5-aside cuppers champions!

Finally! I can say I've won football cuppers competition. Yeah!

Some great games and great team spirit. Was especially good to beat LMH/T in the semi-finals. A conclusive win really all the way through though. And we got to play Keble again in the finals, woo!

The come-down from playing all that football then having to return to studying hit me pretty hard yesterday. On the plus side, I dedicated my time to working on solving the cryptic crossword from Monday's Guardian. We'd been doing it for three days, but we completed it yesterday! Hoorah! I am going to keep practising at that.

So now I have to get properly on the revision train. It seems possible. Kind of.

Also very pleased that Barcelona won the Champions League final last night - they are good team and I agree with their ways.

Lots of sports!

A whole weekend of sports, am pretty achey! Played korfball for Wolfson, which was totally awesome - it's kinda like a netball/basketball cross over but boys and girls can play together and the net is huge. It's still hard to throw the ball in though! We came fourth (out of four!) but it was lots of fun. Then we played an epic game of cricket against ChCh, which was really close, but they beat us with just 10 balls to spare. Shame but was nice to hang out in the sun.

Yesterday we completed our group games for 5-aside and finished top of our group. Today we have the quarter-finals (ironically against the team in our group we beat yesterday to come top) and then with a bit of luck a semi-final and a final too. Am excited about that a lot.

There is a giant fat robin eating at our bird-feeder right now, it's totally exciting! Although I just moved to try and get my camera to take a photo, and it flew away. Maybe it'll be back? Oooh I can see him sitting on the fence nearby!

What else? Have learnt that it's much harder to sleep by myself now - I'm very used to having X around. My revision is going ok, still not doing that much work, but a bit now and then. Finished Gang Leader for a Day and also The Namesake (which I've just found out has been made into a film too!), both of which I enjoyed, the first because gangs and ethnographies are very interesting to me, the second because I love stories about second generation Asians and identity. Now reading Outliers, which is very good in terms of concepts, but annoyingly is written in a really popular science style with a very sensationalist use of statistics.

Ok back to work. Fingers crossed for the football!

Thursday 2nd week

Been working on my thesis and revision. Thesis is going ok. Had a meeting with my supervisor on Tuesday (after a lovely long weekend at home) and have some changes to do but think it'll be ok. Ignoring it for now as she recommended spending most of my time revising.

Have two exams (nothing compared to finals!) so trying to figure out which topics to revise etc.

Home was awesome, first BBQ of the year! Saw lots of family and ate really well :) Saw my Granddad too - he's back in the country for six months, woo! He's 89 now and still going strong, which I'm really grateful for. Played poker with the girls and 304 too, good times.

Made plans to go to Washington for a week in August with my Dad and my brother - it's my cousin's wedding. Will be good to see all the family over there as it's been a while.

What else? X is home full-time - woo! Good work ethics will hopefully rub off on me with regards to revision and stuff. Been watching a lot of football. Controversial football for sure. Poor referees in the Champions League - they are making all sorts of mistakes. My brother made a strong case for video referees in the box when I was watching footy with him on the weekend. Now I'm really starting to agree with him. Wrong decisions in the penalty box happen far too regularly. Poor Fletcher will miss the Final for the red card given because of his excellent tackle. Shocking decision and even worse that it can't be appealed against. He behaved really well though - the Chelsea players could learn a thing or too about respect in football from him. That's the other thing, football doesn't have any respect in it, people dive and complain and argue with the ref all the time. Yesterday Ballack was actually chasing and flapping at the ref! There needs to be a system like in rugby where only the captain can talk with the ref and also if people show dissent then decisions should be reversed or they should lose ground on the free kick or something like that. The FA and UEFA and FIFA all those groups need to sort out the refereeing and get some respect back in the game because players and fans are acting like thugs.

Rant over. Saw In The Loop last night, which was great, so funny and actually satirical. Would recommend it for sure. Also click here for Pizza Express vouchers, which are buy one main course get the second free.

Ok I will get back to reading the sequel to The Knife of Never Letting Go. It's called The Ask and The Answer - harrowing stuff, kinda like the situation in Sri Lanka at the moment for the poor oppressed Tamil people caught up in the war zone. I hope this book has a happy ending. I hope in Sri Lanka there's a happy ending too.

Some random things

Am confused by some of the new icons on the blogger sign in page. Can people text me now? Or does that mean I can update my blog by phone? Hmm...

Should be working on my codebook, which is actually going ok, but am being a bit distracted. Liverpool vs Chelsea last night was so dramatic, I love watching football when it's like that. Been a bit of a housewife yesterday and today, doing all sorts of chores. It's funny how when you want to be distracted there's always something to do.

