Tag: italy

Carriage Four – 28th February 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 6 Comments

It’s the marker of my day’s end
Another hour to sit and spend
Contemplating tomorrow
In the warmth of my only friend

– Carriage four, sat by the door

*Walking home in the rain again
Missed the subway train again*
There’s a seat with my name
That I can’t explain again….

Submitted for Reena’s Xploration Challenge #319.
*Inspired by Buffalo Tom’s The Bus

Today I’m feeling:

A little disheartened.  I slept late again last night and couldn’t force myself up to exercise.  Like I mentioned yesterday I tend to feel better and more energetic in the evenings when I’ve been sick or still recovering.  When I woke this morning I could feel that I’m still not 100%.

My mood was ok but I could also feel that some of my students weren’t in such a great mood themselves this morning, though as can be expected there are still plenty who were.  Perhaps those down ones infected me slightly though.

I also felt a little disconsolate as I came out of school to grab coffee and the reduced number of students being around already at this time of year reminded me that this will all be over again for another year.

Yesterday and last night was also the turning point for temperatures as I put the aircon on for a little while when I got home after work and then needed it on for four hours at the start of the night.  With just the fan for the rest of the night, I woke up hot and tired.  Time to start the cold showers I think.

Today I’m grateful for:

Casually chatting with Kru Karn about what to teach her class today (with so many students away), which was about to start, and through that coming up with the idea to get the kids to take a photo or video of someone in the school and then make a one-minute video presentation describing them (our topic is Describing People).

Initially, the kids were shocked when I told them all to leave the class and go and find someone to talk about.  And then I was shocked to find all of them in the teacher’s room talking to Kru Karn because they wanted her to be the subject.  When I found them I told them that everyone had to have a different person as the subject and they all left somewhat dejected, though it got their brains spinning.

Whilst they all went off, some actually doing the work, others just playing with the other half-class of students next door, I sat back a little, fielded questions, gave advice and started my grading files.  Eventually, after the two hours were up, everyone had finished the task as best they could and I was happy and they were happy too.

The best thing about today was:

My grade 10s being late for class and me not caring!  The work planned for them can be done at any time so we just started when they finally arrived and can do more next week.  

It wasn’t their fault that they were late so we just enjoyed a relaxed lesson of writing and thinking.

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

(See below)

Something I learned today?

One of our Thai teachers told a student that they will never get a job because they are not smart enough.  I was fuming when I heard this, it’s the antithesis of how a teacher should be.  

It’s a struggle for a teacher to pick everyone up but you have to support the students in any way that you can.  You have to give them something.  

I asked the student who confided the information to me what grade they got from that teacher and it was grade 4! Top grade!  Unbelievable!  It makes me angry!

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

Another student came to me today asking for help with mental health issues.  We talked for about an hour going over the problems they are having (including the issue mentioned above) and despite our struggles with language we blundered through with translation and managed to understand each other.  

I’ve done a little bit of investigation and sent some information for support services in Thai and I will find some more information for them later too.

Bruno took this picture in Italy, in the mountains where his family is from. No pictures from me today.

Vehicle Residency – 6th January 2023

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

The dream was to own two
Kept in a suburban home
Now you’re lucky to have one
And live in it alone

Man’s never-ending greed
Entitled to go too far
Is a dream slipping away
As you’re living in your car

“Blending experimental and post-punk moods with distorted, feedback-laden guitar riffs, both bands arrive in with frenetic energy, driving their songs forward with a pounding intensity and almost eerie atmosphere. The vocals are raw, aching, and powerful, delivering the lyrics with a sense of urgency and emotion characteristic for screamo bands, building to a climax with layers of abrasive noise and a wall of sound that is both chaotic and exhilarating.” – idioteq.com

For 10″ vinyl purchase go here:
norseband.bandcamp.com/album/split-w-abandoncy (Europe/world)
newkneerecords.bandcamp.com (US)

and also check out all our other partner labels:

www.konodischi.com
shoverec.bandcamp.com
vinarecords.com
longrailrecords.bandcamp.com

Today I’m feeling:

Happy, busy, winding down. It’s been a busy week and has culminated in an empty house again as Amy left this morning. Now I’m listening to music and thinking about how to motivate myself back into a solo routine again.

Today I’m grateful for:

Kru Champ and my boss Nancy, who, separately, both told me I was a great teacher. I appreciate hearing that as sometimes I doubt myself.

The best thing about today was:

Playing Takraw with some students for a little while. We were all equally terrible at it but we were laughing every few seconds.

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

It’s been a very busy but unstressful day and nothing is coming to mind that was out of my control. Days like this are very nice though a little disturbing as I could slip into an orgasmic coma. Good days are a drug, always looking for it, chasing it, in its grip.

Something I learned today?

Amy showed me the online seller that has better prices on cat food than the ones I found. It’s gotten really expensive recently and everywhere has run out of stock. Amy was able to order and see that it was packed and on its way almost immediately. I’ll believe it when it turns up!

