Back to China

Well... I'm back in Yanji. I am not sure what classes I am teaching. I don't have the syllabus for the classes, nor my class lists, just borrowed some textbooks that might work. Two of the classes I may have are supposed to meet at the same time. I have no place to plug things in in my office, no internet connection, no printer, a chair that doesn't work, and no clue where to begin.

But, i have a warm little room, and nothing exploded or spoiled or died in my absence. I have a couple friends, other English speakers with whom to communicate, and my schedule is as of yet a blank slate waiting to be filled in.

I have a sunburned nose from Dubai, thoughts of that monstrous palm-treed, freeway-bound city in my head, guobaorou in my stomach, half-filled out applications for jobs and for grad schools on my computer, anxieties about my future, a cool new book about J-s in French which I got at the Frankfurt airport, Deutsche Welle on my TV set, and a resolution that since I can't avoid this coming semester, I am going to push through it and enter into it and be the best witness I can be, and be as faithful as I am able at the tasks that are appointed to me.