Christmas Eve the day of apple giving?

Merry Christmas Eve to everyone! Here let me give you an apple!

Apparently that's the thing here in China give someone an apple, maybe it's because Christmas Eve in Chinese is 平安夜, and maybe it sounds like an apple? Honestly I think it's just to sell apples, oh well an apple a day keeps the constipation at bay. I got two today, so I feel loved.

Here is one of them:

Super Kawaii right?

Good and bad news, my mom randomly decides to come to celebrate Chinese New Year this year, so the majiang table will have enough people, yay! But, it looks like I'll have to see her sooner than I thought.  Just kidding, I think it'd be nice to spend the New Years with family for the first time in a long time. I'll admit, it might actually be nice to have Connie around too, just cause it'd be easy to win her money in majiang.

I've already started saying my goodbyes to people who I might not see again, all I can do now is tell them how much I value their friendship and how great it was to get to know them. I'm actually going to miss being here next semester.

Well time for bed, goodnight and good morning everyone.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday,

-MC

Christmas in the PRC

Well its the eve of the eve of the eve of Christmas eve, and awhile most of you in the States are enjoying your holiday, I am not so lucky.  I have class until January something, and I have class on Christmas! What sorcery is this? Oh right, I'm in China, where Christmas isn't a thing unless you're spend time in a shopping mall. 

Funny story, not so much funny as to a story. So there was this couple in China doing a little bit of shopping, actually some hardcore "Black Friday shopping." The boyfriend complaining to his girlfriend that he has had enough and that he wants to go home. Everyone in the mall could hear them argue, and the news said that he was carrying handfuls of bags.  After he had enough, he just jumped. Moral lesson of the day. Be patience with your girlfriend, cause there is no afternoon delight in the afterlife. 

Anyways, I'm too lazy to finish my final paper, so I thought I would come write a quick little post. Only 3 more weeks until I'm out of Nanjing and back to Shanghai, I can't wait, but I am kind of sad to leave Nanjing. I wasn't until today, I realized that I've met so many great people, and that I've made some what of an impact in their lives. I'll miss them when I finally have to part. It really has been a great semester here, it may be a crap place to live, but it's full of wonderful people... and crappy alcohol. 

Well back to my paper/death, until next time.

-MC

Final Stretch...sort of

I'm down to my last month in Nanjing finally.  I just got back from my "interview," what a wonderful experience that was. Oh, also during that time I got accept for my internship at Morningstar, where I'll be a marketing intern.

I have one more paper to write and then I'll be done with the heavy lifting for the semester, aside from studying for finals and whatnot. Although, the learning fatigue is already settling in, looks like its going to be a long last month.

On a happier note, an early Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to everyone out there, hoping everyone is safe and happy during the holiday season. No one go killing anyone for an PS4 or Xbox One, it's not a tickle me Elmo, that toy is the bomb.

Well, that's about it really, at least for now.

Until next time.

-MC

Close the window you're letting in the PM 2.5

Well if you didn't know Nanjing has had two days where the air quality index was over 400.  Just to put things in to perspective at 100 you should avoid any heavy activity, 200 stay indoors, 300 don't go outside unless money is raining from the sky, even then reconsider, 400 death....

It literally was hard to breathe when I wake up in the morning, and I'm pretty sure I've lost some lung capacity in the last two days.  On a positive note, I feel like I've recovered from my marathon and have begun to walk normal again.  :) I'm really to take on my next challenge, unfortunately the Hong Kong Half-Marathon/10k are all filled up so no running there, but I'll find something hopefully.

It's crunch time in Nanjing right now, I have two papers to write and I have yet to start.  I don't know what is about me recently, I have no drive to study anymore.  Maybe it's not having a break since I've start college. Literally ever summer has been accounted for, and I thought this year would be a relaxing year... WRONG. It some way it has been relaxing, teachers taking it easy on me cause I got that "foreigner" status working for me, but then I just get lazy.  I want that drive that I use to have when I was a freshmen.  Maybe I need a swift kick in the ass, or some kind of motivation.  I don't want this mentality of "just getting by" to carry into my real senior year.  Change starts tomorrow!

A couple more months and I'll be back in the states. I cant wait to have real bacon again, and anyone who makes me a Thanksgiving meal when I get back, I'll love you forever.  Bacon-stuffing? Just a thought.

Until next time,

-MC

4 hour and 20 minutes later...

I completed my first marathon.  Not too happy with the time, but I'm happy that it's over and that I finished. 

First things first, thank you to my wonderful friend and running comrade Maddie, without her I don't think I would have been motivated to train in China. 

Anyways, a little about the marathon. It was in Shanghai, the place where both my parents are from and the city where I can actually use my dialect. Since China uses the metric system, all the distance markers where in the metric system, so by the time I'm at 26, I had to remember I'm only at mile 15, roughly. I did less math during the race because of all the converting, maybe if I didn't think so hard I could have done better. Haha.  What can I say, must be the asian part of me, always wanting to do math.

I had a couple times during the race, where I thought I wasn't going to make, the legs started to give up, but slowing down and stretching helped.  I rather have a crappy time, than not finish at all, that was most important to finish. 

After the marathon, I literally passed out at the restaurant for about 20 mins and then again at the train station and then again on the train. One last thing, stairs.... are the devil. 

Marathon complete, one more thing checked off my bucket list. 

Until next time,

-MC