Internet Glitch

Weednesday afternoon something happened to my Internet connection, and I became unable to access any websites other than a few portal-like ones, namely Yahoo and Google's news pages (although I couldn't get through on any of the latter's links to newspapers). No e-mail (Yahoo Mail was blocked, although for some reason I could access my secondary Gmail account), no blogging, no New York Times or Chicago Tribune.

It was more of an annoyance than a genuine cause for concern, because I figured that like most such snafus here, it would prove to be temporary. And sure enough, when I returned from my morrning class today, everything seemed normal again. Frequent glitches like this are just an inevitable fact of life here, but it drives home just how tenuous my connection to the outside world is.

Last night I turned down the opportunity to go to Guangzhou for a visit: C***o is teaching a couple of classes there this weekend and asked me if I wanted to come along. I didn't really have much choice: The bus leaves at 11:40, so I'd have to blow off the last half-hour of my Friday-morning class, which I don't think I could do in good conscience (C***o will have to leave her class early as well, but since she's committed to the Guangzhou classes, she's got no other choice).

Maybe it's just as well: I don't know if the hotel where they're putting up C***o is in a convenient section of town, she'll be tied up in classes all day Saturday and Sunday so I'd be on my own, and going there involves a three-hour bus ride that I don't think would be much fun. But I'm probably just rationalizing: Before I learned of the problem with the bus schedule, I'd already snapped up the offer.

Anyway, the weather's turned a bit dreary and blustery (I used my umbrella today for the first time since arriving here, and it's a bit chilly as well — although nothing like what I hear it's been back home), so maybe it'll be a better weekend to stick close to home with my new stack of Dexter DVDs. And if it clears up, maybe I'll head back to Zhuhai and spend the day in Jin Shan Park or perhaps make my first visit to Macau.