The silences
I am enjoying the silence now. Everyone is asleep and I have just come awake. The fridge is humming and the lights buzz softly. Apart from that, there is nothing. The silence is here. Sitting beside me. After all the hubbub of a busy day in school, the silence is like a long cool drink after a walk through a hot and dusty street.
Do I miss Singapore? Not really. I don't. I also miss it less and less every year when I go back because there is nothing which I remember there. You can only miss something if it is still there I think. Maybe not. But no, not really. Not Singapore itself. My family and friends. I miss them. My sons though, they are so funny. Recently we figured out that they were indeed mostly Singaporean, hard as it is to believe. Peter is half American and half Irish, which makes them a quarter of each. Therefore they are mostly Singaporean. 50%, to be exact. This is something of great pride to Ghin, and even Oisin. They wear their ethnicity so proudly and I think, if I have done nothing else, I have done this well.
I have always been worried that they would grow up being ashamed of being Asian in Ireland, but in fact they don't feel this way. They feel really comfortable with their origins and studying in the school, the inclusivity and respect which they have always felt has augmented our own upbringing of them.
I occasionally return to this topic with them, just to check in and see if it has changed, but it hasn't. If anything, they have become more and more comfortable with their heritages. We have always been very lucky and been able to go back to Singapore every year and part of this was to ensure that they knew where this Singaporean part of themselves comes from. That they were as comfortable in Singapore as they were in Ireland - and this too has worked. My sons straddle the world - they are international travelers - and that is also our gift to them from the youngest age. To have this aspect to themselves from the youngest age. I am so glad to have been able to give them that too.
It has been fantastic to have the car again. It takes only £50 in diesel - less i think - to run the car every week. Between Holywood and trips into town. If I was travelling a little further, it would take more, but really it isn't all that expensive on a week to week basis. It makes me so happy. In fact today, I told Ghin we were going to Holywood, and he had to come with me. He was very unhappy because he had forgotten we had the car. As we headed to the carpark and he saw the car he said, "I forgot we had the car! I thought we had to walk!" and he then perked right up.
I banked a cheque, got files for my students, did some shopping for today, and then dropped into Heidi's. I bought some lipstick and an eye liner. I didn't manage to catch up with Heidi cos she wasn't there, but Crystal was, and she filled me in about how things were after the robbery. How busy our lives are.
It has been such a week for so many of us. I was in the woods today in school and getting the children to chip the paths for the lantern walk. They are so amazing, children. They got much further than I ever thought they would. I wonder if they will ever remember their gardening lessons. It is very satisfying. But of course, I came home and was soooo tired. Couldn't do anything in OUR own garden. Tomorrow I will have to do laundry - two loads when I get home. I will also continue cleaning the College room. Just organising and sorting things out.
It is hard to believe that it is already mid-October. It seemed just like yesterday we began school. This half term always goes very fast. The students seem to be tackling percentages and decimals really well. They just get it now. It was a bit magical when we could set out the different ways of division we had learned using fractions as well as decimals. That is the next exercise I am setting them. Divide and give the answers in three different ways.
Tomorrow afternoon, after school, I also need to do lots of administration and complete the newsletter. Honestly, it is just ridiculous how quickly the day goes out. If you ever want time to pass quickly, become a teacher. I think when people say, what activity which you do that you feel you really enter the flow I would have to say teaching is at the top of that list. When I teach the time just goes without thinking. I need to also start doing tunes on the recorder. I feel really alive again. Writing my blog is so good for me, I know this. I really need to remember this. Listening to music, blogging, running - I could go running now, but I won't. I will go running at 6 am. I love running. Yep. Then back home to sort the breakfast, etc out.
Right, I am heading back for bed now to plan out my life.
Do I miss Singapore? Not really. I don't. I also miss it less and less every year when I go back because there is nothing which I remember there. You can only miss something if it is still there I think. Maybe not. But no, not really. Not Singapore itself. My family and friends. I miss them. My sons though, they are so funny. Recently we figured out that they were indeed mostly Singaporean, hard as it is to believe. Peter is half American and half Irish, which makes them a quarter of each. Therefore they are mostly Singaporean. 50%, to be exact. This is something of great pride to Ghin, and even Oisin. They wear their ethnicity so proudly and I think, if I have done nothing else, I have done this well.
I have always been worried that they would grow up being ashamed of being Asian in Ireland, but in fact they don't feel this way. They feel really comfortable with their origins and studying in the school, the inclusivity and respect which they have always felt has augmented our own upbringing of them.
I occasionally return to this topic with them, just to check in and see if it has changed, but it hasn't. If anything, they have become more and more comfortable with their heritages. We have always been very lucky and been able to go back to Singapore every year and part of this was to ensure that they knew where this Singaporean part of themselves comes from. That they were as comfortable in Singapore as they were in Ireland - and this too has worked. My sons straddle the world - they are international travelers - and that is also our gift to them from the youngest age. To have this aspect to themselves from the youngest age. I am so glad to have been able to give them that too.
It has been fantastic to have the car again. It takes only £50 in diesel - less i think - to run the car every week. Between Holywood and trips into town. If I was travelling a little further, it would take more, but really it isn't all that expensive on a week to week basis. It makes me so happy. In fact today, I told Ghin we were going to Holywood, and he had to come with me. He was very unhappy because he had forgotten we had the car. As we headed to the carpark and he saw the car he said, "I forgot we had the car! I thought we had to walk!" and he then perked right up.
I banked a cheque, got files for my students, did some shopping for today, and then dropped into Heidi's. I bought some lipstick and an eye liner. I didn't manage to catch up with Heidi cos she wasn't there, but Crystal was, and she filled me in about how things were after the robbery. How busy our lives are.
It has been such a week for so many of us. I was in the woods today in school and getting the children to chip the paths for the lantern walk. They are so amazing, children. They got much further than I ever thought they would. I wonder if they will ever remember their gardening lessons. It is very satisfying. But of course, I came home and was soooo tired. Couldn't do anything in OUR own garden. Tomorrow I will have to do laundry - two loads when I get home. I will also continue cleaning the College room. Just organising and sorting things out.
It is hard to believe that it is already mid-October. It seemed just like yesterday we began school. This half term always goes very fast. The students seem to be tackling percentages and decimals really well. They just get it now. It was a bit magical when we could set out the different ways of division we had learned using fractions as well as decimals. That is the next exercise I am setting them. Divide and give the answers in three different ways.
Tomorrow afternoon, after school, I also need to do lots of administration and complete the newsletter. Honestly, it is just ridiculous how quickly the day goes out. If you ever want time to pass quickly, become a teacher. I think when people say, what activity which you do that you feel you really enter the flow I would have to say teaching is at the top of that list. When I teach the time just goes without thinking. I need to also start doing tunes on the recorder. I feel really alive again. Writing my blog is so good for me, I know this. I really need to remember this. Listening to music, blogging, running - I could go running now, but I won't. I will go running at 6 am. I love running. Yep. Then back home to sort the breakfast, etc out.
Right, I am heading back for bed now to plan out my life.
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