Can you be persuaded away By the carrot on the stick? Caught in the thought of ice cream And eating until you’re sick – Surely you need a jumbo serve – To teach you what you deserve
Pretty good again. The morning has whizzed by thanks to all my students being incredibly well-behaved and attentive today. I’m a little surprised! I wish every day was like this. I actually felt like I was teaching rather than attending.
Today I’m grateful for:
The kids I asked not to come and disrupt my afternoon class today. I appreciated that though maybe my students didn’t understand so much but it got them more focused and we got enough done.
The best thing about today was:
Those early classes setting up the day for me so that I’m not so tired. I’m perhaps also getting used to this schedule too.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
Amy suddenly changed plans this morning as she didn’t sleep well but it was nothing that caused any real problem or made me change my plans too much.
Something I learned today?
It’s a possibility that Chad Warner could be lured from Sydney Swans to Freo, as he is from the West Coast originally. He’s already touted as the best player in the competition. He’s only 22 or 23 years old. I hope he doesn’t leave though.
Review your acts, Good and bad.
I sent encouraging messages to KanomBang and BB after they paid more attention in class and asked me for help.
I’ve also been sending Anchan encouragement every now and then. She went to a speaking competition last weekend and was disappointed to come ninth.
I found iPhone, Fahmai and another girl practising dancing and they told me that there will be a competition next week so I wished them luck and hope that I can see them.
Tired but awake with a headache. My sleep was much disturbed by aches in my shoulders and arms due to my exercise this week, so I skipped it this morning.
I have a few things to do today connected with the SpeechOdd Malay tour and the Minnesota release and hopefully will play some guitar too. I didn’t make it to my room often last week.
Today I’m grateful for:
My village and the folks therein.
The best thing about today was:
Being able to keep going after a filling lunch and resisting the temptation to lay down. Before that, I had already gone to Sinthanee and got a new battery for the bike and picked up the fish at Betagro for Amy to cook for lunch. My two morning coffees seemed to keep the lights on in my body after waking up tired but not sleepy.
Lunch could have finished me off, though. My eyes were feeling heavy as my body was breaking down the fish and rice. I drank a bottle of soda and knew it was a bad idea to lie down with all that bubbling around inside me so decided to walk around the garden and on seeing our dirty car I decided that I could take it to the garage to be cleaned as we will drive to meet Mei and Hagen at Singha Park tomorrow for lunch.
Also, I thought it might be a funny catalyst for some rain as it hasn’t rained in the four days since we got the gutter replaced, so we still don’t know how effective it is.
On the way to PTT, where I normally get the car cleaned, I dropped into Utopia and asked if they knew a local shop that could fix the puncture on my car, and they told me that Art recommended the shop right next to the PTT. Easy. And I picked up another coffee, too!
At the PTT, they couldn’t clean my car immediately as there was a truck delivering fuel, and they said they could only do it after that had finished. No problem, I’ll go and get the puncture repaired.
In the shop the guy there got straight to it and within about ten minutes had fixed everything and delivered me a screw that had caused the problem. And only cost 150 baht. The fish this morning was more expensive!
As it was so quick, I went back down to the car cleaning place next door to Sinthanee, and they said it would be about an hour as they had a couple of cars in already. No problem. I could go across the road and talk with Baipad for a bit.
At Baipad’s, her mum was finishing off a customer’s hair, and NamHom was playing an online game and talking with the other player, her friend, on her mobile phone. Kids these days! So lucky. Her mum kept telling her to go and get Baipad from upstairs, but she was too engrossed, so I watched her playing and scoffed when she failed at the quest she was trying to complete, which, to my surprise, she was completely unbothered by; she just kept starting again without complaint. I would have thrown the phone down in frustration many times if that had been me when I was younger! So, I’m not sure how I feel about that. Is she not frustrated due to resilience or to a lack of emotion?
Anyway, the customer left, and mum forced NamHom to go up and get Baipad, and I asked her mum if it was her car outside and if she would like me to teach Baipad all the things inside, without actually driving anywhere. She said that that was fine but that Baipad was probably too scared to drive anyway and shook her head. I think she would like Baipad to step up a little bit with taking action.
And so talking of which, NamHom came back downstairs and started playing again, saying that she knocked on the door and told Baipad to come down. 20 minutes later, and no appearance. Her mum said that she was probably playing on her phone all last night and was still sleeping now and had locked her door.
