Tag: students

Maybe One Day – 29th May 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 4 Comments

Maybe one day
I’ll laugh on my birthday
Devour the cake you made
As you got drunk
Waiting for the sponge to rise

Maybe one day
We’ll be lost in love again
Taking photos in the park
Fresh-faced
And newly dyed hair

Maybe one day
I’ll bring flowers to your work
And your colleagues
Will look at you with longing
To be just as loved

Maybe one day
To scratch the travel itch
We’ll be taken away
In different directions

Maybe one day
All the plans I made
Will be forgotten
Just lists on fading paper
A reminder

Maybe one day
We’ll look at each other
And celebrate together
This journey made
Surrounded by our comforts

Maybe one day
The cats long gone
I’ll push you along
Complaining about my knee
And we’ll chat about the future

Submitted to the Weekly Prompts Challenge and inspired by When You’re Gone by Colleen Looseleaf

Today I’m feeling:

A little tired but was able to push through to do some exercise again – another AI-generated one that I ended up running through twice as it is quite short.  My abs were burning but feel ok now.

It’s super humid this morning which is energy-sapping and my first class were difficult to keep engaged and under control but I didn’t let it bother me too much.

Nomsen was messaging her mum online and then burst into tears for some reason.

After she calmed down I told her that she shouldn’t be talking with anyone outside the class during the lesson and that if she does some study it will take her mind off things.

She complained of a headache and I know she finds English too difficult but I just tried to push her to not give up.

Phu was also sleepy in the class and he also struggles with English.  The kids told me that he was up late working last night but that’s not my problem.  I guide and encourage him as best as I can but expect very little from him.

Today I’m grateful for:

My 4-hour break between classes during the day.  It gave me lots of time to catch up on some things that I wanted to read and some writing too.  I won’t have much free time for the next two days so it’s just as well.

The best thing about today was:

Hmm…nothing stands out in particular but it was a pleasurable and consistent day that I enjoyed very much.

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

I haven’t managed to get to my room to play guitar for a couple of nights now and I really want to.  

I’m doing a bit more lesson planning in the evenings because I’m worried that I don’t have enough things prepared for all these new classes – and I’ve hamstrung myself a little by asking the students what they want to learn about rather than just giving them canned lessons.

Something I learned today?

I talked with S* again today about what she told me on Monday about sometimes showering with her stepdad when she’s tired.  And she confirmed it and the way she described it does seem to be completely innocent and is not some kind of regular thing. Like a naturist family or something like that.

I warned her to be careful who she tells about this and she said she understood that and only mentions it to me because she trusts me.

Because of her exposure to Western culture, she considers herself only 10% Thai.  Maybe as a Westerner, she was testing to see how normal this situation was.  I told her it was pretty unusual.

Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10

As Amy flew to Bangkok to visit Nong Mai and Yaya today and will be away until Sunday I have to find my own food.  No problem, I thought, as the market would be on at the University.

As I knew that Baipad’s mum was still away, I asked if she and her sister wanted to come with me to get some food there and so I picked them up and we drove up to the Uni but because most of the students had gone home for the end of the semester the market was cancelled.

We drove around and eventually found a cheap Korean shop to eat at.

When was the last time I felt a sense of freedom?

The one time that I felt it really noticeably was on my trips to China.

On my first visits, I was surprised to see how free the environment was and I likened it to being at a large free music festival with folks just getting on with what they needed to do.  It was a far cry from my corporate work environment and the nanny state society of Australia.

Of course, for me, I was a tourist and enjoyed the freedom of being on holiday but I sensed it amongst the people in general there.  For them, it was probably just business as usual and normal.

I guess we tend to see more freedom outside of our own environments as we count every negative against us with more weight and take for granted a lot of other things.  It’s a reason to consider that one culture cannot be better than another.  Just different.

I feel this freedom living here in Thailand too but do understand that it is only in comparison with my experiences elsewhere before.

