Tag: David Elikwu

Honey Glaze – 3rd February 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 3 Comments

The orange sunrise
Perfectly reflected on the blue sky sea
Turning back inland
It’s a destruction from the river to me

Still, I have my god
That promises to set my children free
The skies alight
Where the others’ god wishes to be

The river run dry
Across those borders, we must flee
The honey glaze
Shines so that’s all anyone may see
*The honey glaze
On a fine crust of tolerated misery*

* David Elikwu
5th Oct 2024 – Shared with Weekly Prompts Colour Challenge – Mainly Orange

Today I’m feeling:

My regular Saturday exhaustion though Amy didn’t give me the opportunity to wallow as she had me up and busy as soon as I got up. By the time I got to coffee at midday, I was dying for it.

Today I’m grateful for:

Time spent in the hammock reading about Britain’s colonisation of India. The sun is still a little low so that the remaining trees still give some shade though the ants, spiders and flies did get annoying.

The best thing about today was:

At the winter festival, Amy was shocked at the tiny crop tops at one of the stalls and said ‘Oh my god, who can wear a top like that?’ And as she said that she noticed a girl wearing a similar-sized top and finished off with ‘Oh, a girl like her.’ I looked and saw a small skinny girl looking cute in a tight crop top. And it was then that I noticed that she is one of the grade 11 students that I often talk to. And Amy was surprised to see me fist-bump the girl she was just talking about admiring.

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

Amy was cranky from the get-go this morning and I came close to losing my cool but took deep breaths and soldiered on through, knowing that at some point it would be over and things would be good again.

Something I learned today?

Word is that the local council want our road widened before the rainy season starts which is good news though it will be a little inconvenient for us for a while.

Though we’ve been waiting for this before Amy starts thinking about doing business on our land it has become apparent that since the end of COVID, most students have not returned to the habit of going out and staying out to eat drink and talk like they used to. Many businesses are selling up due to a lack of customers after 8pm.

Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10

Amy asked me to pick up some plumber’s tape to fix the joint under the sink. I was on my way to my first coffee but picked up the tape and took it straight home so that she can fix it quickly.

At times I was short in my replies to Amy as I was echoing her behaviour back to her but I shouldn’t do that.

I took this picture because here was another cat in the window above the eatery next to Utopia. That means at least five cats I’ve seen in this window and I know that there are also two dogs.

Inflation – 1st February 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

You can’t keep your dreams under a mattress
Where they’ll be surely forgotten and flat
They have value worthy of investment
There’s really nothing better than that

First line appropriated and the rest inspired by a thought from David Elikwu’s newsletter

Today I’m feeling:

I woke up tired but was able to easily plough through my abs workout because I had things on my mind. I feel a little in and out of depression too but it’s very vague and dissipates quickly. I think some days I wonder if what I’m doing is actually worthwhile. It happens.

Today I’m grateful for:

Nancy and Aob at TLC for helping me get my visa sorted out since I forgot to get the re-entry permit last October!  Despite the hard time they give me and the amount of money they make off me I still appreciate what they’ve done to help fix this.

The best thing about today was:

Getting another year’s stay in Thailand with my new visa.  Though whilst I was sitting there watching the officer stamp and shuffle papers I started to brood on the fact of how much longer am I going to go through this annoying process. Tomorrow I’ll probably forget about all this until next November when I’ll have to start preparing for the next application again.

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

I got the message that next week I have to help in the Primary school for Scout week.  It probably will be pretty easy but not as preferable as doing nothing, or even as a regular workweek. Still, a change can be good.

Something I learned today?

From The Jimmy Dore Show on YouTube:

The Internet was abuzz recently after MSNBC host Joy-Ann Reid, while showing a video of Joe Biden, was caught by a “hot mic” revealing her true feelings about Biden by saying “… starting another fucking war.” 

Of course, Reid would never have intentionally said anything so overtly anti-Biden on the air, so she was forced to apologize, although she only mentioned having dropped the “f word.”

Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10

As I passed Rista after class on the third floor of building six I saw that she had some rubbish to throw away. As I already had my coffee cup to take to the bin I offered to take hers too for which she gave her appreciation.

25 THINGS ABOUT LIFE I WISH I HAD KNOWN 10 YEARS AGO –  10. Pick an Industry, Not A Job. If you want to become good at something, you need to spend years and years doing that. You can’t do that if you hop from industry to industry. Pick an industry you love and start at the bottom. You will find the perfect role for you eventually.

 It seems kind of incomprehensible to me that I would ever have a choice of the kind of work or job I would do.  When I left school at sixteen any job was considered good and a starting point.  There were also more jobs available back then too.

When I started my first long-term job it wasn’t something that I was particularly interested in (electrical wholesale) but I did enjoy the hard work when I was a storeman and did work my way up to be the buyer.  I wasn’t interested in progressing any further though, which would’ve meant becoming a manager.

With the opportunity of moving to Australia, I discovered an interest in computing (beyond just playing video games) and was able to spend a year or so studying for that. Then I got in at a low level and worked my way up and sideways for the next 18 years.  Once again I was not interested in (or offered) a management role.

While working an office job I knew one thing and that was that I loved coffee!  After getting laid off it was a simple step to take courses learning to be a barista or bartender and I got into making coffee until injury stopped me short.

Moving to Thailand then forced me to make the decision to become a teacher because there are only a few things that a foreigner is allowed to do here for work.  With each change of job or industry, I’ve always pushed myself to work hard to learn what I can about it.  Teaching has really tested me but when I get it right I do love what I’m doing.

As I mentioned above though, there are times when I am unsure of myself and can’t balance the effort-to-reward ratio properly in my head.

