Remembering

It seems like yesterday but it's over seven years since I returned from my second spell of teaching in Bangkok, Thailand. Looking back,  St Stephen's International School could not have been beaten as a place for bringing down the curtain on my illustrious teaching career.

It was so easy there. No stress. No managerial responsibilities. No need to ever raise my voice and above all there were those delightful Thai schoolchildren. So pleasant and smiley, so grateful for the assistance I gave them and for the lessons I delivered.

In the process of decorating our dining room and shifting the furniture around, I  rediscovered a kind of farewell poster that one of my classes in Bangkok gave me in the week that my contract ended. It was so sweetly put together with "thank you"  letters and a photo of me in the middle clasping a mug of coffee.  The use of the word "Joke" was I  hope positive - referring to my jokey amiableness  in the classroom.

On my very last day there, I attended the final school assembly of the term. The headteacher, who was to die the following year, made a nice speech about me and everybody applauded as I marched up the middle aisle to received my leaving gifts. I thanked the school community and put my hands together as if in prayer as I "waied" respectfully to them in the traditional Thai manner.

The very next day I was on the island of Koh Lanta in southern Thailand where I spent a few days before flying home to England. To travel seven years back in time: Go here.

from Yorkshire Pudding https://ift.tt/2GwJQxo