I’m really anti-stupidity laws such as jaywalking, which was enforced in Sydney CBD with a brutal crackdown and over-the-top fines.  On my first trip to China, I remember watching as pedestrians grouped together and slowly forced the cars on the road to stop and let them cross.

I imagine it is much different there now, with probably fifty times the number of cars on the road since but it showed me that people don’t need a law to counter stupidity.  If you are hit by a car whilst trying to cross the road you only have yourself to blame.

Same with holes in the sidewalk.  If you are not looking where you are going it’s your fault if you fall in.  Don’t blame the folks that made the hole.

Yes, things could be better and safer but not everything needs a law and its enforcement.  I mention enforcement as in Thailand there are many laws but they are laxly enforced.  Sometimes, this makes sense.

Which place from my childhood do I most fondly remember?

Without doubt that would be Forest Cottage – my home from aged 9 until about 20.

Most particularly my bedroom, where a lot of partying went on along with all the other ups and downs that teenagers have to struggle through.  It was my space to invite others in or shut them out.

I took this picture last week because… well, it was a pretty evening as I rode home from No Name and the reflection in the lake attracted me enough to stop.

Inklings – 28th May 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 1 Comment

I get the feeling you are
Always impatient to arrive
As to why lips are burning shut
My space dreams a guttering flame
Burning the world
After the rain

To learn its secrets, get its power
Needs no spotlight, no orchestra
The inklings of chaos are cleverly concealed
But how do I explain
The shriek and howl of party boys
In a dark, secluded spot

Inspired but too late to submit to the dVerse April cento challenge. Cento: A literary work pieced together from the works of several authors
Line 1: Peter
Line 2: Dwight L. Roth
Line 3: Sanaa Rizvi
Line 4: Rob Kistner
Line 5: Kim Whysall- Hammond
Line 6: gillena
Line 7: Jedediah Smith
Line 8: Ron. Lavalette
Line 9: Punam
Line 10: Colleen Looseleaf
Line 11: Brendan
Line 12: kittysverses

Today I’m feeling:

Good.  I was having a crazy dream when my alarm went off but I was so deep in it that I instantly couldn’t remember it.  My first thought after turning the alarm off was ‘What was I just dreaming!?’

I forced myself out to my room where I discovered that the exercise app I use can now generate an AI routine targeted at your choice of muscle groups and it was good.  It pushed me a little more than normal and I was glad of it.

Hopefully, it is a feature that I can continue using for free as I’ve only ever used the free routines in the app.

Today I’m grateful for:

The random students who told me that they missed me.  I don’t even know who they were but I’m assuming that I have taught them recently and am just not familiar with them yet.

The best thing about today was:

My class of grade 10s this afternoon, which also had a whole bunch of new students added that I had to quickly familiarise myself with, who quickly picked up on the activities that I was teaching and got a little competitive with each other.  

By the end, it seemed everyone enjoyed it despite some students struggling with English and not really being interested.

Something I learned today?

Kru Tang now works in the high school and has been tasked with putting together the new Integrated Program.  She seemed just as frustrated as everyone else with this task.

Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10

I walked around the park after classes to see who was hanging where and with who.  I found Baipad in her usual place with another girl I didn’t recognise but soon learned that it was Cookie, Butter’s younger sister.

I had meant to ask Baipad to introduce me to her one morning as I knew that she would be starting here this semester but then forgotten all about it.

I’ve met so many new students already this semester that I can’t even bring Cookie’s face to mind again right now.

I gave them both a candy and Baipad asked me why I always had candy.  I laughingly said that it is because I am a good person and I jokingly complained to her about why she never gives me anything.

Amy took this picture because we have new housemates staying on our balcony. The plant that they have nested on is a little too close to curious cats so we raised it up on a chair where hopefully our cats decide that they are too lazy to investigate further.

A Few Syllables – 27th May 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 2 Comments

All it takes is a word
A few syllables could start it all
Pick a pill to swallow
Which side of the fence to fall?

