Bulgaria with Noodles

Each week, I still receive e-mails from teachers around the world, asking me about what it is like to teach in international schools. Here is a recent one that gives me an excuse for including lots of photos of China. Happy New Year from Co.Tyrone! I hope this email finds you, your wife and the dog well. Alas, we are locked down again and remote learning is now the reality for the foreseeable future. Ireland actually has the highest percentage of Covid cases in the world now. We are increasingly concerned about the news coming out of China and it seems there is a real chance we will not get into China in July. Currently no UK citizens or flights are allowed in. I have also read that dependent visas will not be issued even when things open up initially. To say that we are concerned is an understatement and it is hard to predict next week, never mind six months into the future. Would it be naive not to look for a Plan B?  Again, your advice is much appreciated. And here is my reply. ...

Tina is a naughty little doggie. She has a lot of energy and she is more than a bit disobedient. Irena and I took her for a walk this morning. For once, the sun was shining and we did not mind the cold too much. As usual, the Bulgarian countryside was beautiful, empty and huge. We simply must get a couple of sledges and all of the skiing gear. It is crazy to be in the countryside, with lots of snow-covered hills all around us for at least a month or so each year, and yet we have absolutely no winter sports equipment at all.