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I have to admit that I was looking forward to the end of the winter holidays. I was getting very bored. My classes resumed on Monday, which explains the lack of updates. (also because my darl is back!)

I have many classes now, compared to the first semester of my first year at Tongji. (I had only 8 classes a week back then. ) I already got my results for the first semester of my second year and they are good. The second semester is going to be a challenge. I’m not complaining. I know that the third-year students have even more classes. However, the fourth-year students have only around 4 classes a week.

My time-table for this 2^nd semester is as follows:

Monday
Intensive Chinese 08:00 - 09:40
Listening and Speaking 10:00 - 11:40
Computer Studies (Basic) (in Chinese) 13:30 - 15:10

Tuesday
Listening and Speaking 08:00 - 09:40
Newspaper Reading ( and understanding) 10:00 - 11:40

Wednesday
Intensive Chinese 08:00 - 09:40
Extensive Chinese (mostly Reading comprehension + Answering Questions)
10:00 - 11:40
HSK Guidance 13:30 - 15:10

Thursday
Intensive Chinese 08:00 - 09:40
Survey of China 10:00 - 11:40
Newspaper Reading 13:30 - 15:10

Friday
Writing (essays,letters,etc) 08:00 - 09:40
News listening 10:00 - 11:40
Intensive Chinese 13:30 - 15:10

hmm.. two new classes for this semester.
However, I still want one more class, ‘Learning Shanghai hua’ (Learning Shanghainese, the Shanghai dialect.).
That class is only for the third-year students who are in their 2nd semester. I don’t feel like waiting one more year to learn some Shanghainese. I want to attend that class. I’ll go find the teacher before next Wednesday (first day of that class) and ask her if I can just sit at the back in the class and listen. I hope that she’ll let me. If she gives me the go-ahead, then I”ll have Shanghainese classes on Wednesdays from 15:20 to 17:00 .
Total number of hours of classes would then be 25 hours.
Yes, I must really be crazy for wanting that. The only bad thing is the amount of homework. ah well….
Better look on the bright side instead:
Less time to think, less time to torture myself with those doubts I’m having,
my written and spoken Chinese will be better,
Less time to go out and spend money,
I might get to learn Shanghainese (if the teacher lets me join the class) which will be useful (after all, I’ll be here until August 2008) ,
Less time to pig out (*pokes stomach*).

I’m most likely not going to study once out of class. I’ll be doing my homework, going to all my classes regularly but that’s it. Last semester, that was enough for me to get 90+ on each exam paper. I hope that it’s going to work that way this semester too. My spare time will be spent with my loved ones and my (*cough*) beloved computer instead. Oh… and some time outside on the track field to get fit.

Pics taken on Dec 24th, 25th in my classmates’ room at Tongji University’s International Students Building 2.
Finally the last part to ‘My Chirstmas 2005′!
———–
The two Bulgarian gals cooked yummy Bulgarian food that day.

After eating, we drank a bit, talked,took loads of pics and danced. At midnight, we wished everyone Merry Christmas, opened the gifts (we had a ‘random gifts exchange’) and then more dancing & talking. Biliana also sang a French song for us.

There are 3 Bulgarians in my class. They are all very nice. The two Bulgarian gals are very straight-forward and not afraid to say what is on their mind. I guess that’s one of the reasons I like them so much. Sometimes, I don’t agree 100% with what they say but everyone has his/her own way of thinking, ideas,etc and I respect that. I try my best to understand their point of view. Their fiery temper sometimes get them into trouble but still, that’s what makes them so ‘different’.

I have a terrible tummy ache right now.
Very painful. I don’t feel like doing anything but since I won’t have much time to update during my exams period , I’m going to update today and maybe during the weekend too.
My exams start on the 16th Jan and will end on the 19th. I’m going to start my revision today.
———-
Our faculty had organized a Special Christmas 2005 Show on the 23rd Dec.
The seats were limited and only those who had a ticket (which the teachers gave us) could attend. However, no one checked for tickets at the door so anyone could get in.
It was very badly organized and more like a KTV session (because of the music videos playing on the screen) than a Christmas Show but still, I had fun.

Fake snowflakes hanging from ceiling

Santa stickers

Those who presented the show

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Around 14 people from our faculty got to attend this special New Year’s show in our university.
The show wasn’t very nice. We were sitting too far from the stage and people all around us kept talking and not listening to the speech ,etc. I was thinking “poor guy, he went to all this trouble to prepare his speech and no one is listening” .
After the speech, some people performed ; singing, dancing and also what seemed to be a short pantomime.

A few pics:

Click the link below for the pics
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