All of the grasses green
Yet muddied by the other
Pick a path to follow
Cling tight to your brother

All it takes is a word
A few syllables to end everything
They all rang so hollow
With the violence they bring

All it takes is a word
A few syllables to make peace
To calm the stormy weather
And hostilities to cease

Today I’m feeling:

A little slow still.  I felt really tired when I went to bed but then found that I couldn’t get to sleep and then when I woke up it felt like it must still be the middle of the night but it was already getting light.

I had a very dry mouth and was finding it difficult to breathe. I skipped exercise hoping to get an extra few minutes of sleep but I just ended up tossing and turning.

I was thinking about school and how Amy said that it was unfair that I was given extra hours to teach while Princess George could just walk away from classes that he doesn’t want to teach.

I was also thinking that maybe I’m investing too much time in my students and need to balance things better.  It does bring me great pleasure though and I felt happy to walk around this morning with many students, old and new, wanting to fist-bump and chat.

Today I’m grateful for:

That my first time with another new class of grade 12 students was pretty easy despite a poor standard of English for many students.

They were all excited when I asked them for ideas of something for me to teach them in English and chose things like ghosts, psychology, Naruto and NASA.  It got me up and running with many ideas which I can reuse again later for other classes.

The best thing about today was:

Teaching.  It was enjoyable and I feel like I’m pretty well on top of things though I know that I have a lot of planning ahead still.

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

Amy was still wound up by the builder who responded to a Facebook post that Amy made questioning his lack of professionalism.  This was the only way that she has managed to get a response from him and he was trying to transfer his anger back to Amy.

He was somewhat successful with that but her mum and I calmed her down a little and we talked more about it when I got home so that we are both on the same page with the details.

I’m not sure if we will get any refund and I’m not banking on it but we’ll give it a try and see if he has any remorse for running away from his responsibility.

Something I learned today?

Something odd when talking with a grade 12 student called S*. She told me that her stepfather is from the Netherlands and he always speaks English with her and that is one reason that her English is reasonable and that she speaks straightforwardly and directly, which often upsets her Thai classmates.

But the odd thing was that she mentioned that her stepdad sometimes showers with her and dries her off.  I wasn’t sure if I misheard what she said and she was so blasé about it that perhaps she did think it’s normal and there’s nothing untoward about it.

It was definitely weird to hear that for me though.  I will try and get clarification from her some time though.

Oh, and Southampton beat Leeds to get promoted to the Premier League which is a little treat I enjoyed.  I’m happy for my old friends in Southampton and because Leeds are the team that my old grumpy workmate Robert supported.

I took this picture because my old students are always happy to see me.  I hope I can see some of them again in high school. Me, Tonaor, Namthip, Dena, Nicha, Mei, August, Namkhing and Fah.

Straying – 24th May 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 3 Comments
Pic: Jon Tyson

Cat wild
On the wall
One eye open
Preying
An ear to the wind
Poised and small
A sniff to the spraying

Fight or flight?
Movement slight
Straying
Back arched tall
Hissing
Saying

Get out of town
Or chased on down
Rolled up into a ball
No longer playing

Picture prompt for WDYS # 239

Today I’m feeling:

Pretty good considering that I was dead to the world until my alarm went off this morning.  Managed some exercise and a 5-minute (what could possibly be described as a) meditation.

Today I’m grateful for:

Finding that Sydney Swans played yesterday against the Bulldogs and so I watched the Mini Match and happy to report that we pulled through for another win.  The Swans are currently well clear at the top but there’s still a ways to go.

I’m still annoyed that I can’t watch the full matches, especially this year, as we’re doing so well!

The best thing about today was:

In my final class of the day with my grade 8s I have what you might call another ‘rogue’ student.  She, Sugus, is a friend of Aida’s and has been coming to my class occasionally since last year but now she seems to come all the time.

She’s a quiet kid and doesn’t cause any problems for me but I told her that if she wants to stay then she has to do some work, to which she agreed.

