30/07/2011 by Russell.

Arrival

Here I am again in Chu Lai, Quang Nam, Vietnam for nearly 3 weeks.  I was met by around 10 people at Da Nang airport around 9.30pm, having left England around 7pm the previous evening.

Heathrow, T5, checked my luggage in, but was taking 2 suitcases, my first is free. However, excess luggage for my second suitcase was to cost 945 pounds to send all the way to Saigon.  After fainting, the man suggested to send to Hong Kong, where I was due to change flights, for 40 pounds and check in for my connecting flight as luggage.  Hmm, good idea…

Hong Kong, after taking an hour through customs, I picked up the bag from the carousel, and trotted off to get my boarding card for my onward journey, asked at the counter “is this your only luggage?” to which I replied “yes” and so it was sent to my flight with no additional cost.  A result for once.

Saigon, for my final flight I paid just over 10 pounds for it to be sent on the flight to Da Nang my final destination.  Being greeted by so many people at an airport, was I thought for other people, never would I expect such a reception.  Wow!, thank you to cousins, friends, and babies  who came to see me.  Yes me!  People must have thought it was the return of the Messiah – suitcases and all.

We finally arrived home at about midnight. A bed and sleep was very welcome after the airmiles.  Even better I was upgraded by BA to a larger seat and cabin.  The woman next to me and I never exchanged a single word, only I heard she was travelling to Vietnam, she sat in frnt of me on the flight to Saigon and never said a hello, some grump.

First day, Tam is off for a driving test, and drinks afterwards, so she’ll be drunk, I will be  full of beans.  I have already done some washing, my Australia towel has gone 3 months without a scrub, it is filthy, I couldn’t dry myself on it last night, yeuch! even after the scrubbing brush it is still dirty.  How can these people ignore such hygiene?

Breakfast was unlike England, but typical Vietnam, rice – expected, con cua (Crab) a treat, fish – ok, meat – ok, and washed down with a beer – unusual!

The house has been truly modernized since I was last here in April, new mezzanine, 2 bedrooms, entrance, stairs etc, see photo’s for comparisons.

It is hot here around 31 degrees, no mosquito’s but very hot, will I be allowed to sit in the sun? I doubt it.

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22/07/2011 by Russell.

Yes, this is it, new found freedom of contract (Just like Nasri) is good, only because I have something to look forward to with a fresh start in Vietnam.

Timing is good, so I can finally attempt to pull all the strings together, it is still a mammoth task, I mean how do you leave a country? the only thing I can think about is the tax office in Salford.

I have so much to do, house clearance, chucking things I though I would never do,  and the saddest thing is I don’t really need that much apart from me telly!

A local firm quoted £2,400 to ship to Da Nang in Vietnam, the cost is for 1 item, 3 items or 40 items, the going rate is the same. As Tam would say “very money” .

I have only family photo’s to take, a bicycle and some files.  I will try to DHL it all for £250.  I will take 2 suitcases with me next week, and return and take two more cases and a tv.

So how do I feel?

After all those years at College looking after HE, my life was on the treadmill, as we all seem to do out of necessity.  Kids grow up, Emily to University, Greg to College. These are two very special people in my life, whom I love dearly, they are in many respects in my core, unshakeable, and unmovable from my heart.  Understandable, but this step, as Neil Armstrong took all those years ago, does seem a giant leap into the unknown.  However, it is a small step, the world is smaller by the good fortune of air travel, I never look at miles anymore only travel time.  I have a network in place in Vietnam.  And who’s to say I wouldn’t be left behind in England when Emily and Greg get their lives on track by moving to warmer climes elsewhere, leaving me to stew in England?

Many people have said ‘don’t do it’, and others have said - ‘go for it’ life is not a rehearsal, I cannot live with regrets, I have had many in life, so I take this opportunity with both hands and I know it will all be fine, my worry is not seeing Emily and Greg.  Emily at Uni will be away from home for 4 years, so there will be less opprtunity to see her term time, and as Greg gets going with his course and footy - our weekends will get less and less as he goes out with his mates.

I on the other hand, have internet, I have skype, I have a telephone, you’ll be surprised at how many ways people can stay in touch.  Besides, a holiday in Indochina is much better than Benidorm - that I can promise you.

So Tuesday I jet off on part 1 of my transfer to Vietnam….

..

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09/07/2011 by Russell.

Truly the end is in sight.  It all began last year, when colleagues at West Herts College returned to work after the Summer break, to be told the School of Higher and Professional was being disbanded and staff allocated to different departments.  I being on the othe side of the world had no knowledge of this until the new year and my return to work.

I found myself in a strange new purpose built building and with a new set of colleagues.  Nothing wrong there, I just got on with it, my teaching was not in the areas expected and the degree programme which my colleague - Freda - and I had fought to get revalidated was being pulled by the University.  It was all change, and the morale of my old colleagues was desperately low. I on the other hand was on a high having completed my sabbatical, can’t be all that bad I thought to myself.  Courses had disappeared and students were even less motivated than before I left for South Africa.  Give it time, nope, my time’s up.

So here I was in my place of work, a job I had many great memories, trips abroad, running around on desks, on scooters down corridors, on tv shows, I had a good run, but felt within myself it was time for me to reflect and consider my options. One option uppermost was Vietnam and Tam.   I had already made my decision to go back and it was just a question of time.

Opportunity knocks all too infrequently in life, and so I spotted a little opening when I was informed my role, job title and teaching hours was to change, so I politely asked the question of ‘my role is redundant’ and this has lead me to where I am now, looking at a redundancy package to leave the College which has been my bedrock for nearly 20 years.

So what of the people I have met, far too many, but I had great days with Keith Seed, what an odd couple we were, and the life and soul of HND teaching, Marilyn Farmer, great colleague, Ruth Hickmott such positivity, David Williams mister motivator, Anne Waring and all her colleagues (Christine, Anne etc..) have been an enormous help and support, reprographics over the years with Ali and her team.  More recently Rob and David have been good colleagues and buddies, Rob especially with cycling and trotting off to Norfolk for a bike ride and David with his counselling. I am sure there are many names I have lost, forgotten, Steve Culliford, Priscilla, Vic Davies (top man) whatever happened to Bill Broadbent? Sam Mukerjee? Sylvia Wheeler? Andrew Bragg? Brian Jeffries many escaped to UH, Veronica Earle great buddy, Paul Smith…

And now it will soon be my turn for people to say - ‘do you remember Russell Preston?’, well I hope people do, and remember me for good reasons.  So I plan to leave at the end of July, and quietly slip away.  My territory was always the old building, my presence etched into the old corridors where I was king, the sterile new building will never have the same secrets,  too many windows, or allow characters like me to exist.  I am too much of a maverick teacher, great with the students and hopefully staff found me knowledgeable and supportive.  The King is dead - Long live…..?

So it will be out with the old, and all change….life is too short, and I remembered this from my travels, don’t know where it came from but:

‘Life is an opportunity’ 

(I want mine before it is too late)

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