Tag: finances

No More However – 4th January 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

There’s no more debating
The words that you’re stating
Broke down my defence
Pushed me off the fence
There’s no more however
I’ll live this truth forever
No more other hand
A line in the sand
Fighting the good fight
Confirming I am right

Having said that though
No! Tell me it ain’t so!

Today I’m feeling:

Positive and happy though also a little saddened at some circumstances that arose last night when Amy’s brother and girlfriend came to visit.  Things are happening in the family space that are a little upsetting for Amy and she is quite bothered by them.  It feels like another thing to push her away from Thailand unfortunately.

Today I’m grateful for:

Funfai again as this morning she presented me with a big bag of almonds. 

One of her quirks tickles me in that when she doesn’t know the answer to a question she says ‘I don’t know’.  This may not sound odd when written down but it is sometimes quite difficult to get people here to admit that they don’t know something.  Often they will just give some bullshit answer. 

I’m glad Funfair happily admits not knowing things though.  To me, that shows a desire to learn, or an acceptance that it is ok not to know everything.

The best thing about today was:

Teaching this extra (grade 10) class.  I found out in the morning it is a pretty good class including many of my old students so it was good to have some familiar faces there because that made me feel comfortable, which in turn made the other students comfortable too. 

I’d put together a quick reading and writing lesson in the morning and wondered if we would have enough time to do it but they pretty much breezed through it and were happy to be corrected on pronunciation.  It’s a stark contrast to my grade 7 class in the morning which was like herding cats as usual.  I enjoyed both classes in different ways. 

I’m quite happy to have taken on this extra class despite it meaning extra work for me.

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

I still didn’t get paid yet and had to beg money off Amy to put petrol in the car.  I’m down to 61 baht in the bank and 40 baht in my wallet.  I’m taking this as an opportunity to be frugal and make do with what I already have.  Except coffee.  That is on credit, thankfully, though I hate doing it.

Something I learned today?

In Switzerland, it’s illegal to own just one guinea pig because they’re social beings and get lonely.

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

This morning Paen messaged me asking if she could come and join my class with the grade 7s.  The reason being that she is developing a friendship with Praew and wants to see if she will be her girlfriend. 

As I didn’t really have much planned for the class except some Quizizz and as I’d like to help Paen make a new friend or girlfriend I allowed her to come and sit and help a little too. 

Both Praew and Paen were happy to have this chance to be together.  Paen has struggled with friendships with her peers so I’m hopeful that making friends with a younger girl could work out for her.

Are you a doer, a maker or a leader?

Out of these three choices, I reckon I’m a doer.  I’ve always been an advocate for doing something, anything and I still follow that line of thinking.

My doing recently involves the challenge of presenting a poem every day.  I’m not sure how long I have been doing it now, maybe it’s two years already.

Also, trying to go back and add information to this blog about the past is a monumental and endless task which is the kind of stupid thing I like to get into.

Previously, in the absence of anyone else doing it, I started the record label, organised shows and tours and shared the information to help others to do the doing too.

Part of that crosses over to being a maker, as I made part of the Sydney/Australia/Asia music scene and am still involved in that, though not as relentlessly as before.

As a teacher, I hope that I am helping in making responsible adults and this also crosses over to being a leader.

I don’t play well with adults and have no desire to lead them, to lead a work team or the like but seem to have fallen into being a de facto leader for my students.


I took this picture because Nudee and her friends were trying to make TikTok videos after they’d finished my classwork. I was outside the classroom and this picture was actually taken through a highly tinted window (it’s very difficult to see inside with the naked eye) so I was surprised that the picture even came out so well. Ironically, the girls were all too embarrassed to have their picture taken and I grabbed this shot before they put their hands up in front of the camera. Nudee likes to wear colourful contact lenses which make her eyes look amazing. She also has a lip-piercing which is prohibited by the school rules (hence the mask) but I have seen many kids flouting it recently and I like it.

