Tag: bad boys

From The Tree To Me – 17th June 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

In the raw, you leave
A bitter tingle on the lips
A dusty drift in the air
Dry to the connoisseur’s nose

To grip the sweat of flesh
Where the cups of coffee sit
Hard knocks on wood
Built for many winters

All the ale spilled over
And never a complaint
Stoic and solid, ever-steady
Dampened with a cloth

How is it that your shade
Perfectly matches your function?
When your name is spoken
Your colour is revealed

Sealed with a scent
A low release of forest
Antique aching legs
Of stale cigars, whiskey and work

Write a poem about an object in five stanzas using sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch – in any order.
What is it?
This was a tough write and I don’t know if people can understand what the object is!

Today I’m feeling:

Pretty good despite almost swearing when my alarm went off.  I got up and at it though and now, about two hours later, I’m wondering if I can increase my exercise time a little in the morning.  Seems like I’ve already forgotten about how tired I am by Fridays and thinking of pushing it further now it’s Monday!

(10 pm) So tired now that I’m no longer contemplating pushing myself so much!

Today I’m grateful for:

The students in the sick room who bandaged up my fingers whilst taking pictures to show that they were working when required. Fixing the bleeding farang teacher is good optics.

The best thing about today was:

My first class, 3 hours with grade 12s was relaxing and fun. I didn’t push them too much and tried to keep everyone engaged as best as I could.  I was quite impressed with their English skills and with their confidence to at least try their best.

What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?

Tokyo finally got me today and it was my own fault. 

Usually, when I’m leaving House I don’t disturb her as she is sleeping, yet eyeing what is going on but today she was on her side and raised her paw for a belly rub. 

If I had come round to her side maybe everything would be ok but I tried leaning over the bench which left my hand hovering over her until I got my balance to sit down. I know that she feels threatened by this and sure enough, she snapped her jaw around my fingers and me trying to pull away left a big gash on the inside of my forefinger and knuckle of my ring finger. 

Weirdly, it didn’t hurt that much, though I knew I should be feeling pain. Due to the location of the wounds, they soon started dripping blood.  Gui’s mum got out the medicine kit that they have to keep handy for these situations and I quickly cleaned up before heading back to school. 

I got the cuts band-aided at the sick room and went off to class.

Something I learned today?

Praewa complained about her boyfriend, my grade 8 student Ten, smoking too much marijuana! I was not at all surprised to hear this. 

She has been very unhappy since she met him and I don’t understand what his appeal is. Bad boy appeal maybe? All her friends keep telling her to dump him and she keeps threatening to.

Ten is immature and doesn’t have any parental guidance at home, living with his grandmother and his younger sister. 

I’d be happy if I never heard his name again and I usually like the ‘bad’ kids.

What three words describe today? 

Interesting
Inspiring
Tiring

Amy took this picture just before fixing up the support for the nest with an old shirt. Things were getting precarious there.

With Open Arms – 6th July 2023

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

The immigrant children complain of immigration
They think they own the land
Never taught their history, or easily forgotten
They offer no helping hand

The suburbs are full of lawnmowers and cars
This happy life must not be disturbed
New arrivals collect glasses in the downtown bars
Where lines of demarcation become blurred

A drink to our new friends here to find a way
To live a long-forgotten dream once told
To all who struggled in an effort to stay
To seek the world their movies sold

20th Nov 2024 – Shared with Word of the Day Challenge – downtown

Today I’m feeling:

I had to talk myself into exercising this morning but I pushed through with my mini ab workout. I’m glad I did because it got me awake and settled into a reasonable mood. I know I’m tired but also not craving rest. My left eye is aching still and whilst meditating this morning wondered if I’d had a stroke. I looked in the mirror and there were no obvious changes to my face. I should perhaps go to the local optometrist and get them to have a closer look inside.

Today I’m grateful for:

Our crazy school schedule that means I only have one class tomorrow afternoon at 2.30 so I’ve made the decision to sleep in and not sign in tomorrow and head to school around 1.30. Great!

The best thing about today was:

Watching some reluctant students stand up and speak in English and overcome some of their fears and hesitations. I made sure to commend them after class to lift their confidence further.

Before my last class of the day, I was playing volleyball and saw some of my students heading to class that included the three ‘bad’ boys, including the porn kid from yesterday. I roped them in to come and play and we bonded a little further. Enough so that we had a comfortable lesson without incident. I was happy with that result.

What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?

Things are humming along smoothly as of now.

Something I learned today?

Some folks in the West are railing against the Taliban because they have once again made opium production illegal and reduced it by 80% just as they did before the US invaded twenty years ago, when they made it legal again. Somehow drug production is okay in other countries but not in their own. The West is doomsaying all the negative outcomes that will arise from a country’s government implementing their own law. Hmmm… Hypocritical much?

How am I different than I was a year ago?

Differences year to year feel more slight than in my youth. If there’s anything that I can really feel it’s just a general improvement in well-being and contentment. My health has also improved though I can also feel my age as more time passes.

I took this picture because this simple little plant is growing in the parking space at the back of House and as I was walking by the sunlight was hitting at an angle that made the leaf shapes jump out at me.