Tag: guitar

The Common Sense – 27th January 2025

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 4 Comments

Hold your tongue to acquire
The knowledge you may desire
Make understanding your peer
With the open eye and ear

The spell to be found under
Is the rosy smell of wonder
Practice equals progress
For the taste of sweet success

Found from this point hence
The sense to make some sense
The reason to keep growing
The pursuit of further knowing

16th Jan 2026 – shared with Wednesday Poetry Prompts: 769

Today I’m feeling:

Not bad though still a bit fuzzy. Slept pretty well, skipped exercise. Decided to skip on Monday and Friday as they are busiest teaching days.

The morning zipped by pretty quickly and my last class should be pretty straightforward too.

I look forward to getting home again and maybe playing some guitar.

Health:

Physical: 7
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

My student Chompoo who quite happily discussed her life with me this afternoon. She really wants to improve her speaking and is now trying hard to do that.

Her boyfriend is Cartoon, who I used to teach in grade 7, 8 and 9. Chompoo was even happy to talk about their getting together and even about sex when I broached the subject. She showed herself to be a smart kid.

The best thing about today was:

Playing guitar straight after getting home. I think I ended up playing for around two hours.

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

The weather was weird today. It didn’t get higher than 18 degrees all day and it was very windy this morning even with a little rain.

Today was the first day ever in Thailand that I wore a jacket all day, outside of the classroom. It was still quite warm in a room full of crazy kids.

Something I learned today?

There was a message today that the sub-director’s mother has passed away and details will follow about the funeral. I still don’t get why we would attend this.

Review your acts, Good and bad.

I reminded Baipad to go and get her certificate from the art competition though they only ended up having them for the winners and not for all entries.

Although I couldn’t understand what was being said between Baipad and the teachers in the room I got the distinct impression that the teacher was showing a superior attitude. I don’t like it at all.

Anyway, I also went to Primary and talked with Kru Boe about what the deal is with students wanting to join the school next semester as Baipad’s mum would like to move Namhom there too.

Unfortunately there are no places available right now but it’s possible that that might change during the April break and they will contact me if so.

I took this picture at the art gallery. No new pictures today.

Poet’s Pledge – 22nd January 2025

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 6 Comments

Written as reward
Benevolent monarch hands
Meaning to illiterate minions
Clinging onto every word

Posted in advertisement
The philosophical sword
Hangs on a single hair
Virtue is written in sunlight

Submitted to AllPoetry’s ‘An Expression of Yourself’ course – Brevity.
With this assignment, I would like you to use metaphor and simile. Focus on the ordinary but make it something more expansive to where your mind cannot find the outer walls of the images.

As an extra idea, I also put this through the N+7 machine and used (mostly) the results from N+14

The Monogram Handlers

Written as rhythm
Benevolent monogram handlers
Medic to immigrant misanthropes
Clinging onto every works

Posted in affair
The philosophical synagogue
Happenings on a single half-life
Vision is written in superlative

Today I’m feeling:

Great, despite less hours of sleep than normal, as the drama from last night involved many phone calls and discussion, past our usual sleep time.

Getting up a little earlier this morning allowed me ample time for exercise and doing that has energised me. I really need to use this as motivation and do it all the time. Even if I’m not losing the weight that I would like my general well-being is very much improved.

I cancelled both my classes today; there is an event on, which I will go and check out mid-morning and then again around 1.30 and I’ll sneak home early because I still haven’t had a chance to check out this guitar pedal that I bought yet.

Health:

Physical: 7
Mental: 8

Today I’m grateful for:

Nicha and August for playfully dancing with me when the school band was playing a song they knew. It almost felt like a celebration of them ending their childhood as they prepare to move up to grade 10 in May.

The best thing about today was:

Hanging out with my students, old and current and enjoying the atmosphere in school as we all watched beauty pageants and school bands perform.

I even got a little more exercise as I played football with some of my grade 8 boys, though to be honest, I was starting to feel old and stiff as I was kicking the ball around.

