My knee :-)

Well, originally, I had hoped to be back at work by today - but things didn't work out the way that I'd hoped, and that is one of the facts of life ;-) They usually don't :-)
What I thought was a simple meniscus problem, turned out to be a more complicated affair of 2nd to 3rd degree arthritis on my left knee. Some bone shaving was done, 3 small holes drilled into the bone to encourage the growth of a cartilage (which was no longer there...and in fact, had not been when we were hiking up & down 2,400 metre mountains in the High Tatras!!)...all this done with the wonders of keyhole surgery - amazing!
However, the main complication for me has been not being able to put my full weight on my left leg for 4 weeks (which finishes this coming weekend!), and the subsequent swelling. I've been doing physiotherapy for just over a week now, and it feels great to be a bit more mobile...but a shopping trip around Kaufland with my wife yesterday, scrunched up over a shopping trolley like a pensioner, followed by a knee that inflated like a balloon, only served to confirm that my recovering is a slow process.
Indeed, I've recently met 2 friends who had similar operations...and both were off work for 3 months!! :-O I know my health comes first, but we've already booked tickets to see my Mom in England over the Christmas period...and I need to be fitter than I am now.
It has been a frustrating experience - a bit like watching grass grow, only I want this particular thing to shrink!! :-) I exercise, then I use ice-blocks & also a priessnitz (named after this guy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincenz_Priessnitz )

I've had some visitors, including some from the English Club, which was great fun...and made me miss my job even more :-( I know some people think I'm crazy, but I really can't wait to get back...but I also know that healing can take time - and in the end, I will choose wisely...I hope...as to when I come back.
At the moment, I will certainly be off for 2 more weeks (in case you were wondering)...then I will see the doctor at the end of the 2nd week at the physio & make my decision.
I'm very thankful to Jindra Blaha & Lenka Valarikova who have covered my hours for me...but it will be over for them after this week...from then on, it will be good old 'spojeno' until I return... :-)

However...!!! I am planning to be at the Open Day this Saturday, sometime between 9:15 and 11:30, I guess...and I hope to catch up with some staff & students & get copious cups of tea!! (and maybe even some biscuits or chocolate... ;-))

Enforced sick leave makes you reflect...and I appreciate the simple things in life...just being able to walk - wow, I can't wait for that feeling! To get out in the countryside, without crutches - wow!! Even to go shopping, to be able to help my wife clean...there's a lot to look forward to ;-)

Remembering the days of the old school yard - part 3 - teachers and subjects

I decided to put these two together as it makes more sense ;-) Here are my subjects, in no particular order, with comments on the teachers too :-)
But before I do, just a memory about one of the Headmasters, Mr Blackhall. He was a strict disciplinarian, and never tolerated students running down corridors for any reason. You would know you were in trouble when he shouted, 'You, boy!' The problem was, everyone would stop and look at him...and he had a glass eye ;-) So, you had to be sure which one was the glass eye...if you were not sure...well, you could own up for something you never did. :-)

English Language & Literature:
Perhaps this was my favourite subject. I loved writing, and very soon began to love reading - and indeed, both of these activities have followed me deep into adulthood. I never really developed writing fiction - I always preferred to relate a good, true story. I won a competition and got a book as a prize. It was called 'Panther', a story about a panther being hunted in Africa. The book that really got me started, but moreso as a film, was 'Kes'.

I loved the story...and perhaps that was where I (deep down) first became interested in birding ;-) My main teacher was Mrs Barnett - a lovely older lady, and wife of the headmaster (who was much stricter). She always encouraged me with her comments on my work. But I also remember Mr Clarke - he was only covering for a short time, but he made a great impact on me - he was one of the few teachers who talked about life, about the problems of growing up, the expectations...not exactly Mr Keating from Dead Poet's Society, but he made me think.

I passed both exams easily for my O-Levels :-)

Mathematics:

This was a horror for me! From the time of my first maths homework, it was then a downhill slide until the bitter end... I think the teacher was Mr Baxter - but it's just a blur. I had a chance to give up maths (or do it at an easier CSE level) when I was 14, but such was the belief at that time (and sadly, even in these days!) that a good job wasn't possible without Maths, that I kept it...and failed miserably. However, long after those nightmare days, I can still count, calculate and play decent chess (which some people say a love of Maths helps...not in my case! :P ). 

