Alan Reeve
In January 2009 I accepted a job with Ibri College of Technology, Ibri, Oman where I taught English as a foreign language to adults. Courses included General, Foundation, Business and Technical English. An overseas visit to Vienna in Austria made for a nice mini break.
Ibri, Oman
Oman, according to various government surveys, is categorized as a high-income economy and also ranks as the 73rd most peaceful country in the world. It suited my lifestyle choices of deep-sea fishing, camping out in the desert, BBQ’s, hiking in the hills and mountains and is very much an “outdoor” lifestyle. Unfortunately, growing old and living in the middle-eastern culture/environment was never really an option to seriously consider as it is far too restrictive in nature for me.
Dubai classic golf tournament
In January 2010 I would move to Dubai for a 6-month contract with Sharjah Women’s College, Dubai, UAE working as a Business Faculty Trainer, delivering courses which included Business and Information Technology. It also gave me a fantastic opportunity to watch the Dubai Desert Classic golf tournament and watch some “big names” including Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Colin Montgomerie and I was also lucky enough to catch up with Ernie Els and Wayne Westner again. Wonderful!
Dubai was very similar in many ways to Oman but once again the idea of growing old and being unable to even enjoy a glass of wine while watching the sunset because of the laws/culture just wasn’t a road I would want to go down.
Guangzhou, China
In August 2010 I was back in a management position with EF (Education First), Guangzhou, China as the Director of Studies, responsible for all aspects of the Centre Unit. Line-managed a team of 15 trainers, coordinated 3 other departments, teaching a total of 1,500 customers. I would stay in this job until June 2011.
In July 2011 I was approached by New Oriental Elite, Guangzhou, China to set up their language school and my duties included, Teacher Trainer/Management Consultant giving me responsibilities which included Management Consultancy and the development of the Academic Team. I trained a team of 45 teachers both locally and nationally and advised on all aspects of running private language schools. I would work for them until July 2012. I would take a trip to Cambodia in March 2012.
China – certainly a love/hate relationship and a huge culture shock. I studied Mandarin and Cantonese but even with that level of the language, I just could not see myself growing old in a completely non-English speaking environment plus the attitude of the Chinese to foreigners is even more racist than “Apartheid” ever was and that really is saying something.
After completing my contract in China, I returned to the UK to take another qualification, this time one for teaching kids and passed my ISE Certificate YL (Teaching English Language to Young Learners) at the Intensive School of English in Hove, UK.
Young Learners Extension Course, Brighton, England
Then I was off to the Spanish enclave Melilla in Morocco in Aug 2012 to work for the British Centre of Melilla, Spain as the Director of Studies. My responsibilities included managing 1000 students and 20 teachers and staff. I implemented 50 “Best Practice” processes and procedures on how to run a private language school effectively and efficiently. I would stay here until July 2013.
When you get into any discussion about the “White African” in Africa, have a think about the “Spanish enclave of Melilla” in Morocco and while you are at it throw Gibraltar into the mix. It is a fascinating debate, far too complex to discuss here but well-worth remembering that “people living in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones”.
Melilla, Spain
I hired a motorhome to travel around Spain in March 2013
Campervan trip around Spain
Very rarely did I ever return to a country to work again but one country I did return to, was Indonesia. I started working in September 2013 with The British Institute, Uniprep, UIC, Jakarta as an Academic English Trainer. I taught courses in EAP (English for Academic Purposes) and prepared Indonesian students to study for their chosen degrees abroad in either USA, UK, Europe or Australia. It was necessary to lengthen the course by 7 weeks to incorporate missing elements that students required to be ready and prepared to study abroad.
It was also necessary to overhaul the evaluation systems to make them less ambiguous and more transparent. I would stay in this job until July 2014.
Sky building, Jakarta, Indonesia
My 2nd post in Indonesia was 16 years apart and the country had not really changed significantly. However, when I compare how much that country had changed in 16 years to the difference in the change in Kenya after 26 years, there is no comparison. Indonesia was still functioning perfectly fine and continued even after 26 years, sadly Kenya was decimated. I can only conclude that it must be something in the different cultures.
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Countries travelled to in 2014 included Thailand, Cambodia and The Philippines and in August 2014 I started working with iLA Vietnam, Binh Duong, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam as the Academic Manager of their Binh Duong branch, my responsibilities included managing a new start up centre with an initial number of students (500) and teachers (8). I would work in Vietnam until July 2015 and this would be my last posting before my retirement.
White Beach, Philippines
Vietnam was a joy to work and live in, once again an “outdoor” lifestyle that suited me very much but I was faced with the same dilemmas in terms of language, health, culture and pension.
Vung Tao, Vietnam
After I finished my contract in Vietnam, I visited Laos and returned to the UK to complete the paperwork for my retirement in The Philippines.
I spent Christmas 2015 in the UK and sadly that would be the last time I would see my beloved Mother alive, she passed away in February 2016.
Myself, my Mother and my Sister, Hope-Under-Dinmore, England