Today’s class is an easy reading class and I asked Sugus to come and read for me and she did very well, better than some of my actual students!

So I talked with her some more about why she doesn’t go to her own class and if the teacher isn’t concerned about her.  She couldn’t quite describe why she doesn’t go except that she feels bad when she does.

I’m a bit suspicious that something untoward might have happened but I didn’t push it.

Anyway, I told her that she was welcome to stay in my class and she thanked me and said that my class is fun for her.  I was quite pleased about that.

It’s weird really.  There’s no pressure on her to perform and there’s no pressure on me to teach her.  With us both relaxed about it I think she will learn a lot!

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

For my second class today, with the Hospitality grade 11s I suddenly found 12 extra students!  Without telling me, and without anyone telling them why they have put two different programs together so I’m now teaching students in the Japanese program too.  So much for my plans for this semester!  I guess I’ll jag everything in somehow.

Something I learned today?

Chatting with David he told me that George complained to Nancy that he doesn’t want to teach the new Integrated Program to the grade 10s and so, magically, he no longer is.  Now he only teaches grade 11 and 12.  What a princess!  

Last year he refused to teach grade 9 and now refuses grade 10.  Maybe time is running out for him.

Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10

This evening I’m still helping my grade 11 students with their presentation homework and replying to their messages.

Did you do something difficult or challenging today?

As I think about it, much of the day was challenging (as described above) but somehow I seemed to take it in my stride.

Tonaor took this picture because as she likes to do sometimes when she sees me she says ‘selfie!’ and so I hand her my phone.

The Spectators – 23rd May 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 2 Comments

The claws are out
Sharp and set to cut
Barbs fly, spat out
Promises remain nothing but

The worst of two worlds
Another political blunder
Spar at the Colosseum
A spectacle of wonder

Only one winner
All else is lost
The cogs keep on turning
For an endless cost

Submitted to Monday Poetry Prompt

Today I’m feeling:

Dog tired last night and still struggled to get to sleep but once I did I was gone! 

I woke up before my alarm but couldn’t get up when the alarm went off and reset to give an extra 20 minutes of dozing.

Not feeling too bad with my first coffee but have two busy days ahead.

Today I’m grateful for:

The pharmacist being available at Big C when I got there today.  Last week when I tried they told me that there would be no one there until 5pm.

The best thing about today was:

Bumping into my old grade 9 student Sheena as I was about to leave school.  I asked if she was happy now that I was no longer teaching her class and she said that everyone was complaining that they were missing me.

That was nice to hear and for sure, I connected with all those students really well but they drove me crazy at the time.  I hope that I have some good influence over them.

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

Some of the classrooms that I’m teaching in test my patience with various bits and pieces of equipment missing but I just have to take it easy and not get ruffled by it.  Everything can be overcome.

Something I learned today?

I watched an interesting interview with LA-based Chinese comedian Jiaoying Summers and it was great to see a strong woman taking control of her life and destiny against a lot of odds.

What part of my daily routine do I look forward to the most?

Most workdays I look forward to exercising in the morning. 

With my drive to try and write a poem or day (or more), I also look forward to spending time reading, thinking and writing. 

At the end of the day, I kinda look forward to writing this journal but some days are a struggle. With enough time I can usually answer all the questions but often I’m out of energy and need to go to bed.

I took this picture because I was kinda shocked to see a full moon tonight. I’ve been used to seeing the moon regularly when I go to close our gate and usually have some idea what stage it is at.

Down And Dirty – 16th May 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 3 Comments

Romans once bathed here
Wiping blood from their beat brows
Spa after sparring
Solsbury Hill looks
Down River Avon Valley
Somerset steam rose
Conscious hearts beating
We ran through these stone warrens
Love in ancient times
Praying at the monastery
A different sacking was done

My first attempt at a Choka, inspired by The Skeptic’s Kaddish and submitted to dVerse’s Quadrille #201: Poems of Place

Fatman report

Today I’m feeling:

Good though a little nervous in the stomach. I think I have my head around how I’m going to do things in my classes. 