She sighed, I sighed, but whatever. I walked up to Lotus and got some Curcumin drinks and went back to the car wash and sat in their waiting room from where I called and chatted with Hayden for a while.
Once the car was done, outside, inside, underneath and another 250 baht gone I felt pretty lively and inspired to keep going so, once home, got into my room and sent off a message to Unite Asia about the Speech Odd tour, wrote to Johnny in HK about the Bennu 12”s and whether he’d be interested in the Minnesota Pocket Circuit release. I also set up a Facebook event page for the Speech Odd tour and started to feel like I was really getting connected back in with things.
I was tired and dizzy but inspired again. I practiced guitar for a little while and then played along to a couple of songs until my amp cut out from playing too loud. Time to go back inside and relax.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
I was unfazed about things today, even Amy telling me to do this and do that, I looked at her with a fun mocking face.
Review your acts, Good and bad.
I told the puncture repair guy that Art at Utopia had recommended him so that they both got some recognition within our community.
Far into the future food will be hard to find But will have evolved with an ever-greater mind Time travel will be normal but only to the past Once the first one comes, it’s sure not to be the last
Back all those million years, so much free-roaming meat Bring it back to the future for everyone to eat But our future selves became so filled with greed Making the same mistakes, taking more than they need
So supplies were running out, there was only so much flesh Standards demanding that everything must be fresh Man still not smart enough to know it’s all interlinked And so that’s how the story goes, the dinosaurs became extinct
Still tired and a little slow. The weekends with no stress or early morning commitments means a big wind down. So, it’s been a little bit of a quiet day.
Today I’m grateful for:
The workers working on the road. As the rains have gotten heavier the way out from our house to the road has completely muddied up (even a big truck got stuck out there this morning). Amy asked them to fix it for us and they did. I haven’t seen it yet but will find out in the morning.
The best thing about today was:
Playing guitar and feeling like enjoying it again. It’s been a struggle for the last few weeks but today felt good and spent nearly an hour playing traditional songs in Yousician and then another 30 minutes smashing out punk tunes in Capo. I’m still terrible but today it doesn’t bother me.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
Amy is a little short with me because I took her cookies to Utopia and to Baipad this morning and I think she’s thinking that I care too much about other people and/or that I don’t like her cookies and so giving them away.
I’m trying just to be normal and carry on and Amy is also busy with her student’s assignments.
I love Amy more than anything but also need to think of ways to keep showing her that.
Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10
I wasn’t going to do much of anything today but after I got home from coffee I was surprised to get a message from Baipad asking if I could take her and her sister to Big C as they wanted to go see a movie.
I asked her if her mum was ok with it and if she was then I could take her. She said her mum was ok (but I’m not certain that she was!) and so I went to pick them up. It was there that they told me that their mum was in Bangkok!
Well, I put my trust in Baipad and dropped them off and hoped for the best.
Later in the afternoon, she said that they got back home (by Grab I guess) and everything was fine.
I got sent this picture because it seems Little Art and Noey enjoyed Amy’s cookies.
A song sung of departure towards a journey of woe Giant squid squirt inky dark blinded to the flow No fuel until Friday, at least the captain is saying so A panorama of the horizon begs which way to go Neglected were the whispers, part of the ocean’s show Set light to the sails, watch the flames aglow From officer to pilot, knowing what’s to know Clouds clot to bring the storm and finally the blow Graduating to the ground to see the mountains grow
Feeling tired and tense. After finally getting up, the two Utopia coffees kicked started my brain but not my body! Hence the feeling of tension.
Amy is wound up about the useless builder that has ripped us off for the guttering. I’m trying to divert her focus but she’s out for blood, and obviously frustrated.
It’s annoying for sure, though I blame myself. I got the feeling he was useless almost immediately but didn’t go with my instinct.
It’s been an average day that hasn’t seen me brighten up particularly and at only 8.15 pm I’m going to bed!
Today I’m grateful for:
The AI assistant in Quizizz that can quickly put together questions based on a text. It’s very useful to speed up putting new lessons together.
The best thing about today was:
Writing, and enjoying writing, a new lesson for my new HAP grade 12 class. It also inspired me to come up with more ideas that I will try to turn into more lessons.
Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10
After dropping Amy at Cafe No Name for P’Berm’s birthday celebration I picked up some watermelon for Baipad and popcorn for her sister NamHom for her birthday.
I took this picture because Piti was chilling at the coffee machine.
A bit better again today, maybe at 85%. Struggled getting to sleep last night, maybe because I had slept so much the day before, thinking about classes and students and how things slowly change. I miss all my students in one way or another.
Today I’m grateful for:
Firstly, to the uni students at the PTT station who tried to help me put air in my bike tyres. Unfortunately, I think I fucked the tube by riding it there in the first place so nothing worked for it.
Secondly, to dependable 100-year-old uncle who replaced the tube for me, jabbering away at me about things, indicating that the tyre on the bike is too small. I didn’t want to remind him that it was him that put it on there! He also said that he could replace the starter battery but I told that that would have to wait until next month when I have more money.
Talking of which, the SpeechOdd/High Voltage records are due to be sent to me from the factory in Taiwan and I’m hoping not to get hit with too much customs tax. I also still have to pay for the cover printing too.
The best thing about today was:
There was a very good atmosphere around the school today for the last day before cracking down to studies.
Even though I could’ve gone home at 9 am I went to the cafe until midday doing some writing and lessons and then went back to school where I was greeted by students everywhere I went, I guess as I know many different students from grades 8 to 12 now.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
It was an ominous sign when arriving home to see two trucks from our internet provider out on the road and sure enough, there’s been no internet at home again since the afternoon.
Time to read or catch up on other things instead.
Something I learned today?
A jiffy is an actual unit of time, defined as 1/100th of a second.
Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10
I met Fui by chance at House this morning and he told me about a school in Bangkok that his son passed the exam to enter so I got the details and passed them onto Anchan. She would have lots of hurdles to face to pursue this option but at least she can be armed with information.
I complimented Kru Mai on his outrageous shirt today!
What emotions do I feel when I think about my future?
At the moment I feel pretty calm even though the future is uncertain about which direction it may go. I’m calm because I think I can deal with it whatever happens.
These days I get more stressed and disconsolate when I think about the futures for my students. I was thinking about this when I was talking to Fui today in connection with Anchan. A smart kid who knows that she needs to get out from where she is to improve her future but can’t afford to.
When you are struggling to afford new uniforms or lunch day to day, you can’t even consider going to Bangkok to take a free entrance exam for a better school (and think about even cheap fees and cheap accommodation – anything above 0 baht is out of reach.)
I took this screenshot from a video because iPhone called me over to be in the background of her video that she posted on Instagram. She didn’t let me down gently when she said that I won’t become famous!
Tigger woke me up at 6am, he doesn’t understand weekends, telling me he will die if he doesn’t eat, so I wearily poured out some dried food, much to Cap’s disgust, fell back into bed and, resetting my 7.30 alarm for 8.30 dived deep into a sexy, though not sexual, dream about Nong Fah!
When my alarm went off I forced myself up and now I’m at Utopia and struggling to focus my eyes properly on my book.
Today I’m grateful for:
A change of plans. Today I was supposed to drive us all up to Doi Chang and here and there and all around but Mai’s family are all tired and/or sick with dodgy stomachs and even the backup plan of going to the Black House got cancelled and in the end everyone just came to our house and chilled in the air con.
The best thing about today was:
A whole load of mala sticks for dinner at a Chinese shop and even though I could’ve skipped dinner completely I ended up with a stack of vegetables and dug into the super spicy Sichuan sticks whilst sipping some soothing milk tea. I’m not sure yet how my stomach is going to react overnight.
Something I learned today?
As we don’t have internet in the house I am perusing my hard drive full of TV shows and movies and watching some of Paul Merton’s travel series around Europe. It’s maybe 20 or even 30 years old already but at that time there was a group of Germans who dressed a little to look like Nazis and carried flags with the same colours as the swastika symbol but with an apple shape instead. They would go outside known Nazi gathering spots in Berlin and chant things like ‘Drink more apple juice’ in a fun attempt to humiliate them.
Did you do something difficult or challenging today?
I happily drove Mai and family around this morning and afternoon, trying to keep Yaya occupied and happy.
Someone took this picture in Utopia and they used it on Facebook. I’m happy with my hair in this picture.
