After over a month of silence, Connie is back to her usual reports after finally landing in Longzhou yesterday. 

            It’s time to begin the Chinese Year of the Tiger and I’m certainly ready for it.

            It was a long, joyous holiday:  a week-long Amity conference with rural project visits on AIDS prevention in my area of China, a week in Chengdu with family dinners at the Yang’s house and gift shopping with Jalin, 3 weeks back in America with Sichuan street rescue dog Lao-lao and my parents (every night, we all sat together watching in cozy comfort the televised  winter Olympics), a return to Chengdu for a week to rest up and pick up Little Flower from her babysitter’s, and then the flight plus drive back to Longzhou.

             March 8, tomorrow, is our first class day of the semester.  

            Surprisingly, the campus is still quite silent.  Students are slowly, almost reluctantly, making their way in from their hometowns.  When Little Flower and I went walking this morning, we noticed a few of our college crowd tiredly dragging their luggage down the walkways on their way to dormitory rooms.  It’s hard to come back to school.  After celebrations with family for the ChineseYear of the Tiger, plus good food and plenty of rest, no one looks forward to lessons once again.

            I’m sure that includes the Chinese teachers as well.

            As for me, I’m excited to start up my first spring semester at my new school.  I have loads of lessons which I know the students will enjoy, including our big Easter unit with egg coloring and jelly bean games.   Just a month away!

            The only thing I’m not looking forward to is the heat.

            Yesterday’s arrival had the inside of my apartment at 85 degrees, 90 plus outside in the sun.  Today cooled down some to 74 but it’ll be roasting soon in no time.

            At least the butterflies are happy.  They were out flitting around the sports field this Sunday afternoon in all their glory, flashing their vibrant colors with every sweep of their delicate wings.  More will be on the way, I’m sure, as cocoons hatch and new life comes into being just in time for Easter.

            It’s good to be back in my Chinese home, and even better to be back on track with sharing news via my website.

            I’ve included a few photos from the holiday.  Enjoy!  There will probably be more to come later on.

            Ping Ahn (Peace) from China!