small world

Yesterday I went downtown here in the US and was walking along the street when I heard my name being called out. Puzzled I looked around and saw a friend of mine from years ago emerging from a car parked at a stop light. I went over said hello and then the light changed and the friend got back into the car and left. Weird to run into someone I know in a town of a f1.5 million and even more odd that they didnt pull over and chat for a minute. People sometimes they surprise you other times they are completely beyond my ability to understand. At any rate the first leg of my american adventure is coming to a close. Looking forward to seeing my family and spending some time at the beach. I will try to post a few picture or a short video if I can figure out how.

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.