Christmas Wishes.

It is MID WAY through my Christmas Break in Scotland, and time seems to be flying in. Its strange when you come back everything seems to be just the way it was before, though I am not sure what I expected to be different really.

I have noticed the change in WEATHER!!! I love Scotland but the bloody weather is freezing !!! or Mucho Frio as I would say in Bogota... laughs.

A quick update on the flight back which was relatively painless.. Martha my Colombian colleague had arranged a TAXI with a friend, to take me to the airport, German (pronounced Herrman) was great he spoke no english and yet we chatted all the way there.

On arriving the airport was chaotic, and I looked for the Iberia desk, only to find the line was long and winding. As I went towards the end an official looking gentleman approached me (Yes there was a moment of uncertainty about who he was and why he was approaching me)and asked... Toursismo ? No I replied estoy trabajo en Colombia which I hoped was as close to "I work in Colombia" as I was going to get. He then checked my passport and documents, and told me to follow him (Another moment of uncertainty) TO THE FRONT of the QUEUE !!! where I was checked in and passed through in a matter of minutes... Definitly a bonus, so whoever the wee guy was I thank him for making getting through check in much much easier.

The flight to Madrid was quick if you call 9 hours quick and easy and the flight to London equally so. Iberia were excellent in every way and the meal on the Long haul flight was one of the best I have had. Top marks to the food service. Iberia is of course a "world partner" with British Airways and thats where things went wrong. Getting into London I swapped to a BA flight to Glasgow which was delayed twice then held on the runway for a period of time, all in the travel up to that point had been faultless but the last hour flight took nearlly 3 hours crazy.

Anyone thats been reading the blog up to now, would have realised I was concerned about my contract just in caase the Head Teacher left, as up to the beginning of December he was the only person who had any real knowledge of the contract he had offered me.

I felt a little more relieved when I finally got the Administration Director to sign off on it too and not that I like to think I am in any way psychic about these things but it seems the Head teacher has left his post over Christmas due to difficulties with the board. Now whether he walked or was pushed is not known but it is a shame as I did feel he was trying to get the school to move forward in the right direction, and with him gone and the knock on effect thats going to have on staff moral and retention I can see problems ahead for the school.

Whether my contract will hold water now the Head is gone even though I have Administrations say so, is open to conjecture, but I don't want to let the kids I teach down, so returning to complete the contract on my side is I feel the only option. I gave my word and sometimes your word is the only thing left that can be considered truly worthwhile though I appreciate not everyone will think that way.

Anyways my flight back is on the 6th of January the day before UK Airports go on strike.. OH JOY !!!! hopefully I will be out of the country before that happens because the ensuing chaos will make all further journies that week long and stressful. I will worry about Bogota when I get back there.

Have a great Christmas and New year and look for the next update on the 8th of January after my first day back at the English School Bogota Colombia.

Chao Amigos