Re: FW: Dreamweaver – 18th February 1999

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Email with TLJ:

TLJ: wanted you to get this right away – accidentally sent it to kabuki a/c. Sorry.

S: Yep – sounds cool. I think Troy and Bronwyn might come up on Sunday morning

TLJ: WHY are they coming Sunday morning??

S: to look at the video equipment, teach me some HTML and to spin some disks – oh and to make some picnic food? I don’t know if it will be morning or not – haven’t figured anything out yet. so we could all head down from here whenever you want – maybe we could ALL make stuff for a picnic?

TLJ: Well, i can’t cook, or make sandwiches or anything – can I come round to your place Sunday morning then, we could go shopping and make pasta salad or something – hang on, Sunday morning’s when troy and bronwyn may be coming round, so you’ll have to go shopping and cook the night before, and unfortunately, i will be at dinner with yuri. Sorry.

S: No – we could do all that and more – and now you’ve committed to it that is what we are going to do!

TLJ: I’m really shitty today, cause S_ let me choose between a dress and skirt from Thailand, and i chose this silly skirt instead of the groovy dress and N_ got the really cool dress – plus she got the nicer sarong. I don’t know what came over me, so i’m really pissed off at myself.

S: You’ll wear each others clothes anyway – what does it matter. I’m sorry you chose the wrong one though. You ALWAYS do that!!!!

TLJ: i’m really sorry about your car – you’re pretty silly – how bad was the damage?????????????

S: Probably a couple a hundred bucks – I dunno. It’s not major or anything but I should get it fixed when I get it serviced next which should be in about eight weeks or so.

TLJ: And how cool if you go to houston texas – i really hope you get to go – it’s full of racist rednecks – S_ went there for work 5 years ago.

S: I was waiting for you to say that I would fit right in there! But I’m glad you didn’t.
Thanks again for a great night last night – I had a lot of fun sweety. Hey, you know how I said I was up all Sunday night with stomach problems – well, I actually was up last night with stomach problems – must have been all that food swilling in with that Coke!
Love ya babes Shaun

TLJ: I’m really upset right now – C_ “misplaced” her camera with my film in it – it’s my film from the farewell party – i took all these photos with the really cool people on tour. It’s got all my personal photos on it, so i’m really shitty.

S: Why has she got it??? why didn’t you get it off her before???? Baabbbeeee…..

TLJ: anyway, right now looking at Home Site – i think i like it better than dreamweaver (the help is better for a start), but its interface is much more cluttered. I haven’t started using it yet though.

S: Cool – did Bronwyn give you any help on ones to try out? Are you going to get credit for your work?

TLJ: mail me, i’m bored. Coming for lunch with me?

S: I’ll be there in spirit…..if that’s any good to ya!?

TLJ: Forgot to tell you – think i figured out what went wrong with the exclude filters – It’s the way you define the filters – like whether you have one exclude filter for excluding files AND IP addresses, or 2 – 1 to exclude files, one to exclude IP addresses. Having a filter with several elements (all files) works as AND, while defining separate filters with one element works as OR. But if you define different elements in the exclude, this only excludes say the defined files from the defined IP addresses – rather than all the files and all the IP addresses. It’s extremely confusing.
I also solved the mapping probs by using UNCs.

TLJ: Also just remembered – we’ve got a trial evacuation – 9-10am – coolhuh?
Walking to work today – i guess you heard about the siege at the greek embassy – anyway, there were heaps of fire engines, ambulances and police cars – they’ve blocked off castlereagh street i think. There was a bit of a crowd there – i was wondering what was going on. I heard there was a protest at the greek embassy – i thought it was in england!!!!

S: You are right about my money situation you know – thanks for talking about it last night. If I can get these bills out of the way which probably won’t be until April then I’ll start putting some extra by. You gotta remind of this when I say let’s go out and do such and such! we’ll go and do cheap things

TLJ: I did not say anything about not spending money on me! I said stop spending money on crap things you don’t need like food and comics. Where’d you get the idea I was talking about us?????????????????????? I think i’d better have another talk to you…………………

S: Yes – I think I need a good talking to! Come and sort me out sweety!
you can go do expensive things with yr other boyfriends! So – how about a movie night at my place?

