“Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But, since no one was listening, everything must be said again.” – Andre Gide
The fried chicken stand roars each morning
Burning oil since the early dawning
You know it’s bad – ‘But it’s delicious’
There’s things inside so suspicious
Feel your organs, pumping, throbbing
As arteries are slowly clogging
The chicken man holds a scythe
Death comes along to claim his tithe
Gratitude Journal
I am so happy and grateful to have this little book to write my notes in. I prefer to write with pen and paper rather than using an app.
Gratitude Journal
I am so happy and grateful that it is Thursday and I only have two classes today and will finish at 1.30 so will have lots of free time. I plan to draw a picture of Tokyo to give to Gui as a gift.
Conkers
We marched ever onward
Til we conquered all around
Spilled blood, spread disease
Put generations in the ground
Now the march is inward
To conquer our own mind
What then becomes of us
After what we find?
Godsnake
Some absurd things make us laugh
While others they offend
But if you cannot laugh at yourself
You’ll be angry until your end
You can have your faith and eat it
Not everyone feels the same
Our beliefs are as absurd as each others
Let’s not apportion blame
Legacy of GG
Ugly is art, all the same
No judgement on defect
It deserves respect
Only opinion, it’s in the name
It could be a mistake
Art for art’s sake
Like it or leave it
Opinions aren’t facts
So just relax
If you don’t believe it
Existing is real
Whatever you feel
Fame can be fleeting
Soon passing on by
Even after you die
Those people you’re meeting
Will return to the sky
Just as you and I
Gratitude Journal
I am so happy and grateful for the delicious smells coming from the kitchen this morning as Amy prepares me my lunch – chilli jam fake duck. The fake meats here are many and varied and I’m grateful for all the choices.
Gratitude Journal
I am so happy and grateful to be able to work from home today. Finally, someone at the school made the right decision for teachers to work from home due to the Covid case at school. It is the sensible decision!
Well, the students came back to school last Monday on a treacherous day of torrential rain, and it was good to see them all again. By Friday, the school was closed again due to a case of Covid that the school knew about on that first day but kept to themselves in the hope that it wouldn’t be a big deal. So typical of the Thai style. It’s very frustrating.
On Monday, Nancy was also constantly hassling me to cash her cheque and transfer her money. I was unable to get to a bank, but Amy offered to transfer it if I put some money into her account. I transferred from my account without realising it took me below the threshold needed for my visa application, which was summarily rejected on Tuesday! Now, I have to change to a 60-day visitor visa and re-apply again. I was so annoyed that it became funny.
Thailand has not endeared itself to me this week. I started wondering about leaving. We are only made to feel welcome here if we spend money. We will never be accepted as equals – sometimes it feels like a punishment for the luck of being born in a ‘better’ society. Revenge jealousy.
Anyway, I can play with my cats and the dog from next door. I still have books to read. Fuck frustration!
Gratitude Journal
I am so happy and grateful for Amy’s cooking experiments which means I can eat Pecan cake today as she will make a new one (for Goy’s birthday). Her recent cookies were delicious.
Gratitude Journal
I am so happy and grateful that we can afford to furnish our spare room so that Kim Chi has space to be her own. If we faced the same situation in our old house in Chatswood it would have been impossible. We are so fortunate – as is Kim.
Hangover
I wonder where
I left my underwear
My socks are wet
Why? I forget
Ugh! Back to sleep
Drifting deep
Think more later
Drink more later
Go back under
Where’s my wonder?
Wasting Time
When someone wants to waste your time
Be ready and bring something else to mind
There’s plenty of things to do and find
Wasting time – it’s yours to lose
There’s so many things you can use
It’s always there for you to choose
Gratitude Journal
I am so happy and grateful that I woke up this morning, early in the morning and couldn’t get back to sleep. I was thinking too much and I hope I got it all done so that I don’t keep thinking too much during the day.
Twelve
Take me to the twelve
The leaders of the show
From up on your mountain
Looking down on all below
In awe of your majesty
All the fighting has been done
Time to make some toys
Now the battle has been won
Something still was missing
All the goals had been achieved
The minions needed order
And something to be believed
Here we are many eons later
Mistakes still being made
Fighting amongst each other
Our peace has been delayed
On our way underground
Discovering truth much too late
Wishing for eternal youth
For which we’d always wait
Wisdom came and found us
It was always oh, so near
Take it to the after life
Because you can’t have it here
Sailing down the winding river
Darkness is descending
Say goodbye to all you know
This is your life ending
Currently reading Stephen Fry’s ‘Mythos’ – it’s intriguing that the tales of Gods captivate us in some way despite knowing that it isn’t real. Are we even looking at them and laughing at these old stories to describe our existence? I laugh at many religious beliefs because they are nonsensical and I wouldn’t even really bother to read them and whilst I’m enjoying reading this book and these stories – what to make of it?
Gift
You got a gift, virus infection
Breathe it out, in every direction
No one knows until inspection
No one safe until injection
Students came back to school on Monday, by Friday the school was closed again as there was a case of Covid (more on this at some point in the future) and they are still making the teachers come to school to teach online! Something that we can easily do from home. Thailand – I despair, sometimes.
Gratitude Journal
I am so happy and grateful for the regular visits from Tangmo, our neighbour’s dog. When he comes to play with me it distracts me a little from my own mini-stress of things I plan to do for myself and gives me a few minutes of fun and laughter. Tangmo is a disobedient, stupid dog but he’s full of love.
He Is Not…….
What am I? The hip-priest? Unappreciated?
I have feelings too, though I often hide them well
Words cut deep until your appetite is sated
Where do we go from here, only time will tell
Just a little confirmation, inquiry on my state
Will go a long way to making me feel okay
Let’s make it good again before it’s too late
And regret all the things we forgot to say
In Your Head
There’s a coward in the room
Hiding out of sight
Stuck alone with you
Through the day and night
A shadow of a being
Testing all your ideas
Teasing and twisting
Pushing the buttons of your fears
Naggin’ at your noggin
You listen to each spell
Mixing up your emotions
You can no longer tell
The differences of what’s right
And wrong at all
If you keep listening to that devil
You will surely fall
Gratitude Journal
I am so happy and grateful that despite all the negative things that happened during the day with my immigration visa application – I was still able to go back to school and have a fun class with new students.
1994ever 