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We Were Right
And We Couldn’t Have Been More Wrong
What started with a visit to see my brother in Thailand and parent teacher interviews at an international school has found me teaching at that International School. Living on the small tropical island of Koh Samui, 1000 km north of the equator with my 16-year-old son.
My daily highlight, a mango blended with ice to match the sunset. Purple streaks across an orange sky viewed through coconut trees. On cold Melbourne winter mornings, getting ready for school, we imagined a year of escape from the mundane, endless sunshine and simplicity.
We were right.
And we couldn’t have been more wrong.
Melbourne, Victoria, offers the full gamut of weather. Our first exchange of the day tended to be a comment on the outdoor temperature. Sunshine usually promised a happy day. The first few weeks on the island started in the same way, ‘nice day’ we’d repeat before revealing that every day was a nice day and thus the comment became redundant.
I was excited about teaching, meeting students from around the world and anticipating what the provided free lunch would be. Every day I enjoyed…
