The Boy and The Coconut Tree

And as I settled into my job as a kindergarten teacher I found myself with 2 more student, very different from the toddlers at Queensland Kindergarten. I had advertised myself as a private English tutor on a local website as soon as I arrived and waited for the emails to roll in. Within 1 week of placing my advert I had been contacted by 4 locals, 1 a recently graduated law student and the other a Malaysian banker who needed a tutor for her son. I met with the law graduate, Long, in one of my favourite cafes, Highland Coffee, overlooking the Hoan Kiem lake and I became his English tutor and friend very quickly, he was my first Vietnamese student who I could actually have a conversation with an didn't need an afternoon nap or his nappy changing after class. The location of my first class with Long Long proved to me very smart, his English was very good and he really only needed practice and some wider vocabulary. We agreed to meet at least once per week. Long will get...

I was 43 yesterday, it was an odd day, a dis-jointed day. I was at work for almost 9 hours and many of the people I wanted to be at my celebration either couldn't make it or didn't make it. The marking of a birthday should always be a celebration of our life moving forward and no matter what age we are, we should celebrate it and have as much fun as we can. I didn't and not because of the company I had, but my mind was elsewhere. Too many people I know are going through a bad time and it is hard for them to be happy with me.   Tomorrow I will go and spend  days with my family and I am looking forward to it. 

I've now been back in England for 11 weeks, not long but long enough to realize that I am back but not back here in spirit. I am restless, probably because this current job is neither good for soul or my intellect anymore. I am stifled. I loved being a teacher and love being a teacher. I am so temped to flee, head overseas again. Now I know I can teach, and I know I am good at it, I could go anywhere, but where? I shouldn't be so hasty but it is in my character to make huge decisions quite quickly and only ask for advice if I have the slightest doubt. Usually I ask the wrong people, the people who tell me off rather than wish me well. I am giving myself 7 days to take stock, decide and then put a plan in place. Sean 2 November 2012