Down in amongst the broken, dirty chaos Restless rats are awaiting our return Get me away, get thee away – gedouddaheah! We’ve all got some loving to learn
Up among the trees and idyllic charms Of sprawling lawns, quiet, clean and pure Elsewhere, everything else is happening We should’ve been there for sure
We gotta leave so that we can come back To quiet ourselves amongst the noise Knowing that everything will be waiting there Ready to share its joys
Another poem inspired by the first part of this post at Spinning Visions blog. I’d forgotten that I’d read it before!
Not so good after a bad sleep due to all the spice from dinner. I skipped exercise for a little extra rest but this morning my stomach is still in a state of gurgling.
I’m also still not sure if I might be getting Amy’s flu. Without exercise, I couldn’t stand a cold shower this morning and today is my first jacket day of winter.
Around 9.30am, my stomach had settled and I could enjoy the rest of the day more. Still tired, though but at least don’t feel like any flu symptoms are developing.
Health:
Physical: 6 Mental: 7
Today I’m grateful for:
The wooden scent blocks in the car that are slowly removing the smells of it once being Amy’s mum’s and slowly becoming mine.
The best thing about today was:
Listening to students explain their decisions about some English work I gave them about the Thai TV show Hormones.
I was surprised at a couple of students at how close-minded they were, whilst a couple of others were able to well articulate their thoughts.
I’ll try to find some other topics and questions like this.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
A couple of students in my last class were quite rude in their exclamations for the class to go faster so that they could leave early. I was firm with them the first time, threatened them the second and made fun of them the third time.
It was a bit annoying but maybe it was frustrating for them as they didn’t know how long the class was going to take, while I did and knew that they would have plenty of time.
Something I learned today?
A TikTok video taught me the significance of Chinese chopsticks, why they are the length they are and why one end is round and the other square.
Pin took this picture and sent it to me later with a note, ‘so cute’, which is very kind of her to say!
The whole of life calls for tears The past is done, the future coming Now is when the fog clears Get ready to hit the ground running
Today I’m feeling:
Tired. I’m sleeping better but still not well so waking up feeling out of it and a little dizzy. Nothing on this morning though so can take it easy and get my brain into gear slowly.
Today I’m grateful for:
Mei and Haken again for picking up all of Amy’s donations this evening after sharing a nice dinner of tapas with them and their friends.
The best thing about today was:
Taking the ferry from Drummoyne to Olympic Park and seeing every single house and apartment that we are likely never to be able to afford along the way. Sydney is a wealthy city, or in a lot of debt.
Something I learned today?
Watching a documentary today about abandoned places, I learned about an old nuclear missile silo somewhere in the USA that housed the biggest baddest bombs of the time but due to technological advances had become obsolete and abandoned after only three years.
What is an experience that changed my perspective?
My experience of being in Thailand has certainly changed my perspective on many things and is highlighted by my return to Australia where I now feel a little out of place again. Perhaps it is the switch from country living to being back in the city again though. I guess I’m a country boy at heart. The slower quieter life.
I took this picture because it was certainly a beautiful day on the Harbour. This was Amy’s view every morning as she went to work.
The steeples point to heaven Yet my feet are here on earth The cities yield to the dirt Whilst the woods exercise their mirth
Solace amongst the battlements Whilst treading familiar paths Breath deep the cool pine air The sun sets upon our gentle hearts
United in our spiritual mores This ghostly presence felt Brings gladness to my heart For these present tidings dealt
Gratitude Journal
I am so happy and grateful to Bruno to be able to help me plant a tree from a branch we pulled off from the side of the road. It’s only the size of a flower at the moment but I will plant it one day and watch it grow.
Be thankful for life’s difficulties. Grateful for those who show you disrespect. Thanks to those who judge and criticise without knowing more.
Thank you, Champ. I’m grateful that you let me rant at you and you showed some understanding. I calmed down later and I realised that that is because of you.
Thanks, George, for being consistently rude to me despite my being polite to you. Your behaviour feels like a challenge I can rise above and I’m sure you have your own motives and difficulties to deal with that I don’t understand. I can’t control the way you act so it won’t make me angry. I can control the way I act and respond – that is the test for me. So, thanks!
Thanks to the parents who complain about me as a teacher. I cannot control their actions and they have judged me on the words of their children without any interaction with me, so who am I to assume to know what they are complaining about?
Thanks to this virus that has challenged me to come up with new ways and means to teach and to spend my days.
Thanks to my aching back and sore butt from sitting on wooden chairs all day. Reminds me to move.
Thanks to the difficult students, the lazy ones, the pretenders, they are a constant challenge for me to improve myself.
Yesterday, when I went back to the teacher’s room, I had a long talk with Kru Karn and she couldn’t stop talking! Her English pronunciation is very Thai and she has a limited vocabulary but we had a good chat about all sorts of things and I enjoyed it very much.
I’ll try to have more connective conversations with some of the other teachers too. It’s often difficult to do when there are many teachers in the room but if I can find them alone, I will try. I’m not interested in becoming friends with any of them. In fact, what I think is that I just want to improve their English abilities! My students have better English than some of them!
I’m sitting in Game’s new cafe that just opened today. Another place for good coffee in Chiang Rai. I’m pretty spoiled for choice here.
Weirdly, this has made me think that I want to get another tattoo. I have some ideas for tattoos but haven’t gotten around to following up on them. No hurry, I suppose. We’ve got forever.
I’m doing a free online course about Coleridge that is influencing my writing a little. I don’t like to read poetry much but I do like it when it is explained. Much like the couple of Shakespeare books I picked up. I’m curious about language and its use. Maybe if I study enough I’ll be able to enjoy it without explanation.
Or I can keep on listening to music and enjoy screaming along to the words. I’ve printed out some lyrics that I want to analyse and keep thinking of more, and I also have this stupid plan to review all my CDs, one by one, which will actually force me to listen to them. I estimate that doing one a day may still take me 4 or 5 years to complete. Never mind all the digital music I have!
I still haven’t sat down to listen to the Leopold CD again. Oh well – I have forever, right?
1994ever 