Tag: comics

Said And Done Again – 31st December 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 13 Comments

A reckoning with my younger self,
nostalgia or all a nonsense?
We should want to change the world,
guided by our conscience;

As the crossroads multiply,
direction becomes obscured;
Pulled along on divergent tides,
wildly thrashing, unmoored;

Ideals discarded to the wind,
just another day to survive;
Waking up to realise
the destination will soon arrive;

A reckoning born of experience
as ideals began to wane;
Everything ever said and done
will be said and done again.

30th May 2025 – Shared with Poets and Storytellers United #179 – starting over

Today I’m feeling:

A little blurry in the morning as I recovered from a few shots of Glenfiddich last night, giving me at least a good reason to feel dizzy.

I took my laptop to Utopia and did a little catching up on things whilst there and a couple of coffees got me good and awake.

After a snack and some video watching, I hopped into bed to read some comics, expecting to get sleepy and have a nap, however, the coffees decided it would be better for me to stay awake and I got up again and went out to my room to play guitar, which was loud and enjoyable.

Soon enough, it was time to head to Mum and Dad’s for dinner, which I am now recovering from.

Health:

Physical: 6
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

Trying out some pizza from a city restaurant and getting it delivered by Grab. Easy life.

The best thing about today was:

Wishing ten or so random poets at AllPoetry.com a happy new year while commenting on their work.

Something I learned today?

I learned how to set up a symbolic link across my different drives so that I can load all my comics into one common repository.

Review your acts, Good and bad.

I had a reasonable chat with Nong Fah today, trying to encourage her to use more than one or two-word answers to questions.

Whilst chatting, she also told me that she is a little worried about changing to high school next year. I told her that I understood but that I thought that she would be fine.

Rotten Words – 30th December 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Weakness of various kinds may lurk in a flabby lip*
The ill-bred then ill-led by courtier cowards
History’s dustbin overflows with rotten words let slip
A moral vacuum created in Babel’s towers

When the logos kings vanish, only the dirt remains
So sift the glittering trash of golden whispers
In search of the truth which in turn explains
The fragment promises of unwritten scriptures

*I forget who said this quote but I read it in The Decline and Fall of the British Empire by Piers Brendon.

Today I’m feeling:

A little better with a bit more enthusiasm. Coffee was great at Utopia. Nu came and got his shots too before heading off to Chiang Mai. I finished reading Persepolis, which was a very interesting read, before coming home and playing some guitar and listening to some music.

And a little later I finished reading Consider The Lobster. New books to start for the new year in a couple of days.

Health:

Physical: 7
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

Hanging on to my old Xbox and cranking it for the first time this year (I think). I spent an hour driving around in GTA. I also accompanied this playtime with some Glenfiddich. It almost feels like Christmas.

The best thing about today was:

Finishing a couple of books before the end of the year.

I’ve almost finished downloading the complete Marvel reading order and I will add those to my comic book reading schedule.

Review your acts, Good and bad.

Anchan asked me for money to go to Chiang Mai but I felt like I don’t quite believe her at the moment. I also haven’t been paid myself yet, though I do have cash spare. I’m happy to help her but I don’t want to just be an ATM whenever she feels like it.

Art took this picture as I modelled for another Utopia assignment.

Freefall Reply – 26th December 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

This haiku was posted by Gary B. Dean at AllPoetry.com on 23rd July 2024.

Freefall

All leaves fall away
From the branches that lift them
For their only flight

I liked it and wanted to reply. So I did.

What is the meaning
Hidden in these words of yours?
How to understand?

The leaves fall away
Because the tree doesn’t need
Them in the winter

Once served their purpose
What use are they to the tree?
Good compost coming!

Today I’m feeling:

Dizzy though my brain was fairly active once I woke up.

I went to Utopia and sent work for my students to do, though I expect very few of them to bother.

I chatted with Bruno for an hour or so, but had to concentrate hard to stay focused. I talked more than I have in a long time and quickly got tired, so I came back home to rest again.

Health:

Physical: 6
Mental: 6

Today I’m grateful for:

Kru Jern again for following up on her class to send me the work I assigned them today. Only one student submitted my work during class time.

The best thing about today was:

Reading comics. I didn’t do much else!

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

I found that my order for cat food got cancelled, though I haven’t received any refund yet. It’s annoying as we have almost run out and it may take extra time to get more delivered.

I took this picture because Amy and I were both surprised to find this cactus looking like this.

My Backyard – 20th December 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Flowers bloom between my toes
Tamed all within this fence
The tree of life grows
Slaked by others’ expense

Beyond the hills and valleys
Where the earth is dry and hard
Adding to the deadly tallies
But never in my backyard

I’ll fight you off my flowers
Kill to keep my order
Raise up sentry towers
To keep you from my border

No, never in my backyard
Eyes shut tight to beyond
My garden must not be marred
No filth brought to my pond

Today I’m feeling:

Tired but happy and healthy. Exercise was a struggle this morning, especially as each day the intensity is increasing as per the plan. But I felt good once done, despite also probably being able to go straight back to sleep if I had a chance.

But off to work and just before my first class, one of the students told me that they all had to leave at 10 to go and do a particular math lesson. Ok, I can deal with it. Then, during the lesson, the time got revised to 9.30. Ok – easy. Done. And an extra hour break for me. I could easily sleep again, but have to push myself to finish off the day.

Health:

Physical: 8
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

Some folks out there who spend inordinate amounts of time doing little things that only a few people will appreciate.

In this instance, I am thinking about a person who put together a complete comic book reading order for Marvel comics from the 50s until now. And not just a list but digital scans of them all too.

The best thing about today was:

Again, not one thing in particular but lots of little good things throughout the day all adding up to make a great day all round.

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

Both my morning and afternoon classes were affected by students having to go off and do things, and I was easy and flexible enough to go with the flow.

Review your acts, Good and bad.

Jet, Lin and Jee were all nervous about interviews to be leaders in the upcoming conference in January but I tried to calm them down as best I could.

Jee, in particular, was worried because Momo was also interviewing, and everyone knows Momo’s English is the best amongst them. I told her that it won’t just be about English skills but also about suitability for the role.

And sure enough, as I imagined, Momo wasn’t chosen, as the interviewers told her that her personality wasn’t what they were looking for. Momo was very upset and disconsolate, telling me that she felt like a failure. I tried to pep her up again and gave her a hug and left her with her friends, who were also a little shocked at this outcome.

I talked with Jee later and told her that she had no real reason to be nervous. Just do your best, try and fail, try and succeed, it’s all the same. We will still sleep in the same place tonight as last night.

First Snowy Morning – 15th December 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 19 Comments

Outside the window, I giggle in delight
The first feel of snow after a silent night
This day of love has already seen me grow
Because this feeling, I thought I’d never know

I found myself once finding my tribe
Along with a love I could only describe
Now felt without any suffocating
All this time patiently waiting

The love was always right under my nose
Because I could cry at heart-wrenching prose
Intoxicated walking along the city street
Even enthralled by the glass and concrete

I will sip this love through a golden straw
And take it home to the Eastern shore
Where the soft dusty snow ignites
A love for this garden of delights

Inspired by this post at Spinning Visions
8th Jan 2026 – Shared with Esther Chilton’s writing prompt #98 – snow
21st Jan 2026 – Shared with dVerse Poetics – snow

Today I’m feeling:

Good and rested, though I did have to rush to the toilet just before sleeping as all the food I ate today decided it required a quick exit. My stomach is still feeling a little off this morning.

Last night it started raining, which was a bit of a surprise, though now that the rainy season is over, any rain is appreciated. It’s also cooler during the day, almost pleasant weather!

(Later) As the rain settled to a steady drizzle, the air stayed chilly and I spent a fair few hours just lying in bed under the doona and reading.

