Tag: chinese

Hypnotic Show – 13th February 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 4 Comments

The sad eye hypnotic
Traverse its monthly blinking
Cool, translucent, exotic
The wolf wanders thinking

From enchanted light
To hands held, no glow
A billion years of night
And this sad hypnotic show

Moonwashed Musings

Today I’m feeling:

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.

Wonderland – 25th October 2023

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Pinned to the floor, mouth full of dirt
Listening carefully for the next scream or roar
Unable to feel hurt, waiting for a hand
To pull back up to the new wonderland

No feeling in the toes, eyes red and wet
Blood pulses slowly down the nose
It’s not over yet, a forever-shifting sand
Every day a vision of this wonderland

Darkness surrounds, night is as day
Sharing space in these sacred grounds
Desperate again to play, desperate again to stand
Amongst the ruins of this wonderland

In and out of sleep, time for final dreams
All the promises no one was able to keep
Who knows what it means when it was all planned
And the devils came to play in this wonderland

24th Jun 2024 – Submitted to FOWC with Fandango

Today I’m feeling:

Sleepy but alive. As my body slowly revives from another rude awakening I’m sitting outside watching birds searching through the long grass for snacks or useful detritus for nest building, which I’m grateful to see they are taking full advantage of all our trees and safe nooks.

Today I’m grateful for:

Aing, Now and their two friends who helped look after our house and cats and best of all were very quiet and gentle so that us and our cats weren’t disturbed.

The best thing about today was:

Sushi buffet for dinner that I had saved up my hunger for, only eating a couple of pieces of bread around lunch time.

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

Having our house back to ourselves has set Amy off on a cleaning frenzy despite being tired and full after dinner and this leads to lots of ‘do this, get that, get this, do that’ to which I oblige and after a little while say ‘anything else?’ hoping that there isn’t!

Something I learned today?

Talking with my student Baipad I found out that she is part Lahu and of Chinese descent. I only discovered this when she told me she was staying in a village somewhere and when I looked it up it was the Lahu village that Bruno and I stopped at the time we rode out to Tha Ton.

What’s an opinion I held for a long time but changed?

When I was younger I ignorantly believed in freedom and anarchy. I say ignorantly in that I just didn’t know enough about it but I believed in the good of people in general, to help each other and make it work.

Age brings cynicism! I understand the appeal of less governance but ultimately I feel as if it is from the perspective of Western self-centredness and that leaves a lot of places for some to be left behind. Over time I’ve come to appreciate the ‘benevolent dictatorship’ of China, if I can call it that.

A well-governed country may not satisfy everyone when it comes to freedom but it seemed ironic to me when visiting that there was a feeling of more freedom in China than there wass in Australia (though I appreciate this was speaking as a guest).

Thailand is also way more relaxed in its rule of law, which has its upsides and downsides, of course. The government here is also not quite so benevolent to its people, or as well organised.

Governments that are corrupted are the scourge of the planet. It doesn’t matter what form the take. Corruption is the key.

Done – 21st March 2023

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

In the time it took to read this line
A million things could’ve been done
I’m feeling fine, searching for the perfect rhyme
Though perhaps this isn’t the one

Did you do the things you always wanted to?
Or just work away the days
I guess it’s true we never think things through
And time is the crime that never pays

Today I’m feeling:

Good but a little tired due to sleeping late. Walked to Utopia as a counter to having an afternoon nap, coming to try their new Affagato which has got my heart racing. Contemplating what to do if I go home or to walk on to Daytripper but then what to do there…

Today I’m grateful for:

My crappy old earphones that allowed me to listen to a podcast as I walked around in the heat. Am I the old man that prefers to listen to people talking about music rather than listening to music?

The best thing about today was:

In the afternoon, after walking back home and having a shower I felt inspired to read and got hungry so ate my salad before calling Amy at cat feeding time.

Still with some energy, I did a bit of watering as dusk settled in.

As I went to close the gate I was still not satisfied and decided to pull up the vines that grow behind our driveway’s tall grass. Pulling them out is a great feeling and I didn’t really notice the humidity, the grass cuts on my fingers and my itchy skin until Tangmo came along and distracted me and we played with his rope which he happily brought back each time I threw it.

In total darkness now I got back inside and had my third shower for the day.

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

A message came through for teachers to spend the next week or so crammed in the big hall doing lesson plans. I reckon we’ll be able to drift out pretty quickly but still, it’s not a thrilling prospect, especially as I’m already doing lots of work around my lessons.

Oh well, I have a plan to do the flashcard glueing whilst I’m there rather than do it at home. That’s a good use of the time for me at least. I’ll get my head around everything else and it will be ok.

