A Coffee Mug from Skegness: A Special Memory from 10 Years at Jabble

 

 

Hi everyone! It’s Jesse from Jabble Chiba Eikaiwa.

 

As most of you know, Paul moved on from Jabble last month after an incredible 10 years with the company. While we’re definitely going to miss having him around, I’m happy that he has started a new adventure.

Paul was an awesome teacher, but he was also the ideal coworker. When you work with someone for that long, you naturally share a lot of experiences. There are busy days, funny moments, difficult days, and plenty of conversations between classes. After 10 years, a coworker can become much more than just someone you work with.

That’s why saying goodbye to Paul was a little strange.

 

 

A Gift from Skegness

Before Paul left, he gave me a really cool coffee mug from his hometown of Skegness, England.

It might seem like a simple gift, but I really like it because it has a connection to where Paul comes from. Now I can use it at work and think about all the years we spent working together.

I drink quite a lot of coffee at work, so it’s also a very practical present!

Every time I make a cup of coffee and use the mug, I’ll probably think about Paul and the many years we worked together at Jabble.

I think that’s one of the best things about gifts like this. They don’t have to be expensive or complicated. Sometimes a small, everyday object can become a great reminder of a person or a particular period in your life.

 

 

What Is Skegness Like?

For those who don’t know, Skegness is a seaside town on the east coast of England, in Lincolnshire.

I’ve never lived there myself, but I know it has a very different atmosphere from Chiba!

Skegness is well known as a traditional British seaside resort. It has a long beach, a pier, amusement arcades, and plenty of places where people can enjoy a day by the sea.

When I look at the mug, I’m reminded that although Paul and I have spent many years working together in Japan, we both come from completely different places and backgrounds.

That’s one of the interesting things about working at an English conversation school. At Jabble, our teachers come from different countries and have different experiences, but we all end up sharing the same workplace.

Over the years, I’ve learned a lot from my coworkers—not just about teaching English, but also about different countries, cultures, food, travel, and everyday life.

 

 

Ten Years of Memories

Ten years is a long time.

Think about everything that can happen in 10 years. People change jobs, move to different places, make new friends, travel, learn new things, and experience all kinds of important moments.

During those 10 years at Jabble, Paul taught countless students and became a familiar face to many people at the Chiba school.

As a coworker, I also got used to seeing him around the school. You get into routines when you work with someone for a long time. You know when they’re going to arrive, when they usually have coffee, what they’re going to say when something funny happens, and all those other little things that you don’t really think about until the person isn’t there anymore.

Now Paul is gone, but I have this mug sitting on my desk.

It’s a small thing, but it’s a nice reminder of a big part of my working life.

 

 

A New Adventure for Paul

Paul didn’t leave Jabble just to take it easy. He has a pretty exciting adventure ahead of him.

He’s heading off to hike the Appalachian Trail, which is an incredible challenge. After spending 10 years teaching at Jabble, it’s exciting to see him start something completely different.

I’m sure he’s going to have some amazing experiences along the way.

Of course, I’ll miss having him as a coworker, and I’m sure many of our students will miss seeing him at Jabble too. But I’m also happy for him and excited to hear about his adventures.

Maybe one day I’ll get to hear all the stories over a cup of coffee.

And I’ll have the perfect mug for it!

 

 

Some Things Stay with You

People sometimes think that when someone leaves a workplace, that’s the end of the relationship.

I don’t think that’s necessarily true.

When you’ve worked with someone for 10 years, you’ve shared too many experiences for everything to simply disappear when they leave.

You keep the memories, the stories, the inside jokes, and sometimes even little things like a coffee mug from their hometown.

For me, this mug from Skegness will always remind me of Paul and the 10 years we spent working together at Jabble.

It’s now my regular work coffee mug, so I expect I’ll be using it for a long time.

Thanks for the mug, Paul—and thanks for 10 great years.

Good luck with the Appalachian Trail!

And if you’re ever back in Chiba, you know where to find us.

 

Until next time!

 

 

Jesse

 

 

【スタッフによる要約】

Jesse先生が、10年間Jabbleで一緒に働いたPaul先生との思い出を振り返る記事。退職前にPaul先生から故郷のイギリス・スケグネス（Skegness）のコーヒーマグをプレゼントされたエピソードを中心に、長年一緒に働いた同僚との思い出や、外国人講師同士で働くJabbleならではの環境について紹介します。Skegnessがどのような街なのかにも触れながら、最後にはPaul先生の次の挑戦であるAppalachian Trailへの応援メッセージで締めくくります。