I can feel less enthusiasm in the air with everyone this morning as the reality of classes starts to hit.

I have a three-flight climb to my first class too and it was already an English summer 27 degrees at 7 am this morning.

One of the boy students was already smelling off by 9am!  And later in the day I saw David in his class of new grade 7s and the whole room stank of rank teenage sweat, like a changing room after five hours of football.

Today I’m grateful for:

Sometimes speaking up and sometimes keeping quiet.  I told the school that I didn’t want to teach the new Integrated Program until it was settled in and that I also didn’t want to teach the grade 9s this year and so it came to be.

So when I got new classes scattered around the school and more hours than the other teachers, I didn’t say anything and just accepted it.

My first class today was in a new (to me) building and on arrival I discovered that the internet cable and wifi don’t work which is a bit of a problem for the method that I teach, everything being stored on Google Drive.

I sent a message to Kru Mai that this was going to be a problem for the five classes I have in the building and he quickly scouted out other classrooms that I could use back in our usual building and voila – four out of five of the classes solved!

When I told Kru David about this he mentioned that sometimes it’s good to speak up and ask for some things and not just expect it.  He also mentioned that George was not happy that he has to teach the Integrated Program now.  He’s had it good for a long time but as soon as something is not to his taste he’s getting antsy.

The best thing about today was:

After my first two classes I managed to get back to House for a coffee refill and sat down to do some writing.

I noticed a pretty young lady studiously working on her iPad in the corner in amongst a lot of people coming and going – probably the busiest I’ve ever seen the cafe.  Some days I might be the only customer all the time I’m in there!

Later the lady got up and as she came to the counter, caught my eye and I thought I recognised her so gave a little smile and then when she smiled back I realised that it was Pear, who used to work there.  She has changed her style a lot but I could easily recognise her smile.

She was studying hard to pass a university entrance exam as she has taken a five-year gap year!  I could sense that she wanted to talk and indeed, she sat down and said that when it comes to English she could read and write easily but doesn’t have much opportunity for speaking.

Actually her listening and understanding is good too and when speaking she can find the words in her head most of the time but it is interrupting her flow.  I could feel that she is driving herself to improve so I stopped what I was doing and we chatted until it was time for me to go.

Something I learned today?

I learned bits and pieces about my new class of 41 grade 12 students.

Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10

After I finished my classes I sent Pear a piece of text to practice reading for me so I could help her more with her speaking.  She replied quickly and I sent a couple more and I will help her when I have free time.

Did you do something difficult or challenging today?

Motivating tired sweaty students at the end of the day was a challenge and I have three days where classes end at 4.30 pm but it’s looking more likely that I will have to end them all at 4 pm most of the time, which is fine by me!

When was the last time I felt misunderstood?

I can clearly remember thinking that I was being misunderstood by Amy about something that we were quarrelling about but I seem to put quarrels out of my mind (whilst subconsciously learning the lesson of the argument!) so that now I’ve forgotten what it was even about!

The Dragon Inside – 2nd May 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

All your voices will spin their songs
Fighting the dragon inside
For money or for happiness
What do you need to survive?

Fighting the dragon inside
Does the universe respect your vision?
For the art or for the love
You must make your decision

Does the universe respect your vision?
Not until you can define
For truth or for understanding
Or spinning wheels and wasting time

Not until you can define
All your voices will spin their songs
Can you do all this tomorrow?
Have you put it where it belongs?

Inspired by this post at Universe Of Thinking

Today I’m feeling:

Tired after all the running around yesterday. Woke up to mountain-less white skies as the smoke descends.

Today I’m grateful for:

Amy’s student turning up for her online class today at 1 pm forcing me out into my room where I played guitar for the first time this week.  It’s been so hot that I just haven’t bothered going out there even though the air con cools things down fairly quickly.

I caught up on a few other things while I was out there too, so it’s been a reasonably productive day.

