Alan Reeve
In 2004 I returned to the UK for my graduation ceremony and to attend my sister’s 2nd marriage. I also returned to Kenya for the first time in 26 years.
My Sister Amanda’s wedding to David, England
Every country goes through change and one always hopes for change for the better, however, “my Kenya” had changed beyond recognition and certainly had changed for the worse, tears filled my eyes again as I looked at the squaller around me and a crime ridden country. This was certainly nothing to do with “colonialism” and everything to do with “corruption, incompetence, mismanagement and political greed” All that massive investment aid money given over the last 26 years disappearing into Swiss bank accounts and no one being held accountable. The international community now just sits back and watches as China (the new colonial rulers) plunders Africa’s resources and drives those African countries into deeper poverty. What a terrible shame !
Governor’s Camp, Maasai, Mara, Kenya
My travelling in 2004 took me back to Australia, this time to drive along the great ocean road from Adelaide to Melbourne, other trips included Singapore, Bulgaria, Seychelles and France.
Sydney, Australia
Countries visited in 2005 included an Alaskan cruise, the inside passage, (Canada, Alaska), Iceland, back to Singapore and Australia, this time to have a look at Tasmania and back to the Seychelles and France.
Calgary, Canada
I finished my contract with ExxonMobil in March 2005, there really was nothing on offer for a long-term future in Equatorial Guinea, living, working or retiring in African countries is riddled with a whole list of problems. It was time to establish my own company called Everage (an anagram of A G Reeve) Profits Ltd and I also needed to take care of my mother who had to undergo heart surgery.
Everage Profits offered one-year bonds at an interest rate of 2% above whichever was the highest rates of the Federal Reserve rate in USA, Bank of England or the European Central Bank. I would trade those funds for a year in the financial markets and then offer my customers to reinvest or cash out at the agreed percentage rate. I would run this business for 10 years until 2015 when I retired.
In 2006 I moved to Gibraltar to get some more exposure to trading the financial markets through different platforms. Another trip to Australia followed that year and into January 2007.
Georgetown, Penang
Back on the TEFLer trail again in 2007, with a stop-over in Dubai en-route to taking up a new position in Penang, Malaysia in June 2007 with the British Council as their Business Courses Manager, carrying the responsibility for all aspects of the Business and Professional Development Unit in the Centre and line-managing a team of 5 trainers. I would stay in this post until Dec 2008. This year I would end up in hospital with high cholesterol and a urinary tract infection. I was looked after very well and the health service in Penang offered some of the best medical facilities and health care anywhere, I have ever experienced, in the world.
I spent the whole of 2008 in Malaysia and this is probably the first year that I did not travel to any other country.
I looked very carefully at the retirement package offered in Malaysia as much of my criteria was satisfied. Unfortunately, Malaysia was not on the “list of 22 countries” and the package required 2nd home purchases which did not suit me, so time to move on.
Penang, Malaysia
