A Long Week

This has been a busy week. I gave final exams and grades for all of my students, Janet left and then I've been sick for the past two days. Now that I'm starting to feel better, I'll try and get back on schedule here.

The good news is that I am finished for the semester. I guess I am officially on vacation now, though sitting here in my apartment, it doesn't quite seem like it yet. The next semester doesn't begin until February 23. My flight to Thailand doesn't leave until January 24, so I've got some time to kill. I thought about taking a train to Shanghai (18 hours) and spending some time exploring around there but as I began to hear horror stories of trying to get train tickets at semester's end, I was reminded of an all too unpleasant previous experience trying to get a train out of Beijing back in August. Deciding not to risk being stuck alone in the cold weather and missing my flight to Bangkok, I'll probably just stick around here a few days and then head to Hong Kong. I'll post some more details of my trip as I figure them out...

Now, the not-so-good news, I'm on my own. Janet, my constant companion in China, is now safely back in Orlando. It looks like I may be going out and eating dinner by myself. I do have some friends over at the Normal College, but they too are beginning to leave for their vacations. Venturing out on your own in Zhanjiang can sometimes be fun, but can also easily become overwhelming. I guess once I get tired of it, I'll pick up my bus ticket and go. The English department teachers invited me to attend a picnic on Sunday, which should be fun. They too worried that I would be lonely with Janet gone.

Tonight, I left campus for the first time since Tuesday. I've spent the better part of the past two days sleeping/huddling inside my house when not having to give exams. I caught some kind of bug Tuesday night and was more or less incapacitated on Wednesday, not getting out of bed until 5pm. I was on a liquid diet until the following evening when I heated up a can of black beans for dinner. Today, thankfully, I'm doing much better.