The best thing about today was:

Writing an excellent poem for the first contest that I ever chose to enter on the AllPoetry site only to find that in between the time that I started writing and finishing half an hour later, the contest had closed!  I laughed at my bad luck but smiled at the quality of my work.

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

(See above)

Something I learned today?

An undercover reporter has an alleged CIA agent admitting that they withheld information from President Trump that China shared all its data about the Covid outbreak in Wuhan.  So whilst Trump was busy blaming China for withholding that info it was, in fact, his own government.

Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10

I do this every day at Utopia or House, and sometimes at other cafes and restaurants, but I always take back my finished cups to the counter to save the staff a few seconds having to clean up after me.

Who do I want to spend more time with this month?

This one is easy. 

My students! I miss them a lot, their energy, excitement, drama, learning gives me inspiration.

I took this picture because these two little flowers had suddenly appeared on our cactus. They had closed up again by evening time.

Splinters – 17th April 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 1 Comment

With the few words I write
There’s just a chance you might
Catch a splinter of me
To guess my personality

But to draw conclusions
From these brief allusions
Would only go to show
How little we both know

Yet every little simple rhyme
Pieced together over time
Forms a picture in your mind
Tell me what it is you find

Today I’m feeling:

Average.  Not good or bad, a little tired but not unenthusiastic.  A little bored and out of sync.  Missing routine and unable to manufacture my own.

(I got lazy for the rest of the day, savouring reading, eating and watching TV)

Today I’m grateful for:

(The idea that the cream puff guy usually sells at the market, which inspired me to get out of the house in search of him. He wasn’t there but I was still glad to get out.)

The best thing about today was:

(Being lazy and not caring!)

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

(See above)

Something I learned today?

(At the time, the English thought that though Australians were strong they were not brave and cut out to be soldier material, during the fighting in Gallipoli during the First World War.  I found this odd as Australians still celebrate the bravery of the soldiers there. History can be shaped in any way necessary.)

Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10

(Continuing support for Anchan and Baipad, though I’m starting to feel a little helpless. They both must feel terrible.)

When do I feel most connected to others?

I feel weirdly connected with everyone that I know as if I saw them again after many years then nothing would have changed.  This might be a problem as obviously everything has changed in that time.

It’s one of the reasons that I don’t contact people often (I’m quite happy by myself) though I do recognise that others won’t feel the same way.

I’m most connected with my students these days, again understanding that they are not connected with me in the same way. Talking and playing with students is when I feel most connected.

Scientists Baffled – 11th April 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 1 Comment

A girl with x-ray vision
A complex cityscape sketcher
A guy who doesn’t feel the cold
A contortionist rubber-boy stretcher

Everything can be explained
But that will never get clicks
Scientists baffled is the headline
From the bag of dirty media tricks

Inspired by yet another justified Brian Dunning rant at Skeptoid
17th May 2024 – Shared with Word of the Day Challenge – Headline

Today I’m feeling:

A bit agitated, deflated and flat today.  Also, despite a drop in temperature (though not very significant) my body feels hotter than usual.

I got an hour or so of planning done this morning and perhaps having to do all this preparation is playing on my mind a little too.

I should also mention that last week I started taking a couple of multivitamins, a couple of resveratol and a couple of creatine supplements.

I am still cynical about their effectiveness in general but consider that I may be lacking certain things in my diet as I have been eating less for the last year or two.

So I’m not sure if it is because of the supplements or because it’s holiday time but I do feel like I have more energy and also feel less sleepy and tired.  I guess I’ll find out more about their effectiveness when I get back into the swing of school again.

Today I’m grateful for:

The odd job man, recommended by Amy’s friend Hangie, who was as good as his word and came on time, replaced our roof tile (though not sure how securely!) and propped up our fence (which is definitely a temporary thing) at the corner of the garden.  He only wanted 100 baht too.  We gave him 200.

The best thing about today was:

Nothing in particular.  My mood and energy picked up a little by the evening but not to the point of any real inspiration.

