Great for getting up a few minutes earlier, working out and beating the traffic to work. This morning, all the kids were in happy, playful moods, so it was a good start to the day.
Mondays are pretty easy for me, even with 5 hours in class, so I felt relaxed even though I had to rush some coffees and didn’t get much writing done.
Today I’m grateful for:
The students who have been dragged into performing a play this year. Most of them are my students, either currently or in the past. I was teaching next door to where they were practising, and they pulled me in to help them with some pronunciation practice. I felt grateful that they knew that they could come to me for help.
Even though I’m already busy, I offered to help them when I had some spare time.
The best thing about today was:
My grade 8 student Manow, who for parts of last semester was shy and wary of me, had her 14th birthday today and as I called her up to the board to do the last piece of work for the class, I announced (though everyone knew) that it was her birthday and we all proceeded to sing Happy Birthday for her.
She then shared out her cake, which she had been carrying around all day and as there were only ten minutes left for the class, it quickly got devoured.
She has warmed up to me a little more now that she realises that I am there to help her with learning. She’s not great at English, but I give her encouragement for her effort.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
When I got home, I was happy to see that the gardeners had been and things were looking tidier again (until you look closely anyway). I was appreciative that they had left alone the part of the garden I cordoned off and asked Amy to remind them to leave, too.
But then, Amy told me to go and look out in the drive, and there were the sad remains of two of our best ghost cactuses. Sigh.
Amy asked me to pay the gardener, which has left me well short of cash this month. I asked her to send pictures of our ravaged cactuses and to ask them to take more care.
Something I learned today?
Sydney Swans beat Geelong yesterday, and I was able to at least watch the 15-minute mini-match, though things weren’t looking good as we went six goals down and didn’t get our first into deep into the second quarter. Things came together after that, though, and things are looking positive for the future this season.
It’s kind of annoying that this season, when we are doing so well, is the first season I haven’t been able to watch the full matches. I’m still not going to fork out a week’s wages for a subscription, though.
Review your acts, Good and bad.
I took Baipad a piece of Amy’s carrot cake this morning.
When I showed this picture to Jet, she said she suddenly felt hungry for fried chicken!
Egged out, we must survive Enthusiastic push to thrive Finally, no one gets out alive That’s the way we all go
Early birds catch the worms The voice inside us turns In turn, the worm learns That that’s the way we all go
One day, in a different way Here tomorrow, gone today Even the early bird will say That’s the way we all go
Paraphrased and plagiarised (in the nicest possible way) from various majestic Cardiacs songs. Submitted to Ovi Poetry Challenge 47
Today I’m feeling:
Good again though that 6 am alarm was tough. It had to be done though. My leg workout was too much, supposed to be 3 x 64 reps of lunges but I could only manage 40 by which time my skinny thigh muscles wanted to explode. But 40 is better than none.
Today I’m grateful for:
Matt, who kindly donated me some magic mushroom capsules as he tried them but didn’t enjoy the experience.
The best thing about today was:
Enjoying a whole day out of home even though I could’ve just gone to school, signed in and come home again. I had planned to do this anyway but it was made even more desirable because when I was leaving this morning Auntie Sue told me that the electricity would be off today as they are moving the lines to the new poles. Great – no reason to come home early.
After signing in I spent the morning reading and writing at House whilst enjoying three coffees and even getting another lesson done for the classes on Presentations.
After that, I dropped by Central to buy a gift for Funfai as it is her birthday today and she told me she would be playing tennis at 4 pm. I got her a notebook, pencil case and pen. I also got the same for Anchan.
For the afternoon I went to see Matt as planned and we talked for a couple of hours catching up on each other’s lives. He also showed me his guitar setup and pedals, all of which sound fantastic but not within my price range or even within my time limitations for being feasible.
I left at around 4 pm to head to the tennis courts though I could see in the distance very dark clouds and the wind started picking up dramatically. Baipad messaged me that it was storming in our village as, after cancelling bike riding yesterday due to a storm, we had rearranged for today at 5 pm.
I got to the tennis courts and there weren’t many people around and the wind was already making it difficult for those there. No sign of Funfai so I messaged her and she told me that her lesson had been cancelled. Ah well, no worries. I used the opportunity to go and clock out of school which I haven’t bothered to do so far this week.
As I drove back home it started to rain though nothing storm-like. It had already blown through by the looks of things. I figured Baipad wouldn’t want to ride and a wet road would have made it more difficult for her too, so I thought I’d drop by and see if I could chat with her a little more in-depth.
