My Taiwan Adventure

My nerves are frayed, I'm not sleeping and I just want to sit down in the sunshine for a while. I'm so tired of the battle I'm fighting with my company over things that should be simple. I guess it was entirely too optomistic to expect no problems. It seems that everybody there is your friend until you decide leave. My school, however has been unbelievably kind since they found out about my departure. There are offers of Chinese lessons, dinners, apartments and help of all kinds. (Including suggestions on where to find good American men.) The Chinese teachers are saying "Don't go. If you go, only go one week." I am overwhelmed at the contrast.

I went into my last kindy class this morning, chanting "I will not cry" over and over again in my head. I made it until the middle of the goodbye song that we sing each day. Numerous times I've tried to stop singing the song at the end of class but the kids demand it. It has been our routine since my first day, and today was no different. The tears were welling in my eyes as we sang "goodbye too...." and I managed to make it to the darkened classroom before finding a tissue to soak up the tears. I spend 2 hours a day with these darlings and it's hard to say goodbye.

This afternoon awaits me, the cavernous empty classrooms will soon be filled with excited bodies who have no idea that I won't be back for their last week of classes. My heart aches just a little.

I'm making my last rounds. What happens next?

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