Serendipity in the Springtime

Spring has arrived! The warm, balmy weather continues in Chengdu. There are flowers blooming everywhere and all the plants are turning green again. Even the swimming pool is hovering around 14C, a good deal warmer than the 5C we had all winter. These are some beautiful flowers that are growing on the tree right outside my window.
Last night was also quiz night again. Matthew, Laura, Andrea (recently returned from the States), and I were joined by Barbara Grub who is a PhD student from UW who is doing her PhD work on animal husbandry in Yangjuan, and Eddie who is a recent graduate of UW and participated in this program several years ago and is now back in China to work for a few years. In the middle of the second round, serendipity strikes again. I got a call from Andrew, a guy from Northern Ireland who was on our train to Tibet and then we randomly ran into again at the hotel we were staying at in Shigatse. He was stuck in Chengdu for the next 6 days because he couldn't get a train back to Nanning where he is an English teacher until then. I, of course, invited him to join us and, as fate apparently wanted it, he helped us get first place. All I could think was "of course" because it was just too much of a coincidence to question it. He is now staying with Matthew for the next few days. On the 2nd of March, I will be leaving with Barbara, Andrea and Fagun (a woman from Yangjuan) to return to Yangjuan for about a week to finish my research there. Other than that, I am just regrouping from travel with the family and getting ready (and excited) for the upcoming semester that will begin on the 12th. Sleep tight everyone and I will check in again later.