I feel that the idea of this question is a little privileged.  Many, maybe even most people, don’t have choices a lot of the time and just have to take the opportunities that they can get.

No Art – 22nd January 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 14 Comments

We put down our brushes
In search of gold stars
Our stick figures meaningless
If we can’t get a pass

Our caves are now bare
Or full of the perceived good
Those words we told ourselves
Have taken away our ‘could’

No teacher or priest were we
But everyone laughed
Still, we lighted a spark
And cultivated our craft

Inspired by a newsletter snippet titled ‘Why you stopped making art’ from David Elikwu. Added to dVerse here.

Today I’m feeling:

A little more awake and active than yesterday.  Feeling fairly positive but also a little anxious as if something might come along to get me down.  On the edge.

Today I’m grateful for:

All the different options available for muesli to buy.  I was disappointed to not find my favourite crunchy strawberry muesli today but at least there were lots of different options available, though somewhat more pricey.  I took a mid-range option but contemplated some of the others for when I’m back in the black.

The best thing about today was:

Being able to take the foot off the gas a little with my classes today and stretch out the work so that they had more time to contemplate, share with each other and understand in their own time.  Sometimes I expect and push too much so I wanted to make life a little easier for us all.

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

I made a trip to Makro because I ran out of yoghurt this morning but was disappointed to find they were out of stock.  I had to buy a different brand to last for a few days before going back to check again.  I sure hope they continue stocking it because it’s the best!

Something I learned today?

This journalling app is trolling me.  It’s been 22 days of prompts so far of ‘What is something something something this year?’  Just because the calendar starts on the first of January a year is still a year from NOW, whatever the date.  Why do I have to spend a month thinking about 2024?  I’m always thinking about the future.  I guess journal prompts do get repetitive anyway but I find this one particularly annoying.

Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10

I gave Noah some extra support and encouragement for her negative attitude towards Teacher David.  She needs to stay respectful and at least learn from her experiences even if she’s not learning English.

25 THINGS ABOUT LIFE I WISH I HAD KNOWN 10 YEARS AGO
2. Don’t Complain. Complaining is the biggest waste of time there is. Either do something about it, and if you can’t, shut up about it.

This is something I have gotten better at over the years.  Being English it’s an extremely hard habit to break.  Moving to Australia in 1994 certainly helped as Aussies generally don’t put up with the stereotypical whinging poms.  I don’t remember ever being called out on it but I think their positivity rubbed off on me in general and the fact that there was certainly less to complain about in life in Australia, or at least it certainly seemed that way.

When I meet English people now though I find their complaining quite noticeable and can also fall right back into it myself.  It’s like a common bond we share.  Because I’m conscious of it though I do try to stop myself and counter any complaining with a positive view in response.

Yes, life is not all chocolates and roses but there’s no need to go on about it.  In fact, there’s no need to say anything.  Even if you are still thinking it, just keep your mouth shut.

I took this picture because I love to see freshly planted rice paddies like this. This is from Saturday – no new pictures today.

Making Space – 24th October 2023

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

There’s treasure in the gaps
The white space of waiting
Suddenly an idea snaps
Into the place of creating

Here’s the room for thinking
Running between two places
Eyes open, no blinking
Look into the empty spaces

Removed from daily disarray
The thoughts now flow free
Consider all to do and say
Use the tools to think and see

All these things are at hand
To keep tidy the mess of the mind
So when things don’t go as planned
Peace is still easy to find

inspired by various posts by David Elikwu

Today I’m feeling:

Uncertain. I was having great interesting dreams all night and a 7.30 alarm was upsetting but here we are again with the get up and go. We had to come to the city as Dad has his first day of chemo. We had to run around a bit and take his dog for a walk. I had to go to immigration too, where they told me to go to the head office in Mae Sai or go over to Laos to re-apply for a visa. It’s so annoying but I’m trying to apply my practice of going with the flow.

I can understand that reality changes for us all the time and now I’m in a new reality where I have to do a certain set of actions to move forward. That’s all this is. It’s up to me if I choose to be frustrated and annoyed.

If I can keep thinking like this then these days will be smooth. I also need to counter Amy’s complaining about this and other things in general. She’s already light-heartedly talking about going back to Australia!

I usually don’t react too much to her complaints but things can build up. 

Breathe. Calm. Practice.

Today I’m grateful for:

My agent Nancy, who clarified for me what I need to do next to reinstate my visa.  I’ll still have to mess about getting an extension to my now-current tourist visa and possibly have to go out of the country and back one time, but that’s what will have to be done. Nancy offered to do a working visa through her but it will take just as much effort as us doing the spouse visa again. I just sent her a thank you message as I was writing this.

The best thing about today was:

Playing with the neighbour’s kids for a few minutes. They were waiting in our entertainment area even though Amy told them I was sleeping. I wasn’t actually sleeping but just chilling in the air-conditioned bedroom. They were so noisy though that I roused myself and played with them and communicated with them as best I could. There are two boys and one girl.
The boys are pushy and chatty, the girl, quieter and more respectful. They like to be lifted up to hang on my gym rings though I have to make sure I catch them when they want to let go. Yesterday the girl said she was too scared to try it but I told her she could do anything that the boys could and today she did and was proud of herself.
A few minutes later, through visual cues, she understood that I wanted to catch the smaller boy and turn him upside down. I couldn’t get close enough but she coaxed him over until he was within reach. She was thrilled and they were all giggling. Smart girl.

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

The visa situation could’ve gotten out of hand with Amy already a little stressed about having to run around for Mum and Dad but ultimately things settled down as we got on with everyday things.

Something I learned today?

The colour orange was named after the fruit. In English, at least, I suppose.

I took this picture because I don’t recall this tree having flowers like this last year. My memory is not the best though!