As I passed by our soi it was still blocked with electricity people running around so I assumed the power was still off at home too. Amy also called and said that she couldn’t get home earlier when she tried as the road was blocked then too.
So I hung out at Baipad’s for an hour and did get her to open up a little more and whilst not confronting any of her issues, started to get her to think about them a bit more.
She feels comfortable to talk with me though she still lacks the maturity to know how to express herself. I can report though that she is not happy with herself and does want to change, she just doesn’t know how and I can feel that her mum doesn’t know how to teach or show her either. Her mum obviously has her own struggles.
Anyway, I’ll try my best to support, motivate and teach her some skills that can bring up her confidence. It’s all valuable reminders for me too.
I came home around 6 pm and it has been raining most of the time since, 3 hours now, with a comfortable temperature again, which I, and most probably everyone, is grateful for.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
I got my new teaching schedule today. It has changed a little bit from what I was expecting, with me being given 24 hours instead of the 22 that the other teachers get. I’m not going to complain though.
I like being in the classroom, with the kids so another couple of hours is fine and it might also encourage me to stay each day and sign out like they want me to!
After arriving home I found that our internet wasn’t working, probably due to the work going on with the poles in our soi. I hope that our provider knows about this work, but I can also easily imagine that they don’t. At least I can still hotspot and connect with my phone tonight and we’ll be out most of the day tomorrow.
Something I learned today?
Both Jet and Praewa sent me messages today because they got their study schedules and they were upset that I won’t be teaching them this year.
Did you do something difficult or challenging today?
Any of the minor challenges that I’ve mentioned above didn’t feel that difficult at all (except the lunges) and my state of mind was good enough to accept everything as it came.
I took this picture of the Utopia FB post and sent it to Noey. She wanted to know where I was because she hadn’t seen me today. I should be there on Sunday though.
What kind of artist were you when you were young?
When I was about 5 or 6 I always got told off for drawing castles instead of writing. I tried to compromise by writing something that allowed me to also draw a castle!
In my teens, I got deep into punk iconology, cut-up style and sloganeering. I made many posters like this, including a huge one that I submitted for an art assignment. I also painted a picture of a faceless punk in a three-piece suit, crucified on a cross.
My forays into the artistic world ended up more around words but also into producing booklets, fanzines and posters. I don’t have the creative drive anymore to do this, perhaps hampered by a lack of time due to other endeavours such as writing.
Did you paint, colour with crayons, build things with blocks?
Painting and colouring yes but I had an aversion to building things. Other kids had Meccano but I could never figure out what to make with it. Similarly, with Lego, it seemed like too much effort to make a shitty version of a house or something like that. My imagination didn’t run in that direction.
What kind of creative acts did you enjoy?
When the punk ideology hit, the ‘anyone can do it’ attitude, I wanted desperately to be the singer in a band and so set about writing lyrics. This was from about aged 11.
A little later this also turned into writing brief poetic thoughts of which I was constantly churning out.
I always enjoyed doing that though somewhere along the way in my 20s, I stopped writing those until I started again in 2020 when I remembered how much I enjoyed it and got back to doing it again.
When did you write your first poem?
I guess it would have been in 1984 when I was 15 or 16 though I probably had some before that, written for an English class. The earliest things that I held onto were from 1984.
What was it about?
Poems from that time were about petty thoughts and trivialities of a schoolboy’s life. It turned serious though as depression sunk in and the future looked bleak. Back then though I could write about any little thing that sparked my interest. It was fun.
How did you come to poetry?
As described above, through writing lyrics. I still consider what I write mostly as being lyrics rather than poetry.
A bit more awake this morning after struggling to get up. I really wanted to sleep more. I noticed that my stomach has lost a little more excess flab so I’m happy about that. Keep going.
Today I’m grateful for:
The receptionist at the dental clinic who happily changed my dental appointment from next week to mid-February because, and I told her this, I don’t have any money to pay until I paid again. We both talked in a mixture of English and Thai and could understand each other clearly and I wai’d her my thanks as I left.
The best thing about today was:
…well, it seems strange to call this the best thing but it is certainly something that stands out.
For my last grade 7 class of the day, I asked the kids to log in to the Quiz on their phones. Aomsin, who was sitting right in front of me in the front row, said she couldn’t because she had no battery. I explained to her in English that I told the class many times that for my class they must always have enough battery and good internet access.
