It's Official

I am 40. 

I feel older. Not in that Oh My CNY is Coming and I'm Gonna Have to Field "Those" Questions Again way.

I feel older in the way that I'm happy with what I have, where I've been, who I've become. 

The 姐姐said it perfectly in the waiting room of CGH's A&E when she said "Maybe you're meant to touch the lives of all the children that you teach... something you probably might not do if your life had turned out differently."

I agree. A student of mine wrote on my FB wall today wishing me Happy Birthday and said some awesome mushy things about how I've taught him more than playing the piano. That's what makes my job worthwhile. Sure, you have ambitious parents who get a reality check from teacher dearest when their kid doesn't put in the time and effort... you get the kids come to class kicking and screaming, making up excuses, telling you stories... you roll your eyeballs and groan inwardly (or outwardly sometimes) when you're just NOT getting thru to them. 

But the occasional word of gratitude or the unexpected high mark could make it all better. For me anyway. 

People have often asked me how I define myself. I think I'm ready to take a stand and say - I'm a Teacher. It's what I do. It's who I am. 

Feeling my Age

Ok, so perhaps it's time to start popping the Glucosamine, order the Stemtech, and have a supply of Artrex on hand.

Ever since the gahmen decided that I should be the recipient of a highly subsidised upgrading project, I've been having knee pains. In no small part due to the climbing and squatting and kneeling associated with cleaning a house.

This seems to have gotten slightly better in that some days I wake up with almost no pain at all. Careful balancing of weight and keeping a good posture in mind seems to help.

But because my body INSISTS on letting me know that I'm not a spring chicken anymore, it has decided that since I've sussed out the knee problem, I should have a new one.

As I straightened up after leaning forward to type something on the laptop last night, my back began to protest. Uh-oh! I suspect it's a herniated disc. So it looks like I'ma gonna have to go see my doctor soon. In the meantime, I'm going to be lying down as much as I can to give it a chance to heal.

The family has been discussing the possibility of getting some live-in help to see to mum and dad and assist them in getting around etc. and right now this option is looking better and better.

*Ouch*

One More Time

I know this part

It's the part where I say thank you and move on

But I can't.

It's the part where my sense of self-preservation should kick in

But it doesn't.

So I run.

I run towards the pain. And wonder why I cannot find a way out.

Why I cannot accept it for what it is.

Because I'm stubborn. And headstrong. And all those other things that make me ME.

And the very things that make me strong, now make me weak.

Tastes like Chicken

I wanted some greasy, commercial-tasting, PMS-relieving, comfort food. So i traipsed over to KFC after work to buy my $5-coupon-get-able 2 piece meal.

There's a lady in front of me who looks like she's kinda smart- educated, speaks well- so I figure it shouldn't take too long.

I was wrong.

Dear lady, when u ask if it's a meal and the girl says it isn't - that means no drink, no sides, no nothin'!

When u ask if it's a la carte n she says yes, that means no meal. It doesn't mean u only get 1 piece of chicken. Especially when she tells u there are 3 drumlets in every box.

When she says there are no "original" drumsticks it means u can either choose crispy drumsticks or original other bits. Or u can wait- 10 minutes like she says. You do NOT get to yell about how your husband doesn't eat crispy nor does he eat any other chicken part. Really? Chicken is chicken. If he can't eat any other part, then wait. If u can't wait then get the crispy and peel off the skin. It's that simple. This is KFC. Quit making a fuss. It's dinner time and they are allowed to run out of parts.

What is bloody wrong with people?

Earlier in school a parent came in asking for a new guitar bag for a guitar he purchased last week. Because the zip had fallen off the one he has. There's nothing wrong with the guitar. Nor the function of the zip. The metal bit had fallen off. That's all. So go put a freaking paper clip on it. It'll still work. Or tie a piece of string. Or something. Surely, sir, you can't be THAT useless?

Oh what did you say? You paid a whole 50 bucks for the instrument? It's not a 20-dollar purchase? Really? That's your argument?

Sir, this isn't LV. You dont get a one-to-one exchange on a guitar bag that came with your 50-dollar purchase. By the way- it was $49. And you know, we sell bags. They're called accessories. For when your old one tears or breaks or gets lost. We don't keep them lying around just to hand them out to people like you who can't handle the fact that you 1) manhandled it enough to break it (we don't have complaints about the zip) OR 2) just happened to be unlucky enough that you got a lemon. But hey the zipping mechanism works, the guitar is fine, you checked it yourself when you bought it a week ago. So what's the f***ing problem here? You. That's what.

I'm going home now. To eat my chicken and watch TV. At least the idiots in movies always get their comeuppance!

Batman Kosong

That's what it felt like. No condensed milk. No evaporated milk. No sugar. Plain. 

OK I suppose some people will say it follows the Dark Knight graphic novels quite closely ( I don't know, I don't follow the comics, but that's what I read...) but as far as I'm concerned, if I'm going to watch a superhero movie, I'd like to see more Splat, Bangs and Kapows!

The Dark Knight didn't Rise to my expectations tho. Not enough gadgets, not enough high speed chases, not enough sexual tension between the Bat and the Cat, I DID however like Hathaway's tush on the too-big-wheels motorbike canon thingamajiggy. (The scene where she's blasting a hole in the tunnel...the movie was worth watching JUST FOR THAT!)

There was just too much psycho stuff, emo stuff and what happened to the confident, almost-arrogant, "zai" batman? I suppose I will be criticised for saying so, but I think I prefer the Tim Burton / Joel Schumacher series. 

There is an obvious sequel to this installment of the Dark Knight series - and I'm hoping it'll be better than the current movie. In order not to give away too much, I'm just gonna say this: I might enjoy watching Joseph Gordon-Levitt a little more than Christian Bale the next time around.

Enjoy this spoofy poster. Get it?

Batman : The Dark Knight...........................                     ...........................The Dark Knight Rises