<![CDATA[Anna In Asia

<![CDATA[Anna In Asia - Home]]>Tue, 24 Jul 2012 02:18:47 -0500Weebly<![CDATA[11 Years Later... Still BFFs! HAPPY BIRTHDAY HOLLIE!]]>Thu, 12 Jul 2012 00:27:30 -0500http://annainasia.weebly.com/1/post/2012/07/11-years-later-still-bffs-happy-birthday-hollie.html

]]><![CDATA[My China Checklist Is Complete!]]>Wed, 11 Jul 2012 00:26:44 -0500http://annainasia.weebly.com/1/post/2012/07/my-china-checklist-is-complete.html

shanghaiist.com

Today I finished the last part of my preparations to go to Shanghai next month: I sent in my visa application! That's everything! Now I just have to buy the essentials and pack my stuff! I can't believe this is really happening!

]]><![CDATA[Why Yes, I DO Love My Job!]]>Tue, 10 Jul 2012 20:45:36 -0500http://annainasia.weebly.com/1/post/2012/07/why-yes-i-do-love-my-job.html

]]><![CDATA[Relearning Mandarin]]>Sat, 07 Jul 2012 00:17:16 -0500http://annainasia.weebly.com/1/post/2012/07/relearning-mandarin.html

Why work when you can study Chinese?!

Since I haven't been studying Chinese in class since last November, I've forgotten everything except the basics. To prepare for living in China, I have decided to start back at the beginning and relearn everything. My progress so far: I can introduce myself.

你好！
很高兴认识你！
我叫安娜。
我是美国人。
我五月从大学毕业。
我是英文老师。
我在美国。
我八月要去上海。

Hi!
Nice to meet you!
My name is Anna.
I am an American.
I graduated from college in May.
I am an English Teacher.
I am in America now.
In August, I will go to Shanghai.

Clearly, I have a long way to go!

Mandarin speakers and learners: Please let me know if my Chinese is incorrect and how I should fix it!

]]><![CDATA[Happy Fourth of July!]]>Wed, 04 Jul 2012 23:46:06 -0500http://annainasia.weebly.com/1/post/2012/07/happy-fourth-of-july.html

I hope all of my American readers had an awesome Fourth of July! And for the rest of you, hope you had an awesome Wednesday! For those not familiar with the American tradition of July 4th
(美国独立日), it's our national Independence Day. The closest thing I can associate it with is China's National Day (国庆节). We celebrate with family reunions, cookouts, and A LOT of fireworks.
And of course, you can't go anywhere without seeing an American flag waving!

Question: Does your country have a similar holiday?

]]><![CDATA[周末快乐！]]>Fri, 29 Jun 2012 08:37:11 -0500http://annainasia.weebly.com/1/post/2012/06/2.html

After less than a week of the pool opening, I am so ready for the weekend- I already need a break!
Hope everyone has an awesome weekend!

]]><![CDATA[Lifeguarding 101]]>Tue, 26 Jun 2012 21:27:20 -0500http://annainasia.weebly.com/1/post/2012/06/lifeguarding-101.html

We're watching you...

My summer job starts today and I'm pretty psyched! For the second year in a row, I will be working at a pool with my best friend Hollie! Working at this pool is a blast! We see everything- from evidence of nightly fence-jumping hooligans to crazy old men carrying swords on the pool deck. This job has truly prepared me for dealing with trying situations and people, a skill that should come in handy in the future. Besides all of the awesomeness that occurs when Hollie and I work together, my pool is also pretty laid back so I will finally have time to study my Mandarin! I can't wait!

]]><![CDATA[Me? In China?]]>Sun, 24 Jun 2012 20:33:38 -0500http://annainasia.weebly.com/1/post/2012/06/me-in-china.html

Today I took one of my last steps in preparing for my life in China- I bought a plane ticket. Honestly, this was probably the most nerve-wracking part of my preparations. It started to sink in that I was really going to China when I received my school placement, but now, the info has fully sunk in- I'M GOING TO CHINA. No really, I'm going to China! Why am I going to China? Why shouldn't I just stay in the US and go to grad school or get a job like my classmates? As you can tell, I have now entered the why-in-the-world-am-I-flying-half-way-around-the-world-to-work-in-China? phase. Since I've been planning this for close to two years, I am fairly hopeful that this phase will be short and the excitement of it all will soon come back. But until then, I am biting my nails wondering what exactly I got myself into!

]]><![CDATA[端午节快乐！Happy Dragon Boat Festival!]]>Sat, 23 Jun 2012 07:19:17 -0500http://annainasia.weebly.com/1/post/2012/06/happy-dragon-boat-festival.htmlI hope everyone has an amazing Dragon Boat Festival. A friend of mine got to race in a Dragon Boat last year during the festival in Washington DC and I'm so jealous! So if you see any Dragon Boat races then
SEND ME PICTURES!!

PS- Thank you 小乐 for letting me know today was the festival. I completely forgot!

http://www.nipic.com/show/4/79/f3ffd53b94ad8076.html

]]><![CDATA[I'm Officially A Certified TEFL Teacher!]]>Mon, 18 Jun 2012 22:36:21 -0500http://annainasia.weebly.com/1/post/2012/06/im-officially-a-certified-tefl-teacher.html

After weeks of hard-core studying and doing absolutely nothing else, MY TEACHING CERTIFICATION IS FINALLY COMPLETE!!! Obviously I'm pretty excited about this because it was the last major item I had to get done to ensure that I'm going to China in August! But now that this is finished, I'm already bored! I have to have a project to do or a goal to accomplish or else I will end up sleeping all day long (no, really I will). So what's next? My summer job (lifeguarding with my bestie = best job ever) starts back next week so I will be preparing for that the rest of the week. Besides that, I will start studying for the GREs so I can get into grad school eventually. And finally, I'll be STUDYING MANDARIN! It's going to be a busy summer!

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