Not sure whether Tony was directing that at any of us...certainly not me, I hope! We haven't been acquainted, but I can assure you I'm no missionary.

I don't belive there is any true altruism...when I give a beggar money on the street, I do it because I feel sympathy for him, and in exchange it makes me feel good that I helped someone in need. It's a bit selfish, but the end result is that both of us benefited from it.

While I don't agree with illegal organizations within China that use things like language schools or English corners to proselytize their religious beliefs, I think it's reasonable to give the common Chinese citizen a bit of credit. Some people in China want to become involved, and want some kind of faith. Recent underground religious organizations within China should be proof enough of that. If they're that easily duped with what some would call "missionary tricks," and if the foundation of this society is that easily torn apart and rebuilt in the Christian image, it doesn't really say much about that society or it's people, does it?

Yes, and so did many other ideologies, religions, etc. Let's be reasonable here!

I think, despite what anyone says missionaries DO help a lot of people who otherwise wouldn't receive any. Building schools, charity foundations, education, etc. are a large part of what they do.

However, I think most people take offense to the fact that many, at least *seem* to carry out these activities in the hopes that they'll reach eternal happiness in Heaven once they pass away...rather than helping people because they want to, and leaving the religious aspect out of it. I think the evangelism is what gets to a lot of people, and it seems a bit selfish in that sense.

That being said, I don't mind them as long as they don't bother me. Getting worked up over it is a waste of energy, and I only have so much to spare ;).

Or simply let people do what makes them happy. So long as they aren't hurting anyone, it shouldn't be a problem.

There's also a crazy old guy in a Mao suit wandering around Wen Hua Xiang on a Dali basis - you'll know he's the one with the honey because he'll point at you and say, "Hooonneeeeyy..." I've never bought it, but friends have, and they say it's quality. Probably a bit cheaper than the shops as well, where some jars of honey can hit over 150RMB!

Unfortunately Summit charges outrageous prices for services you could easily perform on your own with a bit of help from Mandarin-speaking foreigners or Chinese friends. There is a huge premium attached to that school from what I've seen of their prices.

The really difficult thing about the HSK is that there is no real absolute way to prepare for it. If you read the practice books themselves, they really only consist of previous test questions and answers. It's a bit unfortunate, actually.

My suggestion would be to give yourself an honest look at where you think your Chinese is at the moment, and take standard courses at either of the universities or find a good private teacher. Taking classes through the upper-intermediate level would be a good step before diving into the HSKs. This is from personal experience, but others may have a different take on it.