You burned down our house But home is in our head We marvel at the pyres And warm ourselves instead
We are the free ones Wandering and wild Whilst you guard your toys The spoils of the child
For all the sermons High up on the mount You carry more burdens Than anyone can count
The title refers to the Dangerous Girls song ‘Step Out’ that repeats the phrase “demolition”. The first stanza refers to Edison watching his factory burn. ‘Wandering and wild’ refers to Wasted Youth’s album titled “Wild and Wandering”. The burden is a reference to what Israel will carry once they have completely destroyed Palestine. 8th May 2024 – Submitted to dVerse Poetics
Today I’m feeling:
I felt pretty good after getting back from coffee but whilst settling into some reading some felt sleepy and had another three hours rest waking up again at two pm
Today I’m grateful for:
The shop where we sneakily parked our car and decided to get out and walk the rest of the way to the festival.
The best thing about today was:
The atmosphere of fun and pleasure at the festival. Folks were having a good time.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
Taking an hour and a half to get to Singha Park for the balloon festival, stuck in traffic for more than an hour and missing any sunset photo opportunities. At least I could listen to my music whilst in the car.
Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10
I remained patient whilst stuck in traffic (and hungry)
I took this picture because we had a nice spot by the lake to watch the balloons being inflated though it was a little windy for them to go up tonight.
It was a missing tooth Some wayward hair A smudge of a nose That almost wasn’t there
It was a crooked smile Dry cracked lips An inch too much Sitting on her hips
It was a minor lisp One leg longer A scarred wrist Now grown stronger
No, she’s not perfect As far as all could see But it’s all those little faults That has attracted me
Today I’m feeling:
Pretty good. I did some chest and arm exercises this morning, trying to avoid straining my shoulder and also hanging for a minute to stretch myself out. Had my first cold morning shower of the year, which was a bit of a challenge but sure woke me up properly.
Today I’m grateful for:
Nong Ploy for saying that she wishes I was still her teacher because she enjoys writing in English the most, which is something I like to have the students practice. And then have them read from what they’ve written.
The best thing about today was:
The winding down and relaxing feeling of the end of the semester.
I was trying to put myself in my student’s shoes about how they must feel each day, being amongst their friends at school all day and then going home to their families each evening. They obviously enjoy being at school and being with their friends but suffer the having to study part of that.
I was trying to remember what it was like for me at their age. Usually, I was excited to get out of school because when I got home I was usually out again after eating dinner and having even more fun with my friends.
The situation here feels different both because of the family set-up in many homes and the availability of mobile phones and internet. It makes for an experience that I only understand as an adult, not as a growing child.
Something I learned today?
“OpenAI’s latest model takes text prompts and turns them into ‘complex scenes with multiple characters, specific types of motion,’ and more, the company said.
The text-to-video model allows users to create photorealistic videos up to a minute long – all based on prompts they’ve written.”
As AI improves, and it seems to be doing so quickly, this could go either way. Folks could create and post anything that conforms to their narratives.
For example, the BBC could post footage of concentration camps in Xinjiang, where they keep insisting they exist. People could easily believe it, especially when it is reinforced with pictures and videos.
However, I also want to look on the positive side that due to this new capability journalists will be forced to detail, verify, check and double-check and be held legally accountable for what they publish. It’s optimistic but that is the way it must go.
Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10
At the morning flag ceremony KanomBang was crying heavily as her beloved dog had died. She was inconsolable so I just put my arm around her and gently patted her arm. Other students were still laughing and playing and I’m not sure what they were saying but Nomsen gave her some sympathy and support too. She was ok by the afternoon and showed me a picture of her dog and told me it had been hit by a motorbike which is a common occurrence here unfortunately.
I called and messaged Khaofang as her jumper was in the classroom where she lost it the day before yesterday. When she came to collect it she was very appreciative.
What was peaceful about today?
