good-byes

And the process begins. As I will be one of the last of the teachers to leave for the winter holiday from this school I get the distinct pleasure of watching everyone else leave to go on vacation or to move for good. It is odd as things still will be the same for me when I wake up in the morning, and the next morning and the next. I am not real good at empathy, actually I am terrible at it. So on the one hand I know that it is a big deal for some of my friends to leave as they wont ever come back to this school but when they dont make a big deal of it should I care? Some of the students that have become friends have made it a point to stop by and say goodbye before they go home for the holiday and I know I wont be seeing them again, so that is kind of sad. Others have said they will try to come to beijing to visit I dont know how realistic that is. I suppose I should look at it like christmas, its the thought that counts.