34 Days Left at Taylors

Today is a good day. What makes a good day and a bad day? Certainly not the weather as it is always the same. Most of the time it is communications and most communications these days are electronic. So, that buzz on my phone or that waiting email usually sets the tone for the day.

The people in your life are important. There are those that try to bring you down and those that boost you up. Try to divest yourself of the downers. If they want to be miserable then so be it, but do not let them make you miserable as well. There are lots of wonderful people in the world so take a chance, say hello, and strike up a conservation as you will never know where it takes you.

I am bad at calling people. Mom, I will try to call tonight ,,, but you know my email!!! I sms Jaime once a day and Jordan about every 3 days. Got to get better with Jordan :-)

Coming up in the near future is a trip to Universal Studios in Singapore and a weekend in Bangkok. I love Bangkok and the people you find there. They come from all over the world. I must remember to take some pics as I have been very bad lately. Must be because someone stole all the cameras :-(.

It may be time to upgrade my phone to a new HTC Sensation which has a very fast 8 megapixel camera which is more than good enough for my needs.

TTYL,

Jim

38 Days and Counting

I spent the weekend in Bangkok and I am now pretty good at getting around downtown and I am also developing an appreciation for Thai food. I dropped in and said hello to my tailor Ram and, as always, he was enthusiastic about seeing me. The music in the bars I visited was great as usual. Many of the singers seem to be from the Philippines.


It's Monday and I am a little tired after my busy weekend. I am trying to clean up all my ONSIS work before departing and that is keeping me busy.

I had dinner with Jaime last Thursday and hope to have dinner at least once a week with her. It is nice to have Jaime in Subang Jaya :-) She seems to be enjoying Sunway and it's staff. I have met about 6 of them so far and they seem very nice.

Better get back to work, TTYL

Jim

41 Days Left

I guess it is time to start another countdown. August 31st is my last day at Taylors College. Taylors is a wonderful place to teach and I highly recommend it.

Malaysia is a developing country shopping malls 10 stories high and open sewers with garbage. It is definitely a land of contrasts. Most teachers seem to stay on for 2 years and move back to Canada or head out on another international teaching contract. I think there is a reason for it and it may be the climate. Hot and sticky wears us westerners down. Perhaps we never learn the Malaysian amble walk!.  Seems like I am always in the pedestrian passing lane.

Strangely enough, I will hang around South East Asia for a while as there are things to do and places to see. My condo is rented until the end of December. I will make another visit to Canada in the Fall before returning back to see Australia, New Zealand, Laos, and China. I will return to Canada in December.

I am still undecided where I will live when I return and that decision need not be rushed. I will have lots of time to ponder life's great decisions after August 31st. TTYL,

Jim

Rant Against Gossips and Rumour Mongers

It has come to my attention that I have been judged (in absentia) and found guilty. I am now gossip material and the butt of jokes. In case you have not heard the many rumours, I am apparently engaged in intimate acts with former students and/or their mothers, or perhaps both, dependent on the sick perverted person who is spreading the rumours.

There is absolutely no truth to this rumour and I am collecting names of those responsible for spreading the rumour and I am considering reporting them to the College of Teachers. I am surprised that a Catholic community would get involved in spreading rumours with absolutely no truth behind it or at least not contact and ask me if it is true. I find this extremely insulting to my morality and character.

The other rumour is that I am being duped by some Russian women and I am being played for a fool and they will dump me once they have spent all my money. There is some basis to this rumour as I continue to help students and families in need where ever I find them. If you attended my retirement party at the Board you probably heard that the $500 raised for my retirement gift was donated to a needy Catholic basketball family to enable one of their children to attend basketball camp that summer. Over the years, I helped many students, long before the Board set up a fund to do so.

It is ironic that one teacher used the venue of the Father Baxter Golf Tournament to make jokes about me and the 17th hole. You know who you are and you are one sick puppy!

I also find it very insulting to my intelligence that the gossips think so little of my intelligence that I would be so easily duped.

I thought I would take the high road and just ignore the gossip and jokes but I find it despicable that educators would stoop so low and have decided to call you to account and ask, 'Why would you do such a lowly, cowardly act, without at least searching out the truth, and ruin a person's reputation?'

You should be ashamed of yourselves!

To my friends who have supported me I thank you :-). To my friends who never even asked me for clarification and judged me guilty, I am disappointed with you :-(

Jim

Back in Ottawa

I arrived back in Ottawa after a 15 hour flight from Hong Kong and a 4 hour flight from Kuala Lumpur, and then the final hour from Toronto. A little jet lagged today but looking forward to getting out and visiting a few folks today (Sunday).

First up is Timmy's for a coffee!

TTYL,

Jim