I hope this will be my final piece of ‘writing’ for a while, having spent more than the past two years writing in English, not Korean. It has been a long and emotional journey, I must admit. However, I am pleased that I have finally published my work, and most of the people to whom I wished to say ‘thank you’ have read it.

On the day I uploaded my book on Amazon, it was only natural, and unavoidable, that I cried a lot. When I handed my paper book to the reception at Berkshire Hospital and Sue Ryder Hospice, emotions overwhelmed me. My son, who couldn’t read his mum’s three Korean books but could finally read her fourth English book, texted me after finishing it. “Well done, Mum. I am so proud of you. I love you.” Perhaps, I won’t need to cry anymore.

Indeed, British people are kind, as the title of my book says. British education, while working in schools, changed me into a better person. This book is all about that journey. I hope readers will also discover intriguing insights into Korean education.

The reason I am sharing this story on Gateway, which I had to mobilise my courage for one final time, is because I wish for my students, who were in my classrooms for the past three years, to read this book and understand that I genuinely wanted to express my gratitude to them, well, in this different, probably unusual way. Additionally, a portion of the book sales will go to charity. This is my way of running a charity marathon as a (hopeless) non-sporty maths teacher.

I extend my sincere appreciation to the Sixth Form students (Matilda, Laura, Maria, Louisa, Bella, Violet, Grace, and Cara) and Miss Elaine Cook for their invaluable contribution to proofreading. I must say that I felt really awkward and shy when I gave my book to them with my signature as a present. I hope that was a memorable and unique experience for a student at the Abbey.

Lastly, may I ask a big favour? If you have read my book, please write a review on Amazon!

Thank you.

Mrs Eunyoung Mallett