What is your zombie plan?

So the rest of term? Humdrum sums it up nicely. Just the same ol grinding away at the wheel trying to get the boys to learn in the face of gross indifference and arrogance. As someone once said, its a hard knock life. However I am currently greatly enjoying one of the perks of being a teacher. You guessed it, holidays! I am in Malta until Sunday and have spent my time here walking around old cities, drinking more than is sensible, scuba diving, and basically enjoying being away from teenage boys. Oh and B-T-Dub, all-inclusive is key. I spent the extra I had to pay for it in my first 2 nights drinking. Nothing like being able to eat or drink whenever you want.

So day-by-day you want huh? Ok, day one, Saturday, got up at 3am, caught the train, then plane and got here around 11am. Arrived at the hotel then went for a wander around Qawra, Buggiba and St Paul's Bay, the 3 linked towns where I am based. Saw some towers, visited some shops, realised I was not in the youngins part of Malta. Surrounded by aging Britons who do nothing but laze by the pool and get sunburnt, just like in the tv shows. Went to a few pubs but didn't see many people and didn't stay out too late.

Sunday I met the Chevron Holidays rep and organised some tours, got the name of a dive company. Then I caught the bus to Valletta (0.54 Euro!) and saw the firing of the cannon, the walled city, fort St Elmo, and the Malta experience, which goes over the history of Malta. Then I came back to Qawra and this is where the trouble began. Dropped into the hotel bar (All-inclusive remember) and sunk a few or a few too many whiskies. Then I went to the head of Tourists street and followed it towards my hotel drinking in every bar I came across. I remember meeting some young Britons on holiday, then blank, then the zombies attacked.

Now this part could be delusions as I had just finished reading World War Z, a book about the zombie apocalypse. But I clearly remember barking at a dog (go figure), being on a rooftop, climbing walls and dealing with barbed wire. I assume I tried to take a shortcut as there are many streets here that go in the direction you want and then stop. So me in my wisdom thought, fuck that, I'm going over. My jeans, shoes, and body attest to the difficulties I had. I had to repair a rip in my jeans, there are sandstone scuffmarks on my clothes, and I have a gash on my leg from barbed wire and grazes reminiscent of wall-climbing. Needless to say, I awoke in the hotel room with fuzzy memories. Monday I visited the dive shop to tee up some scuba, then did some souvenir shopping. didn't go out this night, wonder why?

Tuesday was my first day diving, and who should I meet? Another bloody Kiwi. Not only that, but she was also a teacher living in London on holiday in Malta to do some diving over the break. I don't know the odds of that but they cant be high. That first day we went to Cirkewwa reef, a nice sheltered bay on the West coast. Saw some fish, got my bearings and saw a statue of Madonna underwater.Got in 2 dives here and visibility for both was excellent.

Wednesday we went to Valletta and dived on 2 wrecks in the harbour, the X131 (Carolita) and the HMS Maori. The Maori was a tribal class destroyer sunk during WW2 and the gun bases are still visible, along with part of the superstructure. The wreck lies in around 6 metres of water. The X131 was a lighter (barge type boat) from WW1 and is at a slope from 5 to 22 metres. Not much to see as she has a pretty clean deck.

Thursday I went on a tour of Gozo. Saw the citadel and walled city, took a boat ride to the blue grotto and saw the prehistoric temple at Ggantija. The temple was impressive considering it is older than Stonehenge (3600-3000 BC), has pretty large liths and has weathered pretty well. Gozo is a very nice island and much greener than Malta.

Friday was my last day diving. First we went back to Cirkewwa where I bimbled around behind a lesson and really depth-tested my camera. 19 metres, well exceeding the stated 10 metre limit. Although to be fair it did stop working and only resumed functioning when I came higher. Next we went to Popeye village and did a cave dive. Kind of spooky to be swimming around in the dark and all enclosed, Guess it would be worse without scuba though.

Saturday I took a tour of Malta itself. We went to the old capital of Mdina. This is another walled city and has some interesting history and architecture. Then we went to the craft villages and saw glass-blowers and filigree workers. Glass blowing is damn impressive. I watched a guy make a horse out of glass by pulling on it with pliers and turning it. After this we went to the South coast for lunch and then visited Mosta dome, the 3rd largest unsupported dome in the world. For such a tiny country there sure is a lot to see here, would of liked to have had more time but never mind aye. Spent Sunday at the movies as I had to check-out at 11am and didn't fly out to 2125 and being Easter Sunday, most places were shut. The flight back was relatively uneventful, getting back home at 2am.