By bedtime, stepping out of the shower felt unbearably cold and I chuckled to myself as it was only last week when I was wondering when it was finally going to cool down. Be careful what you wish for.

Health:

Physical: 7
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

The old guy fruit seller who always offers me a plastic bag, which I refuse. Today he asked me if I was cold, as I was only wearing shorts and a T-shirt and to be honest, I was cold. He grabbed my arm and told me that I am strong.

The best thing about today was:

Lots of reading, especially enjoying the Aussie comic Platinum Grit.

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

I bought a pack of fruit at the market and dropped it around to Baipad along with 40 baht, matching what she saved herself last week.

She was sitting on the salon bench playing an online game on her phone and couldn’t drag herself away from it. I dropped the fruit on her lap and stuffed the 40 baht down the back of her shirt and she didn’t even blink.

Ah well. Kids these days!

Something I learned today?

TikTok is like crack! Even I’m sucked in now that the suggestions are tuned to what I want to see. The theory of this is disturbing, but oddly, I’m finding that the information provided is far more useful than anywhere else, like YouTube or Instagram.

The Baddies – 9th December 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 3 Comments

Are we the baddies? You’d better believe it
We’ve been found out even by our friends
They finally saw through the lies we told
As we manipulated them for our own ends

Are we the baddies? But we were told
The world only wants what we can give
And our freedom and democracy
Is what they all needed to live

Are we the baddies? Oh we surely are
Slowly our friends left our sinking ship
Despite a desperate clinging on to hope
We’ve slowly been losing our grip

Inspired by this Second Thought video

2024-12-09

Today I’m feeling:

Good, especially knowing that tomorrow is another day off again.

I was expecting fewer students at school today but all my classes were reasonably full. That’s fine, though. I found some random lesson to teach, as the one that I really want to do, I want to start in a week when there are no holidays (which may actually be difficult!)

Health:

Physical: 8
Mental: 8

Today I’m grateful for:

Amy’s mum for giving us her old car. We don’t expect or ask anything much from the family, so it was a nice surprise.

The best thing about today was:

I enjoyed two of my classes today, where we talked about kindness. Two of the last questions raised much discussion as I asked what Random Acts of Kindness they had done recently and then what one they could do in the next 24 hours.

Many students just thought that helping their parents clean the house was sufficient but I had to impress on them that it must be random, not something that they normally do and so usually with someone that they don’t know.

I asked them to commit to doing what they wrote and to send me a picture or video. I doubt I will get anything from them but I will probably revisit this later with them.

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

Amy got mum’s old car today and took it to a place to change the stereo. I needed Bluetooth, USB for power and audio input but from the picture Amy sent I can’t send any audio input for my iPod.

I’m hoping I can find a solution if that is the case.

When I got home, Amy was still in the city and there had been a typical Thai-style non-communication, which ended up with us not getting the car back and Amy driving mum’s brand new car back instead.

As to mum’s new car – that’s another drama but I’ll leave that for another time.

Something I learned today?

After really enjoying reading the Lucifer comics and a few years ago seeing that the TV show was quite highly rated, I thought that I would give it a try.

Sadly, it is US trash TV – enjoyable but vapid. I wasn’t expecting it to be like the comics but I was also disappointed with its lack of depth and reduction of characters to caricatures.

I really don’t enjoy this style of TV anymore – even though it is quite similar to comic book schlock. I want my comic book schlock only in my comic books.

Review your acts, Good and bad.

I talked with a few teachers about options for Anchan and they all suggested talking with Teacher Em and that there are possibilities for her to get loan money from the government.

Via translation, I talked with Anchan about this. She didn’t seem so keen on talking with Teacher Em at this stage and is already thinking of applying for the loan next semester (she’s not eligible yet).

She also told me that she has been talking with an Auntie who she can live with later this month and that she is helping with money.

