Zai Jian

So this is finally it - the final few hours to which it all boils down to. I leave Wuhu in just over 12 hours (& yes, here I am on the net writing a blog entry!!) at 1:40pm tomorrow & then in less than 48 hours I leave China. It's quite a strange feeling to be honest. I wouldn't say it hasn't hit me yet, but its deffinately bitter-sweet.

I was packing with a hangover today... well, this afternoon. It was Neil's birthday yesterday so we went out last night & celebrated in Chinese style by going to KTV (karaoke) & then onto Royal Hero where we drank an awful lot. It's fair to say I didn't surface untill lunch time & I had a wopper of a headache! As if packing isn't hard enough!

Two salpadines & a few cups of black tea later I was sitting on my case desperately trying to get it to shut but having no success what so ever. I'm having to pop down to China Post tomorrow morning before I leave to mail a bunch more stuff home as it simply will not fit in the suitcase, despite having two bags of hand luggage as well! And a handbag. To say I feel like a pack horse doesn't begin to describe it!

So I have my bus ticket, my hotel is booked for tomorrow night at Shanghai airport; it would seem I'm all ready to go. I'm feeling a bit nervous about tomorrow though as it's the first real solo traveling I've done as Melissa met me at the airport when I arrived & Patrick & I got the coach together. Any traveling I've done whilst I've been here has been with other people as well so tomorrow will be the real test! Keep your fingers crossed for me!

My kids at Shui Yang yesterday were very sweet. I had told them that it would be my last lesson this week & some of them had bought me presents, pens, apples, cards, photos of them & things. I was very touched as one class I didn't even think liked me all that much! They shouted as I left the classrooms at the end of thelessons, "no, Amie, stay, please stay!!" I'd like to say I'll miss them... but in all honesty, I didn't feel that attached to my students as there was so many in a class that you don't really get to know them all that well. But they were sweet kids. :)

So what's next??

That's kind of the question of the hour really! I'm applying to do a CELTA (a certificate to teach English as a foreign language) in New York or Denver & also some internships, hopefully in the US as well. This would be for February time. Then it's on to Argentina for late Spring & Summer, possibly to teach English again but also to attempt to learn Spanish.

(I know I haven't really ended up learning Chinese so perhaps this is a foolish ambition for the next stint of traveling, however Spanish seems somewhat of a more realistic option than Chinese which is so far removed from English & really, I couldn't see me ever using once I left China so had no real insentive to learn the language!!)

Then I start Uni on September 22nd, 2008. This, however, seems too far away to even contemplate at this time!! I still don't quite know what my plans for the Christmas season include yet!

By the way; even more photos went online this week & the links are as follows...

Brush Painting Lesson: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=19370&l=2f883&id=500193915
Tongdu School Promotional Day: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=20745&l=07736&id=500193915
JiaHua Shan Weekend Trip: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=20748&l=2c5e4&id=500193915
Random Photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=20754&l=5caca&id=500193915
Preparing Aston for Xmas: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=20757&l=fdbf9&id=500193915

On this note, I think I'll bid you farewell. I hope the blog has been interesting for you & given you a taist of what life has been like here for me. I will continue to keep my blog once I resume my travels in the new year but untill then, thanks all for reading & maybe see you in the not too distant future!

Zai Jian! (Good Bye!)

Amie
xx