Archive for the ‘Personal’ Category
April 5th, 2006
We watched the Constant Gardener last Tuesday night, which Paul told me was called the Uphill Gardener so really didn’t want to watch it. For those who haven’t seen it, I really would recommend giving it a go, I’m not going to bother explaining the plot (you can read about it on imdb if you’re really that interested) but suffice to say it’s set in Africa, and shows in no uncertain terms the sometimes brutal existence that people live.
The film catalyzed me into writing about something I’ve been thinking about for the last few weeks: How privileged I am.
When McClegg got back from India, he had lots of stories about the absolute poverty that people find themselves in. I can’t even begin to imagine living that life, the gulf between my luxury existence and the hand-to-mouth living that many of this world’s inhabitants endure is almost insurmountable.
As the old saying goes…
It could be worse
…and yes indeed it could be a lot worse. So this got me thinking about “accident” of birth. Is it pure chance that you are born into the family and circumstances you have? Does God control it? If so, it may seem a little unfair that I’m enjoying my decadent life while there are people suffering all over the world from a variety of different evils. I guess we could look at the “big” picture and say that everyone is dying, and the only purpose of this life is to drive us closer to our maker / the answers / any other generic thing that we as a species seek on a day-to-day basis.
I’ll admit, I don’t have the first idea. So over to you guys, no pressure, but I’m relying on you to give me a definitive answer to this…
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March 23rd, 2006
How cool am I? (By the way, this is a rhetorical question, I don’t expect an answer cos I already know). Last night I bravely dived all the way down the stairs. With no thought of my own safety, I heroically lunged down what must have been about 100 steps.
Ok, back to reality. Last night I fell down the stairs. But as Matt pointed out I did the classic ’slide’ manoeuvre instead of the more deadly ‘tumble’. Yeah, so, I’m a bit banged up but nothing I can’t handle (at this point I want ladies to my left for sympathy and dudes to my right for high-fives).
Are there more ways of falling down stairs? In fact it doesn’t have to be stairs, it could be any household obstacle. Have I accidentally invented the coolest new sport since extreme championship dominoes? I mean I’m not recommending you try this one at home kids, unless like me you have Elly to catch you. But I think there may be potential for this sport at the Olympics. Keep an eye out for it.
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March 22nd, 2006
I had such an awesome day yesterday as Josie very kindly let me shadow her teach. Yeah, I was a bit nervous but also dead excited to be out of the office and having fun with a bunch of kids all day. Some of you will know that it’s crossed my mind to go do teacher training in September, so wanted to see what it was all about before I signed up to anything.
It’s weird seeing one of your friends tech a bunch of 8 and 9 year old, to me it doesn’t seem all that long ago that I was their age. I was really impressed with the way she controlled the class, and the obvious affection the kids had for her.
I’ve got to say, teachers work damn hard. They work their collective asses off. Which is a big sticking point for me. It’s not that I’m adverse to a bit of hard work (ahem) but quite a lot of the paperwork seems so unneseccary. I can’t imagine anyone becoming a teacher unless they had a passion for working with kids, and the government seems to be squashing this by putting undue pressure on hard working school staff.
I’m not really ruling out teaching as a possibility, but I’ve spoken to entirely too many people in the profession that are bitter about the workload. I dunno, we’ll see. It’d be good to check out a few more schools (and years) first I think.
The best bit of the day for me was thirty-five manic kids singing me the bumble-bee song. Awesome!
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February 28th, 2006
Over a week since my last post!? I’d been really getting into this writing thing too. To be honest with you I have six draft posts that I’ve half written and not published. Mainly because I’d write a line and then think “Crap, what would people think if they read that?” and given up and gone off to write about “safer” subjects.
Much like Lloydy I have a great desire to spew for all to read (or, in this case, not), but to construct posts of intelligence and wit (feel free to laugh out loud at this concept) and NOT the arbitrary “Today I went to the loo three times, and had corned beef hash for my tea”.
So then what am I trying to say? Maybe nothing, maybe I’m filling the void - bridging the gap until I have something remotely interesting to say. Or grow some balls and say what I really mean.
Until then, I hope this has kept you relatively entertained. I’m glad I could fill up 16 seconds of you day.
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February 16th, 2006
A strange mark appeared on my forehead on Tuesday. I went to the loo before lunch and checked myself out in the mirror (as you do) and it wasn’t there, but when I returned from Lichfield the mark had materialized slap bang in the middle of my head.
So what strange phenomenon caused this strange mark? I think I’m fairly safe as there’s not even a single six anywhere in sight, but it’s still a bit weird. Maybe it’s cos my brain has been on full-tilt crazy go-nuts power for the last six weeks, and it’s finally leaked. Who knows.
