Month: August 2020

I’m alright, I’m alive – 20th August 2020

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Good Vibrations by the Beach Boys? Where did that come from?

Building myself up to do my five minutes of exercise, tired this morning – don’t want to, want to sleep more – push through.

Crazy Kim was here trying to climb to the highest point. What is in the mind of a cat?

Go to Hill tribe school today – hope it’s okay – worry the kids can’t understand what to do. What’s Plan B?

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful to have Dad’s truck so I can drive to the hill tribe school today.

To-do list

  • Laugh and enjoy the day ✅
  • Make sure others enjoy their day too ½
  • Compliment new people (anyone really) ½
  • Another blog post when you get home ½

It’s a week later already. I have managed to fill my time up with many things including converting old DVDs, pushing and promoting the podcast, watching interesting TV and documentaries along with most of the usual things I’ve been doing such as school and online teaching.

I’ve been working with a girl called Kelly who has taken a few lessons to warm up but I was very heartened to see her become more confident and sure of herself in her speaking. That made me feel like my effort was worthwhile.

It can be the opposite at school where you can feel you are getting nowhere. I think I have successfully managed to understand this scenario now though and it will be a very long and slow process for things to improve.

Currently, there are lots of student protests in Thailand – more free and democratic government, less corruption and more equality. This too has been going on for nearly a hundred years. Things change slowly here.

I’ve been happy with myself recently and been able to deal with sudden changes and minorly stressful situations. I think I’ve become a better person and always looking to move that forward.

Tomorrow is my long teaching day – including in the evening but I’m looking forward to going to Mae Sai on the weekend and also dropping by an orphanage for girls to see what we can do for them. I hope that I can get involved in some way.

The Chiang Rai Alternative Hour #51 – 15th August 2020

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Music from KIV Orchestra, Rolling Stones, The Malibus, Uz Jsme Doma, YUP, Buildings, Hard Ons, The Who, Lines, Tera Melos, Lashio Thein Aung, That Fucking Tank, Unsane, Teardrop Explodes, Rancid and Wyxz.

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful for my yoghurt, muesli and Toblerone breakfast. Healthy body, healthy mind.

To-do list

  • Awards again
  • Compliments ½
  • Record TCRAH ✅
  • Blog post ✅

It’s the 19th of August today. I’ve been occupied and happy in general but also a little blurred at the edges. As I mentioned before I haven’t been thinking about thinking so much and have mostly been getting on with living and doing.

Occasionally I trip up and forget some of the things I’ve learned recently and sometimes beat myself up too much over it. This is usually relatively brief though.

I really enjoy being in class with the kids even to the point of joining other classes. Sometimes I still feel frustrated with the system here and the kids always playing with their phones in class. This is going to have serious consequences for those kids in the future. Well, at least it will be interesting to see how things turn out.

Amy went out on Sunday night and met Miche and her friend and that really cheered Amy up. She was happy to find some people she could relax with and just talk stupid girl stuff with. She’s not so comfortable with her old friends who now live completely different lifestyles to her. I know she is still frustrated here in general though.

Tomorrow we go into the hills to do some activities at another school. It should be a fun day and at least we get away to a different environment. Change is as good as a rest.

I think you’ve noticed that I don’t want to be a bad guy anymore – 14th August 2020

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Mid-August – up-and-down. Nice dreams last night but can’t remember at all now.

Yesterday went well. Today has six hours teaching but I hope it will be fun – it’s Friday so it should be okay.

Kimchi is with me protecting me at the door. Take journal back inside because I haven’t been writing it. Don’t really know why.

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful for my busy Friday teaching for 6 hours. It makes me happy to see kids learning.

Go back to sleep, I didn’t say anything – 13th August 2020

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Slept a lot yesterday – did not feel good. Do I feel good today? I’m not sure yet. Still tired and feel lazy and a little lacking in self-confidence.

Am I tired because of my lack of self-confidence or is my lack of self-confidence making me tired? Over exercise? Overthinking?

Be quiet today if you can – say things that you mean and nothing else.

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful that I can understand when I am not feeling well and know that I will feel better again soon.