Next time....
I’m in the stage of packing up my life again. I swing from packing hell, to packing purgatory back to packing hell again.
I remember vividly leaving the university dorm 7 years ago with all my stuff piled outside the door waiting for my Dad to come with the car. When he arrived he asked me which side of the door had my stuff piled up there. ‘Uh, both sides’ I replied shamefacedly.
This time I wasn’t so foolish as to bring my entire collection of Tamora Pierce novels, but I still feel I brought an absurd amount of Japanese texts (to say nothing of the ones I bought here - and never / rarely used) and I should never had brought physical CDs. And even with my ‘no souvenire bigger than a deck of cards’ rule, I have an absurd amount of knick-knacks that I really can’t live without I promise you!
Facing my last three days at school where I will do precious little, I sit at my desk and poke the pile of papers. Shuffle things back and forth between home, the staff room and the Language Lab. I think how I should be having lunch with the students or something - but when I do talk with the students, are conversations are stilted and awkward. I feel it’s too late now to do much.
I also peruse my future applications for EPIK and Peace Boat. I really look forward to the chance of teaching again in another country.
Next time, it’s going to be different.
Next time I’ll have a kindle and as few physical books as possible.
Next time, just have digital copies of my music and movies.
Next time, better quality clothes, but far fewer of them, wear them until they wear out and then toss.
Next time, try as early on as possibly to hang out with students outside of class.
Next time have a bonus stamp card to entice the students to talk to me outside of class.
Next time work without a text as possible - they are only vaguely good for listening exercises anyways and I can do better I think.
Next time, I won’t be so homesick.
Next time, I won’t beat myself up over what I think I should be able to do at school vs. reality.
Next time I will be fucking fantastic!
Next time baby I’ll be …. Bulletproof!
I remember vividly leaving the university dorm 7 years ago with all my stuff piled outside the door waiting for my Dad to come with the car. When he arrived he asked me which side of the door had my stuff piled up there. ‘Uh, both sides’ I replied shamefacedly.
This time I wasn’t so foolish as to bring my entire collection of Tamora Pierce novels, but I still feel I brought an absurd amount of Japanese texts (to say nothing of the ones I bought here - and never / rarely used) and I should never had brought physical CDs. And even with my ‘no souvenire bigger than a deck of cards’ rule, I have an absurd amount of knick-knacks that I really can’t live without I promise you!
Facing my last three days at school where I will do precious little, I sit at my desk and poke the pile of papers. Shuffle things back and forth between home, the staff room and the Language Lab. I think how I should be having lunch with the students or something - but when I do talk with the students, are conversations are stilted and awkward. I feel it’s too late now to do much.
I also peruse my future applications for EPIK and Peace Boat. I really look forward to the chance of teaching again in another country.
Next time, it’s going to be different.
Next time I’ll have a kindle and as few physical books as possible.
Next time, just have digital copies of my music and movies.
Next time, better quality clothes, but far fewer of them, wear them until they wear out and then toss.
Next time, try as early on as possibly to hang out with students outside of class.
Next time have a bonus stamp card to entice the students to talk to me outside of class.
Next time work without a text as possible - they are only vaguely good for listening exercises anyways and I can do better I think.
Next time, I won’t be so homesick.
Next time, I won’t beat myself up over what I think I should be able to do at school vs. reality.
Next time I will be fucking fantastic!
Next time baby I’ll be …. Bulletproof!