Summer Vacation

Hello Everyone.

Friday was my last day of school, and now I am now officially on Summer Vacation.

On the last day we had our final exam, and so I had spent the past week or so studying. I was mostly worried about the characters that I would have to remember since we had gone through 10 chapters during the past four weeks, and I wasn't sure that I would be able to remember them all. There were about 40 new words per chapter, so about 400 altogther. The grammar also worried me, but luckily it wasn't too hard, and I was able to remember most of the structures and rules for using them. In the end, although I was able to read and understand the characters on the test, remembering how to write some of them elluded me and I ended up having to write the pin-yin underneath the characters for fear that I had written them incorectly.

Overall though, the test was not too difficult and I managed to finish early. The weather on Friday was brutal though and I ended up wishing I could go back to the air-contitioned classroom.

Over the weekend I have been relaxing a lot, stuying was quite exhausting. =P

I ended up drawing a bunch of pictures and writing some random stories.(or rather attempting to write stories, seeing as most of them ended suddenly or trailed off into insanity)

I have been reviewing what we learned as well, since forgetting it all over the month long break would be a shame and make September all the more difficult. Mostly this has involved writting out characters and watching Mandarin films. So far I have watched, Hidden Dragon Crouching Tiger (?), If you are the One, Reign of Assassins, Mulan (the live action movie) and When Love Comes. If you know of other good Mandarin movies, please tell me. =)

The weather has been increasingly sporadic over the past few days, alternating from extreme heat to rain and thunder storms. I've gone out a few times, but tend to return early, either because it simply becomes too hot or a torrential downpour starts and I need to seek cover.

In a few days though, I am going on a tour of China. I am really looking forward too it as I will be able to see The Great Wall and other famous landmarks in China. I am also making plans for touring next summer with some friends, although they are really just rough sketches of possibilites.

Thanks for reading! =D