It’s difficult to find peace when you are surrounded by thousands of students. So perhaps the first hour of the day, having just woken up and quietly brushing my teeth before going to exercise, feeding the cats and then hopping into the shower, all the while the sky slowly lightening into the morning bloom. Then I eat some breakfast whilst reading a little and the sun finally appears over the mountains and it’s time for the peace to end.
At the end of the day, post-shower and into bed. Amy on her side, me on mine and Cap swapping between us, Amy quietly scrolls through Facebook and I read books and comics until we both give in to the joy of sleep.
25 THINGS ABOUT LIFE I WISH I HAD KNOWN 10 YEARS AGO – 18. Give Without Expecting Something in Return. Don’t keep score. You will become a bitter person if you do that. Give solely for the joy of giving. If you get something in return, great, if you don’t, great.
I may not give out too much but I expect and want little from anyone else.
Over the last few years, I have started giving out gifts as random acts of kindness and my only hope would be that the receiver will pass on the kindness to someone else.
Whether they do or not is out of my control.
What was my Ween discovery timeline?
I had read about Ween often in Flipside and was curious when their first album God Ween Satan came out so I picked up a copy. It started off well and punky with You Fucked Up but I was unprepared for everything else that came on the rest of the album. Slowly it worked its wackiness on me and I enjoyed its eclecticism over time.
So when the second LP, The Pod, came out I was looking for more of the same and it didn’t deliver for me. This seemed like weird droning moaning music and so I gave up on them, even selling both discs.
I occasionally heard them on the radio when I was living in Australia with their ‘hit’s Push The Little Daisies and Voodoo Lady but didn’t think on much further about them.
Around 2010 sometime, my friend in Melbourne, James McGauren had met and fallen in love with a Swedish girl and was making the move there and he decided to sell off a big chunk of his music collection. He had all the Ween albums.
Fuck it, I thought, I’ll give these guys a go again and picked up the whole catalogue for cheap. Slowly I worked my way through each album and fell in love with them all. I scoured the internet to find quality live shows and all their demo recordings and ended up with about 50 discs worth of Ween to enjoy.
Listening back to The Pod these days, I can understand why I didn’t enjoy it at the time but now I rate it as a favourite.
I never saw them live but have their live DVD and whilst I appreciate their entertainment abilities I prefer the quirkiness of their records.
I took this picture because this old man was looking relaxed when I got home.Fatman report
Initially bright and energetic but then sleepy as I was driving to work. The first class went ok and kept me awake and then I almost fell asleep at the dentist’s. Looking forward to sleep tonight for sure! I wonder if I will still be sleepy then though.
Today I’m grateful for:
The dentist, for giving me a 10% discount, letting me pay $6000 baht today and the rest next month and then giving me 4 free gumbrushes. My gums are sore now though.
Today she cut down two of my teeth to make temporary crowns and a temporary bridge.
Next appointment I will get the permanent bridge and then think about all the other fucked up things about my old teeth that need fixing.
The best thing about today was:
I repeated one of my lessons from yesterday with the other grade 7 class and whilst not quite as successful due to their poorer skills it still went well so I was happy with that.
Then spending some time with my old students (see below) was a lot of fun and it’s sometimes nice to not have the pressure of being the main teacher and can just try to experiment with styles of teaching or make learning fun for one or two students without having to manage the whole class.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
Spending so much time at the dentist meant having to scoff two coffees down (just using one side of my mouth) and no time for reading, writing or preparing new lessons. Getting my teeth sorted was quite a pressing need though.
Something I learned today?
The UK is in actual recession as their economy shrank 0.3% in the last quarter.
Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10
As I was lying in the dentist’s chair I was wondering if I would be ok for my afternoon class.
I was still inspired to get back though and rushed back, grabbed everything I needed and despite getting distracted by many students walking to building ten, I was only a couple of minutes late. However, when I got there, there were only a handful of students and they were sitting on the floor playing Uno.
