Instead of writing my Chinese essay, I think I'll blog instead

I know it's been a long time since I've blog or vlog, I've just been having too much fun... Not.  

That's partially true and mostly false.  Since my last blog I've officially become a resident of China, I got my resident permit about a week ago.  That probably was the biggest hassle out of everything, but all my paperwork is all done now. I can finally focus on studying Chinese and finding a Chinese wife (kidding). 

If you didn't know this past weekend was Mid-Autumn Festival, and for those who are unfamiliar with this Chinese holiday let me elaborate.   It's always on the 15th day on 8th month of the lunar calendar (Fun fact, I was born on this day). There a lot of stories regarding this holiday, but basically family get together, spend time with each other eating moon cakes. Nasty lotus seed or some other concoction of filling with an egg yolk center.  I'd also like to mention eating a whole moon cake is very unhealthy for you, so many calories.  This year I was fortunate that my cousin brought some ice cream moon cakes, a delightful adaption of boring tradition pastry. 

Heres a video about moon cake: Moon Cakes 

So for Mid-Autumn Festival, I had a 3 day weekend starting on Thursday till Saturday (Sunday was a make-up day), so I took a few of my friends to Shanghai to sight see and to just get out of Nanjing. That weekend also happened to be my birthday weekend, so extra bonus for me.  It's hard to plan what to do in a city that is super crowd and even more crowd on the holiday, and for people with different tastes.  My definition of holiday is to relax and enjoy nothingness, others it's packing the time with all sorts of activities. 

I'm assuming everyone had a good time (?), I know I did.  I had my mom act as a tour guide taking us places/ being the GPS of where I wanted to go eat.  Everyone also found it funny/sweet/cute that my mom likes to hold my arm when we go walking... I call it being a good son, but to each his own.  So, we spend the weekend in Shanghai going to main places, the Bund, Chenghuang Miao, Nanjing Road. Only thing we didn't do was get good Xiao Long bao, next time. 

For my birthday, I somehow got out of drinking in Shanghai, and ended up playing mah jiang with the family and everyone losing money to my mom.  Happy birthday to me, but she did take me and the boys out for brunch, even though I tried paying. 

Here's some photos of my birthday in Nanjing, and a little gift I got from my Kentucky 兄弟

Overall, it was a great birthday weekend.  Good company, nasty drinks. I'll try to post again soon about the upcoming holiday and what my plans are for that.

Until next time,

MC

What do you get when you put the BMV and a strip Club together?

... a Chinese physical examination hospital.

A little catch up...

Hello everyone, sorry with not being so active, I've been busy with a lot of stuff since my last post.  Getting back from Shenzhen and then heading straight back to Shanghai-Nanjing.  In the chaos of moving, getting registered as a long term citizen, picking classes, going to class. I finally feel like I have some breathing room. 

So those who don't know, I have a youtube channel with video blogs (vlogs) when I don't feel like writing. Anyways, there's a tour of my apartment and my bungy jump experience there, so you can check that out as you please.  

YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/user/mchan812/videos

For the most part, I think I'm adjusting well.  I must admit I am getting a little home sick, and when I say home sick, I mean just my American environment (mainly for running and what not and super fast internet). I didn't think I would get homesick, but it happens. I'm trying to stay positive and be on top of my studies

Anyways, back to the main point of this blog...

I went and go get a medical examination a few days ago.  Worst experience ever. Hospitals, one would think a hospital would be uncomfortably clean or at least appear to be. Nope not here. When it was all said and done, I felt like I needed to be showered in pool of bleach and other cleaning chemicals. (Or take the alcohol pads and swab my whole body... multiple times).  When I had to have blood drawn, I thought back to my friend Sara back in the states, how she said she bring her own needles.  I really wish I listened to her.

But the overall experience was quick and painless for the most part.  I had a couple angry doctors, don't know if that's how they normally are or they didn't like me/all the foreigners.  The hospitals in China have everything down to a system.  Wait in line, pay the money, wait in line again, get man handled, go home feel disgusting.

School has started, so the blogging frequency many get lower, but I'll either make up for it by having more content or do a lot more quick little blogs, like a microblog.

Until next time,

-MC