Interestingly enough - I recently met an ex-student of SGO, and he told me that one of the 'top' Maths teachers told him that 'he would never amount to anything in Mathematics!' And now? He has a great job in the Finance Dept of IBM :-) I think I've made my point...

This was my only failure in my O-Levels. I got a 'U' - which meant 'unqualified'. My mark was so bad that it didn't even register a grade :-)

Geography:

I enjoyed this subject a lot! This was where my desire for travelling started to grow (though I've only ever been around Europe! :-)). Learning about other countries & cultures fascinated me, and I especially loved the field trips where we would go and visit some interesting places such as Lulworth Cove & Durdle Door, or the Blue John Mines in Derbyshire. 

However, in those days I used to get travel sick on longer coach journeys and was sick on the same friend (Dave Hughes) two times! Which is why he never sat next to me again :-)

Our teacher was Mr Green - I don't remember much about him, but he was ok. He liked to teach, I think, and could keep the subject interesting.

I passed this one for my O-Level :-)

History:

At that time, History used to bore me. I didn't have a memory for dates and just couldn't get excited about 'a lot of old stuff' - it was like sifting through granny's old relics each week ;-) Our teacher was Mrs Henry - she seemed to fancy herself a lot & liked to sit on the desk & show her legs off, but she was not my type ;-) The funny thing is, later on I began to grow really interested in the subject, especially in the 2nd World War, perhaps because of moving to Czech Republic. 

I dropped this subject, quite happily :-)

Biology:

I never really excelled in the sciences, though with more kind, supportive & interesting teachers, it might have been very different. Biology proved to be harder for me to master, and I dropped down to the CSE level at 14. However, I am thankful to Mr Harper, for it was this teacher who realised I had a problem with my eyesight :-) I used to sit at the back of the class (which of course, is where students sit when they are either afraid of or bored with the subject ;-)), and he commented that the standard of my work was becoming poorer - indeed, I was now no better than the guy I sat next to (which was bad!). He guessed it was my eyesight (something I was slow to admit at that time - pride, I guess...or fear of wearing glasses, more likely!), and suggested that I move to the front of the class. I knew I had problems when I couldn't even see what he was writing on the blackboard :-)!!

I passed this at CSE comfortably ;-)

Chemistry:
Similar to biology, though I have absolutely no idea who my teacher was! I used to love explosive experiments, and making stink bombs to throw at the girls, or to put in their bags...or to burn holes with hydrochloric acid in someone's jacket... ;-) Again, it was hard for me, and so I dropped to CSE.

And I passed it too, at CSE.

Woodwork:
I really used to enjoy this subject, and I perhaps regret that I didn't do anything about it after I left school :-( I seemed to have a knack for it, though I was never exceptional. When I was first looking for a job, I did try to become an apprentice for making cricket bats...but it came to nothing. Mr Westwood was strict, but fair, and a man's man of a teacher. In those days, the young men did woodwork and metalwork, and the young girls did cookery and needlework, although they did start to break the mould just after I left. I made myself a bookshelf and some other things. Now...I can barely hammer a nail in straight...my knack has long since deserted me...though when we are at the cottage, sometimes I sense the old craftsman stirring deep within...!!

I passed this at O-Level and was really pleased with this one! It was a tough exam (combined with technical drawing - we had to design something, and then make it), and I was very proud of my success :-)

Technical Drawing:
I used to enjoy this too, which on reflection, surprises me. I don't seem such a technical type now - but at that time I had the ability to plan & create something. Combined with my love for woodwork, it made a happy marriage of subjects :-)
The teacher, Mr Parker, used to worry me though. On the whole he was a pleasant guy, but he was also subject to mood swings...and there was a sign to watch for... He used to have the habit of chewing on his knuckles if he was nervous...and so, coming into the class a few sharp-eyed lads would look at the knuckles and pass the word around. If the skin was healing, it would be ok...but if the knuckles were red-raw...watch out!