Aomsin’s English is not that good yet though and whilst she could tell that I was being serious she clearly did not understand the details. This was Friday afternoon, the last hours of the day and I was feeling laid back and playful. The other kids could sense that. I told her that I take away 5 points in the system if they are not prepared. I was smiling and had no intention to do that but wanted her to know that she should always be prepared.
Anyway, I translated into Thai for her so she could understand and she nodded and looked down at her phone. Gunn, sitting next to her, looked at me, looked at her and then looked at me again. Aomsin then started talking in Thai, sounding like complaining-explaining and looked back up to me, with a slightly pleading face and then I saw a tear fall down each of her cheeks.
I couldn’t believe it. I wiped away each tear and said ‘Hey, come on, it’s not that serious.’ Again, she didn’t quite get it. I comforted her and told her in Thai that I was only playing with her.
Gunn cracked up laughing at her but I wanted her to feel better. Then she started really balling her eyes out but also laughing at the same time. Laughing and crying at herself and her friends. It was like she really wanted to feel an emotion deeply but also realised how absurd it was. She was smiling and laughing but couldn’t stop herself from crying.
Other kids started paying attention and couldn’t understand why everyone looked happy and smiling but Aomsin was crying. Gunn quickly offered a solution with his charger (why didn’t she just ask him to borrow it in the first place!) and even that couldn’t settle her down. Gunn talked some more to her and I went and attended a couple of other students before coming back after a few minutes.
She had settled herself by this time but when I asked her to do the quiz she said she couldn’t yet. I got down on my knees and wai’d her my apologies many times over and both she and Gunn cracked up laughing again.
I guess it’s a good lesson for me that not everyone gets the vibe or feeling of the class and whilst I can be quite strict about what I want I’m not so often angry about anything. I can sense Aomsin is sensitive, not just in my class but in general and I should be aware of that and make sure that she understands when something is playful or serious. I could be wrong but I don’t think she was really upset with what happened and maybe there were other things going on for her and she was having a bad day and this just tipped her over the edge.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
After picking up my coffee and making sure to be back in school for first class I was wondering why the building was so quiet. No kids! What’s going on? You can read more below. How did I handle it? By taking the free time opportunity to write here.
Something I learned today?
This morning my first class was delayed as there was something going on. As I was in the classroom ready to teach I decided to go and find out what it was all about. It was about the upcoming election for a student to the school board.
I walked around and ended up talking with Jet and asked her who she would vote for and why. I then asked if she would want to run for election when she was in grade 11 and she said ‘Why would I want to do that!?’
Ok, I said, who do you think in your class would be suitable and she thought Anchan. She said Anchan is a little older than the rest of the class and can control them quite well. I wasn’t too surprised at this as I could see last year that she had some leadership qualities if she chose to go in that direction. It was interesting to hear this from another student though.
Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10
I sent Anchan a positive message based on what Jet had said above, to show my support and pride in her. I told her to keep going. (Just as I told myself this morning – keep going!)
25 THINGS ABOUT LIFE I WISH I HAD KNOWN 10 YEARS AGO – 6. Keep a Journal. No, keeping a journal is not for children. It helps you to become a better thinker and writer. “I don’t want to be a writer” you might think. Well, how many emails and texts do you send a day? Everybody is a writer.
Journaling has only become a habit since moving to Thailand and somewhat inspired by starting 1994ever to document my year in 1994. Because I have ended up with fewer external things to do I have had more time to develop this habit and it doesn’t feel like a chore like when I was a teenager trying to keep up a diary. As the idea states you become a better thinker and that is what I want to be. Yesterday’s idea was about strengthening the body through exercise, today is about strengthening the brain through journaling.
I took this picture because we had to cut our three big trees down as the roots would fuck up the buildings. It looks so strange and we’re a little sad because they were big healthy trees that gave a lot of shade.
Who are we gonna stick it to When we can’t stick it to the man? We’d rather choose not to be happy Because we know that’s what we can
When the world is contented Where can we direct our rage? There’s got to be something to fight Some violence in which to engage
We’re not searching for paradise Because anger is all we’ve known We’re the contrarian outlaws Of the world in which we’ve grown
Today I’m feeling:
A little better than yesterday. My sore throat has abated somewhat though I feel a little blocked in the nose. I struggled through the third abs exercise for the week but can feel it having some positive effect on posture and general health.
