Here we’ve just started up the school year, this being only my second week with my 1st year and 3rd year students, when it’s time for a holiday. Mid-autumn Festival, known for its specialty mooncake delicacies, and China’s National Day (October 1st, the founding of the PRC) overlap to give us a week off.
Starting September 30th, right after classes finish, we’ll have a total of 9 days off. Some students will be able to return home if they live near enough. Others will be stuck on campus with nothing to do but hang out with newfound friends, go shopping in Luzhou’s overly crowded business center or hike to nearby scenic mountain spots, like Fangshan or the FairyCave.
For myself, it’s off to Chengdu as always. I will be visiting with Little Flower’s sitter, Mrs. He and her family, having home cooked meals with Jalin’s folks in the apartment complex I used to live in, visiting in the countryside with my former student, Jason (Ji Ke) and his family, and hopefully also having a nice visit with yet another former student, Diana (Ding Yanbin), whose blind eye caused her to be abandoned as a baby and adopted by an elderly single farmer. (Stories of all the above-mentioned folk can be found in previous entries.) Of course, there will be swims thrown in with all my Chengdu swimming buddies at the Meng Zhuiwan Natatorium.
My only sadness is that Little Flower will not be with me, which gave a fun perk to my holidays. Pet travel in China is always interesting and we had many adventures together while making our way around our areas during days off.
In other words, from my end, my little dog is still very much missed, even after 7 months.
It’ll be a relaxing week and one that, when it ends, will then have us speeding onward without another break until January 18 when it’s time to dismiss for the Chinese New Year.
While in Chengdu, I will not have access to my website, which is blocked in China unless a router is used. That means there will be some silence from my end until I return to update everyone on holiday happenings.
Hope your weekend is a good one!
Until my next entry, here’s Ping An (peace) for your weekend.
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