Additional… A top ten five of what this mark could be:
- A Laser (Kris)
- A leaky pen mark (Starberri)
- Lipstick (!) (Rachel)
- Walked into a Door (Han)
- Self Obsession (Dr. Paul)
14 Comments »
February 7th, 2006
Photos are cool. I was having a look through my mobile pics last night and they we’re reminding me of all the good times I’d had with mates the last year. So, not really that interesting for people that don’t know me, but it’s good to indulge in things once in a while. Here are some more…
Technorati Tags: mobile
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January 30th, 2006
Churchill used to call his bouts with depression his “Black Dog”, that would ever so often come and visit him. I really didn’t know what depression meant, I always thought it was something people said when they were a bit sad about something. It wasn’t until my first year at University that I realised the crushing grip of depression.
For those of you that don’t know; depression isn’t feeling a little sad. It’s a deep dark pit of despair, it grips you like a vice, squeezing your stomach sending poison round your body. That first time at University was exactly this. I couldn’t face doing anything. I didn’t care what I looked like, I couldn’t interact with people anymore, something had broken inside me and I didn’t know what it was or how to make it better. Slowly, so slowly I came out of it. I floundered there for a while, but it did get better.
That was eight years ago. I remember for the longest time afterwards I was scared that It would come back, that the very act of being scared of it was going to cause it. Fear of fear is something I think we can all relate to, you wont do something because it may cause you to feel bad. I think in this context ‘bad’ is such an insipid word, but what word could you possibly use to describe the darkness of being depressed?
I’ve had other bouts of it, mostly at Uni, but always come out the other side, perhaps a bit stronger for the experience. But I’ve not felt “bad” for ages. So that brings me to today. And I’m feeling low again. I wouldn’t say that I was depressed because I can remember that feeling, and that was a lot worse. This is sporadic, occasionally smacking me in the face. I do think it’s clouding my ability to think properly, to say what I really think because I’m in self preservation mode, doing what I can to make me feel ok. Well, that’s not strictly true, I haven’t lied or done something that would hurt someone just to make me feel better, it’s more that I don’t fully trust my own feeling at the moment.
That said, I know I’ll get better. I’ve got God on my side. I know this post sounds so “oh, woe is me” but as it’s my diary, I don’t really care. Read it, don’t read it. It just helped writing it.
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January 27th, 2006
Paul: You have a reprieve from me writing about last night’s debacle to join in the four things geekary…
I’ve been tagged by Lloydy so it would seam I have to do the same, kind of like a blog chain letter, but without the threat of spiritual violence. Hang on your collective asses cos here we go…
Four jobs i’ve had in my life
Four films I can watch over and over
Four places I have lived
- Walsall
- Huddersfield
- That’s pretty much it…
Four TV shows I love to watch
- The Simpson’s
- Futurama
- Family Guy (is there a pattern emerging here?)
- The News (on the BBC naturally)
Four places I have been on holiday
Four of my favorite foods
- Mum’s Sunday lunch
- Spag. Bol.
- Curry mate
- Sausages!
Four Websites I visit Daily
Four places I would rather be right now
- With friends
- Travelling
- Travelling some more
- Settled (guess this one is more an emotional place)
Four Bloggers I am tagging
- Paul (back at ya)
- Steve Smith
- Benedict Eastaugh
- Other friends who I know have blogs, but I can’t remeber the address! Consider yourself tagged.
Additional: Four recent books I’d reccomend…
6 Comments »
January 13th, 2006
Ooo, I love tea me. So I thought after the stir caused by the last post I’d write about something else that’s quite close to my heart. Yesterday lunchtime I had a wonder over the local supermarket, my mission was clear: To get some new tea bags to replace the 3 year old bumper pack of 20 million we have lying around in the work kitchen. So imagine my displeasure when after 5 minuets drawing fresh water and boiling the slower-than-average kettle I came to get a Earl Grey bag for my cup only to discover i’d brought loose leaves!
It’s some indication of the lengths I’ll goto to amuse myself at work that I was this gutted about the lack of decent tea. And then to spend another 10 minuets taking a picture of the tea, uploading it, then writing about it as-well…
Anyway, in conclusion, I like tea. A lot.
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January 3rd, 2006
It’s been a strange one this year. Being back at work, freezing my butt off, is given me chance to reflect on everything that’s happened in the last week. A week? Has it really only been a week? It seams like a whole other world
I was upset to learn of the passing of a very cool person just after Christmas. Although I didn’t really know her, the little time I’d spend with her had shown me what strength she had. She’ll be sorely missed.
Christmas also gave me opportunity to reflect on where I am in my life. And that I cannot any longer piss about when It comes to my faith. I’m a Christian, and damn proud to be one! I need to focus my attention on God. Someone amazing helped me realise this, if you’re reading this, you know who you are. Thank you. You rock. You and you’re family.
So this is it, the first post of 2006, with hope for the coming year. God bless you all.
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