TYPHOONS! and Why don't I have travel plans yet?!

So I haven't posted since Sunday or so and not much has really happened since then except a typhoon and some random attempts and confusion at making travel plans (oh, and some studying as well).

On Monday, the typhoon signal was raised to level 3, which means stronger than normal winds. Monday evening, the signal was raised to level 8 which essentially means that the entire city just kinda stops. The school kept us posted on level changes and what would be affected (pretty much everything). Once the level was raised to 8 the dining halls closed, the administrative offices closed, classes were canceled and you were supposed to stay inside. A level 8 Typhoon is essentially a tropical storm or a pretty severe thunderstorm Of course we have had these storms in the US but they don't cancel classes because of a tropical storm, thats for sure. Here, everything closes.

Of course, Evan and Ray and I went outside to see what the winds were like. We made sure that it wasnt so severe that debris was flying everywhere, and then we went outside (right in front of our hall) and just watched and felt the wind. It was pretty strong and soo much fun. I loved it.

On Tuesday, even though the winds had died down pretty substantially, classes and administrative offices resumed opening hours starting at 2 pm..which means.. NO CLASSES FOR ME! I think its absolutely hysterical that classes were canceled for the potential for high winds and rain especially when everything had calmed down but I guess it makes a lot of sense for locals because many of them live off campus and would not want to make the commute.

It rained for a good portion of the day. Sumana, Vikas and several other vegetarians and I were supposed to meet a local, Perry, in town to eat at a vegetarian restaurant that was in a garden but we got washed out because it was raining pretty badly.

Nothing too eventful has been going on otherwise. I am trying to figure out where I am traveling and when. I think I will be going to Beijing at the end of October to visit my friend Elizabeth who is studying at Peking University for the year and I might try and somehow add Shanghai into that trip so that I don't make double trips and get the most out of it. Otherwise, a group of us was planing on going to Vietnam at the end of this month but I guess plans have changed and that group is going to Thailand next weekend and Shanghai for our 4 days weekend. I definitely don't want to go up to Shanghai for that weekend, especially because it is National Day and EVERYONE is traveling into the big cities. Another group is going elsewhere in China and I am really at a loss as to what to do. I feel like I need to start planning trips or I am going to be left in the dust, what with everyone traveling all the time. People are going to the Phillipines and Vietnam and Beijing among many other places even this weekend and I don't even have one trip planned. Ridiculous.

I better get on that. I think thats what I will be doing tonight, along with my Operations Management Homework (and maybe a swim. haha).

Have a good night/day! Miss you all!