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

Hayden tried to call me a couple of days ago when I was waiting at the hospital and I hadn’t remembered to call him back. Out in my room, I saw a message from Bronwyn saying that they are going to put their cat Casper to sleep as he is sick with something and not eating.

I called Hayden and he is pretty sad about it. I commiserated with him and we spent a good half hour catching up on both our news. He was a bit more cheerful by the end.

It had only been ten minutes before that Amy and I were talking about being prepared for both our old boys to go too.

Something I learned today?

I went to Gui’s new shop today which is part of a hostel near Jetyod so he should get a fair bit of easy custom once he’s got things up and running.

Art showed up a few minutes after I arrived too and we all chatted for a bit. I managed to do a little writing and marvelled at the accents of the English backpackers that were around.

I took this picture because I was laughing at my naughty grade 10 students as they were washing up after their stall had finished for the afternoon.

When Incommunicable, Stay This Way – 19th January 2025

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 2 Comments

Cyanide words in hot Julys
Sticky skin and fireflies
Warm and breezy, pulled outside
Golden hours of calm collide

Sweet and bold youth is claimed
Self-reflections blush ashamed
Come back again once gone astray
Beg the child to stay this way

The war that comes forces change
In adolescence turning strange
The inner child is shutting doors
To light dancing across the floors

To find the love in light tonight
To find the words burning bright
Experiments in consciousness
The honesty earned to confess

To the streets, to the skies
Cyanide words in hot Julys

Inspired and paraphrased by this post at Spinning Visions
19th Feb 2025 – Shared with Moonwashed Weekly Prompt prompted by the word unpretending.

Today I’m feeling:

Ok again. Perhaps a little tired. I woke up before my alarm and the sleep app seems to be telling me that I usually only sleep for 7.5 hours.

Health:

Physical: 7
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

Going to the city to try Bear Grill pizza for a change.

The best thing about today was:

Playing guitar and diving back into reading Stray Bullets again. Awesome.

Something I learned today?

Looking through RedNote today, I decided to search for punk and found a stack of USAsians asking about Chinese punk bands and so I realised that I need to make some posts about all the stuff I have in the tenzenmen catalogue.

I took this picture because this is hands down the best pizza that I’ve had in Chiang Rai.

A Splendid Winter Wood – 5th December 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 12 Comments

It’s a splendid winter wood
– On a chilly December morning
– – The crunchy road straight
– – Towards the gnarly wooden gate
– Unhinged a snowy warning
Where splendid walls once stood

It’s a splendid moss a-growing
– To shade this dewy frost
– – Ray’s barely breaking through
– – Another turn remained true
– At a further year’s cost
Awaiting the splendid summer’s glowing

Shared with Moonwashed Weekly Prompt – splendid and WDYS #265 picture prompt

Today I’m feeling:

Ok, after a pretty good sleep. We had the aircon on again for a while last night and that seemed to improve both our sleep.

Today is Father’s Day, and so that means a holiday, though Amy has invited her family over for lunch, so she’s busy this morning. I will come back and vacuum after coffee.

No exercise this morning and an extra hour in bed. Not thinking about doing much today except reading.

Health:

Physical: 6
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

Having a spare hard drive so that I can back up all my comic book files to it. There had been some power outages last week and the drive the files are on took a few days to re-index itself, so I got a little worried if I suddenly lost them all.

The best thing about today was:

Almost two hours of guitar playing. Although it was frustrating at times, I can feel myself slowly improving – so long as I don’t take too many days off between playing.

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

I felt ok in the morning, ready for family lunch but after eating, I just became overwhelmed with exhaustion.

Whilst everyone was chatting, I came into the living room and read for a few minutes before turning onto my side to sleep. The morning coffees kept my mind active for a little while but soon enough I was out for the count, perhaps for almost two hours.

Even on waking up, I felt like my brain wasn’t working yet. Amy came in and looked at me and asked if I was awake (despite the fact that I was reading) and I shook my head. She could see that I wasn’t quite with it.

Now it’s evening I feel quite good again and just hope that I can sleep ok tonight.

