mandarin

what are some good resources for a native english speaker to learn mandarin? i have pimsleur, but it obviously doesnt help with simplified chinese. i'm going to china for an indefinite period soon (too soon to be fluent), and would like a head start

If you haven't started learning yet, how can you consider yourself "soon to be fluent?"

Kill yourself
Better yet, get a head start and start practicing 24/7 for a couple years.  The grammar's really not as easy as it looks.

I recommend getting a language exchange partner.  Usually they are found on Chinese forums, but if you don't speak Chinese, you might be fucked.  Get a Chinese friend to help you find a partner, and then cruise from there.