The joys of teaching

What else could be better than hearing your students say these things ...

"I enjoyed your lesson."
"I had fun today."
"I've learned so many things today."
And nothing could even beat my happiness to hear them utter these little compliments without having to ask them the question, "How was your class?" (note: another person usually asks the question, not me).

Sometimes, I also receive heartwarming salutations from my students like,

"I've been looking forward to this lesson."
"I always look forward to your lessons."
Isn't that great? Hearing such lovely expressions from those who depend on you for their language learning makes me feel warm and comfy inside, despite the brrrr-y cold weather.

It's true. There is joy in teaching, and this is something that I will treasure as part of my (rather short) life in Japan. ;)

A bit of frustration

I've just spent more than what I've earned for the day. Isn't that frustrating? :(

And isn't it more frustrating to realise that the more we try to cut back, it seems that the more we spend. Why is that so? Cutting back is our only way to save a few bucks so that we'll have enough bread for our Hokkaido escapade. Our monthly budget is already tight that sometimes I really feel frustrated because I can't buy the thing/s I wanted to have. :(

I've used the word "frustrating" in every paragraph in this post. I guess, that's how I really feel today. Hope you don't feel that way after reading my post.

Better days, where are you?

A worried mom I am

Oh boy, I've never been worried like this before. Worried and nervous.

My son is sick. What seems to be like an ordinary cough-and-colds tandem isn't ordinary at all. He had this before but it normally lasted for 2-3 days, sometimes even without perfecting his medicines. This time is a little different. He has been sick since Sunday, and worse, has on-and-off fever, reaching as high as 39.9C. Everytime I take his temp, I couple it with my fervent prayer not to exceed 40, for if that happens, I would surely scream in panic and anxiety. Just like any other sick kid, he's cranky and hard to please. He wants me to hold him while he's asleep, and so I did -- every night. I wrap him with layers of fleece blanket to avoid chilling (I could feel his legs shaking) and let him perspire so the heat would come out and eventually reduce his fever. In the morning till mid-afternoon, he seems okay, then his temp would go up again at night.

Today, the doctor took a blood sample for some tests. The process itself was short, but seemed like another ordeal to my son. He cried and screamed. And he showed me his arm where the blood sample was taken.

As of this writing, we don't know the results yet. We're still waiting for the doc's fax and call. I hope nothing serious appears in the test. And I do hope and pray that he gets well soon, so that I won't worry anymore -- and get to sleep well, too.

Remembering my ex-profs

Sometimes, I remember how my life was back home. Particularly, how was my grad-student life in UP Los Banos like when I was still taking up Research and Development Management. I remember my professors who were both my mentors and tormentors as I hurdled to finish my graduate studies. (Oh, not to mention squeezing my studies into my already super-duper busy work schedule.)

I had one professor who fondly calls me "lola" (grandma in Tagalog), simply because after tracing our family history, we learned that he is my not-so-distant grandson. Imagine that!

I also had one prof -- and adviser too -- and we both worked in the same office, traveled to research institutes to conduct trainings and workshops. He was famous for his unparalleled humor, both in class and in workshops. It was from him that I have come to master a very important project planning approach. Sad to say, he'd gone ahead of us but those who love him will surely remember his jokes that made us smile in a rather boring day.

My other profs are equally worth remembering, for their own unique wits and ways of terrorism. ;) Ah, I can still vividly remember my accounting professor. Oh, boy, did I say accounting??? You see, I am not really good at numbers, and I have long admitted that. Accounting thus became my waterloo, but with my prof's diligence(read: terror ways) of teaching us how to make and interpret a balance sheet, I've eventually come to love the subject.

What more, I've learned recently (via Filipina Soul) that this same prof is a genius! He was in the news recently for developing a budget PC. Yes, a $100-worth computer set with size of a folder, as thin as a pocketbook and weighs as light as a ream of bondpaper. Well, he admitted that he is not competing with the computer giants, but his PC will cater to those who can not afford the expensive ones, and whose need for computer softwares are minimal. Let's say, his PC can be used by starters or for educating schoolchildren on the computer world. Now, this is something to be truly proud of. And, what I am more proud of is that he is my ex-prof. ;)

Hate to admit it but I am 3-unit short of my graduate requirements. In the middle of my final semester, I've decided to quit -- in the name of love. ;)

You are how you sleep

All of us do sleep, that's a fact. But many of us are unaware of how we sleep, maybe because we simply ignore it. Does it matter? Yeah, I guess so, because according to a research, how a person sleeps reveals his/her personality.

The study, led by Professor Chris Idzikowski, director of the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service, has analysed six common sleeping positions, and concluded that each of these positions is linked to a particular personality type.

As I analyse my own, I guess I can be grouped with the Foetus and/or Yearner types, which the research described as:

The Foetus [fetus]: Those who curl up in the foetus position are described as tough on the outside but sensitive at heart. They may be shy when they first meet somebody, but soon relax. This is the most common sleeping position, adopted by 41% of the 1,000 people who took part in the survey. More than twice as many women as men tend to adopt this position.

The yearner (13%): People who sleep on their side with both arms out in front are said to have an open nature, but can be suspicious, cynical. They are slow to make up their minds, but once they have taken a decision, they are unlikely ever to change it.

The same study also reveals that sleeping positions have health effects. The "freefall position was good for digestion, while the starfish and soldier positions were more likely to lead to snoring and a bad night's sleep." Moreover, Professor Idzikowski said that "lying down flat means that stomach contents can more readily be worked back up into the mouth, while those who lie on their back may end up snoring and breathing less well during the night. He added that "both these postures may not necessarily awaken the sleeper but could cause a less refreshing night's sleep."

Now, it's high time for me to change my sleeping position to freefall. Don't ask why, it's pretty obvious. ;)

How about you?

Source: BBC News