They told me that most of the class were doing some singing and dancing competition this afternoon (which I had heard going on in our building) so I settled in and played a round of Uno with those who were there.
After that, I decided that I would go and help Kru Ren, who was teaching my old students from last year.
I get on well with all of them and after asking Kru Ren’s permission I helped many students to create a dialogue. They were all very reluctant because Kru Ren isn’t strict with them but as I bounced around the room playing, helping and inspiring he got himself involved too.
I see the Thai teachers just assigning work and hoping that some of the kids do it. I don’t blame them because of the extra tasks that they get given but it’s not something that I am very comfortable doing unless I’m tired myself and want to step off the gas a little.
What is a defining moment of my life?
I think I’ve answered this before. I could easily point to my two immigrant moves, from the UK to Australia and then from Australia to Thailand. I could point to any of my three marriages or the special time with TLJ. Travelling to China, to Malaysia and Singapore.
But probably the most defining moment was something that I wasn’t even aware of and that was my dad dying when I was just 18 months old. I can’t even say how this was a defining moment and even as I’m writing this I’m wondering if it even was. Does it define me? I don’t feel like I can even be defined by a single moment so perhaps all of the above apply? I thought about this moment of my dad dying because my life would have been totally different if that event hadn’t happened.
Sarah (at front) took this picture because she is always trying to snatch my phone out of my pocket and today she succeeded. I knew she took it but I was busy talking with other students. I couldn’t find her for about five minutes and was expecting 1000 photos by the time I got my phone back. Fortunately, there weren’t too many and among the predictable shots of the floor and ceiling, I thought this one was quite nice. Sarah and her accomplice, Iphone.
How many vapid words I read today? So much written with nothing to say Some thought many were written by me It’s true, I accept responsibility
“All the flowers shine bright in glory” The charming prince wins every story Look out everyone, it’s yet another verse Praised by all yet poetically worse!
Upbeat though could have done with a couple more hours of sleep. Still, here we are, up and about.
Today I’m grateful for:
This soda water I’m drinking right now. The third of the evening. The temperature is starting to rise a little as the mild winter fades. I’m thirsty and probably going to suffer later having to get up to pee during the night. Never mind. I’m a human being and this is how my body works.
The best thing about today was:
In my first class with grade 10s I was teaching about a topic one of them had chosen – European History. It’s nothing to do with what they are supposed to be learning about but I wanted them to suggest ideas for topics so that I knew it might hold their interest. I found a Middle Ages in 5 Minutes video and used AI to pull out ten questions from it. I grabbed the transcript to print out for the students and as I was expecting, they were quite shocked to see so much text and many words they’d never come across before.
I started the lesson by telling them that the topic is European History and to not be scared of what they are seeing and hearing. What I will be teaching them in the class is English and not history. I advised them that they didn’t have to understand everything and not to stress themselves about it.
First, we watched the video at three-quarter speed and at the end of it, the best English speaker in the class looked at me exasperated saying that she didn’t understand anything! I told her that that was fine and not to give up.
I had drawn up a list of words for them to translate into Thai to help them a little and we talked around those a little to make sure that they had found and understood the correct meanings. Then I had them do a word race, trying to find the word that I said in the text and they all got into that as it was competitive.
Then we watched the video again and, again, the students looked a little confused and lacking confidence. I told them that they are feeling like this because they are expecting to fully understand something before attempting something connected to it. I told them that that is often a luxury we can’t afford when learning something. I said that when we are young children we might watch TV, something that we don’t understand and can’t explain but the words and pictures are making connections in our brains. This is what they have been doing today. They seemed dubious.
Finally, we attempted the quiz which was ten multiple-choice questions. They needed a good understanding of English for them so I guided them with ideas of what to search for in the text, asking them questions, prompting and testing. They all struggled through the first few questions but slowly they started being able to answer them more swiftly and I stopped them at one point praising them and reminding them of how they had arrived at this point.
