Retirement.
I’ve tried it a few times now and it hasn’t worked. When I left my school in China as a Headmaster I thought that would be it. I believed I’d done some marvellous investments which were due to come to fruition… I was wrong – still fighting that one 14 years later! After a year of gathering debt I went back to Qatar as Head of Science; then to Kazakhstan, Gran Canaria, Morocco, and Azerbaijan.
The scourge of covid hit me in Baku so decided to retire again. I think I lasted 3 months and then went to work at a Further Education college for 6 months. I loved it. The students were apprentices on day release or adults returning part-time to Education. My favourite class was an adult GCSE Maths class – some of the students were older than me.
After the six months that was over so I ‘retired’ again. I rapidly went through the rest of my savings… and have spent the last three years teaching Maths in Oman! I had one of my senior girls leave this summer. She said, with tears in her eyes, ‘Mr Peter, you are the only person who has ever made me understand Maths!’ Which was very moving until she added, ‘but Physics still doesn’t make any sense to me!’
Now spending the summer in Sanur, Bali, I have to consider maybe properly reting again in a years’ time. After all I will be 70!
So researching ‘retirement’. Indonesia offers a retirement visa. I read today that Thailand offers a five-year visa if you have £11,200 in the bank and comprehensive medical insurance, so there is another possibility. I have also looked at going home and buying a mobile home on the edge of the Lake District, and a boat on the Norfolk Broads. Everybody tells me the cost of living is rocketing. I know that here in Bali I can get a 620ml bottle of Bintang for about £2; in the UK it would be 4 or 5 times that!
Then there are other things to consider;
Flights, insurance, a car? And just my State pension to rely on unless I can get something back on my bad investments.
Then again I can continue to tutor at an hourly rate.
I’ve written three books which are on Amazon and I have outline plans for at least 6 more – currently working on ‘Fairy Hanny and Knights in White Satin’ while I sit at my breakfast table surrounded by lush tropical vegetation.
Decisions to be made.
Perhaps I should just start writing fart jokes! I’ve been watching these guys online doing fart pranks and I find myself crying with laughter!
Fairy Hanny 