Three Nights – 15th June 2024

It can’t come quick enough
I’m made of impatient stuff
It was 24 hours of tough
Yesterday

Arrived without knowing
Reality rapidly going
It’s a wild wind blowing
Today

Next up, what’s in store?
Is it worth waiting for?
I can’t wait to explore
Tomorrow

Submitted to Ovi Challenge – tomorrow and Weekly Prompts Wednesday Challenge – Impatience. Title borrowed from Black Flag.
27th Nov 2024 – Shared with Ragtag Daily Prompt – patience


Today I’m feeling:

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.

Day 8 and eyes open

Recognition – 12th June 2023

What does your world feel like?
Is there still wonder in your eyes?
Do you recognise yourself anymore
When you hear the children’s cries?
Can you describe this moment
Even to yourself in thoughts?
Or are you too busy thinking
What may be in others’ reports?


Today I’m feeling:

Busy and positive. Even with only one class today I seemed to have little relaxed time though that’s not to say that it wasn’t enjoyable. I was at House most of the morning but filled that time with schoolwork and writing. I got back to school early and helped out a few students before class as well as getting some volleyball in with a mix of students I knew and others I didn’t. It was a lot of fun. Time ran away quickly.

Today I’m grateful for:

The lady in the next air con shop who I communicated with using translation and asked for a mechanic to come visit on Saturday if all goes well. I hope she doesn’t get scared off like the last shop.

The best thing about today was:

Watching one of my students, Goya, in Kru David’s class do really well at finding information within a text. David had been complaining about her before as her behaviour in class is not always attentive and he wasn’t convinced when I told him that she was quite clever at English. I was proud of her today.

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

Whilst I was talking to Amy on video call Tangmo and Tigger were suddenly fighting on the terrace. I got them apart and Tigger ran off with Tangmo chasing and barking. They ran all the way around the teaching room and back again until Tigger got himself up a tree. I was quite impressed as I’ve never seen Tig run and climb like that before. The old fat furball still has some energy in him.
I managed to drag/chase Tangmo out and close the gate before trying to coax Tig down from the tree. Eventually, I was able to get him down with help from the step ladder and he seemed to be ok though shocked and grumpy. Amy went off upset too but I reassured her that if there were any problems I’d take him straight to the vet.
He seems ok now it’s later in the evening but I’ll continue to keep a close eye on him. That was a bit of excitement I could do without. I’ll keep the gate closed more often again now. 

Something I learned today?

Apparently, China plans to build a military base in Cuba! Well, why not? China is surrounded by US military bases.

Who has had a significant impact on my life?

My mum, for being there; my dad, for not.
Bronwyn, for helping me gain confidence and to leave England.
TLJ, for being the kick in the ass I needed at the time.
Amy, for being able to share a life without letting compromise get in our way.
These are just very quick and minor thoughts, before bed.

I took this picture because cows were on the loose. This is just outside the school cafe.