Your greatest achievements...

[WeeE]

Not my achievement, but my proudest moment anyway: found myself completely unexpectedly with half a dozen adults in a class supposed to be learning English who had never actually been inside a school (and some had never had much exposure to writing back home, and didn't even really have the concept of what reading is, what it is you do, that you write in a particular direction, what a "word" is, that inanimate objects kind of speak to you....)

Er...teach 'em the ABC song and show them about 30 flash cards, that kind of thing, fake it a couple of sessions, and the second or third day, I hold up a card and they go,
"ay....ah"
turned up another random card in the other hand
"Tee...tuh"
and then, just for fun, I moved my hands together, and there was a moment of complete silence, and just as I was about to open my pedantic mouth, this woman actually squealed!
AT! AT!!! it says AT!!!! Ah-tuh, AT!!!

It was one of the most magic moments I've ever been at.

We were literally jumping up and down with excitement - it was like "gooooaaaaal!!!!" And suddenly we were all knackered - it was like the egg-timer thing on your screen - too much processing going on. Time to get some air/ have a fag / hit the canteen!

They came back in after the break going, "what's word on elevator -L-I-F-T? " and "Uh, what's ex-it?" "Word on ladies - what's too-ill-et...? WAAAAH!"

 

[Cubist]

Not my achievement, but my proudest moment anyway: found myself completely unexpectedly with half a dozen adults in a class supposed to be learning English who had never actually been inside a school (and some had never had much exposure to writing back home, and didn't even really have the concept of what reading is, what it is you do, that you write in a particular direction, what a "word" is, that inanimate objects kind of speak to you....)

Er...teach 'em the ABC song and show them about 30 flash cards, that kind of thing, fake it a couple of sessions, and the second or third day, I hold up a card and they go,
"ay....ah"
turned up another random card in the other hand
"Tee...tuh"
and then, just for fun, I moved my hands together, and there was a moment of complete silence, and just as I was about to open my pedantic mouth, this woman actually squealed!
AT! AT!!! it says AT!!!! Ah-tuh, AT!!!

It was one of the most magic moments I've ever been at.

We were literally jumping up and down with excitement - it was like "gooooaaaaal!!!!" And suddenly we were all knackered - it was like the egg-timer thing on your screen - too much processing going on. Time to get some air/ have a fag / hit the canteen!

They came back in after the break going, "what's word on elevator -L-I-F-T? " and "Uh, what's ex-it?" "Word on ladies - what's too-ill-et...? WAAAAH!"

Fantastic. You describe that feeling of achievement so well WeeE. Humbling to read.

 

[Valy]

Wow, some pretty cool stories here. But landing a glider in the middle of a motorcycle race - I lol'd!

 

[WeeE]

Truly humbling to be there.

Specially when you think about what some of those folk have been through - and that having been chased out of some obscure village they'd never left before, and not necessarily still in one piece, and most of 'em all alone, they managed to get half-way across the world. Once people like that start thinking they just might maybe could learn to read, they give it total dedication.
My tuppenceworth - these are exactly the people we need in this country.

 

[snorri]

- and that having been chased out of some obscure village they'd never left before, and not necessarily still in one piece, and most of 'em all alone, they managed to get half-way across the world.

...and learned to speak English, but not just English, English with a Glasgow accent.

Great story WeeE.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Editing a report that resulted in major inquiries in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords...
and managing to persuade my wife's parents to like me.

 

[Globalti]

Skiing the Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt despite a growing problem with diarrhoea, caused by there being nowhere to wash the hands in the mountain refuges.

 

[AlanW]

My Son
Losing 8 stone on my bike

Crikey, what bits did you change in order to get your bike that light!

 

[ComedyPilot]

Nothing work-wise to brag about or 'traditional' sporting, but:
Fully qualified skydiver/cameraman
Solo Glider pilot
Solo Paraglider pilot
Self taught swimmer, surfer & windsurfer
Sort of self taught German speaker
Have been published a few times in motorcycle magazines
Reasonably proficient skier
Able climber
In process of teaching self Dutch, Swedish, Greek, Russian, Italian and French - and electric guitar.
Have done a Mad Sunday lap on the IOM during TT week and survived (god knows how) and numerous track days (Croft, Aghadowey and Cadwell Park)

 

[Arthur]

designing the best building in Southend

That was your design? Chapeau, sir!

 

[Valy]

Skiing the Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt despite a growing problem with diarrhoea, caused by there being nowhere to wash the hands in the mountain refuges.

Well, "HAHAHAH", you know, diarrhea - sounds funny, but there are hand gels that you can get that kill "99.99%" of the bacteria!!!!!!!!!

Nothing work-wise to brag about or 'traditional' sporting, but:
Fully qualified skydiver/cameraman
Solo Glider pilot
Solo Paraglider pilot
Self taught swimmer, surfer & windsurfer
Sort of self taught German speaker
Have been published a few times in motorcycle magazines
Reasonably proficient skier
Able climber
In process of teaching self Dutch, Swedish, Greek, Russian, Italian and French - and electric guitar.
Have done a Mad Sunday lap on the IOM during TT week and survived (god knows how) and numerous track days (Croft, Aghadowey and Cadwell Park)

Holy shnizel, that's quite a list. Have you learned languages since young age?

 

[CopperBrompton]

designing the best building in Southend

Is that not rather like producing the best programme on daytime TV? :-)

 

[Dave5N]

Being me.