Usually, these students are itching to go and eat as the class is before lunch but today we ran over time as they were all quite pleased at what they had done today. Maybe they will remember little of the details of today but next time they are faced with what seems an ominous task they will feel more confident. Perhaps some will be reminded of some of the information when they see pictures of old cathedrals or hear the names of some English and French kings.
That was a great lesson for all of us today!
And then….for my second class, I split my grade 7’s into random groups of 5 or 6 and had them come read together and answer questions with spoken English, rather than writing, where it is easy to copy each other’s answers.
This really tested some of the students who think they can cruise through by copying. This is not the best method of teaching but compared with what I see going on in some other classrooms I’m hoping it is a little more effective and encouraging for the students.
I was happy with the way this class went too.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
Last night Amy was in a tipsy playful mood and while I was already in bed, settled into a book, she came in looking serious. She said she wanted to talk to me seriously about something. This was a bit surprising to me as she had been happy with her wine most of the evening. I said ‘ok’, not really knowing what to expect.
Her face was serious and she looked teary and struggled to say words, hiding her face in a shameful manner. I was still slightly bemused but also on my guard. What is she going to tell me? What is so difficult to say? What happened? I was mentally and physically preparing for a confession of infidelity.
Finally, after a few minutes of this acting, she proffered ‘Do you think I should get my nose heightened? I know you like it small but I want it to be bigger.’ She laughed and cackled at this and I reminded her (as we have talked about this before) that I love her little nose but if she’s not happy with it then she can do what she wants.
She asked me ‘What would you do if I told you I had cheated on you?’ I stoically said ‘If that happened, we’d have to talk it out and decide what to do.’ Ultimately that is all that gets done in that situation whether it’s amicable or not.
Amy went off back to her wine and movie and I congratulated myself on my calm in such a situation. It was good to practice going through an emotional test like this. Occasionally, I will walk through situations in my head to see how I might react, mentally preparing. It’s not always effective but it’s better than being knocked off your feet by things.
Something I learned today?
Over the last few days, I’ve been watching more Little Chinese Everywhere videos as Yan was travelling through Iran. I learned a lot about their local crafts and was reminded of how wonderful and welcoming the people there are. I would have loved to have gone there when I was younger but I have lost the travel bug a little recently.
Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10
With it being Valentine’s Day, as is tradition here, students were giving out heart stickers to each other and to me too. I also had some extra candies. When I ran out of those I peeled off the stickers from my shirt and passed them on to students, hoping to be sticker-free by the time I got home.
I remember last year finding these stickers in the washing machine, even weeks later because there were still some stuck on my shirt when I put it in the wash.
25 THINGS ABOUT LIFE I WISH I HAD KNOWN 10 YEARS AGO – 17. Think About Others. Just be mindful, that’s all. We all have families, bills to pay, and our own issues. Don’t always make everything about yourself.
I believe that I am quite good at this but I would say that I do not involve myself with others lives unless invited.
I’m not a chatterbox or the type of person who charms up banal conversation to form connections.
Perhaps that makes me a little standoffish, maybe even self-centred but actually I care very much about people and what is going on with them and I will help when I can and forgive when they have their own things going on.
Miyor took this picture because she came to take a photo of my computer screen and I joked that she wanted a picture of me. I’ll try and get a haircut this weekend.
Healthier and more positive. I still have some lurking sore throat and stuffy nose but the tiredness has dissipated for now.
Today I’m grateful for:
Amy’s mum who gave us bananas from her garden and we gifted some to Auntie Sue next door when we got home. More food grows here than anyone can eat.
The best thing about today was:
Watching all the students that dressed up for the Chinese New Year event. All the primary kids looked super cute and I was particularly taken by one boy who was part of a dance group on the stage who was really into it. He couldn’t stop himself from dancing to all the other acts even after being done on stage. I like the traditional Chinese dress more than Thai.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
Kru Paul mentioned today that they were having a party this week for the primary sub-director as he said she was retiring but then he went on to say that she would become the department head for English next semester in high school. Meaning she would be our boss!