Today I’m grateful for:
No longer being in the UK. I watched a video today of someone interviewing people around Glastonbury and despite some ‘characters’ there they mostly seemed paranoid or depressed. And this was whilst they were commenting how much better than the rest of the country Glastonbury was.
The best thing about today was:
Updating some 1994 entries with STE Bulletin writing which brought back some interesting memories or more preciously, reminded me of things which I had since forgotten.
I was glad of the phone functionality to be able to scan and convert text through the camera as it saved me a ton of time though still filled up most of my four-hour break.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
Two of my annoying students pushed me too far this morning though I didn’t get particularly angry with them. I did carry through my threat to take points off them in the SchoolBright system though. One of them was particularly upset when they found out I wasn’t joking but I have had enough of their continual disrespect and disruptions in the class.
Something I learned today?
I came across an advert for a Netflix series of the Three Body Problem. I can imagine that it may be a travesty compared to the books and the trailer looked interesting but not quite right. Checking a little more though I found that there had been a Chinese TV series made that actually followed the books well. Chinese TV series can also seem a little ’not quite right’ too though.
I then found that the first two episodes are free to watch online so I’ll check those out and see if it’s worth searching for the rest.
Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10
I tipped the pineapple seller 10 baht which shocked her. She was very grateful and gave me a big smile.
I comforted Nicha who was crying this morning though she wouldn’t say why. Thankfully, she was happy and dancing by the end of the day.
I took this picture because when I showed Jet the picture that Ploy drew of me she instantly said ‘That’s not you. Wait, I’ll draw you.’ A couple of minutes later she presented me with this!
Why is the way the way it is? Blue corner white, red corner black The fighting cocks duke it out With their Gods at their back
All the knowledge the child digests Unquestioned and never put to test Makes the world the way it is And unlikely to ever be at rest
Today I’m feeling:
Lazy and a little uninspired. Last night Amy went to stay at her mum’s and it was cold enough to enjoy a whisky and I ended up finishing off what was left of the two bottles here. I didn’t feel too drunk but also didn’t feel great this morning either. The pleasure wasn’t worth it.
Today I’m grateful for:
The TV and Xbox for keeping my sore brain busy today.
The best thing about today was:
Lard Na for brunch. Healthy and delicious and got rid of my minor hangover.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
Last night I went to bed at about 11 and noticed a missed call from Amy. As she had told me that she was staying at her mum’s house I figured she was just calling to say good night so I didn’t call back.
At some point during the night she called again but it was all a bit of a blur though I could remember something about helping her today at 8 am because she had been pulled over at a checkpoint. I immediately got back to sleep and my usual 6 am alarm annoyingly woke me up. Then I noticed Amy in her bed and she said, one more hour, to which I agreed. Even though I was confused at what she was doing here I easily slept again until 7 and the reset alarm.
We both hazily got up without talking much and eventually headed to the police station in the city.
Apparently Amy was out with friends last night and then went to meet Aun at Tawandang and as she was leaving there at around 2am she got pulled over at a police checkpoint and breathalysed. In typical Thai style, they told her that she should check the local websites before driving so that she can avoid checkpoints! And after they told her to come to the station in the morning they just let her drive off again!
Anyway, at the station she signed some papers and was told to come back again at 10 to go to court. As we didn’t know how long all this was going to take, she dropped me back home first.
Something I learned today?
In the court Amy accepted a 5000 baht fine and has to do some kind of community service, also reporting back to an office somewhere three times and if she’s found to have done anything else wrong she could face 7 days in jail!
Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10
Taking Amy into the city in the morning, though I’m not sure why I was needed except I was happy to provide moral support.
Fah took this picture yesterday with Jet on the left and Mai on the right. I like these kids and their group of friends (Lin, Noah, Gina, Guitar and Poom). No new pictures today.
Great. Last day before five days off. Pushed through arm and chest exercises this morning that really tested my endurance. My muscles ache and feel good.
Happy to be at school amongst all the happy kids, though many have skipped today after all the excitement of sports day yesterday.
I left pretty quickly to sit and catch up with coffee. Enjoying being here but also want to get back to the party atmosphere. Everything is easy.
Today I’m grateful for:
The lady who served me in the 7/11 this morning. It’s a job, someone has to do it and she did her job. Thank you.
