In about twelve hours I am swapping sleepy Shropshire for the bleak, sanitised commercialism of Terminal 2 at Manchester Airport. [Rant, rant, radical anti-capitalist rant]. But it's actually OK, because then I'm getting a plane to the Maldives! [Hooray for aviation capitalism]. To live. And work. For a year.
I'm being employed on a volunteer scheme that was advertised in September. (I'm putting a link up so you can read the job description if interested). I sent off a rather speculative application, assuming that half the qualified teachers of Britain would be up for swapping economic meltdown in Europe for a tropical island in the Indian Ocean. Yet two months ago I was offered a place, and since then it's been a mad rush to arrange my life, see friends, buy important things like fins and travel insurance, and load my Kindle with enough books and PDFs for a year. Christmas presents certainly assumed a common theme - mosquito net, sun lotion, snorkel - a Boxing Day departure to foreign lands has made me very easy to buy for this year!
I've been assigned to teach English and P.E. at a madrasa in Ihavandhoo, a tiny, tiny island in Haa Alif Atoll in the far north of the country. This is all very exciting and scary. To quote from my 2013 CV: "it's an adventure, an opportunity to immerse myself in a whole new lifestyle and country, take a big challenge that forces me out of my comfort zone, and learn some wonderful new recipes with tasty fresh fish, lime and coconut." It will be my gap year, but I think it will be a great experience and give me some unforgettable memories (and pictures).
I've been assigned to teach English and P.E. at a madrasa in Ihavandhoo, a tiny, tiny island in Haa Alif Atoll in the far north of the country. This is all very exciting and scary. To quote from my 2013 CV: "it's an adventure, an opportunity to immerse myself in a whole new lifestyle and country, take a big challenge that forces me out of my comfort zone, and learn some wonderful new recipes with tasty fresh fish, lime and coconut." It will be my gap year, but I think it will be a great experience and give me some unforgettable memories (and pictures).
But for now the case is full (after a feverish Christmas Day packing session), my body is vaccinated against typhoid and rabies, and I've finally set up a blog. All the important stuff done! So after a long overnight flight tomorrow I'll be halfway to my new home. My next post - some would say the first proper post given this about my year abroad - will come to you from the Maldivian capital.
