I was going to start this post with ‘I was saying to a friend earlier …’ Then I paused and realised the implications of what I was about to say. Here I am, on the other side of the World, with people I have known for 3 or 4 days, and yet I absolutely count them as friends and I am grateful for them. Today has been a day of shared conversation, shared experience, shared joy and of course, shared food! In fact that’s what I was going to say – as I was saying to a friend earlier, there is a real danger of this turning into a food blog!
It was kindly suggested that I start the day slightly later today, so in true English style I set off for a walk. I wished to deliver a gift to a school I visited yesterday, before retuning to my host school. It is amazing how quickly a place can feel like home, especially when your gracious hosts are so incredibly generous with their hospitality, welcome and friendship. Coming into school, turing on the office light and switching on the air con (a grateful provision – air con is to Singapore as to central heating is to the UK) feels like a home from home (or work from work!)! I have been so privileged to have a number of meetings with incredible people over the past view days and I have learned so much from each one. These friendships have then been built upon through kind and generous offers to incredible places. Yesterday it was Chinatown, today it was a wonderful restaurant for Dim-sun with SLT, before putting on a cocktail dress and heels for high tea at Raffles with one of my hosts and two other wonderful people. We have laughed and chatted, and I have learned so much from them. A visit to the Gardens at the Bay was a spectacular ending to another wonderful day.
As I start to think about my return I wonder what legacy this visit will leave. I’m sure I will return to this question, but for now it will suffice to say that alongside all the academic, pastoral and personal benefits this visit will surely bring, my life will be richer because of the friendships I have made.