I wasn’t sure if he was pulling my leg to get a reaction but I played along, saying that I hoped she wouldn’t expect good English from the students as the primary kids are better than most of our high schoolers due to exposure to so much English whilst there.
I was sufficiently intrigued about this possibility though that I talked to Kru Mai and asked him who would be the department head next semester and he said that it would still be him. He then went on to say that he’s thinking to spread out our classes next year so that I won’t have to teach grade 7s so much.
I had been thinking to mention this to him previously so I’m glad it’s already something he’s thinking about. However, anything can happen. I don’t even know if they will still want me to work there next semester yet.
Something I learned today?
I learned that Funfai is three-quarters Chinese! I wasn’t particularly surprised at this as she has stereotypically beautiful almond-shaped eyes. I often forget how much Chinese influence there is here in north Thailand.
Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10
My grade 10s were exhausted from selling food at their stall all morning and when they turned up for my class they pleaded for me not to teach. As it was a one-hour class and I was just prepping them for their full 2-hour class tomorrow I acceded to their demands. They promised me that they would work hard to complete everything tomorrow.
I took this picture because I took these girls’ phones from them as they weren’t concentrating on doing my work. As I did this BB, on the left, grabbed my phone off my desk and took this selfie with Tulip. I got my phone back and then proceeded to fill Tulip’s phone with hundreds of random photos as punishment.
Better for all the sleep but my body feels a little like a pharmacy sponge – soaked in medicine. I pushed through a little exercise with a six a.m. wake-up and hope to get back to full exercise again tomorrow.
Today I’m grateful for:
The That Record Got Me High podcast for featuring Cardiacs this week. Their music is so familiar to me now but it’s always exciting to hear it again.
The best thing about today was:
All the students being in a good mood after finishing their scout week. The grade 9s in particular were happy because this was the last time they will ever have to do it. Tomorrow morning the kids celebrate Chinese New Year, another morning free of classes.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
When I got to House this morning the shop was shut. I still went in and played with Tokyo and gave her a snack but no one was around. I grabbed a coffee at Hobby Roasters to keep going and when I went back to House later Gui apologised saying that he had slept in after working every night at his restaurant last week. No big deal as there is other coffee around.
Something I learned today?
Israel is bombing Rafah during the Super Bowl when many North Americans may be occupied. But the other 90% plus of the world is not watching football.
25 THINGS ABOUT LIFE I WISH I HAD KNOWN 10 YEARS AGO – 16. Don’t Judge. Just because people make different choices than you, they are not stupid. Also, you don’t know everything about people, so don’t judge them – help them.
I used to judge people who were straight and boring, those who did the expected and followed paths given to them by acceptable standards of modern society. I used to hold animosity towards them. I still do in some way but much more forgiving. So long as no one is pushing their agenda on me then it’s fine.
I no longer try to push an agenda on others. Lots of things that I did that went against the grain have become mainstream now. I was judged harshly at that time. I remember what it was like. My animosity and judgement was a reaction to that. Everyone has a story and sometimes it’s worth listening to.
I took this picture because Amy asked me to. The jacaranda flowers are small and not as plentiful as the species in Australia but it’s nice to have them like this as a reminder.
I’m feeling weird and fuzzy again. I think maybe I have some Covid variation again. I got up at a reasonable time which was a bit difficult as Amy was still up and singing along to her favourite songs well past 1 am.
At 11 am though I slept again until 3 pm. Now I just feel like I have a stiff neck, blocked nose and little appetite despite knowing I’m hungry. I’m keen for more sleep and not excited about being back at work again tomorrow.
Today I’m grateful for:
Medicine, sleep and Sundays.
The best thing about today was:
Playing a little guitar and looking over old emails for information. I’ve done very little today and my brain is on strike. Despite this I was glad to do these little things.
