End of classes - week 1

Hi everyone – I apologize for the slow updates --- things are crazy here~

We are in the midst of our first week of classes and everything is chaos.  A good kind of chaos, but chaos nonetheless.  After taking the placement exam (last week), you get “recommended” to a certain level and class.  Currently there are 3 main levels (1 , 2, 3) and multiple small levels (1-5).  So, class 1-1 is super beginning I-can’t-even-say-hello-in-Chinese Chinese class, while 3-3 is the step right before taking university level classes in Chinese (so, pretty darn fluent).  When I took my exam (which took all of 5 minutes – a matter of having a conversation with the professor asking “Can you read this passage?” and how long I’ve been studying), they recommended me to do 2-4  (levels are as follows: 1-1, 1-2,1-3,1-4,1-5, 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4, 3-1, 3-3….where 3-2 and 2-5 are, I don’t know, haha) or 3-1.  Level 3-1 (as I explained in my last email) is pretty complicated.  You have 4 classes: 1) Reading newspapers 2) reading literature (short stories, memoirs, etc) 3) watching movies in Chinese and describing them, and finally 4) taking a Chinese culture class (in Chinese)  **note: I will be taking a culture class, but it will be taught in English. Hooray.  The first two days of this class weren’t bad – I was struggling to keep up, and the reading was just outright HARD.  But because I really really liked the professors (amazingly funny and witty) and the class (who actually wanted to talk), I tried my best.  However, after going to class yesterday and not understanding a good 60% of what the professor was saying, I decided to drop down to 2-4.  As of yet, this is the class that I probably will remain in.  It was a little irritating to find that my classmates in level 2-4 have stayed in Shanghai (or china) for an extended period of time (1-3 years) and thus know a lot more 口语 (colloquial speech) than I.  A lot more.  So when I know one word for taxi, they know 3.  But, I speak just as well – just without the large span of vocabulary.  And in level 2-4 I will probably remain (and my classmates, who do know a lot more speech than I will help me expand my vocabulary.  A win-win situation!).  Although, if you do want another complaint, I still really want to be in 3-1.  I like literature and analysis that much.  Sad day, oh well.  Perhaps I’ll have the chance to read literature in Chinese at a different point in time – but in the meantime, I guess I’ll need to play catch up with my vocabulary….haha….

As a side note, I did meet some cool people here.  One guy (in his late 20s, from Australia) is married to a Chinese woman and teaches in Guangzhou (a large city in the south --- If you find an object that says “Made in China”, it was most likely manufactured there – especially clothing)!  He teaches English to university students, but he felt the need to connect with them so he decided to come to Shanghai to perfect his Chinese.  AND he plays badminton (quite well).  Which makes him super awesome.  He (and another girl, Xiao Li (pronounced “She-ow Lee”)) have become my mates in practicing Chinese (especially since Xiao Li – whose background is Chinese and Japanese – doesn’t speak any English).  There are definitely a large number of cool students in my place of residence – and I often hang out with some guys and gals from the UK.  However, we Oles do still like each others company.  This doesn’t mean, however, that we don’t meet Chinese people.   It just happens to be old retired guys who kick out butts at ping-pong and badminton ><;

Oh.  And I partially forgot it was my birthday 2 days ago…..Virginia (my roommate) had to remind me with a cute (and very delicious) chocolate cake!  Thanks to you all for send me emails, phone calls, and facebook posts on my birthday!!!!! I loved reading every word~

Finally made it to 20, but it still feels like I’m 19 (haha)

Sorry for this long rambly note……..love you all very very much!  Keep sending me emails~