Very impressed to hear that Obama visited the MyBnk offices, that's awesome! Also pleased that there was a ceasefire in Sri Lanka - hopefully some of the trapped people made it out. Am still campaigning although it's slowed a bit. I want that war to end and end now. The Tamil people need their own land and then things will be ok.

It was Tamil New Year yesterday so am thinking and wishing for positive things this year. Starting with getting my work done!

Some plans and general ramblings

We are making a butternut squash soup with our new blender, Glenda. It's the weekend and we have been super relaxy - doing cooking and playing squash and laying in bed and reading the papers and watching silly films. Awesome!

Have been back in Oxford for 4 days after going home and then having a meeting in Cardiff. Am currently debating whether to take Cardiff's funding offer or to take a year out and apply for the Civil Service. Have got it into my head that I should work for the government, and maybe eventually become an MP (fits my initials and all). But then again I have three years paid for in Cardiff and I can be near X there, so it's a tough decision. Oxford are "re-evaluating" my application, which doesn't sound promising, so I think I'll have to sack that.

Spurs threw away a win against Blackburn yesterday. Admittedly there were some dodgy reffing decisions, including Palacios' second yellow card, which led to him being sent off and Blackburn capitalising on our chaos to score two goals, but even accounting for that, Spurs still were lacklustre. I think Redknapp should have brought on Pav instead of Bent after about 70 minutes rather than sticking with him when nothing was happening. Spurs' goal only came from a debatable hand-ball penalty award so really we are not doing enough to finish in a decent position. My eyes are on next season now.

Next week I'm in Cambridge on a higher education programme with TF. We're helping Y12 kids get in the zone for uni applications, which I'm looking forward too. It's a packed programme, and I've forgotten what it's like to teach/manage people, but we'll see how it goes.

Been planting in the allotment, now about to watch No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. Back after Easter!

Loads of things!

Things have been really busy lately. I mean really busy. It's a Sunday night now and I'm knackered, really looking forward to an early night! We should be at Scrabble club but I've cancelled it this week so we can chill a bit.

So obviously since I've not been on here for aaages it'll be tricky to tell you everything I've done, so I'll just mention some choice highlights (which will most likely be the most recent things, since that is all I can remember!)

We had our housewarming last night, which was great! It's the first party X and I have hosted together and I think it was a success! It was lovely to have lots of our friends in one place and see them all and have fun together. I was really pleased, and felt really happy to be there.

I've played one footy match this weekend, and have run the line for three other games, so I'm just exhausted. Playing that much footy, including one game that went to extra-time and penalties, is serious hard work on the old knees and thighs. Still, need the money and it was a great experience - today was women's cuppers' final, which was a big game, and yesterday I did the Colleges XI and Centaurs varsity games, which are also very high profile games, so it was cool!

I got the Wolfson telethon job, which should be good fun (and again good for the money situation!) Basically it means working in a call centre calling up old members of college and asking them to donate funds, and also finding out what they're doing and keeping them involved in college life. I've never really done anything like that before, but I'm sure it'll be a good experience.

X took me to see Swan Lake on Friday night. It was a belated valentine's present, and it was just beautiful. I love the music and the ballet - it's all so elegant and graceful, like people are flying sometimes. It would be awesome to have that kind of skill and control in your body. I really enjoyed that too.

Spent last weekend at home as it was my Mum's 60th birthday, which was also great! My parents are pretty sociable and since the building works finished in the house, they've been trying to get back into organising things at home, so the party fitted the bill. Food was excellent and it was good company too, plus both my bros were back, so great to chatter with them too. Mum was glowing, I can't believe she's 60, she seems so much younger!

Went to the Blues night for our qualitative methods music consumption project. Managed to get someone to do the interview about music tastes, but then they bailed when it came down to it, so have to go and try again. The music was really good though - I've never been to a blues night but I'd def go again, the band were totally talented. They were the Sean Webster band - I think you can find them on myspace if you're interested.

X and I baked a fish pie from scratch, I'm very proud of this! We also saw Gran Torino this week, which was really well scripted and seriously moving, I would recommend it, Clint Eastwood was a real star and it's sad but also hilarious at times!

Lastly I've been taking part in some experiments - social science ones, not chemical ones! It's been good fun and quite good money, especially since for the past two I've got there too late so the experiment has had enough participants, so I've just pocketed the "show-up fee" and saved my time, cool!

It's 8th week now, one more week of classes and essays and then a bit of a break, yeah!

Essay done!

Got up early this morning and started stage 1 of my essay. Stage 2 took place between 1545 and 1638 in the SSL. Stage 3 has taken place in the last 30 minutes back in the flat. It is done. It is poor, but it is done. Roll on 9th week I say.