Something I learned today?

Out of 113 countries, Thailand ranks 101 for its general English language ability.

Being in the education system here, I can understand this position. I feel helpless and so sorry for all these lovely kids being so let down.

Review your acts, Good and bad.

After waking up in the afternoon and talking a little with Amy, she said that it was her friend’s birthday and she wanted to go and see her. She asked me if I would take her there and though I was still lethargic, I figured it would be good to get her out of the house so I could chill at home.

I got my haircut today and as usual, I gave the lady 100 baht even though she only charges 60.

I also took some watermelon to Baipad, which I bought at Kotchapol whilst looking for some food for myself. I bought some fresh buttered corn on the cob and pomelo – enough to keep me going without having another full meal.

Amy took this picture for Father’s Day lunch.

One Of The Gang – 16th November 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 2 Comments

Showed my buds, I’m one of them
When they watched me stick it in
I bring freedom with a gun
And I’m responsible for no one

We three, prod and poking
Watching the sunset paradise
Sipping dry martinis of tears
Laughing at a 12-year-old’s fears

We three, the seventy per cent
Paid us for our duty
A dividing line, a locked gate
Allows us to rob and rape

Watch again as I stick it in
We’re bonding over this flesh
This little girl, powerless in pain
Coerced to let the gang remain

After reading about the 1995 gang rape of a 12-year-old girl by three US soldiers in Okinawa.

Today I’m feeling:

Pretty good again, though my body is aching from all the work I’ve been putting it through.

I tried to sleep longer but my brain was already awake, so I got up and set Amy’s sheets to wash while I came out for coffee.

Health:

Physical: 7
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

The sweet Chinese milk drink that was at the Mala hotpot shop where we had lunch today. It’s delicious, but sadly, it must be full of sugar. It’s one of the best solutions for a chilli-burnt palate.

The best thing about today was:

Nothing in particular stands out today – it’s been a great day all round with me doing all the usual things I like as well as a bit of running around with Amy, who kindly paid for our spicy lunch and a strawberry and cream croissant for dessert.

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

In a turn of events, a couple of my students are hassling me to check their homework! It’s usually me hassling them to submit it!

Something I learned today?

I’ve been practising one song in particular in Yousician for perhaps a year already and it has been a slog. I made a bit of progress about 8 weeks ago and it is only now that I can feel a little more progress again.

I learned lots of semi-forgettable information today but this achievement stood out a little for me whilst I was playing guitar. I was quite pleased with myself.

Review your acts, Good and bad.

Some of my grade 9 students have interviews today for their programs next year, so I sent them some good luck messages.

Amy took this picture because Tigger was enjoying some daytime grass rolling before the stress of the nighttime festivities this weekend.
Fatman report

Build Your Brain – 14th November 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 12 Comments

Million dollar questions
Blind spots abound
Magical machine limitations
Mapping mountains found

Collect complementary artefacts
Elevate our understanding
Synaptic message transference
Magic made mind-expanding

Engaged spatial reasoning
Exempt obedient demands
Onwards and upwards
Internal freedom commands

Everything ever got
Meant diddly squat

…say what!?…

Inspired and paraphrased from a David Elikwu newsletter and shared with dVerse Quadrille #212 – what

Today I’m feeling:

Great with an underlying tiredness that isn’t really bothering me.

I got up and got going, enjoyed a couple of simple classes where I had time to interact a bit more with some of the poorer students.

Got home by 2 pm and straight into my room sorting more comic files and a bash around on guitar. With practising a little bit more this week, I can feel some improvement. The only downside is that with the dead hangs that I’ve been doing, my fingers aren’t quite moving so freely. Hopefully they will as they get used to be used.

Health:

Physical: 7
Mental: 8

Today I’m grateful for:

Kru Mai helping me by switching one of my Friday classes to Wednesday so that I have more to do on Wednesday and fewer hours to teach on Friday.

The best thing about today was:

No one thing in particular. It was a good day all round. I have a suspicion that I will be very tired and catching up on rest on Saturday, though.

