Vacations, vacations everywhere! They're falling like...students?

So it appears the country of Bulgaria has the flu. The whole country. Alright, maybe not every single person, but enough that it appears we're going to have a flu-vacation next week. Ever hear of a snow day? Well this is a flu day. And it might just smell of pork.

I haven't been able to figure out if most of the cases in Bulgaria have been swine flu, but here's what I do know:

1) A lot of people are sick! Today, in my class (I only teach one on Fridays) of 18, I had 7 students. Yep, 7. Supposedly, if the entire student body reaches 30% absent due to flu, they cancel school. I had 7 out of 18 present. For those playing along at home, that's a 61% absent rate!

2) This flu looks nasty! I'm not saying students and teachers are going to die from it, but those who have gotten it have looked like the walking dead for about 3 days, and don't fully recover for about 7.

3) The virus that is destroying the work and academic population is most likely H1N1 - the swine flu. What makes this one so bad? Nothing more than the regular flu, it's just that it was transmitted by animals; that's something that's pretty rare, so they are behind in making the vaccines. Can't blame them. You can't prepare for everything. The only people that really have to worry are the elderly, the very young who haven't developed their immune system yet, and those with compromised immune systems. The rest of us just get the flu.

4) Despite the jubilation of the students, I am not happy about this "vacation" for two reasons. First, it will be just my luck that I will get the damn thing at the beginning of next week, and spend the week actually being sick. So much for the "vacation". And second, students are required to be in school for a certain number of days. If the Ministry of Health closes the school, they will just have to add those 5 days on somewhere else - like Winter break, Spring break, Summer break, or even Saturday school. Swine flu, I am not impressed with you.

I find it somewhat fitting that I sign every blog at the end with the Bulgarian term "nazdrave", which literally means "too your health". Well dear readers, it with the utmost sincerity that I sign off on this one. May all your days be piggy-flu free!

Nazdrave.