Good again. Pretty peppy with an underlying exhaustion just from adjustment to this routine again.
Mai, Dave and Yaya, along with Mai’s parents, arrive in Chiang Rai this morning and Amy will be busy with them for the next four days and I’ll be joining them after work this afternoon.
Today I’m grateful for:
Our step ladder so that I can try and organise our vine plant to grow over our entertainment area and perhaps stop a little of the rain in the future, though will undoubtedly block the gutters with dead leaves too.
The best thing about today was:
Getting on top of everything in preparation for being back in the classroom. I think I have a fairly clear idea for each class now and can adapt as I go. It was a good feeling to be back in the game so to speak.
I had felt pretty on the ball at the start of the holiday but then slacked off a lot for the last three weeks. I put up a self imposed barrier in my mind though thankfully found it easy to overcome. Though I’m damned tired right now! Tired but feeling great and positive.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
I felt increasingly positive and happy as the day has gone on and nothing could stand in my way or bother me.
Something I learned today?
Mai’s husband Dave was so excited when he got to Thailand that he overindulged in smoking too much weed last night and had to spend the day sleeping today, so I haven’t actually seen him yet.
Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10
I drove Amy and I back into the city at 5 pm and the traffic is getting busy again after the holidays. I picked up Mai and her family and took us to the restaurant for a really nice meal with Amy’s mum and dad joining too.
I took this picture because this is another Yaya that I know.
Really tired again. It feels like I just can’t get enough good unbroken sleep. Cap woke us both up again last night, vomiting up some food.
I’m starting to feel really concerned for him now. He’s not eating or drinking enough and is all saggy skin and bones. It feels like this might be his final days but I hope I’m wrong.
Maybe I’m just being overly cautious after being less concerned with Kim Chi last year.
Today I’m grateful for:
The people who found Leo after he ran off this evening and Amy had to go and ride around to search for him. Without luck, she then just happened to check a local online message board where someone had posted that they’d found a lost dog. That crazy Leo!
The best thing about today was:
Watching more of the 3 Body Problem. I don’t have energy for much at the moment and am already in bed at 8 pm.
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
After a couple of coffees, I cancelled meeting up with Matt and figured to go to school and sign the documents to get paid before going home to catch up on sleep. Nancy sent a reminder to go to sign the documents so that was my trigger to leave.
It was already about 36 degrees and with the bad air and lack of sleep, I was super dizzy, especially after walking up to the fourth floor where waiting for me was absolutely no one.
I was about to pass out and couldn’t wait around and so left a message with Nancy saying there was no one there and I was sick and leaving.
When I got home there was another message from Nancy saying that if I didn’t sign today I would be paid late, without giving any indication of what late meant.
I flaked into bed but couldn’t get a good rest, sleeping for maybe only twenty minutes. I tried to get Kru Mai to go and sign for me. Why not! Why do we even need to go through this nonsense every month?
At three-forty, looking like there was no other way around it I decided to drive back just to sign their paper.
I took this picture because this tree at school is blossoming and looked great with the sun rising and the school building in contrast.
Under the weather again. Last night I could feel a slight tickle and ache in my throat as I was about to sleep.
I slept well though not enough and my alarm woke me up with a start to which I succumbed to another 30 minutes of snoozing, skipping exercise. When I got up I could feel the oncoming sore throat, confirmed by blood in my nose.
My mood was down a little too but it’s Friday so let’s go and get it done.
Today I’m grateful for:
Discovering that there is a holiday on Monday. Yippee!
The best thing about today was:
A chilled vibe at school (see below) and spending about five hours at House, reading, lesson planning, blogging and writing. What a job!
What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?
At the morning flag ceremony, I noticed that my grade 7 classes were less than half in attendance and discovered that they were attending some meeting about a field trip. OK….
When it came to class time there were only about ten students and they told me the rest were still in the meeting.
I went to find Kru Karn, their homeroom teacher who didn’t know anything about where they were. I mentioned a field trip and she said ‘oh yes, there’s about 6 students going.’ I asked when it was and she thought that it was in the holiday. ‘Hmm’, I said, ‘that’s weird because there are more than 6 students missing from the class?’
