ricesoup

my new job involves taking labor samples from point a to point b in a huge university campus involving several buildings using a cart. There are lots of downtime and many of my talkative future coworkers sip coffee and smoke several times a day, which I find boring, unhealthy and a waste of time. They're not interested in learning something new.

I'm studying to be a Physician Associate, so my job is not completely unrelated to my major. I plan to use my downtime to learn chemistry, anatomy, active ingredients...

Most of my learning materials are printed in A size papers, ANSI standard, which is perfect to be stacked, put in a portfolio with clipboard and study on the go during downtime.

Obvious solution would be to use a portfolio bag, but I wanted to ask you if you can think of something better.

my future job involves taking labor samples from point a to point b in a huge university campus involving several buildings and there is a ton of downtime: I often see my future coworkers playing on their phones, buying coffee several times a day, talking or smoking out of boredom.

There are moments when every laboratory wants you at once but even then they take it easy and a person cannot be at two places at the same time.

I don't know if it's really going to be this relaxed but it really looks so.

I was thinking loading my smartphone with books, find a quiet place and read, learn something.

Instead of smoking I could stretch and do some easy pilates and yoga.

there's always going several times to the toilet to have a seat and relax with nobody pestering you.

I don't reckon I could study something for college, write a book or poetry or learn a foreign language, as I couldn't concentrate.

what do you do in your downtime when you're lucky enough not to have a supervisor micromanaging you?

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/35822445

my family are Taiwanese-Americans. I was born in the US, but I grew up in a Taiwanese/Chinese household. I write both Taiwanese and Chinese because my grandparents were Chinese nationalists (KMT) who fought and lost to the communists and left China with Chiang Kaishek when he retreated to Taiwan. We're from Guangdong.

Even though my grandparents spent most of their adult life in Taiwan and America, they still identify as Chinese. They still vote for the KMT and consider Taiwan a part of a democratic China, not the PRC but the ROC.

I don't identify with an authoritarian China that suppresses freedom of speech, press and religion, commits cultural genocide against the Uyghurs, dilutes Tibetan culture and wants to annex democratic Taiwan. I wouldn't like living in a country like that.

But that's exactly what an uncle proposed me: some months ago he bought a house in Guangdong, a house he offers to our whole family. If I want, he says, I can live with him for free, he's even offering me to let me live at his condo when he's not in China (travels to America and Taiwan a lot).

I don't see it: I'm politically active, actually support Taiwanese independence and I don't believe I could keep my mouth shut if a Chinese starts telling me that Taiwan is a part of China every time I tell them I an actually Taiwanese. The conversation could go south really fast if they start to repeat communist propaganda about helping Uyghurs escape poverty (just an example out of several). I could land in jail.

My uncle says I should forget about politics and enjoy the scenery and local food. I still don't see it.

Am I a moron? I'd only have to pay for the flight and food for as long as I live in China, a country cheaper than both Taiwan and the US

my family are Taiwanese-Americans. I was born in the US, but I grew up in a Taiwanese/Chinese household. I write both Taiwanese and Chinese because my grandparents were Chinese nationalists (KMT) who fought and lost to the communists and left China with Chiang Kaishek when he retreated to Taiwan. We're from Guangdong.

Even though my grandparents spent most of their adult life in Taiwan and America, they still identify as Chinese. They still vote for the KMT and consider Taiwan a part of a democratic China, not the PRC but the ROC.

I don't identify with an authoritarian China that suppresses freedom of speech, press and religion, commits cultural genocide against the Uyghurs, dilutes Tibetan culture and wants to annex democratic Taiwan. I wouldn't like living in a country like that.

But that's exactly what an uncle proposed me: some months ago he bought a house in Guangdong, a house he offers to our whole family. If I want, he says, I can live with him for free, he's even offering me to let me live at his condo when he's not in China (travels to America and Taiwan a lot).

I don't see it: I'm politically active, actually support Taiwanese independence and I don't believe I could keep my mouth shut if a Chinese starts telling me that Taiwan is a part of China every time I tell them I an actually Taiwanese. The conversation could go south really fast if they start to repeat communist propaganda about helping Uyghurs escape poverty (just an example out of several). I could land in jail.

My uncle says I should forget about politics and enjoy the scenery and local food. I still don't see it.

Am I a moron? I'd only have to pay for the flight and food for as long as I live in China, a country cheaper than both Taiwan and the US

I don't own much: My savings are around 50K$, money that now sits in the bank doing nothing.

I've been reading about what ETFs to invest into, but even those classified as climate friendly and social responsible include firms such as tesla, facebook, coca cola... not even close to being ethical.

Is there something akin to Michael Burry levels of ethical investment?

I don't mean the EU as such, as it doesn't have any spying capabilities, but states like the UK, France, Germany and maybe Sweden, Norway, Italy or Spain must have satellites orbiting earth to spy on adversaries, equipment to eavesdrop on communications like the NSA does, operatives on the ground...

Can they substitute American intelligence gathering, now the US is essentially trying to pull a chamberlain on Ukraine?

it's like you believe you can tariff them expecting they won't do the same. Why do you believe the rest of the world is not going to retaliate and why do you believe America can prosper without the rest of the world?

What's the point of having a military alliance with countries you puts tariffs on? That's unfriendly to say the least.

BBC Article

These are propaganda coups for the Russians. They're dragging anchors and getting away with it.

Can't EU countries block Russian vessels navigating the Baltic sea?

To access the Baltic sea from the North sea any ship must cross the Danish straits. Same question.

It gives the impression they're winning and makes the EU and NATO look weak.