Through 3-round fierce competitions, Yu Ting(3rd left) won the title of Sino-German Friendship Messenger together with seven other contestants in October 2007. They will be invited by mayors of 6 German cities for cultural exchange later in 2008. [Photo courtesy of Yu Ting]

Even if you are just meeting Yu Ting for the first time, you will feel like you've known him for a long time. You will like this man who seems to warm up the atmosphere with his unexpected jokes.

Yu Ting, in his late thirties, shines like the rising sun. His upbeat spirit can make you feel young and energetic too.

Yu Ting will soon visit Germany as one of the eight Sino-German Friendship Messengers of Ningbo City, selected through a citywide televised competition.

Yu Ting sort of became a celebrity of the town. People became interested in this man who was older than other participants in the competition.

Jiang Xia is with Ningbo TV. She was one of the judges for the Sino-German Friendship Messenger Competition.

"I can't forget that day. Most participants were young. They were in their 20s and were university students. After feeling the juvenility for a whole day, suddenly, we saw a mature but spirited man come in. He was very confident. As he introduced himself he might be the oldest among all contestants. He left a very deep impression on us."

That man was Yu Ting. It seemed like this contest did not target people like him. Then why did he take part in it?

"My father suggested I should participate in this competition. I thought it over. Maybe it was a chance for me. I was like in a crossroad to decide what to do in the future. But I didn't have any clear idea what to do next. So that was my chance. So I went there in a mood to have fun there. It was quite surprising that I passed the first round and entered the semi-final contest. Then I became excited in front of a big audience."

Yu Ting used to work in a state-run company. Having a comfortable job and not having to worry about the future is a life that other people would dream of. However, it's not what Yu wants. Inside, he is a pioneer, looking for challenges and excitement in life.

More than twenty years ago, Yu Ting failed in the National Entrance Examination for college. However, he didn't submit himself to this fate. He started to teach himself English and became an English teacher. And Yu Ting didn't just stop here.

About 5 years ago, he got the certificate of advanced interpreting and became a professional simultaneous interpreter. The test was taken by 300 candidates. Only nine passed.

Yu Ting was one of them.

"That was very tough., 300 people, most of them are graduates from English major. I was one of very few who had never been to University."

He became one of the very few self-taught conference interpreters in China. No pains, no gains. Yu abides by this philosophy.

Ye Huaming, the director of this competition, can still remember what happened to him during the final round of competition.

"He would give a magic performance in the final round. But it has a very strict requirements on the performer. He did it time and time again but with no success. I told him to give up. But he never lost his faith. He practiced the trick so many times that finally the gadget was broken."

His devotion, perseverance and earnestness also left a deep impression on Zhou Zhongqing, general manager of Ningbo International Auto Mall, the sponsor of the event.

"I began to know him through this competition. He is such an aspiring person. He became well-educated through self-study. Very hardworking and focused."

The competition was to select citizen representatives of Ningbo for cultural exchanges with Germany. According to Jiang Xia, the organizing committee expected more out of the winners.

"This competition is different from other star-hunt contest. Candidates should be positive and open-minded. When they arrive in Germany, they need to present a modern and real image of the Chinese people. In the past, westerners used to think that Chinese people were cautious, conservative and quiet. This competition is to show them an up-dated picture of confident Chinese people who can communicate after so many years of economic development."

Yu Ting's communication skills were one of the reasons why he was selected. They happened to be quite helpful to director Ye.

"Many German actors and actresses took part in performance of the final contest. I can't speak any foreign languages. Every time I ask, 'who'd like to come and interpret for me?' Yu Ting would be the first to volunteer. He always volunteered to interpret for me. He might be the busiest person on the stage."

Just as director Ye said, the competition went on both on stage or off stage, with the one off stage possibly being more important.

Now the competition off stage is still going on. Yu Ting has made a detailed plan for his future. With his confidence, earnestness, and persistence, he will succeed in whatever he does.