Reffed again this afternoon, girls' football is hard to ref, it's just so different from the boys' game. You have to be looking out for all the big dramas in a boys' game but in a girls' game all the issues are about whether the ball is in or out of play, and also whether the throw-in is a foul or not! There were some free-kicks, but I find my attention lapses. Also it's near impossible to predict where the ball will go - there are loads of those "whack it, whack it back, whack it again" sets of kicks that just confuse me entirely. Luckily I didn't get hit by the ball today, although I did have one player run into me once. I guess I'm just out of practice.

Classes were ok, just tired a bit really, need it to be end of term. Haven't done my redrafted proposal for Cardiff yet, crumbs! It's due on Monday and my supervisors need to see it before then. Will do it in the morning.

We watched Waterloo Road on BBC tonight. It was dramatastic! Literally every single scene had some issue in it, it was gripping stuff! A girl got shot at the end though, and there was also a storyline about a boy who was trying to sell babies, yuck, how wrong is that?!

Ok to bed with me. Rest time :)

V-day and other things!

It is a Monday but I am treating it like a Sunday i.e doing chores and being distracted. I have lots of work to do, as usual, and so am procrastinating, as usual.

Went on strike on Friday and didn't write my essay on transition theory. Turns out no-one really understood the topic anyway, so that's one question I won't be choosing on my finals paper. My other two essays turned out to be good, so my hope that I CAN actually write a half-decent essay has been restored.

Got an offer from Cardiff to read for a PhD there, woooo! Now have to revise my proposal so I can get funding, fingers crossed on that front.

Took X to Bodyworlds on Sat for V-Day, which was really cool. The plastinated models were amazing, seeing the insides of people, all organs and muscles and bones was unbelievable, not to mention the giant giraffe, which was really something else! We learnt loads and I think X enjoyed consolidating the pre-med work. We only got into London around 4ish, but it was nice to have a lazy morning and read the papers/do the crossword on the way down. We missed all the parties and bops in college on Sat night, and I got into a strop cos I'd lost my lovely purple and pink stripey gloves that I've mix-and-matched with X, but I got over it on Sunday. Shame I couldn't be less of a kid on Sat night, but I guess we were both cold and hungry and tired, so that was a bit of a write-off. The pirate pepper grinder that X got me is perfect for our new nest, I like it a lot!

We played our much-vaunted cuppers quarter-final against LMH/T yesterday. Alas we lost in extra-time, it was 4-3, very dramatic! The knee mostly held up - one rather painful moment when I put a cross in and it clicked rather horridly, but it's no more sore than the rest of my very achey body today. Playing 120 minutes of football after having done nearly no exercise (apart from cycling) for about 2 months is a bad plan. I am very naughty when it comes to being good and taking care of myself.

What else? I bought us a TV licence, making us officially grown-up. We have been doing lots of house-based stuff like tidying and doing laundry and food shopping and making it nice. I am gutted to be missing our first book club meeting this Sunday, but it's our old girls' football match on Sat and the dinner too, so I just can't get to London in time on Sunday, oh well. I've been reading Q&A for it, which is singularly awful in my humble opinion, Slumdog is so much better.

Ok I best try and get some work done. Just a quick update to keep the records complete!

Week 6 update

I thought I would do a spot of blogging, but actually my eye's hurt from looking at the screen, and I have to read some articles for research design after this, so I guess I'll keep it short.

What's new? Nothing really. STATA assignments keep us busy, along with Sociological Analysis essays. Busy weekend rushing about seeing old friends, playing football, going dancing for a friend's birthday, chilling out with X, just spending time really. Boy do I love weekends though!

It's almost 7th week, can't believe the time has gone so fast. Went to London last night to hang out with X, was lovely. Have brought X's bike up here so we can cycle around together, good for health, pocket and the environment!

Scored a cracking header off a corner last weekend and got "chihuahua of the match", which was totally cool!

Repaired one puncture for the whole session at the bike workshop on Tuesday, but did it in the end, so feel good about that! Am on for my first shift on the bar rota tonight, which should be exciting, except I've forgotten all the things we learnt at training, so it might be tricky, but hopefully I'll get the hang of it ok.

Refereeing's going ok, I'm mainly doing it for the money, but I do appreciate the run around, and also a good game of football (if it works out that way). JCR games have mostly been really good; MCR less so, but I'm not doing them really any more, so that's cool.

Right, best get to work, but will do my best to update sooner in future. Oh and I watched The Bourne Identity for the first time on DVD yesterday, and it was really good, so now I can't wait to see the other two!

Some stuff that's been happening

I don't usually work on Thursday nights, well, not properly anyway, but I'm pretty busy this weekend + lots of the readings are books (which luckily I have managed to get a hold of) so thought I'd better make a start.

What's new? Been refereeing still, that's going pretty well. Working hard. Went to London last night to try and watch the fireworks at Clapham Common with X, except the traffic and then awful delays on the underground meant I was too late and so we missed it. We were all grizzly but then cheered up after some KFC, naughty but yum.

