This morning I had a once in a lifetime experience. That is something I say everyday, although this phrase pops up more frequently since I have been in China.

At 9:00 AM, here was a full solar eclipse in Wuhan, maybe the last of the century. The day began normally-me begrudgingly dragging myself out of bed to reach a teachers were clustered outside, anxiously awaiting this natural phenomenon. The air was thick with Wuhan neat and anticipation. Students chatted excitedly with each other clutching their solar lenses and pointing at the sky. Once the eclipse began, the crowd went silent, interrupted only by the occasional “waahhh”. The sky gradually darkened, shallows disappeared, and the sun shrank into a delicate silver. Then, as if someone suddenly flipped a switch, everything went black. All that was visible in the sky was a thin gray ring.

A collective “waahhh” rippled across the crowd. The image remained for a full five minutes, leaving everyone awestruck. Then, as suddenly as it had disappeared, a drop of sunlight reemerged and lit up the sky. Although the experience was brief, lasting only one hour, watching the solar eclipse in China was unforgettable. I’m definitely glad that I dragged myself only of bed to get to work this morning!