The Power in Teaching
Trip Start
Jan 20, 2005
1
5
20
Trip End
Nov 17, 2005
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Sunday, May 1, 2005
Things are going exceptionally slowly at the moment, the old gap challengers who I lived with have all gone off to do their own traveling, waking up the next day to an empty (except my little Nepalese friend) flat was strange, but I did what comes naturally, I made a cup of tea. I teach twice or three times a week for an hour, the rest of the time is spent doing urm im not sure exactly what I do sleep, read a lot and think about things. I now teach in a Chinese school which is a converted Buddhist temple so it's pretty interesting, lots of red and Chinese writing.
I quite like teaching here because they actually have respect for their teachers; you've never known power unless someone's asked you whether or not they can go to the toilet. I doubt that Saddam, Hitler or any of the great Caesars had this sort of power, well if they did I really can't imagine it, or maybe I can....
"....and so, zis is how ve will crush zee British at Dunkirk"
"Yes Fritz vhat is it?"
"...urrrm excuze me sir, can I go to the toilet?"
No, no it just didn't happen did it. Well let me tell you its awesome power, if I wanted to I could not let any of them go to the toilet.....but I think it would be a strain to teach peeing kids.
Suddenly as I was coming to the end of my lesson this week, the heavens opened and a storm was unleashed. You've never been in a storm if you haven't been in a tropical storm. Its tremendous, buckets of water are thrown down. The school soon turned into a water park, a film of water flowing over the concrete floor. The kids obviously loved it, splashing and running. The thunder and lightning that comes from such as storm is awesome, I know the analogy has been used many times before, but it is the nearest I've come to the feeling of war. The sound of the thunder actually makes you jump and for a split second you are afraid of this awesome power, seemingly impossibly natural. Of course we know its all about electrons charging droplets, but the result of this is fantastic.
Well, this weekend I'm hoping to make it to the Cameroon highlands which are apparently quite cold, so I'll be enjoying that. If I have any adventures on the way, I'm sure I'll let you know.
Jonny
