The inner turmoil of a teacher.

June 6^th:

32 days and counting. (Spot the sad Maths geek)

The enormity of what is almost upon us is starting to hit home, especially now that people have taken to gleefully informing me that I will not cope with either the 40+ degree heat, or the Delhi belly… I have such kind and supportive friends and colleagues! I think it is all down to jealousy on their part, as they will be stuck in this country, in the rain, temperatures maybe nudging 15 degrees, watching Eastenders and endless repeats of the Queen’s Jubilee!

It has also hit me quite how much I still need to do, having just managed today to fill in my Visa Application – not too impressed with my photos as they make me look even more like I should be on Crimewatch. If I was organised/sad enough to be a list sort of person, I probably wouldn’t have been invited onto the trip, but somewhere in the back of my mind I know I need to

·         buy suitable clothing,

·         buy vast quantities of toilet roll and diet coke, (I plan to use most of my 30kg baggage allowance on these 2),

·         plan some lessons to leave behind at school, (not sure this one should be quite so high in the order)

·         sort out money

·         organise school equipment/work/gifts to take with us

·         buy some factor 50 – us Scots burn easily…..

The one thing I ain’t in need of is Immodium, after some of the aforementioned kind friends (?) decided to forego conventional presents for my recent birthday, and stock me up with more diarrhoea treatments than you can shake a stick at – maybe not the best analogy there, but….

I know that the next 32 days will fly by, and I am starting to look forward to what will undoubtedly be one of the biggest experiences I have had in a life which has, until now, been far too obsessed with football, music, diet coke and bad TV programmes. I know my eyes will be opened by what I will encounter and I am sure that even a cynical old git like me will manage to learn from these experiences.

Mr Dalgleish

Fraser Dalgleish is a Maths teacher at Richmond School, a very experienced trip leader who will be leaving his comfort zone this Summer as part of the Amala Team.