First Impressions of The Old Country

A very cheerful good morning to all you readers out there!  At this time I've been in London for almost 24 hours, and with each hour I'm getting increasingly amped to live in this beautiful city.  When I landed I was exhausted, hungry, and I felt sick - not a very positive start, but it could only go up from there!  I met up with another Classroom teacher (Classroom, or Classroom Canada, is the name of the teaching agency that hired me) and together we explored a bit of the city.  I purchased a cheap cell phone, and we visited Trafalgar Square where the San Francisco 49ers had set up a massive promotional event.  It was strange and exciting.  I met Dunja (pronounced Doon-ya) and the three of us meandered through the crowded streets towards my accommodation, as of Monday.  Justin and I left Dunja there and came back to his place, where I'll be staying tonight as he is out of town visiting a friend.

General musings on life:

It's hard to say exactly what went through my head as I sat on the plane on my way to London.  I considered why I decided to take this trip.  It was difficult leaving my friends and saying bye to my parents as I set out into the great unknown.  I definitely had the thought that it would be much easier and comfortable to stay in Victoria, where everything is familiar and I have a good network of friends.  I also turned down a pretty promising job teaching a grade eight class because I was coming here.  Was this the right decision?  Was this a big mistake?  All of these thoughts coursed through my brain as I squirmed in my seat and watched crappy movies on the tiny airplane screen.  In spite of all these reasons for staying, I had the wishful, sort of predictive idea that heading to London was the right decision.  I figured that there are some times when being too comfortable can be a negative thing.  I needed to try out a new niche.  Ultimately I figured that teaching and living in London would be a good opportunity for professional and personal growth.  Years from now I would look back on my "London days" with a smile, and reflect on how the experience shaped me into a more worldly, independent, and experienced person and teacher.  If I hadn't taken this chance, I would likely spend the rest of my life wondering what  it would have been like.

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"To Sir, With Love" is the title of a famous movie from the sixties that tells the story of an inexperienced African-American teacher who travels to London to teach a notorious class of delinquents.  The formula is familiar enough that I don't feel bad revealing an ending I'm sure you could easily predict yourselves: the teacher reforms the class and the school, and the students who at first mistreat him begin to see the error of their ways, and as a result they succeed in school and post-secondary life.  I don't know if I'll have a class of miscreants, or even if I'll have a teaching assignment that lasts longer than a week, but I do know that I will take this opportunity to strengthen my teaching muscles.  They say that if you can teach in London you can teach anywhere.

This whole blogging thing is a bit unfamiliar.  It's been awhile since the glory days of Killer Donkeys, but in time I will get the hang of it.  Stay tuned for updates on my accommodation, local watering holes, and teaching experiences! Oh, and my Skype name is tomhayward123. Add me, yo.

In a shameless display of copying Sean, here is my "end of post video."