Register and Testing at MTC @ ShiDa; Excursion with Aunt Mimi and Cousin Yun Han

Today, I registered at the Mandarin Training Center and then I took the Chinese test on a computer. The test took two hours and it was all in TRADITIONAL Chinese. Emory University teaches simplified Chinese. So I told the proctor and at first she told me to just do the listening portion first and then work on the vocabulary, grammar, and reading comprehension sections later, which she would help me with, but then she came back and told me the teacher said to just go ahead and do the best I can and GUESS whenever I can't figure out the traditional....

Well, the test-needless to say- was extremely hard for me and very frustrating. Even the listening comprehension section, which is the one section I should have no problem with scared me due to the formal structure and vocabulary used (I am familiar with the informal conversational Mandarin).

Anyways, I just kept on working until the time ran out and I basically just guessed C on the ones I couldn't figure out. When I was done I raised my hand and she came and signed me out of the program and she said I did very well! I was like whaaaat?? Apparently, I got an 86 so she said maybe you guessed really well haha. I am pretty good at educated guesses. Since I could read at least 55% of most of the paragraphs or sentences even in traditional. Oh and I took the B level test (there's A, B, and C levels I think).

I was also surprised to see all of the middle aged foreigners there at registration since I thought only undergrads or graduate students would be there.

OK enough about testing and registration.

On to the pictures!


LUNCH

Pai gu fan (pork chop and rice)

You do fu tang (tofu soup)-also had these pork balls wrapped in tofu with strips of nori.



DINNER-sashimi & sushi on a conveyer belt and from a menu w/ Asahi beer and green tea.

I couldn't take pictures of everything bc the waitress came by and said we weren't allowed to take photos...not sure why. She said something about people stealing ideas from their chefs...


At the end they count the plates (prices varies by the plate design and color) and then charge you based on that.


raw something
Tempura


This fish had teeth!
pineapple desert


It's like pineapple sorbet in a really small pineapple.


Tofu dessert w/ peanut sauce-the tofu was so tender...melted in my mouth.


Zhongxiao Dong Lu (busy street)- lots of shopping. Reminds me of Times Square because of all the lights but it's more like Soho (NY) with all the high-end department stores.

(Not a very good picture-but I felt embarrassed to be taking pics around that street w/ my super bright flash-like a tourist...).