James

I'm a Corporate Trainer for English First (EF) Central Jakarta. EF Central Jakarta currently has two schools -Menteng and Gunung Sahari - but we are opening two new schools in Jan 2009 in Matraman and Gajah Mada. From Mar 2004 - Feb 2007 I was the director of studies at the Gunung Sahari school. As you all know, we went to England in Feb 2007 for a) my bro Dan and Helen's wedding, b) for Tika to give birth to our second daughter Jennifer and c) for me to enroll on and complete a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). The original plan was for me to get fully qualified as a teacher back in the UK and attain QTS (Qualified Teacher Status). Then, we would come back to Indonesia and I would get a job (at some point) in an international school paying top dollar and offering a fully comprehensive benefits package (including free education for any children!)

Anyway, things didn't work out so we returned to Jakarta after only five months in England. It wasn't meant to be. On the flip side, we're really enjoying life in Jakarta. We moved out of our apartment in Cempaka Mas at the beginning of July 2008 and moved to a two storey, 5-bedroom house in Sumur Batu, stil in Central Jakarta. It sounds bigger than it really is though. One of the two downstairs rooms is for the two maids and the other is currently for storage and ironing in. I have a little office in the street facing room, our bedroom is in the middle and the girls' room is at the back (although they are still sharing our bed at the moment - we're going to install air con in the girls' room soon and get them to start sleeping together without mummy & daddy).

This year has been a year of change for all of us, especially me. Since Jan 2008 I've lost 18kg - a great achievement for me. And I'm still losing weight. I was 103kg, now I'm 85kg. My target is 75kg so still another 10kg to go. We were still living in the apartment in Jan so I had free use of the swimming pool every day. I would go four or five times a week, sometimes twice a day! However, our current house does not have a pool so I've been less diligent exercising, but more diligent in my diet. A trade off! I do take Jennifer for a walk in the pushchair most mornings which we both enjoy. It's nice 'quality time' with her AND gives me the chance to exercise.

Next on the shopping list for me though (finances permitting of course) is a mountain bike. Nothing fancy, just a basic mountain bike so I can get back into exercising again on a daily basis. Jogging and the gym is not my kind of exercise routine - there's no incentive or enjoyment for me.