Sophia, 好久不见了!

现在你怎么样?你还记得我吗？Nathalie from France!
We didn't talk for a very very long time.. But actually I didn't log to Interpals for a while.
Last time we talked, in summer 2010, you were working in the USA and I was preparing to go to 大连 for a year, to 学习汉语. Thanks to this year abroad, my 汉语有进步 :) (a little bit).
After one very memorable year in 大连, I went back to France and finished my graduate studies in 2012. I am working full-time since mid of November now. It's a bit difficult to adjust to free and easy-going student life to responsible working-life.. But I am doing my best :).

If you still log to Interpals sometimes, please give me from your news soon :).

Best,
Nathalie

ni hao ma?

你去美国拉？？干嘛去了？？申请学校了？

Hi Sophia,

It's good to hear from your news again. :)
If I were you, I would probably buy a new laptop in the USA cuz it's too hard to live without a laptop for two months (cuz you stay there until the end of September, right? That's still a long time to be there.) They have a lot of good brands for laptops in the USA so you should be able to pick one laptop you like there, if you buy one.

I am very curious about your stay in the USA. Do you enjoy your life over there? Do you feel that your English has been improved? What kind of jobs do you do? Did you meet new friends and from where do they come from? :) Do you miss China sometimes?

On my side, I spent the fifteen first days of July in England. I was a French assistant for a two weeks trip with French teenagers over there. That was a fun work experience actually cuz my teens were simple and not complicated to work with :). I ate my lunch with them every day and did the evening activities with them as well (bowling, visit in the downtown, pool snooking, sports, shopping..)
Now I need to catch up with all the administrative things to get my visa for China but it's actually boring and harder than I thought to get the visa to go to your country. The Chinese authorities ask for a very elaborated medical examination and it's costly and it takes a lot of time. I am a bit frustrated now but I know it's worthwhile, cuz I really wanna go to your beautiful country and learn Mandarin :).

Hope you're having a great time in the USA. Remember, whenever you are sad or feel like you wanna go back to China that you just have two more months to go and that you're living an unforgettable experience :). Make it valuable and enjoyable! :)

Take care dear,
Nathalie

hey Sophia :)
I like your english name x) (of course Changfang is great too ! )
I also need to have a english name cause my name is hard to pronounce for foreigners and .. has problems in English :-p
I'm still thinking to change my name Jae Eun to Jen , Jenny or Jena? haha I'd love to stay with "J" as a symbol of my korean name :)

well I guess you are working in Waterbury now. did you find the second job? how's it everything in the inn? :D I'm sure you are spending great time with new friends and enjoy the life there ! x) At the same time it's not easy to be comfortable with something new!

well.. I also booked a plane ticket my arrival day will be 4th. August :) and I prepared nothing yet.. o-O
so confused don't know what to do well it's necessary to make a list as soon as possible. for me, I don't need a visa right now because I can stay in Germany for 90 days without it. but after that I should make one there - in Berlin exactly.

in August I will work at a international camp in a small city near by Hannover. it's kind of summer break camp for children and I become a volunteer teacher. I've always been looking forward to making a new experience (as you told me it can be a treasure chance !).
here in Korea I've met not single kid from Germany before but there at the camp I can meet 130 kids aged 6-13! what do you think? for 3 weeks with them :D
well ... to be frank with you I'm nervous to communicate with them in German I'm wonder if they understand me- a foreign asian small girl speaking poor German!!! >< it must be a huge challenge for me!

so as an experienced one you can give me some advices or tell me your story :) I'm alreay ready to listen to you, Sophia !

have a nice day and hope hear from you soon !
take care

Jen

Bonjour Chanfang,

It's good to hear you arrived safely in the USA. :) Maybe you're currently having a big cultural shock, aren't you? :) If I can give you a recommendation, it's to take the best of everything and not get depressed or sad too easily. Indeed, even if you're experiencing new challenges and are not in your usual environment, it's actually a good place to learn and experience new things. I am sure you'll miss the USA when you will go back home at the end of September, so enjoy everything ok? :)

Tell me more about your life there when you'll get a chance.
I am wishing you the best there, at work and outside work :).

Don't worry if you don't get a reply from me for a long time after wednesday cuz I am gonna go to Paris and then England next week and gonna stay in England for two weeks (so, I'll be back in Rouen around mid-July and will be able to reply to you then).

Have a good day!
Nathalie

Hi Chanfang,

Thanks for your reply, it's good to hear from you! :)

Wow, so many projects on your side. I bet you're getting more and more excited and maybe a bit stressed when you think about your upcoming departure to the USA ^^.
I had a look on Google Map to see where you'll be in the USA and I think the location is good. If you have time, you could travel a bit, visit the Wisconsin state and also go to Chicago ^^. I envy you! :)

Well, prepare well for your departure and don't get too much stressed. I am sure you'll have an unforgettable experience in the States and that's definitively the best way to improve your English and get to know how American people live. :)
Will you have the Internet in the USA or not? Well, if you don't have Internet over there, then, enjoy everything and tell me more about it when you'll come back to China at the end of September.

On my side, things are going well too. I am enjoying my Summer break since three weeks already. Gonna lead two "2 weeks" trips to England with French teenagers (14-17 years old). Waiting for them, I am just staying at home (Internet, movies, read) or go out to see some friends and go to the movie theater sometimes :).
I am gonna go to Dalian on August, 26 and am getting excited too :).

Take care and have a safe trip to Ephraim! :)

Oh by the way, I like your "English" name: Sophia is also the "English" name one of my best Chinese friends has chosen when she came to France :) :).

good : )

hi your coming to usa the 22nd of june?

Hi Chanfang! :)

Hope you're doing well nowadays.
Seems like you're really busy with your thesis, so good luck! Bonne chance, as we say it in French :). You can do it :).
Give me an update about your life when you'll get time, ok? :)

Take care! ^^