LIVE IN HUDDERSFIELD - ZERO DEGREE

After flying to Mars and back we finally arrived at London Heathrow at 6am on Monday morning. We had to get a taxi to collect the car and then drive home to Huddersfield. It was foggy, drizzly, grey, wet and very cold and Brunei seemed not just like a different country, but a whole galaxy away. By the way, my son Ben filled a hat-trick of sick bags on the way home, just as everyone was settling down to a nice aeroplane breakfast!! We got a few looks!

Jackie drove home cos I couldn't keep awake. Got back to Huddersfield at 2pm. If the fog and rain and drizzle wasn't enough, we found out that we had had a leak in the bathroom somewhere and the wallpaper has peeled off in the kitchen and dining room downstairs. Talk about coming back down to earth with a bang! I'm not so famous now am I? Jack fell asleep in his bowl of pasta, which I took as a signal, and we all went to bed at 6.45pm for a good 12-hours kip!

What a trip. All too short. But who knows, I might get lucky again one day and go back.

LIVE IN BORNEO

Today we did something I have only ever read about. We got on a plane and flew to Borneo. I'm gonna write that down again cos I can't believe it myself. We got on a plane and flew to Borneo. There that's better - it's starting to sink in now.

We got to a great hotel called the Shangri La and then straight on a bus to the Orang Utan Sanctuary at Rasa Ria. Orang Utan by the way means man of the forest and we saw 3 little men of the forest in the trees right above us - amazing to see them so close. And blimey can these guys climb trees!! It was so hot I was melting. I went and cooled off in the South China Sea!

Amazingamazingamazingamazing!

This morning it's Chinese New Year and we have seen the Dragon Dance all around the hotel. Loads of drums, cymbals, noise and celebration - really exciting. What a way to end the trip.

We'll soon be leaving this beautiful country but we will take a little bit of Brunei and Borneo back with us (no I don't mean the towels from the hotel!).

Byebyebyebye Brunei.

LIVE IN BRUNEI 6 - THE BIG FINALE

Last day in JIS today and it's been a week I will never forget. Everyone has been so friendly and I'm not just talking about the people in schools, but the people in the hotel and people on the streets. Fiona has been amazingly generous and won't let me pay for anything!!! Coming from Yorkshire I'm not used to that - but I could get used to it!!

After some more workshops in the morning we finished off with a performance in the gym. It was crazy and chaotic but great and performers were brave and fantastic. Well done everyone! It was a great way to finish. I really, really, really hope I will be back one day. Who knows which way the wind blows?

After school we went on an amazing trip up the river with Fiona and Sal. We saw 14 Proboscus monkeys in the wild, they have big bellies and big noses (a bit like me!). We also saw 4 lizards, a family of sea otters, loads of egrits and a sea eagle (not a seagull!). We didn't see any crocodiles (phew) cos they didn't get an invitation to our party - maybe the next time!

Went to bed feeling very strange, surreal and unreal - what a day! What a week! What a place!

LIVE IN BRUNEI 5 - LIBRARY TIMES

Today I was in the library speaking to more people at Jerudong International School (JIS). Today we did some writing and I showed a powerpoint show all about Huddersfield, snowmen and all that kind of stuff. The pupils wrote some brilliant poems which we are going to perform in assembly tomorrow afternoon - in a kind of poetry slam. It's gonna be good fun!!

Tonight we went shopping in Gadong. Look around the shops and bought some bits and bobs for people back in sunny Huddersfield. We had a lovely meal and Sal made us taste some ABC - which is jelly, sweetcorn, ice, coconut milk all mixed up - a bit like a fruit stew. It was tasty but mighty strange!!!

It's going so fast here I can't believe it's nearly over!!!! (I'm actually cheating here I am writing this on Sunday as I didn't get time before. We are actually packed and ready to rumble to catch 3 planes back home.)

LIVE IN BRUNEI 4 - JERUDONG SINGSONG

Today started with breakfast, chicken sausages with toast. Fiona picked us up at 8.30am and drove us to Jerudong International School. When I say school, it's more like a hotel/leisure/library/sports complex/park. It was awesome. I have been to thousands of schools but never had a welcome quite like this one. It was like CRAZY. My face was everywhere. It was big. It was small. It was on posters, on corridor walls. It was in the library. It was on bookmarks. It was even on a banner on a fence outside the school! Me and my big face - WOW!

I met loads of great, clever, quick, funny pupils who were full of fantastic ideas. It was great to talk to them in the gym and in the library and they made me feel so welcome and at home.

At dinner time I had a sandwich and there was a brilliant school jazz band playing in the canteen. I had a walk around school and spotted a monkey walking along the school fence. Even the monkey said Hello - I told you it was a friendly place!!

I'm back there again tomorrow - can't wait - see you then!