The best thing about today was:
Everything. It’s been a really nice day.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
Yesterday I appropriated Fah’s phone whilst she was in the stands and I wandered off taking multiple random photos just to fill up her phone. I gave it back after ten minutes or so and she shook her head at all the pictures now on her phone.
So today, to let her get me back I unlocked my phone and gave it to her whilst I was playing volleyball with her friends. I got it back about 15 minutes later and forgot about it until I got home.
I’ve just spent the last 30 minutes scrolling through 100s of photos, deleting half, considering the rest and wondering what to do with them all. There are some nice shots in there, though many were just of Fah, Jet and Mai messing around pulling faces and not many of me and the ones of me make me look old, which I am (but don’t want to be!).
Phone cameras are so good these days that it’s easy to zoom in and see every line, wrinkle or sag on the skin!
Something I learned today?
Australia is wider than the moon, with a diameter from east to west of almost 4000km! But this is only when considering diameter and not land area. If you flattened the moon out it would actually be wider.
Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10
I spent 100 baht (of my last 700 baht in the bank) on some wafer snacks for my students’ Christmas party today. I personally handed them out to everyone and wished them a Merry Christmas.
After getting home I let Amy take a nap and took myself off to my room so that she wasn’t disturbed.
As I was walking around the school I caught up with Baipad, Jan and Apple twice and Baipad was sleeping both times. The second time I dragged her up for a walk and sat down elsewhere to talk with her one-on-one.
She’s a sweet introverted kid who is resisting the responsibilities of growing up. I gave her words of encouragement and sent her back to her friends, and probably more sleep.
How did my relationships change this year?
My relationships this year have been 90% with my students and 10% with anyone else. My relationship with my students evolves over the course of the year.
The kids I taught at the beginning of the year I don’t teach so often now and we have all relaxed into a happy friendly environment in classes.
With the new students I got in May we have all gotten to know each other to varying degrees in that time. These are the relationships I value highly these days.
My relationship with Amy changed slightly again this year as she returned to Chiang Rai from Australia.
In most ways, we are back to what we were before she left. We and our relationship with each other is very familiar. It’s not boring but sometimes predictable. That is somewhat of a comfort for me at this stage in my life.
I think it is also for Amy but she still has the energy to consider going off and doing things and perhaps still looking to the future. It’s not contentious for either of us, just a matter of fact of the different stages of our lives.
There’s a honey latte running through her head So sweet and milky, her memory a thread Not knowing the day, she ventures to the city Things she thought she knew shined so pretty
Alone, together, the hands are like ghosts Long gone now, sailed to separate coasts Eyeing the barista, nails polished black A laptop hipster, personified slack
She’s a wanna-be adult, yet still sixteen Smart and serious but remains unseen Loving the self-loathing, when will she arrive? Only when she realises she’s always been alive
Wishing for the future and suddenly it’s gone Standing in the middle of what she wanted for so long Nothing left to prove, no longer the impostor Discounted all the time that getting here cost her
Here’s to the memory, the empty honey cup Close the cafe door, breathe til she’s full up Treading familiar sidewalks always reveals the change Yesterday, today and tomorrow always seem so strange
A little tired with a headache and cough again. I didn’t sleep well due to discomfort in my shoulders. I woke up and exercised and felt good for that but my eyes are aching again.
I wondered if part of the problem was connected to the air quality so I checked on the AirVisual app and saw that the quality is already poor and approaching dangerous. Amy has also suddenly got her cough and runny nose back. We will put the air filter in the bedroom tonight.
Today I’m grateful for:
Being able to get paid a little money this month at least. Nancy has figured out some trickery so that I won’t starve just yet.
The best thing about today was:
Finding out that all classes are reduced to 50 minutes for December as kids go off for sports practice at the end of each day. There are also three days off this month. Great.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
When I got to House I was hanging for coffee but Gui’s machine was broken. I stayed a while doing some lesson checking and planning but couldn’t wait in the end and went around to Hobby coffee and I don’t know if it was just the wait but the first cup I got there tasted of delicious honey. I took a second cup back to school and carried on planning.
Something I learned today?
My old student Fah, who was always a bit of a handful but I was drawn to her because she reminded me of me when I was her age, got kicked out of school last semester due to lack of attendance, work, care etc. I wondered why I hadn’t seen her for a while.
Apparently, she has become even worse since, though she is supposed to be studying at another school.
I think she felt an affinity with me, maybe because I never gave her too much of a hard time and encouraged her more than berated her, every time she saw me, without fail she would give me a big hug.
