Hip, Hip, Hurray (1888) by Peter Severin Kroyer
With the Faculty Farewell Party coming up, I was thinking about how we, in the international teaching community, say our goodbyes to each other, and how fraught that experience is with truths and half-truths. It's like we don't have words in our vocabulary to talk about it. If we say the obvious, like, "Hey, see you at the next conference," that's a half-truth, because we really don't know if that's going to happen. Yes, there are some friends that you will go out of your way to see again and instances when you accidentally run into someone from your old school, and it's a wonderful surprise of added value. But for each of those encounters, there are 99 other ex-colleagues that you will never see again. We heartily promise to stay in touch electronically, but event that is likely to fade over time (Jon Stewart said it's not your FB "friends" who are going to help you move next weekend). And in most cases, it's not as if they're going to live one county over where we might see them in the market. But it seems intolerable to state the truth, which is more along the lines of possibly (probably) never seeing them again and just accepting that as the reality of international life. This is why what we say and what we do NOW is so important. So this rant is really about the importance of being in the moment and being authentic with that co-teacher you bonded with, that colleague you look up to, or the one who changed your mind. These thoughts and feelings ARE the pieces of formative feedback that make us all better, truer friends.
What's coming up:
May 5 Faculty Farewell Part at the Taj Coromandel, 7:00PM (this isn't a wellness activity, but it is a wellness activity)
May 18 in the BBT: Bareilly Ki Barfi, a romantic comedy; snacks. Adults only, please.
May 27 Palvakkam Beach: Back After Baby 5k; 6:30AM; contact Calley at ccalley
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