As noted with Woodwork, I passed this subject :-)

Metalwork:

In contrast to Woodwork, I hated this subject - mainly because of the teacher, and thus couldn't wait to drop it when I was 14! Mr Caddy (I think it was) was one of the school deputies and a fearsome man - a sort of Brain Blessed Shouts-a-lot type of teacher...and with an angry mood at times. His mood, combined with sharp metal instruments, and fiery blow torches made for an unhappy time for me. 

I dropped it at 14, and never looked back :-)

Music:

I have vague memories of some music lessons...but really cannot remember if they are from Primary School or Comprehensive School :-) All I know is that I was never musically gifted, could never play an instrument (though I tried recorder)...and somewhere along the line, I lost the music within me ;-) 

However, this did not deter from my interest in music...and indeed, my wife tells me that if I'd been encouraged at key times in my life, I may have developed my singing voice more. And you know, I always wanted to play the piano...and I'm convinced that in the new heaven & Earth (that I believe will come) I will finally learn how to play Greig's piano concerto in A Minor :-) 

This subject disappeared without trace...

Art:

When I was at Primary School, I actually had a talent for drawing :-) My proudest moment was having my large charcoal drawing of a stag hanging up in the hallway outside the Art class (thank you, Mr White :-)).

However, at the Comp...Art fell by the wayside somewhere, and I have no recollection of what happened to it :-)

Physics:
This is the one science subject that, on reflection, I could have improved at. However, the teacher, Mr Warren, used to terrify me!! It didn't take a lot to upset him, he seldom gave out any encouragement, and I was happy to ditch this subject at 14...
However, once I'd made my choice & gone for Chemistry & Biology, and discovered that I'd come 2nd in a big test...well, it was too late. Who knows? With a different teacher...well, I 'll never know ;-)

I kissed goodbye to this as 14 :-)

French:
I used to really enjoy French. I'm not sure if there was another language on offer...but I was always attracted to French. I tried so hard at it. My teacher, Mr Pritchard, tried his hardest to encourage me...but he was the one teacher who spoke to me personally and suggested that I drop down to CSE level :-( It was a great disappointment to me at the time, but he was right. I wasn't good enough...then.
I'm sure he'd have been proud when about 4-5 years later, someone told me as I travelled around France, that I 'spoke French like a Belgian' :-) Not sure if that was a compliment or not, but I learnt that spending time in another country is the best way to learn the language - and that's what I teach my students now ;-)
These days, my wife is learning French, and I'm amazed that I can still remember a lot of vocabulary...however, when I try to speak French now, it isn't long before I lapse into Czech :-) The problem of age, I guess :-)

Religious Education:
In those days, I considered myself an atheist and my family had no religious dealings...and so this lesson was (then) pretty much a waste of time for me...but Mr Cowmeadow had the ability to put the fear of God into anyone :-) A frightening man to have handled such a sensitive topic...!!

Physical Exercise:
I was not a sportsman, though my enthusiasm made up for my lack of talent ;-) When I was in my early teens, I actually enjoyed cross-country running in the lessons. It seemed the longer the distance, the better I did. I even managed to come 3rd in an 800 metres race...just being edged out of 2nd place by my good friend, Stephen Eley.

But that was the end of my 'wonder years'. I began to fill out, put on more weight...and a few years later, before my final exams, could barely finish the 800 metres at a crawl. Quite simply, I was not motivated.
I was not an athlete. I couldn't throw anything, couldn't jump long or high, couldn't run fast enough to get the ball. And when I had to wear glasses...well, that was the end of rugby...!! Nothing is worse than having bad eyesight, and being thrown an oval-shaped ball with a pack of blurred figures surging towards you...
With my mates, outside of school, I did ok at football and cricket, and that was enough for me...for us. We enjoyed it, and that was the important thing.
Mr Kennedy was one of the teachers, and he was another strict one. A tough nut.
But one of my favourite memories of PE was always walking into the sports hall and finding it set out for a game of 'Pirates' :-) Pirates was GREAT fun! All of the high tables, chairs, ropes, rope ladders, swings etc were spaced around the hall...the idea being that certain students were chosen as pirates, and their job was to run around and tag those who were not pirates. If you were tagged, you were out...and if you, or the pirate touched the floor, you were also out :-) A lesson of madness & excitement, and that one I did enjoy! :-)

Remembering the days of the old school yard - part 2 - what kind of student was I like?