TLJ: I really think you should just keep a track of where your money is going – and whether all that spending is necessary – and maybe limit your spending on certain things each fortnight. You can spend less some weeks, and make up for it other weeks – and eventually things will even out, and you can save more or less some weeks, but it will average out and you will have saved a set amount of money – then you can spend some on unexpected occurences (like my birthday………………………..).

S: I would take all your advice seriously if you were in control of your own finances!
No, actually I will restrict myself on certain things for a while……

TLJ: I’ll help you babes, ok?

S: Yeah – thanks my friend! How’s you day? I’m busy today – it’s not fair!

*Sore – 10th September 1998

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Email with TLJ

T: my bottom lip is really sore from natalie kneeing me in the mouth yesterday….so i’m pouting more than usual, and i’m having a really bad day already. so cheer me up babe.
love you sweety, hope you got plenty of sleep last night. sorry for waking you, tlj

S: I’m missing you so much sweety. I wish I could kiss your ailments away – maybe you could do the same in return. I’m really down about my financial situation. I sent a cheque to the Credit Union but they haven’t received it yet – it’s for 370 dollars -I could really do with some of that. I’ll be miserly til I get paid again except I have to pay for HJ’s birthday lunch on Sunday. You really mean so much to me – I feel closer to you every day. I hope yr day will get better – try to stay calm and concentrate on yr study and on doing the best you can. I dint get to work til 9 – I slept in! Glad to speak to you last night cos I miss you so.
Love from yr biggest fan

T: love you baby, i’m really missing you – oh, and i finally found out who Chris Han was, although i didn’t speak to him – it was Chrishan!!!!! – my friend from school, and my dad wrote the name wrong – pretty funny huh?
anyway, i knew he was having a dinner for his birthday that night but didn’t think i was invited. I think he must have rung me up to invite me. everyone was going to joo’s party after as well – see the night i missed out on!!!
oh, and in case you didn’t get my last mail (i sent it to .com.au – does that matter?) i’m trying to open it in version 6 word 95.

S: Well, my name is Shaunhems Lee. haha.
csc.com or csc.com.au all comes to my Lotus Notes now. Don’t send to the hotmail account if you want a quick reply though – there 150 mails there waiting to be read! I’m sorry you missed out on that big night – I feel responsible and will make it up to you somehow. I answered yr question already – although you prob dint like the answer.

T: but none of the other word 97 documents i’ve saved have specified that it’s a msword document.

S: What do you mean? I would think you’ve saved all yours as word6/word95 so you can open them in word 95. This document you’ve been given has prob been saved as a word97 doc.

T: it’s not mine by the way (the kid i mean).

S: What do you mean?????

T: but i’ll give it a try. thanks babe. tlj

S: Well, thank you my little Chinese angel.

T: ok, so it worked – you are the greatest babe – and no the document was not mine!

S: Thank you thank you thank you
No – you are the greatest…..

I want to be stereotyped, I want to be classified – 28th December 1994

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Today reminds us to count our blessings, it being one year since Steve passed away and it sure don’t seem like all those 365 days have gone by without seeing or talking to him. Each day has been recorded here for my benefit, each day busy with preparations and plans, so much done and said, it doesn’t seem possible that he hasn’t been here with us (all of us who knew and loved him). His life and actions still strong in our minds and hearts, an inspiration to us all, forever.

And typically, me and my beloved sweetheart are so damn busy today we don’t get much time to dwell about the past, today we’re running around buying ourselves a car and organising financial support from the bank in order to do it. a severe strain on our monies – in fact we are nearly broke at the end of the day, but shit, money isn’t everything and we know we’ll manage and as if we are being looked after by some other force, our next door neighbour offers us the lend of two chairs so now we have somewhere to sit in our lounge and then C_ and P_ lend us table and chairs so we have somwhere to dine and our house is turning into a home – with a car in the drive!