March revolved around three things: getting a pet exhibition ready, taking the practical driving test, and making time for learning and old friends. It was a month full of running around and anxiety, but the results were better than the process often suggested.
Racing to Prepare for the Pet Exhibition
The company was scheduled to attend a pet exhibition from the 12th to the 15th, and I was responsible for most of the event’s visual materials. That included the overall booth design, the product brochure, renderings for new products, promotional posters, product videos, and the editing of promotional footage.
There was a lot to do, and the schedule became even more chaotic because requirements and confirmations from management often arrived very late. By the time decisions were made, there was barely any room left in the timeline, so I spent that period working overtime and trying to push everything through at once. It was exhausting and, at times, genuinely frustrating.
Still, I came away with an unexpected skill upgrade. A friend had once told me that KeyShot was easy to learn, but when I tried teaching myself before, I could never quite figure it out. This time, with the deadline approaching and new-product renderings to finish, I had no choice but to keep experimenting. After enough trial and error, I somehow found my way into the software and finally learned how to use it.
The exhibition venue was far from home, which meant commuting by subway every day. My normal work routine involves sitting in front of a computer for hours, with very little standing or walking. On the first day of the exhibition, I stood almost the entire day, introducing products and explaining them to visitors. By the end of it, my whole body was sore.
After that first day, I gradually adapted to the pace. The work was still tiring, but I felt much better physically and mentally from the second day onward.
A Nervous, Last-Minute Pass on the Practical Driving Test
The other major event of the month was the practical driving test, or “Subject Three.”
My driving school made the entire process unnecessarily difficult. Almost every step required me to chase them for updates. If I did not ask, nobody seemed to take responsibility, and the whole experience felt extremely passive and poorly managed.
I had already completed the required training hours at the end of the previous month. When I contacted customer service on March 11 to ask when a Subject Three instructor would be assigned, the representative had not even checked my progress and did not realize that I had finished the required hours. Only after I explained the situation did they connect me with an instructor.
I finally managed to book a test for March 28 on the 18th and paid the registration fee on the 21st. Yet by the 24th, the instructor still had not arranged any practice sessions. Once again, I had to contact customer service and push for an answer.
What made the situation worse was that the driving school appeared to be limiting practice time—presumably to reduce fuel costs and generate more revenue from paid simulations. I was given only four days of hands-on practice. Fortunately, I had spent several days beforehand watching online tutorials and familiarizing myself with the techniques. Without that preparation, four days would not have been enough.
The final days of practice
The evening of the mock test was especially rough. My mindset was poor, I made mistake after mistake, and the more I practiced the test route, the more confused and anxious I became. I never felt fully confident about it.
<table> <thead> <tr> <th>Date</th> <th>Practice</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>March 25</td> <td>I was just getting started, practicing the light controls and learning the basic coordination of the clutch, brake, and accelerator while gradually getting used to driving on the road.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>March 26</td> <td>I became more comfortable controlling the car, worked on coordinating the clutch with my speed, and repeatedly drove the examination route.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>March 27</td> <td>I took a day off work, practiced for an hour in the morning, and spent 600 yuan that evening accompanying the instructor to the test center for an on-site simulation.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>The test was scheduled for the afternoon of March 28, from 1:00 to 2:00. I failed the first attempt because my parking position was not right and my gear selection did not match my speed. When the announcement said that I had failed, I let out a long breath.
I returned to the starting point and waited for another safety officer. By then, my palms were soaked with sweat and I was extremely nervous. Fortunately, the second attempt did not begin immediately. I used the waiting time to calm myself down and mentally review the route and each detail of the test.
There was also an unexpected obstacle during the second drive. At a traffic light, a landscaping vehicle was blocking the intersection ahead. At the same time, an arrow indicated that I should move into the right lane. For a moment, I froze, unsure whether I should stop and call the test center or change lanes and continue.
After hesitating for a few seconds, I turned on the right indicator, moved over, and continued straight. Once I had passed the vehicle, I changed back into the original lane. Luckily, that turned out to be the right decision.
My palms kept sweating throughout the second attempt. Eventually, I stopped trying to control every detail and adopted a more detached mindset: just drive, stay calm, and let things happen. I drove faster than I had on the first attempt. In the end, I lost 10 points for a slight rollback, but received full marks on everything else and passed.
The relief afterward was overwhelming. It felt as though something that had been hanging over me finally landed on the ground.
Even after I got home, I could not fully relax. Whenever I closed my eyes, I replayed the entire test in my head, focusing on all the moments when something might have gone wrong. My heart rate stayed elevated, and I even felt a little palpitation. It took nearly two days for me to return to normal.
Learning to Make Better AI Images and Videos
I also bought Xiaomu’s AIGC course. At 300 yuan, it seemed worthwhile, especially since the course comes with three years of updates.
The lessons helped me further improve my skills in using AI for image and video creation. Together with the practical experience I gained from preparing the exhibition, I also became more confident with rendering software, particularly KeyShot.
Dinner, Mahjong, and an Old Friend’s Return
Yubin had started trying to arrange a meal a few days earlier. The day after I passed the driving test, I went to Huaqiangbei to meet him. Hao Hong and Zhihao joined us as well. Once everyone had arrived, we went for barbecue and then played mahjong.
Before the Spring Festival, Yubin had said that he planned to leave Shenzhen and look for opportunities in Chaoyang. Unexpectedly, he returned to Shenzhen after the holiday. He is currently working in e-commerce with his older brother.
March was busy in a way that constantly drained my energy. The exhibition demanded long hours, and the driving test brought a steady stream of anxiety. Still, the month ended on a positive note: I passed Subject Three, strengthened my skills in AI content creation and rendering, and found time to sit down with old friends.