End of the semester

well, the end of the semester approaches and I have not written anything since I was home for Christmas. I have to say that though I have been busy, I have not really been busy with things that are that exciting so I will sum up everything important from the last month here.

School has been the largest part of my time (it being my job and all). For the most part I have been really pleased with the work my students are doing and I am looking forward to working with them in the new year (lunar new year). I am having my Chemistry students write a formal lab as their final project. I think this is a really important skill and many (I think all but one) have never done it before. Other then collecting that and the final test tomorrow, I am done with all my work for the semester so I am taking some time to relax and enjoy my new apartment.

That brings me to topic 2. I moved apartments. When my roommate’s girlfriend started to moving in after Christmas break, I decided it was time to move out. I asked a coworker if he was interested, I looked around and finally signed on a place this past Friday. It is a little further from the school but it is right on a subway line.

My family is coming to Beijing over the lunar new year break so I will finally go to a bunch of the touristy places I have missed out on so far.

There was something I was going to add to this but…oh well. Hopefully I will have exciting things to post later this week.

Home for Christmas

I booked a flight home for Christmas in early October and there were many points that the gleaming light of that trip was the only thing getting me through the stress. Then recently I began to get worried about all the passport issues I have been having. Since my last post, things changed again with my passport instead of canceling the visa application when I showed them I needed to leave, they expedited it meaning I did not get my passport until 4:30 Thursday (less then a day before I departed). I spent most of this week stressing about it and trying to talk the trip down in case I did not get it.

Now, I have cleared customs and am on my flight from San Francisco to MSP. I am so excited. I have been missing MN so much the last few weeks. I have all of my trip home booked up. I will spend Christmas at home before heading down to Iowa to celebrate my Grandmothers 80th Birthday (Happy Birthday Grandma, I have missed you and I love you and am so excited to see you in a few days). Following that, it is out to WAPO for the reunion. I of course think that WAPO should sue Disney World for the rights to be called “The Happiest Place on Earth” so that will be great. Round out the week with a show at the Old Log and New Years Eve.

I fly back to Beijing on the 1st so it is a quick turn around but sitting on this plane, not having slept in 21 hours, I already think it was worth it.

My family is coming to Beijing for Lunar New Year and I am looking forward to doing some planning for that as well as some lesson planning and grading during all the down time this week.

Hopefully I will see all of my readers (except for the random hits I get from Korea) this week but if I don’t I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas. Also, to Val and Evan, Congratulations on the wedding next week; sorry that I cannot make it out to Georgia to celebrate with you.