Secrets of Hosseini – 3rd September 2021

“Tell your secret to the wind
But don’t blame it for telling the trees”*
Like a mynah bird in your hands
Slacken your grip and away it flees

*Khalil Gibran
These two lines (modified slightly) appear within a few paragraphs of each other in Khaled Hosseini’s ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ and stood out immediately to me for their poetry. I take no credit, really, for jamming them together.


Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful to have gotten an appointment for the Pfizer vaccine today. Let’s hope it all goes well.


Well, I surprisingly received an email late yesterday afternoon with an appointment to get the Pfizer vaccine – something I registered online for a few weeks ago. I wasn’t really expecting anything much to come from it but the appointment was for this morning! Typical Thai last-minute information!

Anyway, everything went smoothly with getting the vaccine at the hospital in the city. I was even in and out before the actual appointment was scheduled. No undue side effects that I notice and I go back for the 2nd job on 1st October.

I assigned work for my morning class to do and quite unexpectedly ha;f of them did it even though we didn’t have an online meeting. I’m in the middle of my afternoon class and they are all working surprisingly well too. Except for Dew.

Dew cannot understand English at all and shouldn’t really be in this class. Last year, he frustrated me in class a lot, not because he didn’t do the work but because he would always be talking to other students and disturbing them. And not just talk and stop but like an unbreathing radio DJ.

With studying online now, it is easy to mute him, when he even bothers to attend.

But I must admit, I like him a lot. He’s pretty funny and when I asked him to sing a song, he would do it. I think we understand each other well enough. We both accept that he is no good with English. Let’s see if he stays quiet when he’s back in the classroom.

*All right – 1st September 1998

Email with TLJ

S: Hey sweety I’m missing you and wanna make things good with you. Wanna know you’re all right with everything. Want you to know that I think you’re great, happy and full of life. (We all have our bad days – me particularly)
Love to you

T: you know what? whatever.
No only kidding – just knew that would piss you off.

S: Hang on – I’ve put my sense of humour down here somewhere….

T: Planning on going shopping with sue, di, and tu in about 1/2 an hour.

S: Window shopping I hope. Or a present for me of course.

T: josh asked if that guy on friday night was anything special,

S: Tell me the truth – is he?

T: and made a reference to Jack (whom he has heard a bit about from nat) – i think I said something bitchy though to cover up. anyway, he’s moving out with jay and joe to Newtown tomorrow. sue, di and tu asked if i wanted to go white water rafting in october – i’ll think about it, though it’s 90 dollars + you have to find transport (can get a lift with sue and di, or you wanna drop me? i think it’s at Shoalhaven or something).

S: You know I can drop you – can I come too – or is that a girl thing too (or a uni thing). I think I’d like to be in a dingy with three beautiful teenage girls (hang on I’m just going to the toilet).

T: Shaun also offered to pay for josh’s skydiving ticket!

S: OK – will he pay for me too? (and I’ll promise to be his friend)

T: no, things are good with me, i only wanted to spend the night together and really have fun – no worries or anything.

S: We’ll have a long hot bath – I’ll massage you and you can fall asleep in my arms.

T: di can’t make tomorrow girlie thing, so i may be able to see you.

S: Oh, but I’m seeing Di…oops! No no that would be cool. I look forward to it.

T: As well, i may try dropping around to marty’s party, or maybe even newtown to see triple J’s (get it) new house.

S: I can always drop you there too sweety.

T: Sunday’s out though, cause i may be getting together with di to work on IS & OD. and monday night, we may be having our girlie night (if mum lets me).

S: Oh well. If you can you can if you can’t you can’t – no sweat. You know I’ll be waiting for you.

T: anyway, what are your plans?

S: I might try and get a swim in this weekend actually – otherwise more work on the equipment and some noise plus comic reading and taking it easy.

T: love tlj
ps – i’m wearing his pants for her………….

S: Can I wear your pants…
Hope you get this – our mail server is fucked today

T: ok, so we didn’t get to go shopping but i’ll be going after the marketing lecture til 5, and then i’ll come see you at about 6pm at the physio.
we were talking instead and boy have i got some juicy goss to tell you! the best!
catch ya babe