a better day (the sun is shining too!)

I'm just posting this so that next time (probably tomorrow) I feel like s*** about teaching, I can read this and feel better! I had a good lesson with my Y8s this morning (and it dawned on me that these kids were the ones I taught back in October when we first started the course, with S and C!) So, I feel a kind of fondness for them now and will not feel fed up when I have to prepare their lessons (I'll try anyway). The other thing that was good was that when I got to Y13 French, one of the 'kids' (they're not really kids I guess - just a few years younger than me!) said, "Oh, good, we've got a good teacher"! I share teaching them with two other teachers... I was quite taken aback! (Yes, I'm sure you're thinking he was being sarcastic, but I tell you he wasn't!) And then we had a really nice class on the subjunctive of all things (grammar is great!) and they were lovely, thinking that I had the key to the whole French language!! So sweet. I'm trying to think positive thoughts because I have to get on and plan for the awful Y9s tomorrow, for which I'm getting observed for... ugh. Seven days left of full timetable at school... This is what I have to keep thinking!!

The Squid and the Whale

Sorry WY - for posting the exact same picture... I like this poster though. And the film was very good indeed. Although I can't exactly say it was funny (as the reviews had led me to believe). It was funny in parts, but too sad to laugh at! Every film I seem to have seen recently has been sad - or maybe I'm just too emotional these days! In a way it was too short - I wanted to know what happened after it ended. After Walt walks out on his father in the hospital. Is it possible to like any of these characters? The kids' behaviour I guess is understandable, but the parents... I did feel sorry for Bernard, but he seems pretty stubborn, and Joan's behaviour was unforgiveable, although I think she genuinely loves her kids. And when Bernard begs Joan to take him back, promising he will try harder, you almost wish she will, just for the kids.

Hey You is haunting... but an excellent song. Maybe I will try and get into Pink Floyd now.

Transamerica

I forgot to add that I saw this film the other day.


I'd heard good stuff about it and was impressed. What impressed me the most was how he (she) was played by a she! I couldn't get my head round it. And I didn't even realise this until I read some reviews after seeing the film. Felicity Huffman was so convincing that I really did think she was a man! (Although at points during the film I did think she (he) could probably pass as a woman!) Anyway, I guess I should be saying more intelligent things about this but I was just dead impressed by all that. A good story though, if maybe a little unbelieveable in parts. Not sure about the whole "road movie" thing, but I suppose it didn't take over too much. Next film to see = The Squid and the Whale.

no, not any more!

Thanks to R, I've managed to add a few bits and pieces to the blog. Looks better, doesn't it?

I don't understand why the weatherpixie claims it's 23 degrees in Sheffield! Have I got the wrong Sheffield?

does this blog look boring?

I'm beginning to think that this blog looks (and reads!) a bit dull. And for all that I do like the Mogwai picture it freaks me out a bit every time I look at it, so I'm going to do a new entry (and ask R how he gets his blog to look dead cool and trendy).

I went to Chatsworth today! Science K (different from Flatmate K) kindly offered to take me along in the car for a drive to Chatsworth because she wanted to get her mum a pressie from the shop (and in the end got her a pink bucket for doing the gardening - pretty cool, eh!). It was lovely! The sun was shining and we ended up walking to Baslow for a cup of tea. It was so good to be outside - I've really felt like a prisoner this week being trapped in doing assignments (am not even thinking about being in my room tomorrow too planning). It was good to have a good old natter about random things and forget the other annoying stuff.

Ooh, exciting news: I found a guitar teacher! I rang a guy up quite randomly this morning (found a list of guitar teachers in Sheffield on the web) and I'll have my first lesson in a couple of weeks! I can't wait! I just wish I could practise a bit but I don't know how to change the string that's broken and I don't want to mess it up. I also need to buy a case for it so that I don't have to carry it around in a bin liner like I have been doing (so embarrassing!) This is exciting! I just figured that waiting around to have more free time is never gonna work, unless I wait till I'm retired, so may as well get on and do something! Yay!

My lastest purchase

Mr Beast, Mogwai.

There's one track in Japanese, but I don't seem to be able to find the lyrics anywhere.

more trip!

I'm back in Sheffield after travelling all over the place the past week or so. After a week in France, I came back to Sheffield for a few days, then went to London (very cool - saw J, saw a show - perhaps I was a little disappointed by that though - ate at Tokyo Diner, visited all the stuffed animals in the Natural History Museum... Hmm). Then York, then Glasgow (cool too - saw a lot of Rennie Macintosh things, the University, the Burrell Collection - actually that was bit boring - shops, cafes, fish & chips with no mushy peas, cute guy who sold me a new guitar string!) I want Macintosh to design my future house interior!!



I've literally just finished writing up my research project (one of the millions of assignments I have to do this holiday). Much quicker than I expected, but no brain power left today to start the next one.

I've been listening to (after meaning to get hold of this album for yonks) The Flaming Lips:



AM was right - they're dead good! Don't they have a new album out or something or single? I like the first one: Fight Test. I like hearing new music that I really like. Always puts me in a good mood~