LIVE IN BRUNEI 3 - TWO HORNBILLS

Early start today. Picked up at 6.45am and driven to Panaga School which is about one and a half hours away from the Empire Hotel where I'm staying. Drove through the early morning rainforest mist - very dramatic. Got there and met with Mr Richard and had a look around the school before I got started. In Brunei they don't call teachers by their second name but by their first. So I would be called Mr Craig. A girl called Amy came out to see me and told me to look at the beautiful birds in the tree. These birds were called hornbills and were amazing things to see and made me feel like I was in the tropical house at Chester Zoo!! Another great day, lots of fun, lots of ideas, lots of energy and shouting out. I found out that staff rooms in Brunei are sometimes called Teachers' Lounges. It was so hot today that when I left the cool air-conditioned Teachers' Lounge and went into the sun, my specs steamed up - a bit like walking into my Grandad's old greenhouse!

A big thank you to everyone at Panaga for making me feel very welcome, and for Mr Richard for putting the kettle on.

This evening Fiona and Liz took us lot out to see the amazing water village - homes on stilts built in the river. We saw young lads swimming and jumping off the bridge into the water. We got a water taxi and saw the mangroves and the Sultan's amazing Palace. Imagine living in a house with over 500 rooms, you'd never finish the hoovering and you'd never find your keys!! We also saw the amazing Mosque with a dome made out of real gold - it looked fantastic, like nothing I've ever seen before.

Looking forward to three days in Jerudong International School starting tomorrow - this tour just seems to get better and better.

LIVE IN BRUNEI 2 - THE MOON IS UPSIDE DOWN

At 4.30am this morning I was looking at the moon and realised it was upside down! Imagine that!! I felt like standing on my head to make it all right.

Today was an amazing day. I was in ISB - International School of Brunei - and had one of the best days in a school I have ever had. The teachers were friendly and welcoming - thank you Liz for that - and the pupils were just amazing. They made me feel like a rock star!!! Thank you to all the pupils of ISB for making it a really special day for me. When I got back to the hotel, I did the only thing I could do and jumped into the South China Sea! And even though I'm sitting here typing this on my blog it still all feels a bit unreal, but in a fantastic way.

Tomorrow I am in Panaga School and I'll let you know how I get on.

Brunei Rocks!

LIVE IN BRUNEI 1

I am here in Brunei after flying half way around the world and having a chicken quiche in Dubai airport. I got here this morning - at least I think it was morning, I haven't slept for 24 hours. Had an amazing welcoming party with Fiona, Angela, Sal and Jade from Jerudong International School. They were even wearing That Poetry Bloke T-shirts - how cool is that???

Got to the Empire Hotel - sea view and phone in the bathroom! Can't wait to get started tomorrow in the International School of Brunei - looking forward to meeting everyone and having fun.

Off to get something to eat now and catch up on some Zzzzzz.

Laters!

There is a great picture of me in action taken by Andy at St Marys Catholic Primary - Halifax on 8th Jan. 2010.

Darth Vader In The Chippy

I am That Poetry bloke and this is Thats Poetry Blog so i think we should have some poetry on it!! Heres a new one ---

I saw Darth Vader in the chippy
with his saber, his cape and his mask
i wondered what he was doing
but didn't have the nerve to ask

I just stood and stared at him
I didn't know what to do
Darth Vader out of Star Wars
just standing in the queue

He ordered pie and chips
and got out his money to pay
then he flew off in his death star
to a galaxy far far away

I Like To Rhyme It Rhyme It -Thai style

I have just seen something amazing on You Tube. My old mate Andy is a teacher in a school in Thailand and he has got some of his pupils doing the Rhyme It dance. You can see it on You Tube under my name and its on the second page. I'd like to say a BIG BIG THANKYOU to all the brilliant dancers who did a fantastic job. You are all stars.

See the You Tube Clip HERE!

Countdown To Brunei!!!!

Last week was great, all week in Leeds schools. A big shout to Blackgates Primary, Oulton Primary, Ninelands Primary, Fieldhead Carr Primary and St Nicholas Primary. All were great - one highlight was the Ninelands school band playing the Flintstones theme as i was setting up!! I've been trying out some new stuff in school, including a song called Where's me Trousers? It seems to be going down well. Thanks to 6K and 6B - Miss Bunages class at Blackgates for helping me out with that one!!!

Miss Bunage is a great name for a teacher. I also met a Mr and Mrs Tinkler in Wardley Primary in Salford. I think i might have a competition to find the teacher with the best name!!! I'll let you know if i meet any more!!

Its getting close to lift off here with the BIG TRIP TO BRUNEI getting very close. I have to make a last minute dash to Liverpool on Thursday to sort my son Jacks passport out and then we are off!! AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!!