She came to my class and talked with one of the students and was surprised to find out herself that many of the student’s parents skipped the process of advising her about their children going on the trip and, more importantly, the trip starts on Monday and is for one week!
The communication here is so crazy – no one knows what’s going on.
I said ‘Well, I guess that’s it for teaching these kids this semester.’ Kru Karn agreed and advised to start doing their grading files. And it leaves me with another day with no classes again already.
Something I learned today?
As I was wandering around Baipad’s class this morning, because my class was cancelled and Kru Ren wasn’t there, I learned that a couple of students are taking money from the lazy ones to complete their coursework for them.
It’s enterprising of the hard-working kids to make some spare cash but disappointing from a teacher’s perspective.
Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10
I offered Baipad to help her on Monday with all her catchup work. Let’s see if she gets it together to actually wake up and do it.
I helped various students in their different classes today as my own classes being mostly free time for everyone.
Kru Fluke dropped in to visit. I gave her a big smile and a hug, happy to see her again.
25 THINGS ABOUT LIFE I WISH I HAD KNOWN 10 YEARS AGO – 20. Enjoy Small Things. I like clichés because they are true.
Over the last three or four years of self-improvement I’ve followed the Noticing Things blog (I forget the proper name), thought about gratitude every day (with a couple of exceptions) and been writing, journalling, blogging etc. All of these combined have led me to enjoy the small things.
Partly due to this, I’m not often in the vicinity of big things and things that I once thought of as big seem comparatively small these days too (the circumstance of ageing).
One thing that I was doing more of last year or the year before was savouring moments. I don’t often stop to remind myself to savour something now. I should practice that again.
I took this picture last weekend when I was getting my haircut. HoiTod makes me miss little Kim so much, almost one year now since she’s gone. Sniffle.
A little tired again I think because whatever is giving me a sore throat is just taking a little out of me. I don’t feel too bad but on the edge and it could go either way.
I slept relatively early again and got up later, skipping exercise again. There’s nothing to do at school today as all the kids go off camping and thankfully the high school foreign teachers don’t have to go like the primary teachers do.
Coffee, writing and reading time and then back home. Hopefully, I can avoid an afternoon nap today though it is tempting me right now.
Today I’m grateful for:
Keeping track of various things over time, with the likes of diaries, emails and archives of things that I’ve kept.
As I was on the verge of dozing off this afternoon I wondered if it was possible to get access to my old email account, pre-2008? The idea forced me up and though I soon discovered it was impossible I started rummaging around my old Facebook archive and then even older emails and just reading through a little of those triggered more memories.
I could even see that I was explaining things in 1998 about something that happened ten years earlier that I have since forgotten!
The best thing about today was:
What I mention above. It has me excited to dive further into the detritus of my life!
Something I learned today?
A burning ban is due to start on the 15th. So everyone is getting their burning in now. It also remains to be seen if anything is actually implemented.
There was also a newspaper article today which describes the government asking people not to burn so much paper money and incense during Chinese New Year!
Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10
I think I have only spoken with two people today. Amy and Gui. Not much opportunity for either good or bad.
I did nod good morning to one of the other teachers when I signed in this morning.
I gave Tokyo her daily snack for which she is always happy.
I also replied to an old acquaintance from Sydney who contacted me to say hello and ask for music recommendations.
25 THINGS ABOUT LIFE I WISH I HAD KNOWN 10 YEARS AGO – 14. Learn Every Day. You’ve got to train your brain to stay alert. You don’t have to read a book a day to learn every day. Learn from your mistakes. Learn from the people around you—be open to what they can teach you.
I force a lot of stuff into my brain every day and as I find answering ‘what is something I learned today’ is often difficult it seems like much doesn’t stick.
It’s going in, adding to my overall persona (input and output) but I often find myself in a conversation where I say ‘Oh, yeah I heard about that’ but don’t have the details; or think to myself ‘I wish I could recall the things I read to keep this discussion going.’
At least, I’m aware and know that I still know little about anything at all. That’s why I ask myself every day, ‘What did I learn?’
When was the last time I felt inspired?
I reckon it was last year when I first heard SpeechOdd. I really enjoyed their music and wanted to work with them. By the end of the year the opportunity arrived.
In general, I am inspired every day. I try to write poetry every day and I’m always on the lookout for things that may drive that inspiration and have found a couple of regular resources to keep me inspired.
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