Dai – One and Only

I first met Dai during the first international Google Teacher Academy held in London 2010. Although I was not in the same group as Dai, during the full packed day, our paths would cross over lunch and other smaller sessions. His immediate down-to-earth and honest persona was hard to ignore. We exchanged details and stayed in touch over the years via Twitter. Although I was globetrotting whilst working, we somehow managed to stay in touch via the likes of each other’s tweets and Instagram pics.

When I moved back to the UK, I found out that he was not too far from me. Therefore, we finally arranged to meet catch-up and seek professional feedback.

It is hard to put it in words but Dai was a peoples person who knew how to connect with people. He made you feel at ease and did not let the societal boundaries bother him. He was also very open to discuss his personal matters; I guess it is what makes us human and connects us. The similarities of pain, love, and joy.

I am a silent subscriber to Doug Belshaw’s newsletter and it was there that I discovered the sad news of Dai’s passing away. I do not know why it affected me as much as it did. Was it the fact that I was thinking of inviting him to return the favour of coffee and chat or was it that when a genuine human being leaves you it saddens you? For me it was the latter. Thank you for everything Dai.

Thank you Doug for keeping his spirit alive.

#RIPDai #ThankYouDai