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elusivekStarted out with a blast today. I've finally waited the 6 months or so for my blood draw appointment. So had my blood sample drawn this morning. This nurse may have been a skilled one, i didn't faint (I honestly am not afraid of the needle, but for some reason when it's to draw blood, be it test sample or donation, I have a tendency to faint mid-way).
Since I was in fasting since lunch the previous day, I decided to get a substantial breakfast.
Had something light for lunch.
Planned to have something light for dinner but Dad made a very good seafood sauce spaghetti so I cannot say no to that.
Oh, I didn't mention that I'm back to school. Not for something heavy like an actual degree or what. But I happened to learn of a Mandarin course at the local university, essentially forming part of the Continuing Education Program. It was free of charge, but had a rigorous selection criteria. Also, one must not have learnt or know any Chinese to be eligible for the course.
Lucky me, my name, my nationality, my English, my face, was enough to convince them that I'm no Chinese speaker LOL. While I did enrol in the lowest class, so essentially starting with the Bo-po-mo-fo and the 4 tonal sequences, and it's boring as sh*t, but I think it would be good for me to start from the basics.
I had to go over to the new University of Macau campus and that is just a whole big maze. I followed the map, but apparently that faculty building was on a road that was off-limits to visitors, so i had to drive all the way back to the "entrance" of the campus "island" *** and then to a visitor car park. I got out at the Library, so I had to walk and find my way across an artificial lake to get to that campus building. So. Now I know. I need to leave early to get there on time.
*** The University of Macau new campus is now on "Hengqin", it's really China, but it's been fenced off and ceded to Macau for the university. So I'm essentially going to China but since there is no immigration I'm still in Macau. It's complicated. But anyway. Here's a map! So Macau is located in the southern part of China, a teeny tiny place, smaller than the better known Hong Kong. Macau shares the border to China in the northern part of the Peninsula. There were 2 islands, Taipa, and Coloane, but with the development of the casinos, the Las Vegas Sands Boss Sheldon Adelson coined the middle reclaimed area between the two islands as "Cotai" (Coloane + Taipa).
I drew a red line, and everything to the left is China mainland. There is a border access from Cotai called "Lotus Port". The purple area I drew out is the University of Macau (not to ratio, I just drew out a spot to indicate where).
So yeah. This mandarin course is long and sounds really serious. So, I'm gonna have to put some effort to it.
Since I was in fasting since lunch the previous day, I decided to get a substantial breakfast.
Had something light for lunch.
Planned to have something light for dinner but Dad made a very good seafood sauce spaghetti so I cannot say no to that.
Oh, I didn't mention that I'm back to school. Not for something heavy like an actual degree or what. But I happened to learn of a Mandarin course at the local university, essentially forming part of the Continuing Education Program. It was free of charge, but had a rigorous selection criteria. Also, one must not have learnt or know any Chinese to be eligible for the course.
Lucky me, my name, my nationality, my English, my face, was enough to convince them that I'm no Chinese speaker LOL. While I did enrol in the lowest class, so essentially starting with the Bo-po-mo-fo and the 4 tonal sequences, and it's boring as sh*t, but I think it would be good for me to start from the basics.
I had to go over to the new University of Macau campus and that is just a whole big maze. I followed the map, but apparently that faculty building was on a road that was off-limits to visitors, so i had to drive all the way back to the "entrance" of the campus "island" *** and then to a visitor car park. I got out at the Library, so I had to walk and find my way across an artificial lake to get to that campus building. So. Now I know. I need to leave early to get there on time.
*** The University of Macau new campus is now on "Hengqin", it's really China, but it's been fenced off and ceded to Macau for the university. So I'm essentially going to China but since there is no immigration I'm still in Macau. It's complicated. But anyway. Here's a map! So Macau is located in the southern part of China, a teeny tiny place, smaller than the better known Hong Kong. Macau shares the border to China in the northern part of the Peninsula. There were 2 islands, Taipa, and Coloane, but with the development of the casinos, the Las Vegas Sands Boss Sheldon Adelson coined the middle reclaimed area between the two islands as "Cotai" (Coloane + Taipa).
I drew a red line, and everything to the left is China mainland. There is a border access from Cotai called "Lotus Port". The purple area I drew out is the University of Macau (not to ratio, I just drew out a spot to indicate where).
So yeah. This mandarin course is long and sounds really serious. So, I'm gonna have to put some effort to it.
no subject
Date: 2023-08-22 08:25 (UTC)A Mandarin course sounds very helpful but also difficult - I've heard it was a really hard language to learn.
it's really China, but it's been fenced off and ceded to Macau for the university.
That's complicated indeed!
no subject
Date: 2023-08-25 09:01 (UTC)Indeed, my blood pressure is on the low end of things. Not enough to be labeled “low blood pressure”, but it’s on the low side to the normal range.