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

Nothing stands out here today. Everything went well enough.

Something I learned today?

In my classes, I notice subtle changes in relationships and today I talked with Wipping in the morning, who is fed up with some of the nonsense that goes on with her friend group. She separated herself a little to concentrate on studying, and I talked with her a little about how she is probably a bit more mature than her friends, but that they will catch up one day and she should hang in there.

Later, Miyor arrived with a different friend group than usual and she told me later that she and Khaofang had a falling out over nothing much. Those two are always clashing over something, though and I wonder if things will be back to normal again next week.

Review your acts, Good and bad.

I messaged Kru Jern about our student Nomsen, as she always complains about a headache and wanting to sleep. She also has lots of sores on her arms and she says it is because she is itchy.

I asked Kru Jern to check in with her because whatever issues Nomsen is having, it is affecting her ability to concentrate in class. She’s a good kid and I like her and want to give her all the opportunities that I can whilst she is my student.

I took this picture because when I got home, Tigger was here chattering away. I’m not sure what he was talking about. There was nothing obvious outside the window.

One More Time – 10th November 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 37 Comments

Amongst the beauty of everyday
Familiarity may breed contempt
Waking with enthusiasm to play
Becomes more difficult to attempt

Maybe it’s a concrete jungle
Or a paradise you are facing
Each day a success or bungle
The happy rats keep on racing

So here it is and here we are
Another mountain for us to climb
Our attitude got us this far
‘cross crystal waters, one more time

Written for Sadje’s What Do You See picture prompt (above) and Reena’s Xploration Challenge – everydayness.
3rd Sep 2025 – Submitted to dVerse Poetics Tuesday – life and lemons

Today I’m feeling:

A little brighter today and trying to fight laziness. Must push hard as I spend a lot of my free time lying down and reading. I love reading but need to move my body more. What to do?

(Later) I avoided the dreaded nap today by playing guitar badly for more than an hour in my room and messing around sorting files on my computer for music and comics. Both things get me so excited, along with reading books too.

And before I know it, it’s dark outside, early evening as the winter slowly creeps nearer, yet I feel full of energy.

Health:

Physical: 7
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

The lady who served me at Tanapiraya, who remained fairly calm as there were many customers at the time and then she had to figure out what the free items were that the store was giving away and deal with the technology of the till software, which wasn’t doing what she wanted.

The best thing about today was:

Playing guitar was enjoyable, though the cheap strings that I bought are making me appreciate the more expensive ones that I will buy again in the future. As I’m pretty much just bashing away, it doesn’t matter too much but even I can tell that it should sound better!

I also just finished writing a poem connected with Native American mythology and compassion. I really enjoyed composing it and testing my brain with ideas.

Something I learned today?

Psephology is the scientific study of elections. I learned this from a poem I read today! ‘Psephos’ means pebble in Greek and ‘psephomancy’ is divination by pebbles. Pebbles were used by ancient Greeks in voting.

I took this picture because I was surprised by his sudden appearance as I was working near the window this afternoon. He’s getting bigger. This evening he’s still around, having a little relax near our water tank where I gave him some chin-rubs and affection.

Another Language – 9th November 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 10 Comments

born indignant:
life, indeed surprised

the priest cried prophecy
I understood after I died

My first go at an erasure poem. Original text ‘The Other Language’ by Khalil Gibran. The picture is not as pretty as I would like but I do like the poem that came out of it.

Today I’m feeling:

Vague and blurred at the edges. My brain isn’t kicking into gear due to the hangover of the gummies from yesterday. I really don’t enjoy feeling like this, as I want a clear and motivated brain to inspire action within myself.

After an afternoon nap where I only managed many lucid dreams, I actually felt much better and ended up in my room playing guitar for an hour.

Health:

Physical: 7
Mental: 6

Today I’m grateful for:

Mee dropping me to his house to wait as everyone else still wanted to chat more. It was 22 degrees and I was feeling cold

The best thing about today was:

A pleasant evening meal with Baew and Mee. Though I didn’t join their conversation much, I was just absorbing the nice atmosphere of the restaurant and enjoyed the fish with young mango salad. Until the air temperature got too cold anyway.

