. . . to all those faithful readers who kept track of my silly posts and thus know that Sharida's 2008 was mostly the year of job switches.
A recap. Let's see, after about one and a half year I decided to call it quits at Dagblad De Pers and take up a post as a teacher at a secondary school in Almere to teach the Queen's English. Did that for barely four months. Yet due to all kinds of question marks (read: my own uncertainties such as will I manage to do this fulltime?) I let my doubts get the better of me.I went back to the employer that introduced me to journalism in the first place, the Dutch Muslim Broadcasting Corporation.
That's where I am now, physically that is, for mentally I never actually left those 240 lovelies a.k.a. students. They gave me the time of my life and eventually made me realise where my true calling lies. I owe them so much!
And let's not forget about my teacher colleagues at the English department, the ones who patiently put up with my love for the ultimate classic Clarks desert boots created in 1950 by Nathan Clark who got the idea from crepe-soled, rough suede boots which officers in the Eighth Army were in the habit of getting made in the Bazaar at Cairo.
Those very colleagues allowed me to go on about Paddington Bear, especially the gorgeous illustrations by R.W. Alley with Paddington wearing his famous blue duffle coat. A British institution if ever you saw one, as are the classic whodunnits such as Poirots, Inspector Morse, The Saint, Sherlock Holmes, Midsomer Murders, Miss Marple, Inspector Lynley, Silent Witness and so on and so forth.Who knows what 2009 has in store for me, but if I might make a wild guess - pause whilst I locate my mug of steaming cocoa - my final destination could very well be related to - drum roll please - Teaching, perhaps even in combination with a touch of journalism. For all I know, India might also be in the cards for me...
2009 will also be the moment of truth for many of my A-level students who will have to take their final exams this year before embarking on new paths of education. You will succeed, my dears. You will. God speed.
P.S.
Who knows, with a bit of luck we shall be spending some last quality time in London right after your exams.
Picture credit: Nelson Figueredo
