LOVE the Bitchface!

Image courtesy of You Might Like This

I can relate, sister. My face sometimes takes me aback when I've passed a car mirror or shoppe window. Really? I look that ANGRY? Then I lift my eyebrows, turn up the corners of my mouth and, for good measure, tuck my tailbone, pull back my shoulders, and bring in my belly button. Then I recognize that all of that takes a lot of concentration. And we're back to BitchFace.

Sigh.

Funny though, right?

Sunshine

I finally discovered how to add text to a photo. I feel like a really intelligent human being now.

Kids are off today because some of the unions are on strike. A classroom full of organized books and papers? With no children mulling about? I'll TAKE it!

I hope your day is equally satisfying (and perhaps as track-pant-y as mine!).

xox

Taking the Long Way Home

Since I'm directionally challenged, I found it particularly difficult to get home today after being dropped off at a new location. Luckily, I found the park I know so well and was able to meander my way home through it. Since the walk eventually felt quite therapeutic, I took some pictures of what I see on the regular just to share them with you.

I was feeling quite down in the dumps today (no "proverbial" needed today) because I felt as though my work here isn't as recognized as I think it could be. And since there are so many changes I was happy to make, gung-ho to make even a little while ago, it kills me that only now am I actually being asked to make those changes. I was full of energy, enthusiasm and the kind of spunk that comes with being a fish out of water in a new and limitless land. Now I'm at home and feeling rather comfortable; completely eased into my surroundings and no longer needing to prove myself as an educator. I have a job: it's stable. Need I do more? Nah.

I hate that feeling though: that nagging need to do more even when the iron fist of Budget tells me that it might not be worth it. If not for money, for notoriety? But even that is hard to come by. So I am sitting, stewing, and wanting to do more but holding myself back. Out of pure. Principle.

God, I've hit rock bottom: never thought I'd get here.

Did I just state I was doing something out of principle? What a douche.

Aside from that, I had three really great stories come out of the teaching part of my job. One young girl came to me, teary-eyed and somber, telling me all of the things that were making her sad on this day. God, when they really trust you, it really does make it worthwhile.

Then a kid was found doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing. The joy. He was returned to me by my boss (god, don't I know where my kids are? Whoops), and held captive by me while the others were allowed to hoot and holler on the gym equipment. The great thing was though, he helped me do the adding up of the kids' tests (I can't stand adding simple numbers together) and what was a tedious task actually ended up taking very little time, leaving us much of the period to gab about being 14. Pretty awesome.

And the last thing. Some of my Year 9 boys were sitting, waiting to see the principal. It was strange for them to be meeting with him (quite serious at any rate) and since no one actually knew why they were meeting with him, I assumed it was a good meeting. Ha! Anyway, on my way out, I popped down to one of the kid's ears and whispered, "He looks super pissed, buddy." Sufficiently left to sh*t his pants, I walked away laughing, thinking the kid was going to get a pleasant surprise when he was awarded some medal of bravery or something.
Gulp. I was wrong.
Kids got in all kinds of trouble.
Whoops.
Still...it's fun to make them squirm a bit.

Anyway, here are the pics from my long walk home.
I hope your day is going as well as mine turned out going :)

Thirty Degrees and Loving It

Image courtesy of Things She Loves via Only Hear the Music (Tumblr)

We spent the day today marking kids' work and sunning ourselves in the 30-degree sunshine. Jocelyn's house is a real-life family home, so the nomadic, slightly stinky, damp feeling we all have in our rentals is replaced there by this warm, vanilla-scented ambiance. It was amazing.

After the sun went down a bit and the tasks at hand became so boring we couldn't see straight anymore more tedious, we moved in and tried to watch The Graduate (imperative word being, "tried"). What a bizarre movie. I'm all for old films, one of my faves being Same Time Next Year, but I think that's because my Aunt Erika had me watch it with her. And everything she did was gnarly, so naturally I loved it. I wasn't buying the whole sexed-up Dustin Hoffman...who would find him attractive in that awkward, self-deprecating stage? Not I. Not us.

I'm off to bed now. Back to the pavement tomorrow morning by six. Ah, the joy of summer and 5 hours of darkness daily (read: 19 hours of sunlight...loves it!).

Out in the Garden

We headed into the city yesterday evening for a great night in Covent Garden.

The "Dear Chocolate Martini" moment with Jocelyn...

Twas a good night.

Cutest. Kid. Ever

I hope you don't mind, Laura. I just couldn't help myself.

I hope everyone is feeling a bit better today after a rest.

xoxox

Memories of Columbia Road

tidbit

I'm off tomatoes

Memories of Brick Lane

From a Bristol Distance

Feelin' a Bit Churchy

st. mary's redcliffe

Tour of the Olde Town

...dream homes...

Queen Square

is there anything more magical than a law firm flying balloons?

...as it turns out, nope.

Along the Bristol River

i was born by the river in a little tent
oh and just like the river i've been running ever since
it's been a long, long time coming
but i know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

--sam cooke