The farewell
11:20am “Today is my last day,” I say to my class of adult learners. There are looks of confusion and uncertainty; they’re unsure if they’ve understood...
Button Boy
Students come and go, but some of them leave a mark on you. As my last day of teaching in an organisation draws near, I think back and remember. I remember the young man, the...
Delicious baby
“Delicious baby,” said my student as her child lay suckling in her arms. “Delicious milk?” I asked. “No, delicious baby.” “In English...
Bathing rights
There is a walk I like to take, past a natural birdbath hewn in a stone face, where querulous Musk Lorikeets and Rainbow Lorikeets argue over bathing rights. It makes me think...
Refuge
During the summer break, I spent two weeks in Malaysia and Singapore. Going back home tends to make time lose meaning for me – no school drop offs, no rush hour –...