Monthly Update October 2011

THE THINGS I RAMBLE ON ABOUT

Over the course of my life a number of people have told me that I ramble on, I talk a lot, I have the gift of the gab – and other flattering and not so flattering ways of putting it. I’ll admit it. I love to talk! Even my profession allows me to get paid doing a lot of talking. I’ve been thinking about the substance of the things I talk about. The substance and the reasoning. Reading the diary of Anne Frank – I wonder what tedious work it would be for someone to read my diary. I’d repeat myself often. I’d contradict myself. I’d be opinionated.

You see thoughts come and go. And in the course of any short given space of time our thoughts follow our emotions, our circumstances, the things we hear from others, the things we see, the basic feelings that we experience (hot, cold, hungry, tired etc.); and our thoughts ride upon the rollercoaster of the above mentioned factors (plus many more).

Often when we are at our lowest we reveal our true selves. The things we continually repeat help paint a picture of who we truly are.

The point of my writing is to give you something to read about, something to think about and then something to delete. The past few weeks have pushed my focus towards rugby and I have rambled on a bit about it. I guess it says something about me. I won’t ramble on about that here. I’m actually writing this before NZ plays Argentina. I expect NZ to win – but really whatever happens, it’s just sport. I’d like to quote my friend Dion. We caught up last week. We were primary school mates who lived near each other and played sport at each other’s houses nearly every day. He sent me an SMS “What is it with this country? Dan Carter out and it’s the end of the world! Man if only we could get passionate about something that matters like people being hungry and cold in this country – lol – man I’ve changed complaining about sport!”

UKRAINE CONNECTIONS

I’m hoping that this term at school I can incorporate a few Ukrainian lessons that are interesting and engaging for my students. Ukraine really is a whole world away and I feel that on more than one level.

I can’t wait to get back to Russian Table Tennis Club on Friday nights and I hope to be able to hang out with my Russian/Ukrainian friends in Sydney a bit more as time allows.

Please continue to think about UTSIM and the 15 students studying English with Sveta.

CONNECTIONS DOWN UNDER

I have just returned from almost two weeks in NZ. I enjoyed hitchhiking from Christchurch to Nelson. A relaxing time in Nelson with family and lots of rugby, seeing some old faces and playing with my cousin’s kids. Thanks Graeme and Jan for accommodating my indulgences.

I spent the last part of my time in NZ up north and was able to meet up with my mate Gav from Tasmania as well as stay at Mum and Dad’s and my sister Priscilla’s. I got to be at the double birthday party for two of my nieces and apparently did a good job in guessing what to buy for them.

This week I start back at school and being away the entire holidays I feel as if I need a little bit of preparation time that doesn’t exist. I have only 10 weeks left with these precious 30 students. I want to teach them well. I want them to be confident learners and with logical, workable and disciplined study habits as they get ready for High School next year.

WHAT YA READIN’?

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. This is a gripping novel surrounding the lives of two women in Afghanistan spanning a few decades and highlighting the struggle to preserve hope and dignity when the liberators of one dire situation only perpetuate the next. A good read and hard to put down. 4/5

I am currently being gripped reading The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. I have had a renewed interest in the thoughts of those who have struggled under immense persecution. It is very interesting to follow the ebb and flow of the rambling thoughts of a young adolescent thrown into experiences of life no teenager should ever have to endure. 5/5

THANKS....

To Pris for getting up at 5:00 am to take me to the airport this morning.