Tag: Garfield

Lips Shut Tight – 23rd October 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 8 Comments

Private in my thoughts
Breathe deeply with lips shut tight
Cautious of conflict
Concentrating and counting
Listen to air, push and pull

~What’s that I smell? An idea rising!~

My throat starts rattling
For a thought now fully formed
With my turn to speak
I watch you concentrating
Lips shut tight, breathing deeply

A tanka puente shared with Tanka Tuesday wordlist – listen, smell, speak

Today I’m feeling:

Good again, though waking before my alarm again, then getting back into some sleep and my alarm going off, shocking me reluctantly awake.

Last night, before I got into bed, I went outside to do some dead hangs to stretch my shoulders out. My hang rings are in the entertainment area, which is currently covered in a vine that hosts all sorts of creatures.

When I got into bed, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there were spiders crawling over me and I was itchy all over. I had some welts on my neck and arm too, so something was obviously dining on me. However, I couldn’t see anything.

I still got to sleep quickly but even this morning, I still feel itchy; maybe whatever was biting me has put an itching agent into my blood.

Today is a holiday but I was told we still need to come to school. When I got there, though, there doesn’t seem to be anyone around! Never mind. I’ll take this opportunity to do some more writing and another lesson plan.

Health:

Physical: 7
Mental: 8

I’m wondering if I will ever move past 7 for my physical health? The daily dead hangs are helping with my shoulder and if that possibly leads to fewer problems with my neck, then just maybe…

Today I’m grateful for:

The family at the two-dollar shop who helped with a couple of plumbing supplies this week as I attempt to fix the dripping pipe under my sink.

The mum and daughter were at the counter and they looked exactly the same (except one is a child, obviously), allowing me to make the joke that they were sisters.

The best thing about today was:

Being in a good, positive mood all day. It started with a good attitude to being at school despite it seeming that many other teachers didn’t bother to hang around, then writing a poem that I particularly enjoyed the results of.

In the afternoon, when I got home, I enjoyed playing guitar more than usual and really, really loved the comics and book that I’m reading.

It’s been a good day all round.

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

Whatever was out of my control today completely slipped on by without my notice.

Something I learned today?

Amy’s plans for our trip to Chiang Mai on the weekend are slowly coming together and I am finding out what my chauffeur duties will be. I’m fine with everything so long as I can find an hour or so to get to a book shop or two.

Review your acts, Good and bad.

I bought some fruit at the market and got an extra tray for Baipad and her family.

I took this picture because Garfield was rolling around at the entrance to school today. He(?) is really affectionate.

My Compass – 11th October 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 24 Comments

Uncertainty filled
Troublesome future begins
The big questions unanswered

Yet you bring to me
A much-needed light to shine
My compass, my map and guide

Shared with Tanka Tuesday (life change) and Moonwashed Weekly Prompt (where I’ve taken Eugi’s words and added to them).

Mondo poems are often very brief collaborative affairs (usually written by two poets) that present a question. (The question needs to be open-ended and poignant and should be a test of the answerer’s wit). The answer is written in the style of trying to glean meaning from nature. My poem doesn’t quite fit this requirement but let’s use our imagination.

Mondos can be as short as a one-liner or as long as two 5-7-7 syllable stanzas.

The first stanza presents the question; the second stanza gives the answer. We usually write this form in the spirit of Zen, responsive through meditation and observation of natural surroundings.

Today I’m feeling:

Reasonably ok, though I woke up early again and struggled to get more good sleep before my alarm went off.

The morning passed quickly with more reading and writing and, shock horror, even some lesson planning – though it was more thinking and organising than writing any new lessons.

Health:

Physical: 7
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

The ladies in the financial office who helped me to provide them with the documents that they had requested. Through broken English, broken Thai, phone translation and gesture, we managed to get everything sorted.

The best thing about today was:

Making it out into my room but not long enough to play guitar, which was my initial intention for going there! I ended up sorting out the Hellboy comics reading order in my files, which took a fair amount of work and it was dark by the time I finished and time to eat.

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

I got a message last night from Anchan saying that she checked into the hospital again last night, as she has a fever and was worried that she would go into shock. I offered to bring her food or whatever she wanted but she said that she wasn’t allowed visitors.