Something I learned today?
Polluted air is mainly breathed indoors. We spend between 80 and 90 percent of our time indoors. Outdoor air pollutants find their way indoors and become trapped when there is no proper ventilation.
Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10
I complimented Noey on her shirt today as it was cute. She asked if I thought that she was cute and I said ‘No, just the shirt.’ She knows she’s cute, so she went off laughing.
I took this picture because P’ti was feeling very Sunday morning.
When the bottle was empty of pills There’s no time left to grow Amongst so many ills It’s the bitterest one to swallow
When the son takes the rope Believing there’s no place to go Those left now to cope Traverse the river of sorrow
When attention wasn’t sought And she suddenly became the show Life is no longer a thought Slipped into the undertow
So pass the many hours That survivors will never know And drift away the flowers Along the river of sorrow
Today I’m feeling:
Fuzzy and weird. After a delicious afternoon nap yesterday I got into reading comics so much in the evening that I was up just past midnight. I shoved down some medicine in the hope of waking up flu-free and slept reasonably well until 11. I do feel better but fuzzy around the edges, eyes unable to focus 100%.
Today I’m grateful for:
Matt for buying me a drink and giving me half a pack of tramadol after running across to Central.
The best thing about today was:
Seeing live music in Chiang Rai. Punk, hardcore, metal! Who’d’ve thought?
Something I learned today?
A Wall Street Journal report says Iran is having trouble reining in “Iran-backed militias” and offers one reason why: The US killed the guy who was good at reining them in!
I took this picture because this was the venue for the show before dark. The sound inside wasn’t fantastic due to the stage being shoved in the corner which is circular. This made for some wild and interesting sound distortions from the guitars though.
I recently received a letter from PastMe which I had written one year previously. In that letter, it was scout week and Aing and Now were here for Aing’s graduation. And so it is this time, scout week and Aing and Now are visiting again for their friend’s graduation.
Yesterday we went on a walk up to Khun Korn waterfall where I couldn’t help myself and stripped down and jumped into the freezing waters and felt the breath pushed out of my body by the water dropping the ten metres or so onto my head. It felt amazing. I feel revitalised but also tired today.
It was a funny coincidence that for scout week the M3 students were also at Khun Korn so I dropped by and saw them all getting cold, wet and dirty. They looked like they were having begrudging fun.
The future is not clear so I’ll just keep going until I receive this letter and can reflect back on what happened. Amy and I have discussed possibilities such as my going to Australia for a little break and then coming back together. This would be around the end of the year. She is also considering going to work with Mai for a while if she gets pregnant again. She is definitely going to Athens and Santorini in July before coming back to help me with my visa again. We also discussed her return here to maybe teach a little again and think about opening a small cafe/restaurant here. I still hope she decides to do that because that was one of our original plans when moving here. I wonder what the situation will be by the time of reading this!?
The world is open to many possibilities for us, which is a good place to be.
Will I remember the struggle this year of dealing with my troublesome classes? Will it have been any better with my new classes? I hope I have found some strategies for better dealing with it.
I’m also busy being lazy. Reading, watching TV, listening to music. But also spending a lot of time updating 1994ever.com. Not that it will ever be finished but I hope I’m closer to having all the pre-2000s information completed by now. There’s still a lot of stuff to go through.
I’m enjoying life though not quite as much as last year. Right now, I feel a little stuck in an anticipatory wait. Maybe I need to make something happen next. Or maybe it’s just a feeling and not my reality. How am I feeling now?
These letters to myself are not as easy to write as they are to other people! So with that I’ll be off for now!
Today I’m feeling:
Sick with a cold. My sore throat was hurting through the night and I woke up with a head full of snot. I think I’ll not hang out for too long this morning before heading home and finding some medicine, rest and sleep.
Today I’m grateful for:
The pharmacy that was open in the village where I bought medicine for fever, sore throat and itchy nose. KhaoTang’s mum’s shop was closed today as were a few other places, possibly due to the Chinese New Year.