Something I learned today?

A study produced by Ipsos in Paris found that the Chinese are overwhelmingly the happiest people of the 32 countries questioned. Of course, it’s just one study and people are quick to bring up other studies as counterarguments but there seem to be more and more of these kinds of positive happiness studies of China appearing.

What is the most beautiful place I’ve ever visited?

I’ve seen some beautiful places in Australia, China, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and pretty much most places I’ve been.

But sometimes there are simple places that stand out not just because of their beauty, which may be seen at any time of year or over the years and decades; places that brought a euphoria with them that might never be repeated, the smells and sounds nostalgic indicators, the people those moments may have been shared with.

Riding a pushbike through Branksome Chine, a hidden pond in the English countryside discovered one summer evening, the rocks off the path in the bush down to Middle Harbour discovered during a lunch break with TLJ, in an artists warehouse anticipating bands to perform.

I took this picture because I’d noticed these flowers on the weekend as I rode home. As I was walking today I had time to stop and grab this shot.

*How was your night? – 21st August 1998

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Email with TLJ

T: email me baby.

S: OK

T: i miss you.

S: When does your lecture start? You get all yr work done?

T: want to spend some time with you on the weekend – maybe go for a drive or picnic if it’s sunny,

S: Sounds good. let’s do it. Let’s go to the art gallery…

T: but i just remembered that i’m working on the next development task, and will probably be flat out.

S: Oh well. We got plenty of time ahead of us….

T: damn, hung out the clothes this morning and now it’s starting to get cold and rain! and i’ve only got a jumper and t-shirt on!

S: You need a cuddle? Come and get it.
Missing you too. Something I hoped to achieve at work today didn’t work. Damn. Shitting me.
Love ya too babes

T: i didn’t want to wake up this morning (apart from being tired)

S: Me too – I had to catch the train – i hate that.

T: because I was having a vivid and bizarre dream about andrew (from school).

S: why you no dreaming bout me….?

T: cause andrew’s cuter!

S: bbbllllleeeeeeeeuuuuuauuaaaarrrrrgggghhhhh! Me cuter!

T: He was cheating on his girlfriend with Aren!. ANd his girlfriend was this blond chick.

S: I think you got a thing about blonde chicks. I don’t.

T: no, i’ve got a thing about blonde himbos.

S: I’m dying my hair and going to the Gym.

T: Check out some of the lyrics to “summertime” “Romantic piscean seeks angel in disguise, Chinese speaking girlfriend
with big brown eyes”. Pretty cool huh?

S: Me like

T: but i don’t speak chinese, and i don’t have big brown eyes – so which chinese speaking girlfriend with big brown eyes are you talking about.

S: You are more beautiful than the most beautiful things in the world. You are the One!

T: also babe, i’m really sorry, but i may be busy saturday. Marty is having a party saturday night, and sue, di and tu want to get together for a girlie, movie night (not girlie-movie night!)

S: Well, that gives us all afternoon. I don’t unnerstand – Marty is having a party so you’re going somewhere else? I’ll come too – I’ll put on my skirt and lippie and pretend OK. Where’s it at?

T: and they want to watch some chick flicks – damn! exactly what is a chick flick? give me an example.

S: Beats me. Maybe Clueless or Sleepless in Seattle – shit I don’t know. Wanna take a copy of Apocalypse Now!

T: catch ya babe.

S: You better… And wish yr Dad a happy birthday.

T: he says thanks – he wants you to stop seeing his daughter as a b’day present. how bout it?

S: You heard him wrong – he knows what a great guy I am and asked me to marry you for his birthday. So how bout it. Seriously – do YOU want to stop me seeing you (sounds like it?) Don’t break my heart babe – I’m too far gone.

T: i just finished typing up the timesheets (but i haven’t got all of them from them laxzy fuckers!)

S: Kick butt sweety

T: yeah, yours

S: Like to see it. You can whip it anytime.

T: and printed out the minutes (huge waste of paper – i’m feeling guilty over it) and now i have to go meet the
data systems design people – damn. how come your mail comes with the header from your .csc.com.au account? just wondering.

S: Our Notes internet mail goes through that gateway now. CSC owns it now instead of Connect.

T: “well it’s you and me in the summertime, we’ll be hand and hand down in the park” can’t wait for summer, tlj

S: You’re driving me nuts – I can’t wait either. You better make plenty of time for me (cos I’m a demanding sonova…)

T: Is that because of the insanely fast way i think and converse, and you can’t keep up with me? or what?

S: No it’s cos of yr gorgeous body. All my lovely love
PS My night was cool – I fell straight to sleep (after dreaming bout you)

T: thanks babe, tlj

S: Do you love me?