Trying to do what Joan McDuff said

Today marks no significant anniversary whatsoever. At this point last year I was about a month into teacher's college. My calendar says I had to 'find a group for my Gym presentation', 'do an information book talk' and 'go to a job market lecture' (hah, I ended up getting a job. Good work, past Stuart). But today I have come home from a pretty good day of work to ponder a ponderously-worthy situation.

The world of 'work stuff', I am finding, is a bigger and bigger intertwined thing with every week of work. I now split my spare time doing things here and there (mind you, I still owe 'work stuff' a bit more time per day, since the classroom isn't quite set up the way I'd like it, and I can still put more effort into just about everything I do). At the end of a work day, I have the time to do the following things:
- The Blog
- Writing Letters
- Cooking + Re-watching a TV series (right now it's The Office. Next is Peep Show)
- Doing household stuff reluctantly (although my roomie takes care of that preeeetty well)
- Throwing cat treats into the empty lot across from my place to try and befriend the local strays

But at the same time, I am finding each passing week is getting less and less cumbersome, draining and disorganized, and is slowly morphing into a manageable and really satisfying job that I feel like I can handle in good conditions. However, there are still plenty of challenges that come from being less disciplined than I'd like to be. People told me that my first year of teaching would be hard. I forgot. I forget most things people tell me, and so I've had to learn for myself what kind of difference it makes to put the extra time into my planning, organization and sleep. Mind you, that extra time takes away from other places, and I often can't remember to get back to people on what'sapp or facebook half the time (Murray, I have become you). Which leads me to my next question, am I boring now? (I put myself on my own wall of awesome to drown any sense of such a notion encourage my students to do the same)

 One of the most diligent, determined and dedicated people I've met in my moral life, Joan McDuff, said to our class, "Make friends who aren't teachers". This in no way is intended to support any notion that I am in any way dissatisfied in any way with my current teacher friends. In any way. Any way. Anyway, I mean that it's very easy to be sucked into the teacher world and talk about teacher things and think about teacher stuff. Which is good if you're a teacher and you want to become a better teacher and teacher teacher teacher. TEACHER. TEETCH-'ER. But I'd like to keep up with my hip jazz friends and lovely camp friends and the other friends who do things other than plan, and photocopy and make sure Jamber isn't trying to sneak away to use her locker for the 9th time today.

I suppose I still do a few things: I go out for dinner a couple times a week ("Fish with a face" pictured below), we've been doing a Sunday dinner routine with food and hangs and perhaps the odd board game. I also stumble down to Coloane and do neat things (oh that's right, you don't know about Coloane yet. That'll be a future story for sure), but it's by no means life-changing. Other recent and meaningful accomplishments include:
- Going to trivia night at a pub and coming in second last
- Packing my things to play volleyball at school and then doing plans instead
- Cancelling my ambitions to go to Vietnam this weekend because I can't even

Am I upset about this? Not really. I know there are things to be done, and I kind of enjoy doing these things. Well, as much as one can enjoy marking, reviewing and doing the more trivial things that will take up your time. But I like the feeling (and the gradual progressive actions) that you're helping these kiddos get better at doing life things. Maybe they'll learn to PLEASE STOP TALKING WHEN I'M TALKING so I don't have to get upset and we can slowly build a community in the classroom. I miss that about the end of last year (although my predecessor was kind of a champ who set those kids up to be champs so I had it pretty easy). That's the hope for the future anyways. I suppose I've just got to find the balance between "Do the best job you can possibly do" and "Be as interesting and NEAT as you can possibly be", but in the meantime I suppose I'll just keep eating tasty Chinese/Macanese/Portuguese food and skyping with home friends after marking.

Right now I just have to deal with the prospect that I must behave myself in public and not be a general nuisance to others. All the more reason to be extra rammy when I return to Canada.