Taunggyi

TAUNGGYI and the EDUCATION COLLEGE

I feel I've been lucky to be placed in Taunggyi Education College. The weather is cool, though it rains more than I expected: it seems the rainy season is never over here. The city is surrounded by mountains and it's very near the famous Inne Lake, which I havent visited yet. There is also a vineyard nearby, where a German guy started to grow Shiraz and Caubernet Sauvignon grapevine varieties about 10 years ago. I've been wine tasting and the quality is decent if we do not try to compare it with Spanish or French wines.

Myanmar people are very warm and the principal and all teacher educators have given us a great welcome. They've taken us to places to eat, to the market for shopping, on a pagoda tour and they are helping us to settle in our new environments in every possible way. The teacher educators are so eager to learn English, I can say I've never had such enthusiastic students. 

At this early stage, teaching is the best part of being here. Lea, my British Council colleague, and I get on well and have our own private accommodation, two separate bungalows. The only drawback is that they are being overprotective and we have not been enjoying much freedom so far. But we will get there eventually, the first step has been buying bikes, a motorbike for Lea and a bicycle for me. I'm not happy with my Chinese bike and I'm thinking of selling it and buying a Thai better quality one.