Tag: bikers

Ask – 1st September 2023

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

The old man looks like his life has been lived
The stories contained in the lines on his face
No more want except a smile and a seat
What would you want to be asked in his place?

picture found in a newsletter but I forget which one.

Today I’m feeling:

Positive but a little tired what with it being the end of the week. I sure don’t feel like Fridays are a big day to plan going out and getting drunk anymore. Get home and read a book. What a boring old man but I don’t care. I’ll do what I enjoy.

Today I’m grateful for:

The iron and ironing board that I have located in front of the lounge to inspire me to sit and iron the thirteen clean shirts here too. I’ll watch something interesting or listen to music to make the passing of that time more entertaining. Anyway, I’m grateful to own this equipment and that both the board and iron have served us well for more than five years already.

The best thing about today was:

As I was leaving after my first class this morning I went to see David who was preparing for his class with 2/6. I didn’t make it in to see him though as different groups of kids came to talk to me. Goya appeared in front of me holding the cutest tiny kitten and I immediately grabbed it for cuddles. I couldn’t quite get to the bottom of why she had a kitten in class and I reluctantly gave it back. Still grieving for Kim and our boys getting old, both Amy and I have told ourselves, no more cats but it’s hard to think about when there are unwanted kittens everywhere all the time. Caring for cats so much has tied us down a lot though. Today Amy said that if we didn’t have cats we would be living permanently back in Australia already. I’m finding that difficult to think about as I am feeling so contented here right now.

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

I had planned to spend my four free hours finishing off my grading files but when I tried to log in this morning our school was no longer listed in the system for some reason. I checked with another teacher and they had the same issue. It’s not like there was nothing else I could do in the meantime so it was only a minor annoyance and when I posted a message in our teacher’s group Kru Ren advised that the name of our school had changed for some reason and when I tried again I could get in. I updated all but one class and will get that one completed over the weekend. Bend with the breeze.

Something I learned today?

Amy messaged me that the face-tattooed German guy who ran the Bavarian bar in the city is now in a Bangkok jail and due to be deported back home to face murder charges from his time in a biker gang. I was not at all surprised by this news.

What am I looking forward to this month?

The end of it! The end of this semester and then preparing to go to Australia in October. I’m a bit tired today and started to feel a little wearisome to be teaching today though it’s enjoyable once I’m in class.

Kwang took this picture because I left my phone at my desk whilst I was helping other students. She is a smart independent tomboy, currently with a lackadaisical attitude towards studying. So long as she doesn’t go off the rails she’ll be good in the future. She also has a model-like face which she likes to hide with the mask and could be a child actor, model or somesuch. In comparison, this picture is not particularly flattering of me! Still need to work off some excess rolls of fat that accumulated during my prime years in Australia.

Different Worlds – 14th July 2023

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

When I walk by the river
Do you see what I can see?
Catfish jumping, catching cats
Elves flying from tree to tree
I see elephants tugging boats
The waters are dark and deep
Fireworks fired from the sun
Dreams of which my secrets keep
Do you see sparks flying?
Feel the love of the farmer’s daughter?
Here’s a dose of the real world
Found within this water

Perceptions, real or imagined, are all valid.

Today I’m feeling:

Pretty good again. No class this morning because of the Japan Day event in the morning so teachers are running around preparing things and students are running around playing cosplay or slinking off to find a quiet place to sleep. I think what they are doing doesn’t teach much but I try to forget that and get into the spirit of it. It’s hot, humid and everyone is sweaty already. My students already asked me to skip class this afternoon but I think we can do a little bit just for fun.

(Later) It was so hot and running around to the temple and the crematorium, back and forth to school all wore me out so I fell in line with the kids and told them the class was cancelled and I came home. As I was driving back a nice storm cleared the air, though I had to quickly get to the gutter to clear all the leaves I found blocking it yesterday. Nothing like an emergency to galvanise one into action. The storm is long gone now though and the sun returned to torture us more.

Today I’m grateful for:

The Hobby coffee shop which Gui recommended me to try as House is closed today as he goes to Bangkok for a coffee festival. The barista at Hobby used to live in Melbourne and his coffee is good but lacked the kick of taste I like. Maybe he has a dark roast I can try when I go back later.

(Later) I’m here now and forgot to ask! Another time. Off to Boom’s funeral.

The best thing about today was:

Amy is about to board her flight to Chiang Rai and in a couple of hours she’ll be back here complaining about how hot it is. It will be good to annoy each other in person again! And kiss, cuddle and comfort too.

(Later) And now I’m at the airport again waiting for her and it doesn’t seem quite real. Everything changes, everything is the same.

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

Some of my students from the class on Tuesday were grumpy with me because I complained to their homeroom teacher so much. When I ran into them today some couldn’t resist the urge to come and chat and play with me and likewise, I always feel happy to see them, especially outside the classroom. They are good kids just bad students. They’ll figure it out given time and hopefully not too late.

Something I learned today?

A US presidential candidate has called for an end to NATO arguing that it has continually broken its own charter and is making the world a more dangerous place. I did not think it would sell in America but the rest of the world seems to agree.

What are some of my favourite things?

Amy surprised me with a new iPhone so right now that is my favourite thing.  Tomorrow it won’t be though. It will just be a phone, a little better than the one I was using before. 

Maybe Amy is my favourite thing. Most days.

I took this picture because today is Boom’s funeral and all his biker friends came to the crematorium to see him off. After his body went into the flames they revived their engines and tooted their horns for a minute.

Ask him no questions he’ll tell you no lies – 22nd January 2018

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Working Monday mornings only come around about once a month and they suck as much for me as for everyone else.  Day shifts are relatively boring, or I should say, even more boring than night shifts.  This whole job is an exercise in dealing with boredom.  I joke about having finished reading the internet.

Talking about reading I’m about to finish the 3rd book this week about bikers.  This one, ‘Outlaws’, is about the history of the clubs in the UK and constantly reminds me of my one time run in with a Hell’s Angel (which, on further thought, reminds of another run in).

Fatty, his girlfriend Sally, and I were on the 2-hour drive home from London after a gig and stopped at the service station to fill up on some food.  It was probably around 1am and the place was empty.  The food in bain-marie looked unappetising but we needed something to fill our empty bellies.  We filled our plates and sat down, having the choice of the whole room to sit in.  As we nearly finished a biker came in, got some food and chose to sit down next to us.  Of course, we immediately became nervous and finished up as quickly as we could.  The biker looked straight at Sally and said ‘do you want to fuck?’

Thankfully she was too stunned to say anything, which was unusual for her.  I could see her mouthing off and getting us all punched down.  We picked up our things and left swiftly.  I think I heard the biker say ‘guess that’s a no then?’ as we got through the door.  Thankfully he was alone.

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And the other story that came to mind was in a pub one early evening Fatty and I were standing next to a pillar, happily drinking away.  We stuck our drinks on the shelf around the pillar in between gulps and continued chatting, putting the world to rights as per usual early 20-year-olds shooting the breeze.  I turned to pick up my beer, almost full, and it was gone.  I looked around the pillar and three Hell’s Angels were talking to each other, paying no attention to this little runt who’d just lost his drink.

I tapped one of them on the back and as he turned I smashed him in the face and stomped on his stomach.  As the other two pulled out their pistols I karate chopped one and high kicked the other and then……oh wait.  That’s not what happened.  We went somewhere else to get a drink instead.

Hopefully, the next book I read is a little less hateful.