Tag: unity

Chess With Pigeons – 15th November 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 1 Comment

Lined up against the wall
Identified with your tribe
Where does the mindset shift
From the rules that you prescribe?

This game isn’t easy
Yet played out every day
All uniquely similar
In deeds and words we say

Incited to live in fear
Lies are told as true
Only some allowed to win
But tell that you can too

A race to become less tolerant
Can be run in any way seen fit
Upend the board and strut around
Covering everything in shit

Inspired by this great post at The Renegade Press

Today I’m feeling:

Good once I got moving and going. Exercise and hangs were a bit more difficult today as my arms are tired from doing this more often but hopefully it will settle down to strengthening everything.

With a long day ahead, I’m still feeling positive and on top of things but definitely looking forward to resting up at the weekend.

Health:

Physical: 8
Mental: 8

Today I’m grateful for:

Ploughing through the day and continuing when I got home. Using energy is giving me motivation to draw on my reserves.

The best thing about today was:

A student that I hadn’t met before said, ‘Hi, Teacher Shaun’. I asked her who she was and we talked a little and she said ‘I like Teacher Shaun.’

I asked her why, and she said ‘I’m ใจดี๊’, meaning kind-hearted. As I’d never talked with her before, I assumed that she had heard this from other students.

Either way, it made me feel good.

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

In my short break between classes today, I was hoping to enjoy some peace in the cafe but there was some meeting going on and I was relegated to an uncomfortable low table but I got on with a few things anyway. It was a bit rushed but it was good not to drop the energy levels and flake through the afternoon.

Review your acts, Good and bad.

Amy is in a feisty, drunken mood and being a bit loud and dramatic. I’m doing my best to entertain her but the day is catching up with me and I just want to read and relax until I fall asleep.

Our cats were extremely scared and bothered by the fireworks for Loy Kratong last night. Amy let them both into the bedroom, which I knew was a bad idea but didn’t want to say anything.

Cap settled by my head, but Tigger was hiding under the lounge, and I got back to reading. After a while, I saw movement to my right, and Tigger had come out onto Amy’s bed. Unfortunately, he wasn’t sitting but pissing. I quickly got him off and pulled up the doona but it had also gone through to the sheet too.

I got them off the bed and into the washing machine and Amy complained that I wasn’t watching them whilst she got stuff prepared to sleep in the other room.

Art took this picture because the sunlight through the cafe window was giving a beautiful soft morning glow to Piti and me.

Cheers Big Ears – 1st June 2023

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Fighting over artificial instincts
Whilst slowly marching to unity
We come together as we fall apart
Unable to counter inevitable entropy

Fighting it is fighting oneself
Let’s all move this thing along
A cheer for you is a cheer for me
Hear the harmony within its song

Today I’m feeling:

Sweaty and in a good mood. A little tired and looking forward to the weekend, finding out Monday is yet another holiday. I also feel a little cautious and cynical in that things are going well and that I must be prepared for anything that might happen to upset that. Do I deserve to feel so content?

Today I’m grateful for:

The lady at the market for giving me a 10 baht discount as I’ve been to buy food there twice this week and bring my own plastic bag too. Maybe I’ll try and learn her name next time.

The best thing about today was:

Getting through it without much hassle. Thursday is three two-hour classes with only one one-hour gap in there. The struggling kids I was able to help along with the assistance of some of the better students in each. It gives a feeling of teamwork and camaraderie that I hope continues. The kids have learned quickly that they can have fun with me but that they also need to get things done too.

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

Can’t think of much again today except running out of time to do all the things I might like to do. It’s not that big a deal. 

Something I learned today?

I finally gave in to having Amy teach me some Thai. I’m at a level now where she seems a little bit impressed that I remember and have learned a lot of new things and that I’m also a little more confident too. I learned easy and difficult (ง่าย and ยาก), strong and weak (แข็งแรง and อ่อนแอ), thick and thin (หนา and บาง).

What are my priorities for this month?

Pretty much just school and the classroom for work and then to do more regular learning of Thai.
There are a few other things that are on my mental list that would be best to get done such as getting the car cleaned and the bike serviced.

I took this picture because I drive past this tree every day on my way home. I’m usually in too much of a hurry to stop and take a photo so I deliberately took the time at lunch to go and take this one. It feels like it is telling a story.