Headed Out for the Summer

Posted by Michelle Ross on 08/06/2007

The end of the term has finally arrived! Thank goodness! Life around here has been pretty crazy for the last two weeks. (Okay, some of the craziness has been self-created, like the whole hair fiasco!)

Last weekend Thad and I were looking forward to a relaxing weekend, but at the same time had big plans to do a lot of cleaning and last minute preparations for the summer. (We will be traveling for about six weeks. First we will go to PST for the China 13s, then to Summer Project and then to Beijing because my Mom and Dad are coming for a visit!) With that in mind, we planned to sleep in Saturday morning and then get to work on our "To Do" lists.

Well, those plans were crushed when the phone rang at 10:30 AM. It was our dean calling to tell us that we were all going out as a department to celebrate the end of the term and that we were to be at the school gate at 11! Hello! I was still in my pajamas and no where near ready to go. I guess I should have seen this coming since these outing happen about once a term and they are not really optional. So much for plans around the house for the day.

The outing was the whole department and a few spouses going to a farmer's restaurant outside of town for lunch, an afternoon of whatever and then a big dinner. (The afternoon of whatever was mahjong, ping pong, card games, etc.) It started to rain at the very end, but we were headed home by then anyway.

One of the department leaders just got a new car, so the foreign teachers go the privilege of riding in it on the way home. He got to show off his fancy new SUV (pretty fancy by local standards!) and we got a nice comfy ride home, so it worked out well all around. In total, I think we spent about nine hours out at the restaurant on Saturday. It was fun and nice to chat with our colleagues outside of the smoky English office. If only they would give us a little more notice next time!

Since then, the week has been spent giving final exams, scoring final exams, calculating final grades, entering final grades into the computer...you get the idea! Exams are all done now though, so that is a relief. As I sit here typing this, looking out my window I can see the mass exodus that is taking place on campus. Once exams ended this afternoon, campus has been filled with students headed to the bus station in town to head home. It is a little bittersweet watching them go. They are so excited to be headed home to see their families and they keep asking me when I will leave to go home for the summer. Their faces fall when Thad and I tell them we won't be going to America for the summer, but rather working and traveling here in China.

Thad and I head out on Friday, so my next post will come from who-knows-where in China! Maybe I will pop over to the Peace Corps office while I am in Chengdu and send one it, or maybe it will come from northern Gansu during Summer Project. . .I'll have to wait and see what the next few weeks bring.

Zaijian!! Hasta luego!! Until next time!!

• Back to Entry List
• Previous EntryNext Entry

This webpage expresses the views of Michelle Ross. It does not express the views of the United States Peace Corps.

Last updated Sep 29 2008