Wind In My Head: April 2008
Wind In My Head
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Girlfriend fashion
I'm not really sure what it is, but I've been told that it's a hot look for a girl to wear her boyfriend's/ husband's shirts or t-shirts. It really is a fashion thing. