mandarin should be easier.. =(

I wish my mandarin was better! Or maybe, if only, mandarin could be easier.. I'm honestly struggling with mandarin so much. I knew i would struggle with it, but not this much! haha. Anyway, I shall preserve. I'm chinese and I should learn mandarin! I spent about 2 hours trying to do a 200 words newspaper report. I realise that speaking/writing in chinese now is a erm... 4 step process.

1) Read the article.
2) Think about the article in english and try and understand what the article is saying
3) Think of what I want to write/say in english
4) Translate what I want to write and say to chinese

Yupp! It's so tedious. I kept asking my sister, how do you say such and such in chinese. I think she was getting annoyed! Haha!

Following is my conversation with my chinese tutor, who is also my civics tutor. Yesh, I'm so cool that I have msn conversation with my tutor.

caroline; says:
lao shi! how do you write a bao zhang du huo gan?
江郎 says:
argh
江郎 says:
how am I suppose to teach u here
caroline; says:
i don't know! haha
caroline; says:
but the work is due tomorrow right?
江郎 says:
it was due yesterday
caroline; says:
but i was absent yesterday
江郎 says:
oh
caroline; says:
haha
江郎 says:
haha
江郎 says:
okie
江郎 says:
tomorrow for u then
caroline; says:
but i don't know how to do a bao zhang du huo gan
江郎 says:
just write ur personal views
江郎 says:
it is just a way to get u guys start writing
caroline; says:
so you start with i feel that...
江郎 says:
can
江郎 says:
there is no format
caroline; says:
oh! ok..
caroline; says:
how long is a normal report?
江郎 says:
haha
江郎 says:
200 words or so
caroline; says:
oh my..
caroline; says:
ok. i'll try..
caroline; says:
don't be too shocked when you read mine.
江郎 says:
haha
江郎 says:
I will be prepared
caroline; says:
haha
caroline; says:
do you know if chinese b does the same things?
江郎 says:
can u give up hope on CLB first
caroline; says:
why?
江郎 says:
u are far from it
caroline; says:
i must keep my options open!
caroline; says:
but i'm struggling with the normal chinese!
江郎 says:
we haven't even started
江郎 says:
my goodness
caroline; says:
that's why!
江郎 says:
enough of your clb tots
caroline; says:
but it's really really difficult.
江郎 says:
it really isn't that difficult
江郎 says:
believe me
caroline; says:
ok ok.. i'll see how it goes for the next few weeks till second intake.
caroline; says:
thanks anyway!
caroline; says:
i'll go write something now.
江郎 says:
try try try

My tutor doesn't allow me to drop to chinese b! During chinese lesson today, he suddenly went "Caroline caroline! I ask you a question!" when we were halfway through the passage and asked "what's the relationship between this phrase and that phrase?". After I gave the answer which conveniently came from Gwynneth, he went "see! don't need to drop to chinese b!" HAHA!