Stayed up really late on Tuesday for the elections, which were super exciting, although had a bit too much to drink, which meant I couldn't write my essay, as originally intended, hence having to scrape bits together on the coach journeys to and from London. Am super pleased Obama made it - it's funny how something like this can be so moving, I don't really know why, it all just seems so hopeful, as if things could really change for the world. I hope they can. I hope he can do it.

Also helped out on the bike workshop on Tuesday, which was cool, I like fixing things, plus it's good to know a few things about bikes and how to fix them.

Went shopping today for the first time since being in Oxford (not food shopping, actual shopping). The town is getting Christmassy and it was pretty busy. Bought some absolute bargains, including fun stuff for X to celebrate the GAMSAT scores! Also sat and had some tea and read the paper in the common room, which was nice, it's good to chill a bit sometimes. Someone was playing Moonlight Sonata in the piano room, which was a lovely accompaniment, I love that piece.

Oooh I forgot to say, I scored the first goal for Wolfson at our game on Saturday, and it was so much fun! I played in goal for the second half, and my knee held it together, and it was just so cool to be playing again. I won joint player of the match, and we have a little chihuahua to play with for the week (except I've not seen it yet, the other winner has it!) Alongside that X and I had the most lovely weekend full of fun times, even plodding in the rain for ages was fun - we did lots of cooking and relaxing stuff, and it was just cool to know that our time wasn't fleeting as it usually is. Mmm, happy.

Ok, that's about it, except Spurs are having a revival and I hope they keep it up!

A good day's worth of ramblings

I was going to lesson plan but I really wanted to ramble on my blog first so here I am.

A good first day back, mainly because my head of department came and shouted at my Y10s again and then they were good (albeit perhaps for one lesson only) meaning that we actually did some work and I didn't have to shout over them and thus the rest of the day was good. Disappointingly I had to move my classroom tables from the group work formation they were in back into rows of desks so that I could split up the kids and hopefully stop them talking a bit. I also had to go back to seating them in alphabetical order. Two kids just wouldn't conform to the new set up and so truanted, while one was kicked out twice. Thus I spent some time calling parents today, but that was ok.

In other news the general incompetence of the people in charge of internal exams meant that the maths exams for Y7 and Y8 didn't happen today after all, and so we had to teach them. My impromptu lessons were ok though, I am pleased and I managed to write up one set of Y7 class reports, meaning only one more class to go there, yay!

Most of the day was spent thinking random thoughts that I wanted to post up. Firstly R, one of my colleagues, told me about WWOOF, which is this cool organisation whereby volunteers go and work on organic farms and gardens in return for food and accommodation. She went to Norfolk over the half-term and had an awesome time, so I am thinking maybe I will get a bit more self-sufficient by learning some of this stuff myself this summer. Secondly she told me about a book called "Grow It Eat It" about fruit and veg growing and recipes to cook with, which was a lovely book (made for kids!) and really captured my imagination.

I also spent some time contemplating how relaxed my holiday has made me in that things that normally stress me out haven't (and hopefully won't). For example I was called up in assembly today to give out merit certificates for my tutor group and accidentally had the clip on my trousers undone and the kids pointed it out to me, which should have been mortifying, but was actually quite funny. Also facebook keeps messing up when I try and load my Malta photos, but that's ok, I can do it another day. Also my little brother is running for the Cambridge Union, meaning he is now officially a hack, yuck, but oh well, whatever makes him happy.

Going back to assembly, it was on the environment and the UN World Environment Day. In an exciting move forward our school is finally going to get its recycling sorted, yay! The assembly itself was pretty inspiring and carried the message "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" which I am going to try hard to do. I made my first big step today by switching my credit card, bank account and mobile phone bills all to digital versions, meaning less paper posted to me.

The last thing I was thinking about was how much drama there is with football managers at the moment, what with Mourinho going to Inter and Sven formally getting the boot and maybe being replaced by Mark Hughes, and also how great it is that we have the Euro tournament to tide us over until halfway through August when the Premiership kicks off again. Football is so dramatic and ridiculous sometimes. I mean, can you believe that the Glazers would potentially turn down £70m from Real for Ronaldo, even if he refuses to play for Man Utd, and instead just force him to sit on the bench just cos they can?! Talk about trying to prove a point.

I had a nap at 7pm today after dinner, against my usual belief that 7pm is too late if you still wanna go to bed at a decent time, and am feeling mighty refreshed from it. There was an article in the Metro about sleep spas and how 39% of people surveyed said that they felt so tired at least one day a week that they just wanted to go home from work. There was also this woman that lost 3 stone over a year simply by taking power naps. I knew naps were good for the soul.

