Thursday, July 26, 2007

JET

Saying goodbye to your children is a hard thing to do. Have done it several times now - university, world tour, leaving home for good - but the latest one is for a bit longer than most. Universities have terms. Living away from home has visits back if the new home is in England.

Said goodbye to Jon (feel a temptation to retun to 'ickle 'onny language for some strange reason even though he is 25 and growed up) this morning as he and Carys prepare to spend the next one to three years in Soka City, Japan as English teachers.

This time he has had to buy a suit. That's serious. We had a nice late evening last night in the Old Barn, Wraxall (Where's this pub been all my life? I'd bring my friends here) and on Saturday, via Exeter and Gerrard's Cross, they long-haul into the future.

We have the internet. He'll probably call and sound like he's in the next room. And he may be back at Christmas. Still tough though.

9 comments:

Kathryn said...

Ouch. Given the fuss I made about my first born disappearing for 3 months, I can only offer sympathy (and gin if it would help)

Ali said...

The spreading of wings ... I dread it.

:-s

On the other hand, I have a friend who has recently returned home after several (it wouldn't be prudent to stipulate just how many in this post)years teaching English in Japan and it certainly was a life-changing and very worthwhile experience.

I'm sure even his mum came round to that way of thinking after a time ;-)

Anonymous said...

So, it takes till 25. No wonder ours are still here, coming back and bringing more with them. Oh, and it's been there all the time Steve, and good in the summer. The Farmhouse is a tad closer to walk home from...

Steve Tilley said...

Sorry. Bad grammar. The quote in parenthesis was from Jon.

Steve Tilley said...

What's summer?

Anonymous said...

Cast your mind back to this time last year... or April. Or perhaps it's now going to be in alternate years, when the monsoon doean't appear.

Anonymous said...

Now that we have the smoking ban we can go there in winter and on cold or rainy days too.
Hated smoky pubs so didn't go very often.
We've been amazed how quickly the smoke smell seems to have left pubs.
Pauline

Steve Tilley said...

Yeah. Now the Old Barn smells of er, old barn.

Mike Peatman said...

Give 'em my good wishes, next time you are in touch