An attempt to convey a few of the thoughts & feelings of an expatriate teacher in sunny Singapore (and adjacent spots on occasion.)
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Another Glance Back
As I mentioned in a post earlier this month, much to my surprise I've found myself missing the crowds we experienced in Medinah and Makkah last month. The odd thing is that I routinely feel uncomfortable, sometimes extremely so, in the crowds you get in the central areas of Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Yet I felt nothing of that at all on our trip. Rather it was like being a child again when I used to relish being taken into central Manchester, Ashton Market or the Golden Mile at Blackpool, and feeling the excitement of it all. Maybe I'm regressing? (But most enjoyably so.)
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.
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