Happy Year of the Rabbit. Chinese New Year was officially rung in with style at midnight on February 2, with fireworks displays that really can't be explained. I did my best to take pictures and a video, though neither do justice to what is really occurring in the moment. People were shooting off fireworks everywhere, including right below my building, and one even hit my window (luckily made of double pane glass) as I was watching the display from inside my bedroom - there is still a mark on my window. Most of the festivities conclude tonight, so most of the fireworks will cease, though I am sure some will still linger for a few days. In case you are wondering by the way, why the constant shooting off of fireworks, it is because many Chinese believe that the loud sounds scare off evil and bring them good luck.
The past two weeks have also included adventures for me such as two rounds of sickness and the heat radiator pipe bursting in the bathroom shooting water everywhere and causing a mess. The first week I found myself with a sinus infection, which was to be expected since I went from warm weather in Thailand back to cold weather of Xi'an; however, this one was worse than I normally get and required an antibiotic, yet the one problem was that pharmacies here were closed for Chinese New Year. So, finally on Saturday my friend Sarah was able to find a pharmacy that was open and get me some medicine. Oh, and that medicine is Azithromycin/Zithromax combo for only $2.50 and is over the counter. On Sunday I was out for the day, and when I returned home I discovered that the heat radiator pipe in the bathroom was shooting water everywhere and was just about to begin pouring over into the rest of the apartment (the bathroom floor is 2 inches lower than the rest of the floors). I called my friend Chris, who with 2 other friends, literally came running over to help me, which I was extremely grateful for considering I don't know what to do in these situations and I definitely do not know this area of the Chinese language. The maintenance man had to come and shut off the heat to my apartment as the heating unit in the bathroom will need to be replaced, but it cannot be done until after Chinese New Year when people get back to work. And then of course, a few days ago I got the flu, though a much milder case than most people, as it has been going around here. So, today I am on the mend and looking forward to not being sick anymore.
Other than the few minor things, everything is great and I am excited about this year. I am still teaching English for an hour and a half on Saturdays and I love it and the relationships that I have built with the kids and the ladies who run the learning club. The Life Education course will begin soon in the Universities, so I am excited to begin teaching that curriculum too. The school semester here for the spring is a little different than the States in that it runs from the first week of March until the first week of July, so for this month I have had time to do some preparations for the course before it begins.
Well, I will conclude there for now, but hope you all are doing well. For my Georgia friends, I am sure that the snow is pretty, but is getting a little old by now too. Just think - spring is right around the corner!!