So reflections on my trip. Malta is a really interesting country with friendly people. If you are going for the nightlife then head for St Julian's, thats were the young people hang out. Did my diving with Aquatica in St Paul's Bay. An excellent company with good knowledge of the dive sites and a relaxed way. Bella Vista hotel Qawra was nice, well stocked bar, decent and plentiful meals and in a quiet but handy location. Chevron air holidays handled my flights and accommodation and offered good advice on attractions. Overall had a great time and would definitely recommend Malta.

Oderint Dum Metuant

Inconsistency, thy name is Peter. Seems as though life is starting to slow down, or at least the eventfulness that has been my life is easing off. Where were we last? Oh right, Second day back at work after the holidays and some fucktard decides it would be a good idea to set the school on fire. After the evacuation it comes out that the fire alarms in the school are faulty so Wednesday was plagued with fire drills and then at the end of the day we were all told the school would be closed for the rest of the week. Didn't help they told the students this at the start of 6th period, made teaching even harder. Turned out to be quite convenient as I had a friend coming to visit so we had more time together.

Apart from that first week the rest of the term has been pretty standard. Going through the usual routine of work, gym, eat, tv, sleep, with a night or two on the town thrown in. I will have to make up for this lack of excitement and adventure during break. At the moment I am looking into diving in Cyprus or Turkey, supposed to be lots of wrecks and ruins in the sea there. I did go to see Watchmen last weekend. It was pretty darn good with lots of healthy violence and a nice cynical view of the world. I am definitely not the film aficionado I once was however.

I also just finished reading the Starship Troopers novel by Robert A Heinlein for the second time. For a novel 50 years old it has some pretty innovative ideas. It also echoes a lot of truth on how the infantry roll. The ideals of Honour, Duty, Courage from the novel, The Octus Canon from Gears of War, 3CI from the NZDF, the knights code of old, the way of the Spartans. Seems the way of soldiers haven't changed in millenia. Why? because they work, and as the saying goes, if it ain't broke...

Home for a rest, again

Hmm, been a while hasn't it. Well lets see. The last few weeks of term were tolerable but not easy. Particularly with all the snow. Still, got a few days off out of it. The boys seem to think like the rest of Britain, a little snow and the world grinds to a halt. Funny how that works. However I managed to survive the first term.

To reward myself, I took a trip to Zakopane, Poland, for a week of skiing and drinking. Was a fantastic trip. I spent the week learning to ski with a bunch of Aussies on various ski-fields. Managed to go from a beginner to a competent skier who can handle red slopes. Of course I had a few spills learning but thats part of the fun. Also won 3 out of the 4 races I took part in. I Also got in some snowmobiling which was awesome. Did it right on dusk so the second half of my ride was in darkness. Kind of thrilling to think you are out in the wilderness somewhere reliant on a machine, a machine that very easily gets bogged down in deep snow. It can be difficult righting the machine and no one is coming to help you.

The town itself was very interesting. Very few signs in English and the money is worth a fifth of a pound. Food was very cheap, home-made pizza for around 4 pound. Local beer for 1.20 pound. The main street was filled with little stalls selling bread, woolen clothes and gimmicky toys, and there were sideshow type games at the main junctions. What was really out of place was the giant billboards and video screens in the centre of town with horse drawn sleighs going past. The town had just had a week of snow when I turned up and everything was buried in over a foot of it.

Of course, the other part of my trip, the drinking. The first night there was Valentines night and I have vague memories of vodka, a dance club, 4 Polish girls, being lost, falling over in the snow and having to get a cab back to my chalet. I was woken up the next morning by a knock on the door and 5 mins to get ready. Managed it of course, military training is good for something aye. Sunday night I didn't go out so I was able to enjoy the excellent breakfast the chalet put on. Went out again on the Monday night, had to go to a different club, don't think much happened this night as I didn't get lost and I was welcome at the club the next time I went. But of course I once again slept in the next day, still managed to grab breakfast and be ready before the bus though. The rest of the drinking was relatively uneventful apart from some more falling in snow (those snow drifts get deep!), and slight lostness.