Right I really should get back to my lesson planning if I want to read any of the books I am browsing through at the moment. I currently have three and picked up a fourth today that I want, so I think maybe I will put the other three aside and read this new one, and then come back to them. Hmmm, but perhaps that is the mistake I made each of the other times? Perhaps I should just focus on one.

Oh and finally, I can't remember if I mentioned it already, but please make sure you see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull just because it is so awful it's funny. And if you're still bored after reading all of this you can text 'JOKE' to 118118 today for free to get a nice joke from them, hahaha!

I am sleepy

I am sleepy. I have been for two days. Not that kinda zombie feeling I've had before; I don't feel unmotivated, just tired. Thus the days have been calm since I have floated through them in a daze. Have had lots of bad behaviour around the school though, mainly from students in the corridors who I don't teach. Wet weather makes the kids a bit mad, especially when they are trapped inside the building.

Had a lovely weekend. All weekends are lovely really, I just wish there were more weekends and less weekdays. Am now busy(!) marking books.

Took my Y7s to football today - they won a match and then lost one, but I was so proud because they are such good little sportsmen, really supportive of each other and fair players etc. Made it worth going despite me craving a nap from about 1pm.

Have busy evenings for the rest of the week so no nap opportunities. Boo. Think I will have a shower now to wake me up a bit.

Sorry I haven't got anything too exciting to say - when you are asleep things tend to be pass you by.

Inspection Time

Inspection time. Tomorrow and Thursday. Drama.

Am prepared. I think. Hope they don't see my Y10 lessons, they are distinctly average. My Y9 and Y8 classes should be good though. Haven't planned the PSHE lesson yet, not quite sure what we're doing for it. Hmmm.

Off school today, there goes my attendance target. Have a shocking sore throat + a cold, hope it doesn't become the flu, although I am quite achy. Think I may be a bit exhausted too, half-term was hardcore and kept going till Monday morning, so haven't had much rest. Totally worth it though.

Spurs are Carling Cup winners! Yay! Can't believe the Spurs turn around over the last few seasons, we are really getting somewhere, or so it feels.

What else? Told my friends a secret today and they were good about it. I like that.

Wish me luck, time for an early bed.

Back and Happy and Grizzly Too

I am back from Dubai and still a bit dazed from it all. Had a fantastic and awesome time, it went so quickly but was great, I wish I was still on holiday.

Have lots of work to do but am ignoring it all. We're being HMI-ed (inspected) when we get back after half-term (STRESS!) so all the books have to be marked up to date and we need to make proper loooong detailed lesson plans for the inspection days. Lame. Can't be bothered, think I will have a panic on Sunday night instead. That will be the official end of half-term for me, and hopefully after Spurs beat Chelski in the Carling Cup Final on Sunday, well, I will be a bit drunk, so the lesson planning will be fun!

I had a knee appointment today and it was sad because my ACL graft is ruptured so I need to have ANOTHER knee reconstruction, which is obviously crap news. I dealt with it better this time, I am not as devastated, mainly because I expected it to be coming, and also because I am less into contact sports and stuff now, I can deal with a busted up knee better than I could when I was at Oxford, when everything I did required a super duper knee. Still, it's not great news, and buying lots of random stuff afterwards was perhaps not the best idea (although I DO now own a lovely pair of brown leather boots and also lots and lots of socks and blusher, excellent).

A busy weekend planned and next week too is super busy, I don't think I have a complete day of unplanned stuff until the following Sunday, BUSY! And Puja, the capitals are for you :)

Finally, just so you know, an emirate designates a political territory that is ruled by a dynastic Arab Monarch styled emir (thanks for that Wikipedia!). The seven dwarves are Sneezy, Sleepy, Happy, Grumpy, Dopey, Bashful and Doc. And it's totally worth watching Severance, a silly British comedy horror film, gorey and goofy at the same time.

That's all for now.

Naughty tutor group

I just re-read my last post about being gloriously unbusy and having finished all my work. Is that still true? Errrr, no! I am cream-crackered and have about 50 books to mark. Boo!

Why do I have so much work today? Because I did none last night, because I was busy watching Spurs thrash Arsenal, woooo! What an awesome game, I can't believe it, 5-1?! That's insane scoring, especially against Arsenal. I'm so pleased, we're finally gonna play in a Cup Final at Wembley, wow. Perhaps still a bit in shock.

Accidentally got a bit drunk last night with X, we drank our way through the Australian beers. Not too much, but enough to be dehydrated and mildly hungover. Also, decided it'd be a good idea last night when I got home to tidy up stuff, stupid idea, mainly because then I only had four hours sleep. Why do I keep forgetting that teaching tired and hungover is not fun? I need to make a sign and carry it around to remind me of this important fact.

