Officially Spring?

It's springtime in Urumqi. At least it feels like it. The sun is out and you can actually feel the heat on your skin!

A busy day of intensive teaching in the morning, not to mention some therapy work, with my student. She received a huge bout of discouragement from some people yesterday (mainly from family friends), shattering, or what she thought, her dream to pursue her schooling in France. So a big chunk of the lesson was spent talking and comforting. However this afternoon brought some good news: she text me this long message about how there is someone that will be able to help her get her papers and documents organized to go. Yes! A hint of hope has been restored in yet another young Chinese adult. It's cut-throat here, the competition and scramble to get a so-called better life. The fight can be long and nasty, and in the end, the strong and willing will prevail, not to mention those with beaucoup of connections.

And then i met this guy from some Uni up in the north of the city who is just absolutely desperate to have a foreign English teacher. I'll leave out the details, there's not much to say anyway except i could sense some bad vibes from this guy immediately and am in no way going to work for someone or someplace that sounds like a repeat of the situation i just left, only a dozen times worse. Ugh.

Just came back from swimming - lovely!

The students enjoyed the pizza making last night. Nice to socialize with them around a meal and not in a sterile classroom. We also baked my beloved b_n_n_ b_e_d. Out of cinnamon, and am requesting immediate family members to bring some to Urumqi in huge vats.

Another student coming for class tonight. Already i find my Chinese level picking up slowly.

I'm happy, really.