Tag: Kishore Mahbubani

The Contract – 20th March 2023

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Killing time still brings the crows
A pile of shit still grows the rose
Who will hold and stab the blade
To break the contract freely made

To cut the cancer, counter pain
To withhold freedom for general gain
Sign the papers or travel far
To find agreement to what we are

Today I’m feeling:

Much better than yesterday. Despite sleeping less than 7 hours I woke a little more motivated, did some exercise and told myself that I will do some lesson preparation to keep myself occupied in the morning.

I also wrote a message to Amy explaining how I was feeling over the weekend and we both are missing each other.

Took a full tablet of sertraline this morning. I know it can’t take effect immediately but the placebo effect can.

Today I’m grateful for:

The patient waitress at Lardna Aroi who understood what I wanted with my bad Thai and some translation help. I tipped her two baht to round up the bill to 100 baht. Last of the big spenders.

The best thing about today was:

An unexpected message from my student Earn in the class LINE saying that she missed me. I replied that I missed everyone too. It’s funny because usually if I try and talk to Earn at school she tells me to go away (in a non-serious way). Leaving this job one day will be super hard!

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

I’m still struggling with some small issues with my computer but I have some optimism that they will get sorted out with a bit more investigation and time. Nothing particularly stressful.

Something I learned today?

I saw a video this evening that indicated that Australia wouldn’t follow the US into war with China. This is a surprise, particularly after investing in submarines that would likely support a war effort. Something is going on behind the smoke and mirrors.

What makes me unique?

I want to be facetious in my answer. I am not unique at all. Yet, everyone is.

But in the spirit of the question….I don’t know. Perhaps it’s not for me to say but for others. It’s usually easy to say something like this about someone else rather than yourself. Why?

This is ridiculous, the more I think about it the less unique I become.

Someone working at Daytripper took this picture and then used it in one of their Facebook posts to promote that they were open. Free model, listening to Kishore Mahbubani talking about US-China relations, deep in thought. But this picture just makes me want to work off more of that back fat so that my shirts fit better.

Water – 1st March 2023

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

A feisty fighter frustrating friends
Not caring, not coping, on the go
A teenage tearaway telling tales
Pushing against the urge to grow

Parental problems, proving pain
Mistakes one day surely repeated
Hardened heads hiding hopes
A life from which has been cheated

As water wearies, wild and winding
The ground becomes less stable
Forming floods for fallow fields
Leaving nothing to eat at the table

Inspired by a conversation with a student whose name translates as Water
16th May 2024 – Submitted to Word of the Day Challenge

Today I’m feeling:

Happy and tired again. I feel good when I’m pushed and have to do things but when I get free time I start to feel tired.

Today I’m grateful for:

Arriving at school and then finding out there is an art event and students don’t want to study but also not bothered about the event too! I just gave them a little work and then talked with small groups of students about their futures.

The best thing about today was:

As mentioned above, talking with some of the kids today was interesting.

Mangkron said he wants to be a farmer as that is what his family is involved in. I was a little surprised as most kids talk about being doctors, gamers or idols.

I was happily surprised about Baipad who has a clear idea of what she would like to do and also has a backup plan. Her and Apple were also able to understand and consider options that might not exactly match their wishes but are in the same direction.

Ozone shocked me when she started talking about software programming and also design work of some sort. Underneath her quiet exterior, she has things happening it seems.

A number of kids simply answered ‘Well, my parents want me to do this’ to which I had to remind them that I asked them what they wanted to do. And my purpose was to get them thinking about this, which many are already and whilst comforting them that they still have lots of time to decide that if they can’t figure out something to do by themselves then surely someone else will do it for them.

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

With only really another full week left of classes, the kids have already switched off. I do want them to come to my class though, even though we may do just a little work. I’d like to get them to do more talking as above. Perhaps they will open up a bit more now they are more relaxed.

Either way, I’m not going to stress too much about their behaviour from now.

Something I learned today?

I’ve been powering through the Kishore Mahbubani videos on US-China relations and liking his even-handed approach to the situation. The videos were made in 2020 when Biden became US president and there was some hope of a less hostile relationship. I’ll find some other videos of his which are more up-to-date after I finish this series. Any kind of possible military encounter between the two countries is going to be a disaster.

What is one goal I have for the next month and how can I work towards achieving it?

