second term

well our first Chinese class is completed – though it has only been a month, 7 hours of Chinese a day means that we wrote our midterm approximately 15 days ago and our final yesterday. It is pretty amazing how quickly the time has flown by. Already we know how to read, write and speak upwards of 300 Chinese characters. It’s the writing that is the hard part. As such, to prepare for the day after yesterday’s final (which is today), last night we had to study for a daily quiz – 27 Chinese characters. A quiz the day after a final? For me, that is an academic first. But it is worth it – every character we learn to speak and write is a step closer toward fluency.

Callum is doing very well – he is 14 months old today. He is extremely active – running around, hugging people, singing, talking (he has a limited vocabulary but he is getting there), and generally being a very sweet little man. I’ll post some pictures when I get a chance.

we live in a student apartment right next to some Argentinians who are currently partying with their friends – they sound like they are having a good time though when they get excited about something they tend to yell and scream and bang on the walls with their fists. Pretty crazy!

grilling out with my fellow students after school tomorrow – should be fun.

3 thoughts on “second term

  • June 10, 2004 at 9:38 pm
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    Hrm, congrats on the work so far. Just your chinese classes sounds tougher than the 1st year of my MBA. Reading this reminded me that my school’s dean (former dean at the end of the month) was always introduced as an “expert on China”. A Google search of “Denis Simon” China has some info about him.

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  • June 11, 2004 at 5:41 am
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    Hey, where are the pictures of the little guy????
    Glad to hear that school is going so well. I am into finals week, only 5 more classes to go. Although now I am thinking that if it doesn’t put me too far into debt and I don’t have to take too many more classes for it, I might do the MBA as well. I am an idiot;)

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  • June 14, 2004 at 10:19 am
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    Seven hours of chinese a day?
    Man, those guys aren’t kidding around!
    I think my brain would explode.
    I haven’t spoken chinese to anyone except to the occasional mandarin or cantonese-speaking patient in maybe 11-12 years. Or read a chinese newspaper, or watched chinese TV (except the odd kung fu movie).
    You’ll be better than me soon. 🙂

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