The best thing about today was:
Feeling very relaxed despite my sickness. I had nowhere to be and nothing to do beyond whatever I wanted. I wrote to Rob and caught him up on some of my news. I’ll try to keep that communication going again.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
Despite being hungry, eating was a bit of a struggle. I didn’t really have an appetite and even though I knew the food was tasty my receptors weren’t getting the message. I forced myself to eat it all though.
Something I learned today?
China made a microchip that uses light rather than electrons. It is said to be three thousand times faster than its electron equivalent and uses so little energy in comparison that it could last for 500 years before needing a recharge.
25 THINGS ABOUT LIFE I WISH I HAD KNOWN 10 YEARS AGO – 15. Rest Before You Are Tired. Even if you love your job, and every day seems like a holiday, you need to take time to rest. You’re a human and not an android, never forget that.
I love rest but I also hate it. I lay down too much and spend many hours reading in that position. I love reading. It feels like resting. I like to get things done. I always like to be lazy. I push myself too much and my body forces me to stop. I’m still working on getting the balance right. Another decade or two and I should be good to go!
I took this picture because I thought these tiny little flowers were cute when I walked around Mum’s garden last week. My mind has been focused on words rather than pictures this week.
A little tired again I think because whatever is giving me a sore throat is just taking a little out of me. I don’t feel too bad but on the edge and it could go either way.
I slept relatively early again and got up later, skipping exercise again. There’s nothing to do at school today as all the kids go off camping and thankfully the high school foreign teachers don’t have to go like the primary teachers do.
Coffee, writing and reading time and then back home. Hopefully, I can avoid an afternoon nap today though it is tempting me right now.
Today I’m grateful for:
Keeping track of various things over time, with the likes of diaries, emails and archives of things that I’ve kept.
As I was on the verge of dozing off this afternoon I wondered if it was possible to get access to my old email account, pre-2008? The idea forced me up and though I soon discovered it was impossible I started rummaging around my old Facebook archive and then even older emails and just reading through a little of those triggered more memories.
I could even see that I was explaining things in 1998 about something that happened ten years earlier that I have since forgotten!
The best thing about today was:
What I mention above. It has me excited to dive further into the detritus of my life!
Something I learned today?
A burning ban is due to start on the 15th. So everyone is getting their burning in now. It also remains to be seen if anything is actually implemented.
There was also a newspaper article today which describes the government asking people not to burn so much paper money and incense during Chinese New Year!
Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10
I think I have only spoken with two people today. Amy and Gui. Not much opportunity for either good or bad.
I did nod good morning to one of the other teachers when I signed in this morning.
I gave Tokyo her daily snack for which she is always happy.
I also replied to an old acquaintance from Sydney who contacted me to say hello and ask for music recommendations.
25 THINGS ABOUT LIFE I WISH I HAD KNOWN 10 YEARS AGO – 14. Learn Every Day. You’ve got to train your brain to stay alert. You don’t have to read a book a day to learn every day. Learn from your mistakes. Learn from the people around you—be open to what they can teach you.
I force a lot of stuff into my brain every day and as I find answering ‘what is something I learned today’ is often difficult it seems like much doesn’t stick.
It’s going in, adding to my overall persona (input and output) but I often find myself in a conversation where I say ‘Oh, yeah I heard about that’ but don’t have the details; or think to myself ‘I wish I could recall the things I read to keep this discussion going.’
At least, I’m aware and know that I still know little about anything at all. That’s why I ask myself every day, ‘What did I learn?’
When was the last time I felt inspired?
I reckon it was last year when I first heard SpeechOdd. I really enjoyed their music and wanted to work with them. By the end of the year the opportunity arrived.
In general, I am inspired every day. I try to write poetry every day and I’m always on the lookout for things that may drive that inspiration and have found a couple of regular resources to keep me inspired.
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