Goals are overrated. Just keep doing and being the best I can be. So my goals as such are just to get the things done that I have to such as taking the cats for their annual checks and vaccines. I’ll try to get a couple more tattoos and spend more time reading and writing as well as planning for next semester’s classes.

I took these pictures because today was an art event at school and these student pictures caught my eye.

惊弓之鸟 – 11th February 2023

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 1 Comment

The shadows hold wicked smiles
The potential for evil convinces
Birds startled by bowstrings
Plucked by the hands of princes

Memories engrained with fear
Of the terrible bowstrings twang
Paralysed in body and mind
In a world that no longer sang

To live in fear of life
Is no way to live at all
Fly high up into the skies
And don’t be scared to fall

Chinese Proverb
20th Mar 2024 – Submitted to #Weekly Prompts Wednesday Challenge Smiles

Today I’m feeling:

Reasonably content though still a little tired.

Today I’m grateful for:

The car service only costing a little over 1000 baht though I’m curious about what they actually did. At least I can see they cleaned the car.

The best thing about today was:

Spending the afternoon watching Kishore Mahbubani’s US-China relations course whilst sitting in Daytripper again. There was a group of Chinese students with books open learning Thai yet practising speaking Japanese and playing English word games. Hearing them talking reminded me of my travels in China.

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

Despite me sitting in the same building as where my car was being serviced, instead of talking to me the service people called Amy in Australia two times to say this thing needed fixing and that thing needed fixing. Amy would then call me asking why they weren’t talking to me to which my only reply could be ‘I don’t know!’ She was getting annoyed but there was nothing either of us could do. At least they didn’t do it again after she told them to just talk with me cos I was there!

Even with our differing languages, we could still have worked things out but they seemed reluctant to even try. No one told me anything about the work they actually did so I just paid the bill and said thank you, then left. No big deal.

Something I learned today?

Sydney is building another harbour tunnel that was originally planned to be completed by 2026 but the method of construction was changed after the project had already started. It will now complete in 2028 instead but it will supposedly be cheaper. It will be tolled too and ultimately lead to there just being more cars in the city. One day I will go back and marvel at all the changes there.

What do I need right now?

I need to pick up something to eat for dinner tonight. If I decide on something before going, the store will invariably be closed so I’ll just have to go and look around.

I took this picture because what’s not to like about sitting in a cafe overlooking newly planted rice fields during golden hour?

Together We Rise – 9th February 2023

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 3 Comments

Once again, I was told I was free
That I could be whatever I wanted to be
So I told of the things inside my head
That had filled me full of existential dread

Then I found that so many people didn’t agree
I was called out and threatened constantly
I never thought just because of words I said
Made people so upset they’d want me dead

I realised freedom does not mean free
What’s freedom to you is not so for me
A common line must be towed instead
If you wish to lie in a settled bed

But is it possible for us to agree
That opposition is the end of you and me
We don’t need to succumb to lies we’re fed
Together we can travel the road ahead

2nd Jun 2024 – Submitted to Ragtag Daily Prompt

Today I’m feeling:

Productive if only for household chores. Not sure I’ll be able to stay awake this afternoon.

Today I’m grateful for:

An afternoon cappuccino to keep me awake through the day but hopefully not so much that I can’t sleep tonight. I went out to Daytripper to enjoy it and watch the Kishore Mahbubani online course videos about US-China relations.

The best thing about today was:

A sense of achievement from sweeping up leaves, cutting back some climbing vines, preparing for cleaning off the roof, washing bedclothes, cleaning Kim’s room and getting everything ready for her to spend her nights in here again. I enjoyed doing it all.

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

I’m here in Kim’s room writing this and I can see that the fuckin’ ants are out of control. I wonder if this is why the doesn’t like to sit directly on the floor. I sprayed ant killer in one corner of the room where I could see them coming and going but there must be many different colonies here all vying for their pieces of territory and the pull of Kim’s food bowl.

Kim is sitting watching me and wondering what the hell is going on.

Something I learned today?

The US voted no at the UN to make food a human right. They voted no to the Convention of Rights for Persons with Disabilities. No to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and against the resolution ‘combatting Nazism and contemporary forms of racism.’ The US sure likes to be different.

What emotion am I feeling right now?

Lethargy as my body winds down from the activities of the day. My mind though is still busy but that will soon wind down too. I also have a feeling of anticipation looking forward to jumping into bed with fresh clean sheets. My body is already experiencing the sensation, I’m looking forward to it that much.

I took this picture because new sheets, new sleeps. Almost summer.