Today was dramatastic, properly dramatastic, school-wise. Yesterday one of the Y8s told me to "get out my f*cking face" and we had a massive long department meeting, so that wasn't fun. So today the fall-out. Had to chase up the exclusion for this girl, plus at the meeting it was decided that I'd do all the maths book ordering for the new library, except the deadline to sort this out was today, whoops. Despite having two free periods today, I spent all my time chasing up kids. My tutor group have gone nuts. Some highlights from today:

• "A" got in a fight at lunchtime with a Y7. A is a good girl, I don't know what happened there.
• "S" called an English teacher a "f*cking rude git". Consequently her and three others were kicked out of their English lesson so we had to spend a free lesson sorting that out.
• "H" was caught tearing around the school, and then spent a further 10 minutes giving the 2nd in Science and the security people the run around, before finally being caught.
• Another "A" has picked up two hours of detention in maths for being badly behaved, so I had to call her mum.

On top of that I have something like 15 incident reports for various kids and it's only Wednesday. Being a tutor is a serious full-time job, especially with all the drama. There's no time to sort them all out properly. Like today I wanted to spend some time with "S" as she has to see a counsellor tomorrow, plus she's worried about being excluded for her swearing, but there was just no time. I wish I could be there for them a bit more.

Lessons were ok mostly, except Y9, two kids were upsetting each other, then one started crying and hid under his jacket, more drama. During break duty there was a bit of chaos in the dining hall, and "D" in Y11 said "you are so f*cking hype man" to me when I wouldn't let him storm back out the doors. So much swearing today, why do they think it's ok to do this?

On the plus side, Mos came to speak to VIth form, that was really good, except he kept calling me by my first name in front of the kids, which was really funny. And also because I took him up to my classroom afterwards, and I had lots of my "silly" kids in detention, and they spent all their time and energy winding him up and me up, asking us if we were a couple, whether we fancied each other etc. Actually that was quite funny, if only they knew eh?

In an ideal world I'd go to bed now and get some rest. Or I'd go to the gym and have a good work out. But instead I have to mark my Y8 tests and think about my higher education meeting tomorrow. Oh and the book list. Oh and the risk assessment. I think I may be TOOOOOO busy. Good thing I am blogging instead. About another stay day.

A good first day back

I am feeling pretty damn good today. Thus I shall write in purple.

My good feeling is despite a crazy night's sleep....or should I say tossing and turning in sweat-soaked sheets as a result of numerous vivid dreams/nightmares (so no, not tossing and turning in a good way). Resolution #1 is suffering a bit.

I left for school with 11 minutes to spare, and managed to complete the 12 minute journey in just 10, thus arriving at 8:29am. This was a good start, even when I found out that apparently I didn't have to be in until 9, whoopsie. My classroom was leaking, but it didn't matter, I decided to focus on the positives and get on with it. We did lots and lots of unpacking, with the music on loud and lots of silly chatter. I was dreading going back to school, and obviously there will be some tough times, but today was really good. I think it was mainly because it wasn't too challenging, and also because our staff are so solid and such great people to be around that it makes it easy.

What else? Well, I was trying to explain to a colleague about how my situation was similar to Berbatov's when she asked me why I hadn't done any preparation for this term. She doesn't know football though, so it was a useless analogy, but honestly I feel like that, in that it's difficult to throw yourself 100% into something and be entirely committed when you're not sure you'll be there next season, and when you know other "clubs" (aka employers) are after you anyway. Still, I shall try.

Other resolutions are going well, particularly living in the world of the imaginary. Managed to run 5.5km purely on the power of fantasy. Excellent. Am also adding resolution #7: try and do some small something good for someone each day. Build up the good karma.

On the Peter Pan front I realised part of my confusion stems from the fact that most of my knowledge is pinned on Hook, which I have since learned is a sequel to Peter Pan rather than an interpretation of the actual story. However, given that I understand Hook, I have faith I shall understand Peter Pan eventually too.

I am not doing any of the work I am meant to do. Instead I'm going to watch Bruce Almighty and contemplate the selling of Berbatov. I'd be sad to see him go, but it'd be worth it if we could buy a defence with the money.

Ooh and finally, I heard a great word today - globesity! It's the topical term coined by the WHO to describe the global obesity epidemic. I love it when you put two words together to make a new one. I also love it that obesity is now considered an epidemic, implying being greedy and lazy is contagious.

Quick highlights of a balanced day

Another day down. Almost bed time so short and sweet...

