7th August 2007Our flight from Heathrow departed on time at 9.45 pm, and the journey was excellent. EVA now operates brand-new 777s, equipped with the latest entertainment systems. We each had personal screens and could choose what to watch whenever we liked, so Sarah and Jamie were occupied for the entire flight. Even Sue and… Continue Reading

1st August 2007Our return flight to the UK was via Bahrain, mercifully only a short stopover this time, just long enough to visit the loo and endure a long march from Gate 2 to Gate 32 (about a mile away). Why such a huge terminal for a small desert kingdom? We landed just after midnight… Continue Reading

29th July 2007 We embarked on a trek into the island’s interior to explore the rainforest, a guided tour with about 20 fellow Brits and one rather optimistic bus. The vehicle, clearly on its last legs, creaked and groaned its way up the mountainside like a dying elephant. Fortunately, I managed to grab a kip… Continue Reading

26th July 2007Now that the computer realises I speak English… It’s amazing what a difference it makes when your computer finally acknowledges you aren’t fluent in Mandarin. I’m now inspired to add a bit more to our blog without having to decode every button like I’m in a Dan Brown novel. Today was a leisurely… Continue Reading

24th July 2007FRUSTRATION!!! We are now in China, and I’ve written this three times. Yes, three. My computer screen is mostly in Chinese, so I was blindly stabbing at buttons like a chimp with a smartphone. Then, as if by magic (or sheer cruelty), the site suddenly switched to English and promptly deleted everything. So… Continue Reading

14th July 2007 Having navigated our way through a rather hectic final school week, I think it’s safe to say we’re all ready for a well-earned break. Everyone seems utterly exhausted, and even Jamie has started going to bed at a vaguely civilised hour. On Tuesday, Sarah accompanied me to the Sea Life Centre in… Continue Reading

8th July 2007 The rain gradually petered out over the week, but we still didn’t manage to hold a Sports Day at school. I decided to empty the pool to get rid of the rather green water that replaced the crystal clear version just a week ago. It took two days to drain it into… Continue Reading

1st July 2007 It had been a very quiet week, marked by persistent rain. The river level was constantly rising and falling. Regrettably, School Sports Day had to be cancelled; the only event that might have been viable was a 50-metre rice planting race! Foolishly, I did manage to play two hours of tennis with… Continue Reading

24th June 2007 Well, what a miserable week! Rain, rain, and more rain! The river flowing past the house has been up and down all week, but thankfully, the River Authority seems to have resolved the flooding issues in the town, which has also helped keep the water level lower near us. The lawn needs… Continue Reading

17th June 2007 I didn’t think I’d get around to adding much, if anything, to the blog this week, as I’ve been completely shattered. I’ve been arriving at school before 7:00 a.m. each day, thanks to the Headteacher swanning off with Year 6 on their residential field trip to York. This has left me teaching… Continue Reading