I hope she makes it out there.
Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10
I sent Nong Fah (Sonsawan) an encouraging message to keep going with English in the future, using Amy’s story as evidence.
I helped fix many students’ microphone access so that they could read my work today. I’ve managed to figure out on most phones how to change the setting’s language to English and from there allow them microphone access.
When one of my students accidentally mixed up their words today and asked me if I was studying instead of if I was teaching, I told them ‘Yes, I’m always learning!’
I finally got to congratulate Funfai in person and she is very proud of herself for winning four trophies.
Despite being tired and wanting to get home I stayed and played Uno with Kru Ren, Jet, Noah, Lin and Mai after my class had finished and somehow the kids conspired to make sure that the teachers didn’t win. It was a lot of fun.
I gave my last candies to two of my laziest students, trying to buy their attention for our next class!
Rista asked if we could make Christmas cards in our class again like we did last year. Well, I don’t see why not?
I took this picture because as Tonaor and Nicha were on their way to their next class they suddenly shouted out ‘selfie’ and this was the result. I’d forgotten about it until now.
This is a tiny tattoo A minimal gift to you Sent through space and time To land now on your eye
This is the written proof A document of truth Often forced into rhyme These words can never die
Today I’m feeling:
Much better again than yesterday but still not 100%. I’m hoping to get back to exercise next week and want to be physically capable.
Today I’m grateful for and the best thing about today was:
All the students at school who feel comfortable talking with me. It feels like more and more that students I don’t teach have heard that I’m friendly and approachable and as I’m often around the school rather than stuck in the teacher’s room I’m visible and available too.
Although many of my own students came to me today, many others that I don’t know did too. It’s also become more common for just random greetings from students passing by as well.
I know some teachers like to be seen to be in a traditional teachers’ room, friendly but somewhat aloof. I prefer to be in amongst the melee, near the action.
I don’t see any real difference between us; we are all students. I still have so much to learn and there’s no need to hide that fact from the other students around me.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
Last night I got the message to go to Primary at 8.30 am to start interviewing students but when I got there they wondered why I was there as no one had told them that it had changed from the afternoon. When I went back to ask Kru Mai what was happening he said that the time had changed to 9am and that he’d forgotten to tell me!
And then in the middle of all this I experienced my first earthquake! Apparently I’ve been in earthquakes a couple of times before but I never knew. This time I knew. What a strange feeling. It reminded me a little of being on a floating jetty but it being in an inappropriate place because you’re standing on land! It was very brief, probably not even five seconds but by all accounts it registered 5.9 and the epicentre wasn’t that far away, perhaps within a couple of hundred kilometres.
Of course, the whole school of kids was frightened and excited but today was a big day for the grade 9s, as they too were being interviewed for their programs for their final three years.
Many students ran to me to help, reassure and comfort them but a couple had sudden bursts of tears as they were so stressed about it. I did my best for them but my old student, Apple, couldn’t control herself and was teary all throughout her interview. It doesn’t reflect her skills and ability to study, only her emotional control in a stressful situation. I hope she can still make it.
15th Feb 2024 – Happily, Apple made into the high school English program. As she is friends with Baipad I have been trying to meet them a little each day and give them more confidence with themselves and with English.
Something I learned today?
I read, studied and listened to a lot of varying things today but two minor pieces of information come to mind because this morning I learned that it was Jet’s birthday and in the afternoon I met her in the canteen to give her some candies that I bought.
Whilst doing this Funfai suddenly appeared. She’s like a ghost sometimes, just stands waiting until you notice her. I guess she’s thinking it’s more polite to not interrupt any conversation I’m having but at the same when I see her I have to interrupt the conversation myself anyway!
She told me that she will go to Chiang Mai on Monday for a tennis competition. Good luck FF!
What is the best gift I have ever recieved?
This question has me singing Cows ‘Gift of Life’ in my head. I need to listen to more Cows again. I had a Cows phase for a long while, back when living in Sydney and can remember clearly the environment of the apartment at the time and then when I consider this I realise that it is more than ten years ago!
I haven’t answered the question, I know. Maybe I will if I revisit this entry later.
No pictures today. This one is from a couple of weeks ago when I was up on garage roof.