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

My mood was weird and unexplainable today.  It wasn’t anything out of control just a general lack.  Handled by soldiering on through the day.

Something I learned today?

My old student Kamboom will be in M4 (grade 10) next year (already!).  She got top grades last year – she’s a good student, for sure.  She wants to learn Japanese now.

Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10

A lot of nice chats with a few of my grade 7 students just to check in to see how they are doing.

Name three things you and your partner appear to have in common.

Besides our love for each other, which goes beyond our minor niggles with having lived together for 15 years or more, the first thing to mention is the love we have for our cats.

As we commemorate little Kim’s passing one year ago this week, we stress and worry about old man Cappuccino.

All our cats have gone through phases of being healthy and happy with periods of sick and sorry.  Tigger seems to be in his healthy phase at the moment and has no complications from having HIV.  We know when he doesn’t feel well because he usually never refuses food, fat furry fuck that he is!

For some reason, he has started talking more and become more affectionate recently.  Maybe he knows that something is up with Cap and is trying to tell us?

Another thing that we have in common is our understanding of fidelity.

We both know that if we stray then that is the end of ‘us’.  That suits us both.

I personally don’t believe in fidelity for everyone, or perhaps even at all.  It doesn’t seem quite natural.  It is a construct of our society. But it is something that I believe in doing for myself because I grew up in this society.

The third thing that we have in common is our way of thinking.  I guess this follows on from the more specific issue of fidelity.

In our relationship, we are completely understanding of each other’s interests and passions and happily let each other indulge in them alone.  Where many couples insist on being together all the time, we have never subscribed to putting each other through the tortures of enduring things like my music or her love of dancing to English 90s pop!

Since I’ve stopped drinking so much this has made it a little difficult for us to go together for a night out though I do submit from time to time.

I took this picture because I’m hoping that some of these mangoes get to their full potential this year.  The whole tree is sprouting like never before. But a couple already got blown off by the storms over the last couple of nights.

Life Interrupted – 3rd April 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Let me interrupt your party
Lately, you’ve not felt so well
A niggle, an ache, a groan
A faint, a fall, a dizzy spell

Within your home I duplicate
It’s my standard procedure
Silently waiting ’til I’m ready
And enforce a shutdown seizure

I’ve come to stake a claim
For which you have no answer
I think you know my name
…

Submitted to FOWC with Fandango — Interrupt and NaPoMo.

Today I’m feeling:

Like time is running away too fast.  I should not waste what I have been given.  But is any of it worthwhile?  Well, it has to be.  I convince myself.

Today I’m grateful for:

The man at the bottle shop who put the tray of soda water onto the back seat of the truck for me.

The best thing about today was:

Taking Baipad and her neighbour Butter (another one, a boy this time, though quite effeminate) up to the University to teach them to ride a motorbike.  

Baipad struggled but Butter picked it up quickly.  It was only after talking with them both a little more I discovered that Butter had learned how to ride a pushbike but Baipad never did.  Butter still has a bike so I told Baipad to practice on that as soon as possible.  Better she falls off that than a motorbike.  

After a few more goes Baipad improved every time but she needs to practice more to get her balance worked out.

Something I learned today?

The current Zionist-enforced famine in Gaza is the highest number of people ever recorded as facing catastrophic hunger.  Worse than Darfur, Somalia and Yemen.  

Israel teaching the world how to genocide.  The irony?

Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10

I fixed the hose with the new connector that Amy picked up.  Works perfectly again.

Teaching riding a motorbike to a couple of 15-year-olds.

What’s one thing I can simplify?

I have simplified a lot over the last few years.  As my main focus now is teaching I think that I could simplify my classes for my students, though more importantly for myself.  

Sometimes I overestimate the ability of my students and with the usual disparity of skill levels in a single classroom it is a delicate balance to try and keep everyone happy.

I took this picture because one day these kids will look back and remember when they didn’t know how to ride a bike.