >> horrible. After a long while I decided to go to bootcamp at
> >> netmasterclass.com in early 2007 and it proved me that I was the worst
> >> one in the class. What happened? I exhausted all my savings, when I
> >> discussed it with my wife that only solution was to take credit card
> >> debt that she went for a minimum wage job to pay the interest. It was
> >> sad soon she got serious sick and went through 2 major surgeries in
> >> 2006 and followed by endless medical bills. My 7-year old son asked me
> >> when his dream to Disneyland will become true, boy, I never have time
> >> to bring him to local cinema even once. My heart broke as I saw his
> >> tear in his eyes. At that particular moment an event occurred in my
> >> journey. after a mock lab I happened to speak with Narbik over the
> >> phone about my journey status. Immediately he sent me the whole OSPF
> >> section material for free, offered his phone number for any questions,
> >> but most importantly he told me that he believed my determination and
> >> ability to accomplish this journey. I found as if he looked into my
> >> eyes with the word of "you can do it". Since then I kept telling
> >> myself nothing can stop me from moving forward. Then, I was quite
> >> comfortable with his approach to complete each technology section in
> >> its own scope before ever touching a full lab. He asked me to do
> >> every section 4 times and make sure no question you are not aware of.
> >> Man, I doubled that; I valued his books more than gold, no kidding.
> >> Please, please I do not mean to devaluate any other vendor's
> >> workbooks. It was my understanding level at early stage of the
> >> journey did not come up to that height and different people have
> >> different ways of learning that may be closer to one another kind of
> >> workbook design. Another critical moment in my journey was in second
> >> half of 2007 I found 2 study partners in the bay area, Jean-Marc
> >> Mazzoni and Jay Jwalanaiah. We got together from netmeeting every
> >> week to work primarily on InternetworkExpert labs and go over Jean's
> >> very detailed notes that he worked so hard and shared with us so
> >> selfishlessly. They sincerely pointed out that I have English
> >> proficiency issue that needed to overcome and they made a lot of jokes
> >> out of it, well that's one of many reasons I love CCIE program that
> >> allows me to meet such great men that I otherwise no way to know, not
> >> only that after they both passed the exam, they gave me their routers
> >> and switches for free so that I was able to build a fully scaled lab
> >> without compromise. You all know what value of such an available lab
> >> for a candidate is.
> >>
> >> What I am tying to say is this,if you have guts to pursue this
> >> journey, do not drop it! for it defeats your own purpose, even if you
> >> do, you may eventually come back, because we are engineers by nature
> >> and we like to complete things from A to Z, why wasting time? and
> >> Cisco is also interested in seeing how you deal with failure (no
> >> offend to 1st time pass). I have learned to convert complaint for
> >> compliment, appreciated failure as identification of weak areas, and
> >> taken pain on the journey as necessary cost to pass. As world needs
> >> CCIEs and equivalents to keep its networks up, no excuse is
> >> acceptable. I am now glad that we took that credit card debt, because
> >> all the skillset learned along the journey, the creditability
> >> established in work place, the confidentiality in oneself facing
> >> assigned projects, and the opportunity upcoming to one's reach are
> >> much, much more weighted than this debt, that too, would be soon
> >> disappeared as well. On the other hand you can say me primitive, but
> >> nothing makes me more happier than being able to support my family,
> >> especially in economic downturn.
> >>
> >> For everyone on board, I say thank you mate. Hanging there, you'll be
> >> CCIE one day; For all instructors including list owner I have deepest
> >> respect for your dedication, willingness, patience and all that will
> >> be forever our integrate part of the journey.
> >>
> >> Leo
> >> 22227 (R&S)
> >>
> >> P.S
> >> Input to improve my English proficiency is greatly appreciated.
> >>
> >>
> >> Blogs and organic groups at http://www.ccie.net <http://www.ccie.net/>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________________________________
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> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> > /
> >
> >
> > /
> >
> >
> > Blogs and organic groups at http://www.ccie.net <http://www.ccie.net/>
> >
> > _______________________________________________________________________
> > Subscription information may be found at:
> > http://www.groupstudy.com/list/CCIELab.html
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> --
> Thanks,
>
> Long Nguyen
>
>
> Blogs and organic groups at http://www.ccie.net <http://www.ccie.net/>
>
> _______________________________________________________________________
> Subscription information may be found at:
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>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> 

--
Best Regards

Mohammed Abdul Razzaq

'A bird sitting on the branch of a tree is not afraid of the branch
breaking; bcoz the bird trusts not the branch but its own wings. BELIEVE IN
URSELF'

Blogs and organic groups at http://www.ccie.net <http://www.ccie.net/>

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