Now I am back in St Albans enjoying a quiet weekend before I have to go back to school. Just another 6 weeks to go before my next break. Maybe I will go to Egypt diving this time, or paragliding in the Pyrenees, I don't know, I haven't decided yet. Its going to shape up to be a pretty good break though.

Everything in life is only for now

Avenue Q. A very hilarious and worthwhile show. Basically think sesame st but with rude characters in their 20s. Although next time I will go for a seat that is not in the balconies. Also finding somewhere to stay before arriving in London is also a good idea. Would have saved me an hour of walking around London at midnight looking for accommodation. My weekend in London was pretty fun though. Saw the Imperial War Museum (took 3 hours) then walked along the Thames seeing the sights, as my photos will attest. Saturday night I went to a comedy night at a pub which was great fun, some very good talent.

My week so far has been pretty standard. The boys are hard work and my planning for lessons is limited, but I am managing. Also have moved into my new apartment. Its a real bachelor pad tastefully decorated in grey, black and cream with a huge tv, couch, and not much else. When I moved in the fridge was full with beer and nothing else. My flatmate is pretty cool too. He is Scottish and works in London so I don't see too much of him. As for me, tonight I am watching said huge tv and having a few drinks to brace me against the cold for when I venture out into St Albans town tonight.Should be fun, wish me luck.

Updating------------ update complete

I could not put it off any longer. After all these casual years, I have finally suited up. The school is starting a process of change and I decided it would be a good time for me to do the same. New country, new job, new Pete. Pete V3.0 has been effective these last 6 years or so, lets see how Pete V4.0 deals with the new challenges and adventures to be found over here.

The second week of school was grueling to say the least. I discovered at the moment I have 16 classes containing around 400 students. I do not know how the boys expect me to learn their names when they keep forgetting mine. So far I have had sir, mr sir, mr cahill, mr cardle and mr guns. A problem I am noticing is that the boys like me, probably due to being in the army. However the boys liking me does not mean they are any easier to control. They are a little scared of me as they think I can kill them with one hit, and rightly so. This can be funny, one boy accidentally hit me with a bit of paper and basically ran for his life, he could not have been more apologetic. Hopefully the new school policies and the new me will make it easier to control and teach the lads.

I have very nearly got myself a flat, a very nice apartment a quarter mile from the school. Huge tv, cable, wireless broadband and a cleaner, all for 150 pound a week. A bit more than I wanted to spend but I the pad is worth it. Supposed to be moving in next weekend, it will be good to have a place I can call my own finally. Hopefully my pay goes through on monday so I can afford it.

I still have not been out on the town here on a friday or saturday night, not really something you can do when living at someone else's place with small children. I have however been visiting a Irish pub every week or so and discovered I quite enjoy Magners Irish cider. Really do need to broaden my beer palette though, something to work on. Thinking of maybe going to London next weekend or the one after. maybe actually see the sights and take photos this time. Hoping to see the show, Avenue Q. If you have not heard of this it is basically Sesame Street with adult themes, sounds like a lot of fun.

I arrived in december and London was cold,

I stayed in the bars along Charing Cross Rd. Well, Borough High Street actually. But I am getting ahead of myself. My leaving party did not really go off so Steve, Richie and myself got a hotel room in New Plymouth and dealt to a good amount of beer. We got some strange looks bringing a chilly bin into the flash hotel we were at. Had a great night which was a good send off from NZ.

My journey to London began with a day spent in Auckland, a day in Sydney catching up with Bob and seeing the sights, a night in Bangkok worrying about the shuttle, then a two hour transfer in Bahrain. Of the airlines I flew with, British airways came out on top. When I asked what they had to drink the response was -Everything-. Before we left Bahrain Gulf air had two air hostesses walk through the plane with fumigators. Always a good start. I arrived in London half an hour early so had extra time to get through customs. I arrived at the hostel at 2300 New Years eve and was at the bar by 2330. Double shots and red bull helped me get into the spirit of the season. I ended up watching the London Eye fireworks on the tv in the bar, much better then standing in the cold by the river. Had a great night, even though I do not remember much, ended up lost in London and did not get back to the hostel until noon.

