An attempt to convey a few of the thoughts & feelings of an expatriate teacher in sunny Singapore (and adjacent spots on occasion.)
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Slowing Down
One of the wonderful rewards of aging is the need for slowing down inherent in the process - even as you speed to the end. So nice to be forced to make time to take it all in.
2 comments:
Daryl Lim
said...
"OLD age is a flight of small cheeping birds skimming bare trees above a snow glaze. Gaining and failing they are buffeted by a dark wind-- But what? On harsh weedstalks the flock has rested, the snow is covered with broken seedhusks and the wind tempered by a shrill piping of plenty." -- William Carlos Williams
There are times, many, in which I think that nobody says it better than WCW. Thanks for this reminder. (And sorry for taking so long to acknowledge your comment, Daryl.)
My vision: retirement and a life of leisure.
My mission: to manage decline gracefully.
My goal: to get to the end of the day in one piece.
Born in Manchester, I am at present living and working, as a teacher of English, in Singapore, having done so since 1988. My wife, Noshayati – whom I call Noi, and others call Yati – is Malaysian, and we travel frequently to her homeland, where most of her family live (in Melaka.) We own a house in Kuala Lumpur. My sister and family still live back in Manchester and we try to visit occasionally.
I used to work for the Ministry of Education in Singapore, but since 2007 have been employed directly by an independent school here. It pays the bills.
I converted to Islam in 1997 and find myself even more interestingly placed in the world as a result. I like occupying intersections. They afford useful perspectives.
I’d like to think I have a sense of curiosity which keeps me young. But the jury is still out on this. A good day is one on which just about everything seems interesting. Some days are not so good, but I'm not so naive as to believe I have any right to expect otherwise.
2 comments:
"OLD age is
a flight of small
cheeping birds
skimming
bare trees above a snow glaze.
Gaining and failing
they are buffeted
by a dark wind--
But what?
On harsh weedstalks
the flock has rested,
the snow
is covered with broken
seedhusks
and the wind tempered
by a shrill
piping of plenty." -- William Carlos Williams
There are times, many, in which I think that nobody says it better than WCW. Thanks for this reminder. (And sorry for taking so long to acknowledge your comment, Daryl.)
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