Page 51 - Hull's School Yearbook 2018-2019

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But"first,"I"want"to"say"how"great"it"is"to"see"how"enthusiastic"Swiss" teenagers"are"about"UK"AOlevels"and"how"extraordinary"it"is"that"you" achieve"so"well,"even"though"you"have"not"been"educated"just"in"English" like"youngsters"in"the"UK."It"is"also"excellent"to"learn"that"one"of" Switzerland’s"most"successful"private"schools"uses"the"UK"system,"and"has" participated"in"the"Duke"of"Edinburgh"award"since"2017.""
And"I"salute"the"teachers"–"your"work"is"never"finished;"you"must"exert" superhuman"efforts"to"conceal"the"emotions"to"which"other"mortals"can" give"vent"–"anger,"demoralisation"and"fatigue."No"one"forgets"a"great" teacher,"and"I’m"sure"your"gifts"of"mind"and"spirit"have"impressed" themselves"on"generations"of"boys"and"girls"during"their"formative"years.""
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I’ve"been"posted"in"Berne"for"a"year"now,"covering"foreign"policy"and" bilateral"strategy."The"highlight"of"my"time"in"country"so"far"was"playing" ice"cricket"–"yes"the"sport"really"existsO""over"Lake"St"Moritz."Even"that" experience,"though,"can’t"compare"with"a"surreal"encounter"on"my"first" posting"to"Africa’s"Congo,"where"I"interacted"with"Bonobo"chimpanzees" and"apes"in"their"native"environment.""The"Bonobos"are"famous"because," of"all"the"animal"kingdom,"their"DNA"most"closely"resembles"that"of" human"beings."I"like"to"think"my"request"to"bring"a"couple"back"to"work"at" the"Embassy"showed"an"early"flair"for"visionary"management.""
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It’s"a"stretch"to"move"from"that"to"the"UKOSwiss"relationship,"although" Brexit"can"feel"like"a"wild"backdrop"–"politesse"prevevnts"me"extending"
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