A harmony made with a push The string welcomes the bow Complimentary or alone Compensates for what we know
A combination of careful ears Sing along or start your own When no one hears the tree fall The counter remains unknown
Today I’m feeling:
Positive, perky, alive. Under that, I know I’m a little tired and could enjoy more of the good sleep that I had last night. A busy day has passed happily at school. Now for a chill evening.
Today I’m grateful for:
The Rocks soda water that can be left in the fridge opened and still be fizzy after 24 hours. It seems suspicious to me! How is it possible? It’s good though because it’s so fizzy I can’t drink a whole bottle in one go.
The best thing about today was:
Pushing myself through two exercise routines this morning (abs and chest) which got me going. I feel like I need to push a little bit extra at the moment as I put on a little weight recently.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
I took everything in my stride With a confidence I couldn’t hide When things wrong I just played along Using the skills I’ve learned and applied
Something I learned today?
I saw one of my old students (Sun) today and barely recognised him. I hadn’t seen him around for about six months I guess but in that time his face went from a boy to a man. That’s scary. Some other students have barely changed in three years. It is a privilege to be able to watch them grow.
Which reminds me, yesterday I wrote about August’s birthday and today I saw her in a class and wished her a happy birthday. She was shocked and surprised that I knew. I think it made her happy.
How is my life different from how I thought it would turn out?
Holy shit, my life is totally different than I thought it might be.
Up until meeting Bronwyn, I didn’t really have any idea about what I might end up doing. I was looking forward to a life of dull drudgeful depression in the UK and had no vision to escape.
Thankfully, fortuitously, meeting Bronwyn helped me find a way out that even though was still rudderless, set me on a path of discovery.
I never wanted to get married and ended up marrying three times, though if it wasn’t for visa requirements, I likely wouldn’t have married at all.
I never wanted children but Hayden came along as a happy surprise.
These days I don’t feel quite the need to push my life in any particular direction as I’m content with where I’m at.
Jet took this picture because she took my phone to take selfies and asked me to join in. Jet and Fah are two of my favourite students. Though both have wildly different personalities they still also can’t help acting their age of 13 or 14. They are smart and funny.
That day of heartbreak set me on a path I learned how easy it was to hurt others And through the maze of time and people It would be my turn to torture ex-lovers
Then it took another decade or two To undo all the hurting done That started with that one broken promise Perhaps long forgotten by some
Now worlds away from each other We all found our way down different paths If we stumbled into each other’s dreams Would they be full of our cries or laughs
Wishing things were different always held us back We never knew better at the time There’s a little piece of you in my head That I promise will always be mine
A better sleep that wasn’t long enough. Pushed through an ab workout that I didn’t want to do. Feeling positive and content though I will stir further into action once I get some coffee, otherwise I could quite easily just fall back to sleep if the opportunity arose.
Today I’m grateful for:
Getting home and finding all my shirts ironed by my lovely wife. I had been putting it off because it’s too hot, even to do it sitting in an air-conditioned room. I’m also grateful to find out today that tomorrow morning there is some event for one of my classes so that I don’t have to teach them.
The best thing about today was:
Amy’s dinner. I came home hungry and Amy knocked up a delicious fake duck chilli jam, Thai basil stir fry that every single spoonful was scintillating down to the last one and even writing about it now is making my mouth water. To top it all Amy went out to meet her friends so I had a chance to bash around on the guitar for an hour or so which made me happy.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
I fell asleep before writing anything here. Handled by writing this tomorrow morning.
Something I learned today?
I learned that Noey in 2/6 is disliked by most of her classmates although I couldn’t quite figure out why. Jet said it’s because she is lazy and always causes the rest of the class to have to wait for her to finish but I think there are worse offenders of that than Noey.
In general, how do I feel about how my life is going right now?
I think life is going pretty well. I’ve gotten used to the change of rhythm with Amy being back so when she is back in October more permanently it should be fairly easy to settle again. Amy is talking about her business plan so I’m glad to hear that. If that happens it would feel more settled for the future. Our health is reasonably good, our cats are old but in good condition. Our little family is doing okay.
I know yesterday was an old cloud picture day but I took this picture because this looked like it would brew nicely into something that cools down the evening. It was dark and I was playing guitar loudly by the time it hit and Cap ran under cover under the desk at the first peals of thunder and then static crackled through my amp with every flash of lightning. By the time I finished playing the storm was done and any coolness brought didn’t seem to make any difference as the humidity just increased. The rice field was ploughed last weekend and will soon be filled with a sea of green seedlings.
1994ever 