Local time: Mon March 4, 13:22

Not a lot of activities have happened in the last couple of weeks, but classes are progressing and I have established a pretty solid weekly routine!

I am still very excited and passionate about rugby! I join the rugby class on Monday 4p-5p (it’s really 3p-5p but I’m in class until 4p) and Tuesdays 4p-6p. It’s a PE class offered at UIC that I am not taking for credit, just joining to practice and learn more about rugby.

Tony (from Minnesota and the English for Academic Purposes teacher) took us to the Huafa mall to shop and get dinner! The Huafa mall is the largest mall in Zhuhai and actually very near where we were originally staying before classes started. It was a weird feeling of comfort and relief to be in an area we became so familiar with.

The phase II campus of UIC has many cats that inhabit the area. Since arriving, I have frequently seen a couple of them who I’ve named Lucy, Bruce, and Whiskey. I figured they were probably just stray cats and didn’t have names, but upon talking to the front desk lady of my dorm, it turns out they all have names already!! That same front desk lady has given the cats little cat beds to sleep in, daily food, water, and attention. I make sure to pay the campus kitties a visit every time I see them. ~ the cat I named Whiskey (Frisky Whiskey because she likes attention but not pets and can get frisky) is actually named Chocolate. Lucy is actually named 芝芝 (zhīzhī, jer jer) and Bruce is actually named 雀猫 (quèmāo, sparrow cat). Also, I am pretty sure Lucy/Zhizhi is a boy… Lucifer?? There’s a new cat too, we call her Mary, and she looks like Lucy/Zhizhi but the two do NOT get along. There’s 3 other black cats too, but they’re timid and don’t get close to people.

Anyways, classes are going fine, school is going fine, food is the same…

It’s pretty boring with not a lot to do but everything is going overall positively!