Quiet

Grandmother describes the day when family leaves as unbearably quiet. The joy and relief of having your bed and your usual order back, stays away. Even for someone like me, who more often than not chooses the peace and quiet of my own company, is this involuntary silence unsettling.

Mother advises to fill the void with Christmas decorations.

Hit by a bus

I was hit by a bus yesterday.

Today, I've been trying to find out who the driver was. I can't remember exactly but I think the registration number was something like "V0D K4".

If you should spot that bus, tell the driver I'm not impressed!

Beer for breakfast

Explaining the idiom "hair of the dog" to Chinese students is challenging.

Not just older - better too!

I don't worry about getting older, really I don't! I like the wisdom and respect that each year brings.

My subconscious seems to be in a state of alert, however, and keeps popping up to make me aware of the fact that I am about to add another year to my age.

Wherever I look, something or someone is there, suggesting disadvantages to growing old. One of my students asked me not IF I was going to go on botox...but WHEN. One suggested that if I really feel the need to tell everyone how old I am, perhaps I should lie about my age by some 5 years. Outside my front door, the hospital opposite has hung an enormous sign celebrating the plastic surgery department's 10 year anniversary.

I don't care. ID Marie should shut up. Marie Super-Ego is 32 tomorrow and happy about it!

Guru Marie

I had one of those I'm-bored-time-to-leave moments this morning and searched some job sites for teaching jobs in Indonesia (why not?). I found this job advert for a GURU!!

What an amazing conversation starter that would be.
- What do you do?
- I'm a Guru.

I wonder what the going rate for a Guru in Indonesia is? The position is listed as "entry level" so clearly you don't need much experience of guru-ing (?). I'm so applying!

[Upon further research, the word Guru in Indonesia is often used for a teacher. This particular Guru-job is as Maths teacher...so if I should ever want to be a Guru, there are ample opportunities.]

Don't trust sober people

Peter Englund is a brilliant Swedish Author and Historian. In a recent interview he was asked the standard likes/dislikes question. His reply for favourite beverage was:

Tea. If I drink alcohol I do so to get drunk.

It reminded me of an old friend, who would refuse to go to a parties with us if we weren't on for a full night of drinking.

He used to claim that he lived according to a Yoda-esque philosophy on life; you either do or do not, there is no trying.

I used to claim that he was a bloody alcoholic and just wanted to drag the rest of us down with him.

Not impressed

Me: Do you have kids?

Him: No. Well, at least not that I know of, hehehe.

Me: No, me neither - that I know of.

Him: What do you mean?

Me: That you're an idiot and this conversation is over.