Art took this picture of me and Piti hanging out this morning.

A Fiendish Faerie Flame – 3rd November 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 7 Comments

Fire
sprite
prances
late at night

Sets the fields on fire
until the whole world is alight

A fibonaiku Shared with What Do You See #260 and the attached picture prompt (Klára Vernarcová @ Unsplash)

Today I’m feeling:

Not bad. I woke up at 6.30 and just decided to get up, although after feeding the cats etc did get back into bed to read for an hour, waiting for Utopia to open.

The weather is more reasonable in the mornings and I’m feeling fairly positive about life in general.

There were a couple of points during the day when I was feeling like I could be a bit off, but not actually off. Like it was a possibility. Thankfully, that didn’t eventuate.

Health:

Physical: 7
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

A lazy day of reading. I have to get out of the habit of thinking that I didn’t really do much during the day if I spent most of my time reading. Reading is still learning, particularly when reading David Foster Wallace talking about linguistics!

The best thing about today was:

My fingers working a little better on the guitar today compared with yesterday. I still suck badly, but don’t care.

Keeping my brain busy with difficult tasks makes me feel like I can live a bit longer.

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

I was starting to get sleepy in the afternoon and even went back to the bedroom but managed to suck myself into reading comics that encouraged me to keep reading, so that eventually I recovered my energy and went back to my room to practice guitar for a second time today.

Something I learned today?

Ipswich are now in the relegation zone and still without a win this season after another draw yesterday against Leicester. Life is tough in the Premier League.

I also discovered that the young MMA fighter Victoria Lee, who died last year, had, as I sadly guessed, committed suicide.

I saw an interview with her sister, Angela, who also confessed that she had attempted suicide when she was a similar age.

Review your acts, Good and bad.

I brought in Amy’s clean sheets and made her bed for her, as I usually do.

I took this picture because these are our home grown bananas.

A Mad Man Made Man – 2nd November 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 7 Comments

A
made man
comes apart,
seams unravelling
Bolts become unscrewed;
Filled full of dust and dirt
Electrical kickstarter
Blood pumped in from poison vials,
Eyes barely open to see machines
Clinging to this life for a madman’s dreams

Confusion reigns in this laboratory
there seems to be something in the air;
A sadness amongst the madness
Who is the real madman here?
A sigh, a final breath;
Living forever
is a fool’s game
Give it up
This dream?
Dead

Shared with No Theme Thursday and the attached picture prompt

Today I’m feeling:

A little slow to go this morning but my mind is clearing a little after two coffees.

Trying to catch up on reading poetry and it is a bit of a blur to try and comment after reading so much at one time. I can usually tell within a few lines if the rest is worth reading, though.

I plan to read more comics and books this afternoon, perhaps a little guitar action. Must try to avoid napping!

Health:

Physical: 7
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

Spending three hours at Utopia catching up on reading and doing a tiny bit of writing.

The best thing about today was:

Reading more of Bob Mortimer’s biography. I’m about halfway through now and enjoying the Englishness of his writing and humour.

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

I did succumb to lying down in the afternoon but stuck on some crazy music to listen to and that kept me from falling into too deep a sleep. I went to my room to play guitar after that and discovered that my fingers weren’t working properly, butchering songs that I usually enjoy playing. I need to practice more.

Something I learned today?

The word pogonip is a meteorological term used to describe an uncommon occurrence: frozen fog.

The word was coined by Native Americans to describe the frozen fogs of fine ice needles that occur in the mountain valleys of the western United States in December.

According to their tradition, breathing the fog is injurious to the lungs.

Anchan sent me this picture. Yesterday I talked to Jee about Anchan and she knew a little of her story too. So last night, after getting paid, I sent Anchan some money as a gift. She sent me this picture of her smiling, a picture for her application to the HAP program next year, if she can’t get to her favoured school in Chiang Mai.