At the end of the day, I told her that she will need to go through these channels in future and that she won’t be able to come to me to ask for money. I don’t want to believe the worst about her but it is possible that she is just using me. Right now, on a personal level, I don’t care about that but going forward, she will have to pursue these avenues first.

Narrative Hallucinations – 1st December 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Data streams into the dark box
The causes not yet known
A search for the secret locks
That experience has shown

Spittin out its predictions
Before the data confirmed
Holding onto convictions
Of what’s already learned

Narrative hallucinations
Reinforce the box and harden
Exponential calculations
Grows the shadowy garden

Inspired and paraphrased by David Elikwu ‘All In Your Head’

Today I’m feeling:

Good but a little blurry, probably from the gummy yesterday. I still feel like there is a lot that I want to do today but after yesterday, I know that there won’t be enough time!

I couldn’t believe it, that not long (seemingly) after writing the above, it was already 2pm! I feel like I got some things done today, even though it was probably less than yesterday.

Health:

Physical: 7
Mental: 8

Today I’m grateful for:

My student Namyen showing me how to make a quick video using CapCut. It was pretty simple in the end, though I think I need to figure out a way to make them generate a bit faster.

It’s fun, but I don’t want to spend too much time on it.

The best thing about today was:

Reading. Comics and books. 2000AD Judge Dredd, Lucifer, Platinum Grit, Totally Wired Post-punk interviews, Up Simba (David Foster Wallace).

Something I learned today?

I learned how to edit my own silly videos to post on Instagram.

Review your acts, Good and bad.

I swept the entertainment area.

I took Amy and me to the 7-11 as she wanted something there and I used the opportunity for her to buy me an ice cream!

I took this picture because I felt something in my sandal and thought it was just a stone. I kicked it off and this monster came out! With two legs lost he struggled to run off in a straight line. I’m checking my shoes every time now!

Round Holes – 30th November 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 9 Comments

Often bewildered
A cultural disconnect
I don’t belong here
I don’t belong anywhere
A choice I made long ago

Another planet
Aliens walk among us
A sideways side-eye
Weird welcomes may be hiding
Daggers and fists held in check

Heads down and bum up
The square pegs will never fit
Scared of the unknown
A slow assimilation
Under cover of the night

Who am I to say?
I’m not one but the other
Out in the wide-open
Searching for a hole to hide
Keep quiet, wait for my moment

It’s us versus them
Until accommodated
Compelled to fit in
Or stay along the margins
Til my tribe reveals itself

Often bewildered
Aliens walk among us
Scared of the unknown
Searching for a hole to hide
Til my tribe reveals itself

A garland tanka shared with the Moonwashed Weekly Prompt – Otherness

Today I’m feeling:

Mellow and relaxed. After Amy left this morning and I got back from Utopia, I lazily read books and comics and watched some videos. I found an appropriate dose of a gummy to get me into things without taking me down the paranoia highway.

Around 3 pm, I hopped into bed and read more comics before a pleasant nap, which I got from at around 5 pm.

I forced myself out into my room, where I searched and researched Savage Dragon and Usagi Yojimbo comics before crashing around with the guitar, which sounded good today, though perhaps it was just from the CBD in the gummy.

Health:

Physical: 7
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

Amy’s friends who are taking care of each other at Wan’s place near Chiang Khong.

The best thing about today was:

Reading a few issues of the current Love and Rockets series again. Such a rich and wonderful read and told with great skill.

I love that I’ve been able to watch the characters develop over all these years. It’s so well written that sometimes little is said but the reader fills in the gaps to move the story along.

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

The worst thing about the gummy experience is that time just disappears. I want to read more, listen to more music, write etc but somehow it’s time to go to bed already.

Something I learned today?

Art at Utopia is renting the shop next door to him to do more roasting. He’s doing well with his brand.

Amy sent me this picture while I was at Utopia. She had a big two-litre bottle of red wine ready to go to Wan’s birthday party this evening. She was just about to leave when….

