One and I'm not impressed, two and I'm annoyed

But twenty five is just taking the piss, quite frankly.


I know, it's not nice to see (even without the bites) but you had to see them to believe them.

This is why I go on about mosquito bites. But I don't think I've had as many as this since summer camp in 2001. Today I went to the pool (to reenact the soothing waters of the lake at camp) and two girls stared at me like a was a leper. I don't blame them. They are hideous.

I've got my responses down pat now 'They are all individual bites'...'Yeah, mosquito bites'...'No, I promise I didn't scratch them'...'Yes, maybe I do have some sort of allergic reaction...'No Tiger Balm doesn't help mine.'

Annoyingly it gives a whole set of new people to use the line 'sweet Irish blood'. So help me, I nearly went for them.

So yes, this weekend we were in Malaysia on a staff conference. I enjoyed all of it, except the mosquito bites. We were right on the coast of the South China Sea which was beautiful.


Our hotel was right on the beach.

Sadly though, what I am going to remember most is being driven to distraction by the little beasts.

Making an effort

I'm tired. I have already fallen asleep twice since I got home but have things to do so I am still awake.

Anyway I know it's been a while, and I have a shedload of things to tell you and photos to show you but I'm tired (see above) so I will keep this short.

Quite in contrast to last week, I have had a good week. Today it was all capped off with two of my students getting two, count them, two of the three Year 1 prizes for the end of the year. One of them wasn't that much of a surprise (although I am pleased for him obviously). But the other one? The other one nearly made me cry.

I might have told you this story, not on here, in an email or face to face but if not I'll give you the highlights. A bad wee rip of a boy got transferred from another class to my class back in March. I wasn't impressed. Actually I made a pretty strong case as to why he shouldn't be moved to my class. He threatened to upset the carefully crafted balance.

But just like a cheesey Hollywood movie, he has turned himself around, improved his grades and as a result is the proud winner of most improved effort prize. I don't claim to be the difference (aside from anything else, sometimes he can still be far from the perfect student!) He is the difference. He did it, they are his grades.

But sometimes I love my job.

Just to clarify

He didn't sign 'you're going!'. I doubt he knew sign language, although now I can't ask him.

He'd sigh 'you're going!'.

An 'h' not an 'n'. They're not even on the same row. Very similar looking though. Yes, alright not in capitals. Snut up.

Sometimes he'd even sign 'you're going!'

We used to have a lovely smiley security guard in my condo. He used to see me coming up the little hill and give me this big wave and smile and welcome me home.

Some days he even used to cry (with joy I might add) 'You're back!!!'

I never knew his name (he was called Smiley Security Guard Man in my head), and I hadn't seen him in a while so today I asked where he had gone. It turns out he left to go work somewhere else.

Today was such a pisser of a day I could have done with a nice cheery 'You're back!!!'

On the other side of exam stress

Exams are all great until you have to mark the %$&!*@ things.

I reckon I still have about 6 hours ahead of me (still!) and classes and reports and (kill me now) a Geography Field Trip to go on.