New Years day I woke up to darkness. This put me in a spin until I realised it was only 4 in the afternoon and it gets dark early here. I met some Finns and ended up going to Ministry of Sound with them to see David Guetta. Cost 30 pounds to get in but the music was great and the girls pretty. I ended up taking the train to St Albans on the sunday and stayed in a hotel near the school I now work at.

I woke up on the monday to a frigid day with snow on the ground. Snow! I arrived at school early and waited around until someone figured out what to do with me. Turned out the heating in the science labs had been turned off so the whole department was frozen. Verulam school is much different to Waitara. I not only have twelve classes that are made up of 300 odd students, they behave worse than the kids at Waitara. But, I have survived a week and the longer I am there the easier it should get, in theory anyway.

Differences I have noticed so far between NZ and Britain? The cold to start with. Better music, Larger loaves on bread, the chocolate milk tastes weird, burgers seem to be bigger, servos do not have pis or pie warmers, they still have 1, 2 and 5 cent coins, paper money and no option for pin on credit card. Broadband runs at 50mb, and supermarkets have huge selections of ready to go food. All in all it is similar to home but with enough differences to make it interesting. Now I am going to go and enjoy my weekend before I have to go back to work.

Week 19 – How it ends

What a boring week, all we did was continue to clean and pack our gear in preparation for going home. Oh, and welcome the new guys. They certainly are a mixed bag this lot, come from all over the place. Good luck to them I say, they have a hard reputation to live up to. The week concluded with the end of tour function which started at the high commissioners place. The lone thought in all our minds was ‘Oh my god, beer! This is awesome!’ That was until we tasted the local beer know as Solbrew or as we quickly came to call it, cat’s piss. The canned stuff tasted slightly better than the bottled, I can’t remember, either way, it was still pretty shit. After an hour of two drinking here we were taken back to base by a very grumpy bus driver (Aussie, what a surprise) were we had an hour of drying off before we were allowed back at the bar. The bar involved me and Pinnie somehow defeated some Aussies in pool even though we were rather toasted and continued drinking. However I was disappointed in the lads as I had smuggled booze to the room to continue drinking after curfew but they all piked. Ending up being me and one other drinking in the dark, not so much fun. So all the remaining booze I gave to Solly, our good friend from the Solomon’s police force.

Sunday saw a few hangovers for our final goodbyes and the plane ride home. Got a ride in a jet this time, and with ample room, 3 seats between 2 troopies, lovely. I got a bit of sleep and before you knew it (bout 4 hours) we were coming in to land at Ohakea. First thing I did? McDonalds of course. Nowhere near as good as I had built it up to be. That and an hour later I was regretting it as my stomach was no longer used to processed food. After a decent sleep and my first real sleep-in in a long time I was feeling much more human. In summary, it was a great trip. I become close friends with some great people, I saved a heap of coin, I got some great experiences and I helped make in difference in some peoples’ lives. In saying that, I would not go back to the Solomon Islands with the army. Don’t get me wrong, the place and the people are great, but having to work under the police and Australians? Not worth it.

I am definitely glad to be home also, being able to go outside and not immediately breaking into a sweat, not being told what to do all the time, being able to do things on your own. Some things have taken a bit of getting used to. Not having my weapon with me 24/7, not having my section by my side, not having to scan and patrol when out and about. In the 3 or so weeks I have been back I have more than made up for the 4 months without drinking on deployment, gotten into some mischief that is memorable and some I simply can not remember, and basically had a great time being home. To anyone thinking about joining the Territorial or even those not, Now is a great time to enlist, not only do you get primo kit, you can be deployed within a year of joining if you are good enough. Not to mention the skills, adventures and friends you make by being in the green machine. I’m doing my part! Are you? (Service guarantees citizenship* (* not valid in this reality)).

Now it is nearly time for my next great adventure to begin. At the very twilight of 2008 I am moving to London to return to my original career as a science teacher. Luckily everything has worked out (so far, touch wood) with my visa approved, job secured, etc. All that remains now is for me to arrive in London and find somewhere to live and then the next chapter in “It seemed like a good idea at the time: A Peter Cadle Story” can begin. I am looking forward to it.