Strong Cap – 19th October 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 12 Comments

Vacuous thoughts rise
– then becoming prosaic
Never surrender!
Clarity comes with coffee
– so life has meaning again

Shared with Tanka Tuesday using synonyms for mindless and humdrum and reflecting the struggle to write before coffee and the ability to conjure words after coffee!

Today I’m feeling:

Pretty good, getting up at a reasonable time. My hips were aching again, telling me that I need to move my lazy ass around more.

Health:

Physical: 7
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

The neighbours’ kids playing in our driveway and garden and making enough noise to ensure that I woke up from my afternoon nap in the living room. I couldn’t resist the temptation to sleep today after a big lunch.

The best thing about today was:

Reading 2000AD and Judge Dredd comics. I love their crazy stories so much and there are so many of them. I’m now up to the end of 2005 and thrilled to think that I still have another 19 years’ worth to read and by the time I get there, there will be another few years more too.

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

I took Amy for lunch as she made fun of me last weekend for taking my students for pizza and never taking her anywhere. I decided I wanted Lard Na near Big C.

When my food came, I poured over the sauce but we had forgotten to tell them that I didn’t want any pork, which isn’t usually in the sauce anyway but this time it was.

I picked out all the bits that were obvious, but resigned myself to eating the rest of the food, as I had already covered everything with the sauce and the crispy noodles and chilli vinegar were delicious.

Something I learned today?

I was surprised to see Gong in Utopia this morning. He was off being a monk as far as I knew but he told me that he was working as a coffee roaster in Bangkok. He said he missed Chiang Rai, particularly as his girlfriend is still here.

Review your acts, Good and bad.

When the kids woke me up, Amy soon came in and asked me to help her in the garden. I was still a little slow and blurry, and Amy had me up the ladder to try to attach our vine plant to the tree so it grows over and provides more shade. I wasn’t much in the mood for it, but did it and ended up doing a few other things of my own volition too.

I took this picture because now the rain and cloud has gone, everything is turning a deep green, preparing for a lack of rain for the next six months.

Nothing You Say – 28th September 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

In the game, I’m in the zone
Flowing beyond all your shouting
Laser-focused on the ball alone
Oblivious to all your doubting

There’s nothing that you contribute
Because you have nothing to lose
Distraction is your foremost attribute
I’m strong enough to ignore the boos

You don’t have skin in the game
So you have nothing I want to hear
Everything said is always the same
My silence sends my message clear

Inspired by a David Elikwu thought that applies to those friends who always think that they know best.

Today I’m feeling:

Quite well rested though my body is still sore from exercise. I only did seven minutes for two mornings and my body is really feeling it. This is a message to get back to a routine and rebuild some strength. Now that I’m almost out of this weird illness, I’m feeling positive about it.

I’m also a little tense this morning as I wait for the AFL grand final to start! Ultimately, it doesn’t matter if Sydney wins or loses but I do enjoy supporting my team and being part of this little tribal dance.

One thing I love about AFL is that, despite the rivalries and shit-talk, there is no real aggression between supporters. Once the game is done, it’s done.

Health:

Physical: 6
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

Takky for keeping Amy occupied for the afternoon and evening. They are screaming, singing, dancing and singing in the living room whilst I try to concentrate on reading!

The best thing about today was:

Lots of comic book reading. Shadowman, 2000AD, Judge Dredd Megazine, Justice League Dark and especially enjoyable was Ekho, a fabulous European fantasy adventure.

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

Well, it appears that Sydney, once again, forgot to turn up to play the last game of the year and it was all over by half time, after which I soon tuned out, went to bed and fell into an afternoon nap whilst reading comics.

Another season over. It was a good one in general.

Something I learned today?

Finally, the cheap London Town shaving cream is available online again so despite having already bought other expensive options to try, I ordered a couple of cans to keep for the future. I hate shaving. So boring!

Baitoey took this picture a couple of days ago because… I don’t know why but I go with the flow.