Swine Flu

So I guess you can't talk about Taiwan in September of 2009 without discussing (cue dramatic music)...THE SWINE FLU! Excuse me, H1N1.

So I guess there's lots of H1N1 goin round Taiwan. A few schools in Taichung are closed and several of my students now wear masks at school. At my morning school, they were taking everyone's temperature before they walked into the school and you also had to clean your hands with disinfectant. At my evening school, they're just taking our temperatures. If you have a fever above 37.8 degrees Celsius, you aren't allowed in the school. They use these nifty thermometers that you just point at someone's head and it gives you a reading in a second or two. Fancy! As teachers, we're supposed to be on the lookout for sick kids. I'm glad I was sick the week before everyone really started freaking out or I probably would have been kicked out. Makes me wonder if I did have swine flu...I don't know.

I sound sarcastic but I do worry about my students. I certainly don't want any of them to become ill, particularly with swine flu. I was pretty worried when there was speculation that my student Emily had swine flu. I just have a hard time believing anything the media freak out about, since they're ALWAYS FREAKING OUT. I don't know when it's actually the end of the world.

As long as I don't get sick right before I get on the 9138710298374123 planes I have to take to get home, I'll be happy!