My name seemed to amuse some teachers. "Everill...are you ever ill?" was a favourite of one teacher, I think Mr Egginton. I had the name 'Clive' because my mother was impressed by the character in British history, Sir Clive of India (Robert Clive - Clive was, at that time, a surname, but became a popular choice for first name because of this man ;-) ). I never did meet many 'Clives' - always seemed a bit 'posh' to me...too posh for a guy living on a rough housing estate! :-)

If I focus on my time at Castle Vale Comprehensive School (from 11-16), then perhaps the word that seemed to encapsulate what kind of student I was was 'conscientious' - according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, it means:
"very careful about doing what you are supposed to do : concerned with doing something correctly"

This word figured prominently in my end-of-term school reports. I was conscientious about many subjects, so it seemed. (I shall have to find out if my mother has one of my old school reports...that would be cool!) However, it was NOT the word that I wanted - 'clever', 'highly intelligent', 'original', or even 'outstanding' would have been good. But to me, conscientious made me seem like 'middle-of-the-road'. A young man who didn't take risks, who was concerned about not being wrong...too careful. Actually, on reflection, I guess my teachers saw something in me that was very true - though it was a label that I had to fight to get rid of, hence some of my later choices...like finishing school when I was 16... ;-)

I was hard-working, but not spectacular. I didn't like to cheat...in fact, I don't recall cheating at all. This was mainly due to the fact that I wasn't a good liar. If a teacher asked me a question, and I even thought about lying, then my ears would begin to go a strong beetroot colour, and this would spread across the rest of my face! I was also painfully shy at that age, so talking in class was something that I did not often do ;-) 

Even at that age, I had a sweet tooth, which I carried into my adulthood. Indeed, all of my teeth (what's left of them) are rather sweet! I was well-known among my friends for always having 'a bag of rocks' (a bag of boiled, sucky sweets). If they fancied something sweet, they knew where to come. 

I was punctual, always on time, never wanting to be late. I never played truant, or jumped school...except for one time... ;-) Just before the final exams, only a couple of days remained, and they involved some 'unnecessary' lessons, so I skipped them to play cricket with some friends in the warm summer sunshine. Even then, I was still vaguely tormented with the idea that a teacher might come along and rumble us! 

I was also bullied...by one student - Mark Ford. Quite what I ever did to upset him, or provoke him to target me, I guess I shall never know, maybe it was because he knew I just wouldn't fight back...and I didn't. I guess I was a coward back then. I wasn't so strong, was struggling with my weight (as I always have done), and was shy. He didn't harass me so often, but when he did I was shamed by it. It was only for a couple of years...perhaps he grew bored of it? But this experience lodged deep within me, and because of it, I really hate any kind of bullying...and am very sensitive to it. 

And during these years, I was also made aware of my own mortality. Stephen Lawless wasn't such a close friend, but he was okay...but one day, while messing around on a children's playground in the days when they still had concrete/tarmac on them instead of the softer material that now exists...he fell from the top of a climbing frame, head first...and a young life was ended at about 13-14, I think. Tragic. I am so thankful to God that I have lived this life...but I often wonder 'why'...

All in all, my teenage school years were not unhappy, but they were also not my favourite period of life. I was glad when, having just passed my 16th birthday, my parents supported my choice to finish my education and to look for a job - which I found about 2-3 months later. This is sometimes hard for me to grasp now, as I teach many students who are older than 16. I don't think it did me any harm ;-)

Remembering the days of the old school yard... ;-) - part 1

Being laid up from work means that I (at the moment) have no 'fresh stories' of life at SGO...though I'm sure some will come to mind or attention over the next couple of weeks. But perhaps now is the time to tell my readers something of my school-life; well, at least the period of time at Castle Vale Comprehensive School from 1970 to 1975. To do that, I should set the scene. The 'Comp' as it was known, always looked like a battleship which had run aground on the outskirts of Birmingham. 

