THURSDAY, 10/9/14

I’m up and out early to BHSFIC today. Classes go well. I work on organizing some of my school materials and planning for tomorrow until lunch. After lunch, I have plans to do more of the same, interspersed with a Starbucks break, just killing time until Orchestra Club. As I head to lunch, I check my email, and there’s a new one from the school, with some kind of schedule change for the afternoon? At lunch, I start asking questions, and apparently, one of the grade 10 students has some type of contagious skin irritation. The school has decided they’re going to disinfect all the classrooms after school, so no Orchestra Club. I still hit Starbucks and then head home.

The real issue today is the pollution. The smog count is over 300! Now that the holiday is over, all the factories and businesses went into full gear, and the smog count went through the roof. There’s not much talk about it at my school, but Judy’s school is having discussions about closing tomorrow. It should be an interesting evening waiting to hear what happens.

FRIDAY, 10/10/14

Judy’s school didn’t cancel. The smog is even worse today. It bounced over 400 a few times during the day. It’s so dreary when it gets this high. Neither of us have noticed any respiratory issues, though.

The talk at lunch at my school today is about the “new holiday” that’s just been declared by the government. The APEC Conference is scheduled for November 7-12 in Beijing.   I guess to reduce traffic congestion and smog, all businesses and Chinese schools (mine) have been told to take a holiday. The international schools aren’t required, but “requested” to close. I wasn’t expecting a holiday that weekend, but the HSBC World Golf Championships are in Shanghai. It might be a good time to visit.