Best efforts

You know, despite my best efforts and intentions, there are days when my students screw me right-royally. Today was a good example. 

The little possums have it in their mind that the faster they race through the material the more chance there is that they'll pass the end of level exam and more importantly, get their TOEFL certificate.

Little do they know that, unlike the schools they attend, the TOEFL exam actually needs to be passed (the schools apply a you-pay you-pass mentality).

And so despite my trying to help them, they went to the school management and complained. Which, you might think, doesn't present an overly disastrous situation. However, here with the importance placed on sales rather than education, the thinking is that if you piss off the students they'll go to another school and as such it's frowned upon. They are after all the paying customers - n'est pas?

Thus my punishment for trying to be helpful is a reprimand by management and a black mark by my name. Which, in a country where there are plenty of new teachers, is a huge issue as they are more than happy to fire you at a moments notice.

Needless to say my reaction is: UGH!

I'm super human

The ageing process is more apparent to me now that it has ever been before. And that's not a bad thing - it's just the way it is. Okay I admit it's a little disappointing sometimes or rather I find myself saying "OMG I'm so unfit". "Which really is about health and not ageing." I hear you say. True true.

So where was I coming from? Let me backtrack a little and explain.

Prior to yesterday, last year was the last time I had a morning class and evening class on the same day. It's called a split shift and teachers tend to dislike it because it leaves a 5 hour gap in the middle of the day where you can't really go home and it's difficult to occupy yourself or relax knowing you've got another class to teach later in the day.

So I left home at 8.30am and didn't get back till 11.40pm. Even though the classes were far apart and there was the break I was busy working on stuff in the break and felt quite exhausted by the time I got home.

And so, as is often the case, I'm walking home past the last night food shops feeling like I've been a good boy and deserve a treat. In I go and grab a 1 litre of coke, 2 chocolate bars, and a Magnum ice cream.

Continuing the walk home I tell myself I mustn't have it all at once as that would be OTT and mega unhealthy.

Then, of course, I get home and proceed to go through the whole lot. 3 hours later it's coming up to 3am and I'm wondering why I need matchsticks to keep my eyes open and I'm also hyper at the same time. Go figure.

Further, I wake as usual in the early hours wondering where the sleep time went. At least I can let the cats into my room and get some solace from them.

Reflecting on it this morning I acknowledge that throughout my life I've acted like I am super human and my body will run on any fuel I carelessly shove into it. I believe that my body will run on any amount of sleep regardless of where, when or how the sleep took place.

Hence, as I get older these after effects are becoming more pronounced.

In conclusion? Realistically things won't change. I'm happy with boom and bust.

It's just ironic to note the difference between my thinking and the honest truth.

Thanks Grandad

The other day I was talking the Metro into town. In the same carriage as me was a young boy with his grandfather.


The boy was asking a barrage of questions of his grandfather who was quietly listening and providing answers.


Just as we were about to get off the train the boy asked another question which had grandad going into a more elaborate explanation including the use of his hands.


When we were exiting I was thinking how great it is to have someone explain things to you. The older generation tend to have the time to answer all those silly little questions that you want answers too - especially when you are young.


I thought that the lesson had finished and that they would head outside with the rest of us, but instead was happy to see them both sit down on a bench on the platform.


As everyone was rushing by to get to their various destinations grandad calmly continued his explanation, pointing at the train and the people. 


The boy avidly watched and listened to his grandfather and posed some additional questions. You got the feeling that they could have sat there all day or until the boy's curiosity was satiated.


It was great to see...

Random 1

Neither thought provoking nor inspiring this is just a random burble.


This morning I woke up early and is sometimes the case after a dream (read bad dream as I don't tend to have good ones) I was sweating a bit. So rather than sit in my little pool of sweat I got up and had a shower.


Today I have a typically quiet agenda which seems to be the case these days with not many students about to teach. It'll get worse heading into summer proper as the wealthier people head for summer places or holidays abroad.


First I have an upper intermediate (aka level 5 say of 1-6) class at 10.30am for 3 hours. Then not much at all until 7pm when I head out on the Metrobus to meet a new acquaintance for dinner.


For me it's summer already. Each Friday and sometimes more often I take the ferry out to Kınalıada which translates to Henna Island (as in tattoo). The journey takes just over an hour all up with the ferry portion taking 45 minutes. First we head to the Asian side of Istanbul and then south to the islands.


At this time of year I have the whole beach to myself usually. The other day I jumped into the water for a couple of seconds just to cool down. On my way out I noticed I had been in there with jelly fish the size of basketballs!


I'm a little more careful now. It'll be good as the water heats up heading into summer. Just now it's too cold to swim.


Apart from one trip I've been by myself so I just lie on the beach and sunbathe. In a way, although it's quite hot and humid, it's better than NZ because I can lie out there for 2-3 hours without worrying about getting burnt.


I have quite a few friends going through dramas of various sorts at the moment. A lot takes the form of depression in one way or another. Some about life in general and opportunities or the lack of them; others to do with Turkish men; others I'm yet to discover their particular pain. 


In a way it's soothing for me to be in company as it's never really calm over here. I'm either high as a kite or down in the dumps - there's very little middle ground. This is Turkey. It's the same for the locals - life is one long drama.


It can be quite comical at times to an outsider although they don't usually see it this way. Even the most simple problem gets turned into armageddon over here. Additionally there's only one scale - catastrophic or not.


On the work front I got totally screwed by what was my preferred school. I was in a break between classes and asked them when my new classes would start. They said I had 5 new ones starting in the weekend and on this basis I turned down some classes another school was offering me.


Later it turned out that only 2 classes were starting so I ended up loosing Ł200 a week which is a lot. Needless to say I was quite pissed off and also needless to say I don't see them as my preferred school anymore. 


Having said that there's an ongoing issue in that they can fire you at a moments notice and on a whim e.g. one day you disagree with something they say. Seriously - it can be that trivial. It's often done as a kind of revenge for a perceived snubbing.


Anyway - enough griping.


For some reason the cheese and hårt bröd I ate at midnight didn't seem to fill the gap. I've still got a rumbling - especially for some coke....

Life's a joke

The other day I had the unsettling yet amusing idea that life in general, and mine particularly, was some kind of joke.