Something I learned today?

The Internet Archive is currently the target of hackers and it would be a travesty if the data held there were lost. Some people have compared it with the Library of Alexandria.

I took this picture because Garfield was in the in-tray when I went to visit the financial department. Earlier I had seen him sitting comfortably on a ledge with a one-storey drop on the other side!

The Big One – 10th October 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 2 Comments

After one too many casting couch sessions
Marilyn turned in her grave to send these lessons
Let fire, thunder and earthquake run free
And watch Hollywood sink into the sea

Shared with Kevin’s No Theme Thursday and this picture prompt

Today I’m feeling:

Good, this morning, waking up before my alarm again for some reason. I heard some heavy rain and thunder briefly in the early hours and the air was clean, fresh and cool when I went to do some exercise and stretching.

After clocking in, I went straight to the cafe (Couple Cups) to write and maybe do some lesson planning. I have been thinking about it at least!

Health:

Physical: 7
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

This neck massager that I received from Temu in China today. It’s not that great but it was also cheap, so I didn’t have high expectations.

The best thing about today was:

Amy’s quick dinner with fake pork belly. Delicious. I don’t usually want to put food-related things as the best thing of the day but today hasn’t been filled with too much of anything besides coffee, reading and writing, sleeping and eating!

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

The after-effects from last night’s gummy hit me once I got home around lunch time and I ended up sleeping for a couple of hours and even now feel as if I could go straight back to sleep again and it’s only 7.30.

I really don’t like wasting my time sleeping! But I do enjoy sleeping.

I also spilt coffee on my brand new white shirt whilst I was at the cafe. I soaked it as soon as I got home and hope that it doesn’t stain.

Review your acts, Good and bad.

Anchan is stuck again and feeling down. I’m trying to perk her up but her situation is fairly desperate. She has been in the hospital again because of low immunity, probably from not eating enough. I’m going to try and take some food to her tomorrow.

I took this picture because Garfield has been hanging around at the office most mornings.

Faux Concern – 19th March 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 2 Comments

Who determines the state of us turtles?
Is it those that pump poison into my home?
As if there is not enough for us to deal with
Better you didn’t exist and left us all alone

Submitted to Monday Poetry Prompt – determine, state, turtle

Today I’m feeling:

A little better.  I started to feel almost ok after eating some dinner last night. I wasn’t really hungry but ate anyway and glad that I did.  I struggled with sleep again last night but don’t feel too tired yet; I know that I really need to push through today and not take a nap so that I can enjoy a good sleep tonight.  Right now – 8 am – I feel like I have the start of a cold or flu again, much like I did last week.  So despite feeling better than I did on Saturday, I’m still on the edge.

Today I’m grateful for:

The hospital being close by and able to see Amy for whatever allergy is bothering her skin at 9 pm. Hopefully, it’s nothing serious but best for her to get checked as she has had attacks from allergies before.

The best thing about today was:

Playing lots of guitar although much of it was frustrating as I haven’t played much this week and I can notice the struggle I am having to get my coordination working again.

Something I learned today?

I learned what a cherita is in poetry. I will give this a go sometime.  I’m currently thinking about a cascading poem using a nomeansno lyric as a starting point.

Cherita (pronounced CHAIR-rita) is a linked poetry form of one-, two- and three-line stanzas.

Cherita is the Malay word for “story” or “tale”.

A cherita consists of a one-line stanza, followed by a two-line stanza, and then finishing with a three-line stanza.

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

I talked a little bit with my student Earn again and gave her some more encouragement as she figures out who she is and where she is going in her life.  As usual, it’s wonderful to watch these kids grow and mature.

How do I practice self-care on a busy day?

My days are mostly made busy by self-care!  Over the last few years, I have been bringing self-care to the forefront of my mind and I no longer mean this in a selfish way (as I might have done in the past).

My days are generally not that busy so the remaining time is taken up with self-care in the form of reading, writing, relaxation and thinking.  On a busy day, the actions are the same.  Each space must be filled with thought that ensures care for one’s self (along with everyone around).

I took this picture because the school cat Garfield was waiting for cuddles and rubs this morning.

