I WAS heading to Hong Kong on the ferry for a dental appointment last Wednesday when my left eye suddenly began to itch and weep.

　　It kept getting progressively worse and by the time I reached my dentist’s clinic I could barely keep my left eye open. Before I entered the clinic my mobile phone rang. It was my boss in Singapore asking for some documents and figures as soon as possible.

　　After my appointment I managed to catch the 4 p.m. ferry back to Shekou. It arrived just in time for me to go to the Jingshan SOS Clinic (of which most expats in Shekou are members) and get treated.

　　On the waiting room table was a copy of Shenzhen Daily with a front page article describing the “pinkeye” epidemic. It certainly is good to have an English daily newspaper to let us know what’s going on around us. Only this time the news arrived a little late for me.

　　After visiting the clinic I went to my office and worked with one eye closed until 10 p.m. that night. When I finished I went to the Shenzhen Daily Web page and downloaded the “pinkeye” article, scribbled “I have it “ on the copy and left it on my secretary’s desk.

　　The next day, my other eye became infected and I tried to stay away from work, but the “paper crisis” did not abate. Eventually, I had to work from home to keep from contaminating my co-workers. But continuing to work and not resting resulted in the infection staying with me for a week.

　　Michael Sailey

　　I WAS heading to Hong Kong on the ferry for a dental appointment last Wednesday when my left eye suddenly began to itch and weep.

　　It kept getting progressively worse and by the time I reached my dentist’s clinic I could barely keep my left eye open. Before I entered the clinic my mobile phone rang. It was my boss in Singapore asking for some documents and figures as soon as possible.

　　After my appointment I managed to catch the 4 p.m. ferry back to Shekou. It arrived just in time for me to go to the Jingshan SOS Clinic (of which most expats in Shekou are members) and get treated.

　　On the waiting room table was a copy of Shenzhen Daily with a front page article describing the “pinkeye” epidemic. It certainly is good to have an English daily newspaper to let us know what’s going on around us. Only this time the news arrived a little late for me.

　　After visiting the clinic I went to my office and worked with one eye closed until 10 p.m. that night. When I finished I went to the Shenzhen Daily Web page and downloaded the “pinkeye” article, scribbled “I have it “ on the copy and left it on my secretary’s desk.

　　The next day, my other eye became infected and I tried to stay away from work, but the “paper crisis” did not abate. Eventually, I had to work from home to keep from contaminating my co-workers. But continuing to work and not resting resulted in the infection staying with me for a week.