Thanks, Mike!
I'm not super interested in learning kanji. I think it would be cool, but it's not a priority.
I don't have a totally clear understanding of wa vs. ga. I read some stuff that helped me understand it better, and I know when to use them with the vocab I've already learned. I have some intuitive understanding as well because I would always guess before they said things on the tape, and would usually get it right.
I used to be able to speak Mandarin pretty well, but I haven't spoken it in years. Luckily I'm really good with tones and pronounciation.
Tynan