Castle Vale was, at that time, a notoriously rough housing estate which had been built on old airfields, which is why nearly all of the huge blocks of flats were named after airfields around England. (This building no longer exists! According to Wikipedia: "Castle Vale Secondary School opened in newly constructed, purpose-built premises in 1967, although the buildings were completed and officially opened in 1969. At its peak in the early 1970s, it had 1,100 students, but this declined to 362 students by 1993 as truancy became widespread problem on the estate. Half of the building was empty and this space was occupied by the Castle Vale Housing Action Trust.")

Yes, Castle Vale was rough! Theft, burglary, violence, and vandalism were commonplace - as was bullying at the school. At one time, it was said that the estate had one of the highest suicide rates in Europe - there was a sick joke that people would sometimes chalk an 'X' at the bottom of the blocks of flats for would-be jumpers to aim at :-( And I chose to go there, rather than to a more select grammar school, mainly because it was nearer to home, and I couldn't be bothered to travel too far...and some of my friends would be attending too, though at that time, I didn't have too many, for I was quite shy ;-) As you can see, a LOT of students used to be at the school, and it was the kind of school where you could easily lose yourself as a newcomer. 

My first day was spent in fear. We new ones had heard of a terrible initiation ceremony which was given by older, more 'mature' students, simply called 'The Blue Goldfish'. 

Apparently, if you survived the first day without being initiated, then you'd be okay. I was in dread of an older student gently, and yet forcefully, offering me to go and see the legendary blue goldfish...which involved a trip to the toilets where, if you were naive enough, you would put your head over the big white bowl of the toilet, eagerly looking for a trace of blue in the water...when your head would be pushed down and the toilet flushed! I survived...

I guess over the next few days, I will tell you about:

• what kind of student I was like 
• Favourite/worse subjects etc 
• my teachers...well, those that I remember! 

Hope you enjoy this trip down (for me) memory lane... ;-)

In praise of the Czech health system...

Lately, it is so easy to be negative about life in Czech Republic - what with the politics corruption, just to name a couple of things. But without a doubt, one of the great blessings or benefits about living in this country is the medical care that is provided. Sure, I've heard some negative things about that too - but as a Brit living here, let me assure you that, on the whole, I have experienced far more expertise that I did during my time in England.

Recovering from my knee operation has given me time to reflect, once more, on the system that is in place here in CR. Here, I don't have to wait a week for my blood test results (maybe 2-3 days, at the most), I can arrange an x-ray, ultrasound almost immediately, and if I need a serious operation (as I have done in the past with my gall bladder), then I haven't got to wait weeks or months for it. On top of that, the level of care provided by doctors and nurses (so far) has been of a high level.

Indeed, the only negative experience that I can recall was with one doctor who didn't even bother to lift his eyes from writing on his paper to look at my skin complaint - well, I guess he was such an expert. ;-)
(kind of reminds me of the old joke: "Doctor, doctor! People keep ignoring me!" "Next, please!")

Over this past week, I have had conversations with my Mom, in England, and a good friend in Romania. My Mom has had serious pains in the back of her knee - she had to wait to get an x-ray...and now has to wait a week to get the results of the x-ray! My friend in Romania has a wife & a daughter who are both ill at the moment - they need further tests - which will cost money (i.e: a bribe) to get anything done. Believe me, Czechs are much better off here with the level of treatment that they get, and the access to that treatment too. If there is something worth fighting to keep in this country, the level of medical care would be it, for me!

Even on our arrival in Czech Republic, way back in November 2001 (wow, 12 years ago!), one of our friends who helped us move here, (Bill Landale) had a stroke. Swift action by a friend & the family they were staying with got him an ambulance and into a hospital where he received top quality care and treatment. When he arrived back in Scotland, his doctor was extremely impressed with it all. As Bill later reflected, "Czech Republic is a nice place to come for a stroke..." ;-) !!