One Less Star – 12th May 2023

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 6 Comments

The light has gone out
The night sky one less star
Aimlessly shuffling about
Wondering just where you are

Left alone to ponder
Bereft of the joy of tomorrow
Blinkered as I wander
Drowning in all this sorrow

31st Jul 2024 – Submitted to dVerse – grief

Today I’m feeling:

A bit more upbeat and lively today. I ended up having a reasonable sleep last night though woke up before my alarm. A quick workout and a cold shower got me going and I ended up at House preparing lessons for about three hours without feeling tired or bored.

Today I’m grateful for:

Eventually realising I could take the covers off the sofa cushions that have cat spray on them and I was able to wash them. Why didn’t I realise this before!?

The best thing about today was:

Getting in the zone whilst putting together lessons this morning at House. I ended up drinking three coffees whilst I was there. I’m starting to look forward to being back in the classroom.

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

I didn’t manage to finish writing this on Friday as I got distracted by reading comics instead. I’m handling it by updating here on Saturday morning.
Some days are tough to write. Somehow the feeling is that nothing is important. Everything is just time wasted until it’s your turn to die. Yet still I strive. Because not all days feel like that. I sometimes envy happy people, funny people, warm inviting people. But it’s impossible for me to put on the act that would be required for me to be like that. I try to be sincere and true to myself. I want my brain to tell me I’m happy. Sometimes it works.

Something I learned today?

I saw a preliminary student list and thankfully most of the classes will have fewer students than last year and my M4 class (15/16-year-olds) only has 16 and 14 of them are girls. That class is looking like it will be a breeze.

7th June 2023 – I just finished a lesson with this class, which now only has 15 students as one boy left. It is indeed a breeze even though there are only two students with reasonable English. The rest are mature enough not to fuck it for everyone and they struggle through.

What was a small detail I noticed today?

I ate a tube of Pringles today and as neared the end I thought that I could use the tube to make a little birdhouse by cutting a hole in it. There are birds nesting everywhere around our house and there’s a spot between the panels and the roof I can put the tube and see if they go inside. They already have a bit of a messy nest up there and it would be fun to see if they adopt themselves into this new home.

7th June 2023 – They haven’t used it so far, preferring their mess of dried grass instead.

I took this picture because this is the school cat, Garfield. Almost the spitting image of little Kim and has a similar carefree attitude.

A.T.N.A. – 30th March 2023

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Another 1000-page report got written
That should keep the people quiet
The hand that feeds gets bitten
Because without action, the people riot

Today I’m feeling:

No headaches but still itchy eyes. Medicine kept me up last night, even watching TV for an hour or so but I don’t feel too tired this morning perhaps invigorated by going to work which meant going to the cafe pretty much, where I put together another lesson.

Today I’m grateful for:

All the teachers in our department that work so hard for little pay and cover the work that we foreigners should be doing but end up not doing because everything is in Thai. We just pretend to do a little work but at the end of the day, everyone understands the farce.

The best thing about today was:

George actually greeted me first this morning and then talked a little about what he has been doing these last two days when I asked. I was quite surprised and even surprised myself at not being sarcastic in return! Anyway, I don’t know what is going on in his life. Maybe he’s lonely or bored or anything so I happily carried on being pleasant and accommodating.

I was also happy to get all my flashcards cut up. I just need to sort them now.

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

Little Kim threw up her food. I think it was from last night. It seemed like she only ate a little this morning and now she’s back in the walk-in resting. She drank a little but didn’t eat and her body is starting to feel warmer again. She’s looking skinny and sad.

I’ll take her to the vet again in the morning.

Something I learned today?

I learned 8 benefits of drinking lemon water every day. I always have lemon water when I’m at House since I heard or read about it before, maybe even from watching the same video and forgotten since. Let’s see if I can remember…
1. Lowers cholesterol
2. Reduces liver fat
3. Gives vitamin C for immunity
4. Reduces some cancer risk
5. Helps you like be longer (probably)
6. And three more things!

I took this picture because this is the school cat Garfield and he was hanging around the front gate this morning. He’s always friendly though he did get annoyed with a little kid trying to rub him and bit his hand!