What’s your favourite Mexican food?

I think just vegetarian nachos. I find the Mexican food I’ve tried all tastes similar but just with a variety of textures. You can’t go wrong with vegetarian – cheese, beans, guacamole, sour cream, spicy sauce. There’s a Mexican restaurant here in Chiang Rai and thinking about this has got me hungry to go again!

I took this picture because this poor old smelly lovely dog just loves our house! The auntie who owns him says he sits on their porch always looking at our house, sometimes too impatient to know what’s going on and coming over to sit on our porch. Today he even barked at his own family as they were in the field next to our house.

New Names – 12th December 2021

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 9 Comments

40 years or many aeons
It’s all exactly the same
What more is there to see?
Just give it a new name

Every empire risen
Has since fallen away
It’s the rhythm of events
There’s nothing that will stay

Do not dwell further on it
Neither choose to ignore
Every atom recycled
And we will be no more

14th Jun 2024 – Submitted to Poets and Storytellers United Friday Writings #131

Eremo are a four-piece math-rock band fighting their way out of Milan, IT since 2015

L’ego in un pagliaio recorded at Trai Studio
Mastered by Snug Recording

Artwork by Federico Verde
eremo.bandcamp.com – released May 2021

s/t originally released December 2016

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful for the cheap rope I bought for Tangmo to play with and that I found it again in the field opposite after he ran away with it last night.

Ploughed through all my recently downloaded music. Some genius works there and lots of perplexing nonsense. I have too much and also not enough. I have half a plan to do another new podcast for a while. We’ll see. I want to get on top of my blog more than anything.

The daylight is weird today. It’s warm but looks like it will rain but it is 100% unlikely to rain. It’s making me feel tired. Or maybe I am tired. I think I just want to go and watch crappy TV for a while. Give my brain a break.

Astolfo Sulla Luna – Ψ² – 1st January 2016

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Cat #: 178TZM

Astolfo Sulla Luna is an Italian trio with a natural inclination to researching combinations between literature and mathematics. The approach to composition is similar to classical music, but taking sounds and attitude from the underground scene, from noise to post hardcore, from math rock to jazz core.

After two EPs, Moti Browniani (2011) and Cancroregina (2012), they released their first LP on November 2015, Ψ², a work filled with noises, sounds of the sea and clock’s tickings, chess games and battles against one’s self.

Cartavetro – Here It Comes, Tramontane! – 1st March 2013

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Cat #: 130TZM

Here it Comes, Tramontane! (a global joint release between 9 labels) featuring Minutemen/Stooges bassist Mike Watt, celebrates CRTVTR’s recent tour of China which was supported by crowd funding with a sizable donation from tenzenmen.

Cartaverto’s music is suspended between Washington post punk and a touch of diverted contemporary psychedelia. Splatters of post rock, sprays of math. Electro-acoustic feedbacks and vocal loops, remnants of Morricone. They are a power trio and they like to experiment with full range dynamics, surprise the audience, or at least try to. They go around in a van called Flauto. They are part of DisorderDrama, which is the association of reference to the international DIY scene, in Genoa. They support the co-release system, because they like it, because this is the DIY way .

I don’t understand a word she says, she’s on my side – 23rd June 1994

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Time moves on, ticking by. Stars collide, weather changes.

I get a haircut and finish reading Nick Cave’s ‘And the Ass Saw the Angel’. This book being the reason for my lack of entries over the past two days. That feeling of time running out, that feeling of just another page, egging you on at quarter to the midnight hour (before the football starts). Just another twist of plot to intrigue and entice further inspection. To tease tired eyes onwards.

And now I’m empty of literature – dispensed it all out of my mind as soon as it went in and now in need of another fix. Like a junkie looking for a needle, I was looking through our small book collection. Think I may start on a reread of Hunter S Thompson’s ‘The Great Shark Hunt’.

Football, of course, has kept my brain stimulated and Broni has quested on a fitness regime at the gym and pool while I slob in front of the TV, egging my teams on (whoever they maybe). I won’t bore you with scores, old memory, but see if you can drag up that Italy vs Norway match when Italy’s keeper got sent off and remarkably their coach opted to sacrifice Roberto Baggio (one of the world’s best players) and eventually his gamble paid off.

Much, much more to look forward to on the football front but now I must devote some time to my sweetheart – a companion worthy of my attention. A lover worthy of my desire. I love her and want her and she forgives me all the shit I give her in my way.

Sometimes I don’t understand my way. In fact I don’t think it’s meant for me to understand but for people looking in – for you. I hope you don’t judge me purely on my way – in fact, try not to judge me at all (I’ll try not to judge). You are you, you be your way – that’s okay. I am my way. I think you’re beginning to get my drift.

All’s you need to know, diary friend, is she is special to me,