Negatives:

• Y10 girl shouted in my face
• Y8 girl in my tutor group hates me cos I kicked her out the room for hitting a boy
• Another Y8 girl in my tutor group is on blue report and almost getting herself excluded
• Yet another Y8 girl in my tutor group walked out of school today
• And finally the last Y8 girl in my tutor group story...this one swore and I kicked her out the room
• My Y8 tutor group are causing me to choose between a slight breakdown and a complete detachment from reality

Positives:

• Y7 girls footie team beat a local team 2-1! Played really well, really positive and supportive, excellent captaincy and general good spirits!
• Random observation from an SLT member, just for a few minutes in my Y7 class, went really well
• Y10s were mostly very good today
• Y9s did a test, and were impeccable
• Loved some parts of today

"Ramos" has been scrawled all over the maths department. A secret Spurs fan is asking for trouble.

When I first woke up, I just wanted to hide in bed all day and so contemplated confessing my mental traumas and requesting extended sick leave...obviously didn't though, best save that for a worse day. Also have noticed that I was increasingly day-dreamy in school today, to the point where things that would have upset me yesterday I don't even register today. Perhaps it's a defense mechanism? Where on earth is my plot eh? At least I am doing my homework.

Civil Service Day

Tuesdays are meant to be the most productive days for UK workers. Am I feeling productive today? Kinda. Am I channeling this productivity? Not exactly. I do have grand plans - completing my uni applications. These plans are not quite at an implementable level. I have completed one though, so half the battle....most of that was already done though.

Reasons I am not working:

• I lost a scrabble game by 11 points, when it was in the bag until an entirely unforced error. Boo.
• Spurs lost last night. Again.
  
• I have a slight hangover.
• The lovely lovely staircase polisher man is singing along to Magic FM.
• I woke up at 5am and couldn't go back to sleep. This too wasn't that bad, meant I could daydream, giving me control of my screenplay rather than just having to accept whatever my mind chooses. Enough of that.
  
• I am still a bit high from yesterday and can't really be bothered to focus.

So, yesterday. It was the TF Government and Civil Service Sector Training Day. A really good day, learnt a lot about the Civil Service, how the Government is structured, how policy is implemented, the various roles civil servants can take on, the opportunities presented by the Fast Stream, a snapshot into the life of an MP etc. Very informative. Two highlights: visiting the House of Commons, and being taken on a whistle-stop tour of Whitehall while being simultaneously taught about the structure of our political system by lovely Irish Steve.


I didn't know that members of the public can actually sit in on parliamentary debates, but we can, you just have to request a ticket for the Public Gallery from your MP. You can find out who your MP is using theyworkforyou and then email your MP using links from the site. My MP was super efficient (a reason to vote Tory?) and got me a great seat.

We watched questions to Des Browne, Secretary of State for Defence, which was really good and detailed. The department under question gets questions submitted to them 5 days beforehand, and then they have to prepare all the answers. It's good to know that other MPs are questioning the actions of various departments, and also that there's a bit of checking and balancing going on even within the Labour party. I was a bit shocked at how the MPs behaved around each other, lots of heckling and cutting each other down etc. but the Speaker was a good referee and kept them under control (kinda reminded me of dealing with a rather enthusiastic class!)

Anyway this was all exciting enough, but then at about 3:20pm loads of MPs started coming into the Commons and we were all trying to figure out why. Then the big-shots came in too - Cameron and Brown. Mr Brown delivered his speech on the EU Treaty hot off the press, was really cool. Annoyingly we had to leave before it got super juicy, but it was pretty awesome to watch the whole thing and also see the Prime Minister and Charles Kennedy and Ian Duncan-Smith and others too live in action. I wanted to say live in concert there, heehee.

The crazy tour made me a laugh, mainly because Steve doesn't know I did politics at university, and also because I am shocked at how little I remembered from first year...clearly the years of drinking have knocked me out. Bless him though, he answered all kinds of questions and even dealt with my endless comparisons of our government being a large football squad and the Cabinet being the first XI. So despite being really rather hyper all day yesterday, I was on good form and it was educational.

Still a bit gutted that Spurs lost last night, but on the plus side I had a lovely evening with Mouche, with lots of walking and drinking and laughing about silly things. London at night by the river is SICK. It was strange, we were walking through these side roads in the cold cold back to the tube station and Westminster was just silent, it was like being in some village somewhere, very nice. I think the coldness helped keep me sensible, I am proud.


Right I'm going to have a nap to prep for some squash later this afternoon. Rouse, a shout-out to you, I am still laughing at you today, you're hilarious! Maybe I will dream of you and cakes...

Happy Half-term

It's half-term! There's no better feeling than knowing you have a glorious week of lie-ins and time to spend as you choose.

Right now I have been up for about an hour, am sitting in my pyjamas, catching up on emails and phone calls. Usually on a holiday I tend to go a bit mad i.e. party a bit too hardy almost every night of the week and then return to school not quite rested. This time I am going for the calmer and more mature option, taking it easy :) Aaaah it'll be grand.



I just found this picture and quite liked it. Hasn't got much to do with the next paragraph but anyway.

Refereed a football match yesterday after school, completely impromptu, did it in my work clothes and borrowed trainers, how unprofessional! The game was our staff vs the staff from Warwick School for Boys (another local comp). Hilarious game, loads of the kids were there supporting, and the staff put in a really good show, lots of comedy football and silliness, a nice game indeed. We won 3-1, made a coupla dodgy decisions, but it went pretty well, really enjoyed it. Maybe I should get myself back into refereeing? Actually, no chance, like there's any time for that this season.

Speaking of seasons, have entered my fantasy team into our school's league in the Schools Fantasy League, a lovely idea whereby kids, teachers and parents from across the UK set up fantasy leagues and compete within and between schools. For teachers there are supposedly lots of associated resources, particularly for maths, citizenship, business and IT. Am yet to find these but anyway. Very cocky about my team, already told all the kids in my tutor group that I will beat their teams. Those of you who have seen my past fantasy footie performance will realise I am all talk and no points, heehee. Still, The Magic Numbers aren't too bad a side, we will definitely not sink this weekend.

Well, time to get on with the day, i.e. piss about and then enjoy the rugby :) Happy half-term!

Some good things in a list

Another tough day at school. I think if they offered me the option to quit now, and there would be no negative consequences, then I'd do it. In fact, late this afternoon I found myself fantasising about deliberately sabotaging my work towards my QTS so that I wouldn't achieve QTS and thus would be automatically freed from my contract. This is worrying.

I heard today that my mother's receptionist sold her four-bedroom flat in Earl's Court for £1.2 million. Wow. To think I gave up such a lucrative career as a medical PA. Hahaha.

I have four mouth ulcers at the moment, not very nice. I have thus decided I must either be suffering from chronic stress or even burnout - oh dear. Still, there are some highlights in my life:

1. My football girls - both teams lost their matches and there was lots of drama, but good spirits there. Particularly funny was the fact that we play next to a gigantic rubbish dump, thus making the Leyton football tournament seem similar to an impromptu street tournament in some Brazilian favela/Kenyan slum. The rubbish and dust even blows across the pitch into our eyes and mouths. Nice.

2. My dance class - actually, this really was fun, completely took my mind off things. We learnt to do this funny twirly thing, and I kept getting caught up in my own feet, but had lots of fun doing it.

3. This link sent to me from Potter - how lovely! I do love a good hug, but I think hugging kids is a bit of a no-no.

4. The email below sent to me from my Dad. So I guess they want me to get married soon, but only to a nice man:


WAYS TO TURN DOWN UNWANTED MEN !!!!
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> HE : Can I buy you a drink?
> >>> SHE : Actually I'd rather have the money.
> >>>
> >>> HE : I'm a photographer. I've been looking for a face like yours.
> >>> SHE : I'm a plastic surgeon. I've been looking for a face like yours.
> >>>
> >>> HE : Hi. Didn't we go on a date once? Or was it twice?
> >>> SHE : Must've been once. I never make the same mistake twice.
> >>>
> >>> HE : How did you get to be so beautiful?
> >>> SHE : I must've been given your share.
> >>>
> >>> HE : Will you go out with me this Saturday?
> >>> SHE : Sorry. I'm having a headache this weekend.
> >>>
> >>> HE : Your face must turn a few heads.
> >>> SHE : And your face must turn a few stomachs.
> >>>
> >>> HE : Go on ,don't be shy. Ask me out.
> >>> SHE : Okay, get out.
> >>>
> >>> HE : I think I could make you very happy.
> >>> SHE : Why? Are you leaving?
> >>>
> >>> HE : What would you say if I asked you to marry me?
> >>> SHE : Nothing. I can't talk and laugh at the same time.
> >>>
> >>> HE : Can I have your name?
> >>> SHE : Why? Don't you already have one?
> >>>
> >>> HE : Shall we go see a movie?
> >>> SHE : I've already seen it.
> >>>
> >>> HE : Where have you been all my life?
> >>> SHE : Hiding from you.
> >>>
> >>> HE : Haven't I seen you some place before?
> >>> SHE : Yes. That's why I don't go there anymore.
> >>>
> >>> HE : Is this seat empty?
> >>> SHE : Yes, and this one will be if you sit down.
> >>>
> >>> HE : So, what do you do for a living?
> >>> SHE : I'm a female impersonator.
> >>>
> >>> HE : Hey baby, what's your sign?
> >>> SHE : Do not enter.
> >>>
> >>> HE : Your body is like a temple.
> >>> SHE : Sorry, there are no services today.
> >>>
> >>> HE : If I could see you naked, I'd die happy.
> >>> SHE : If I saw you naked, I'd probably die laughing.

Keep smiling!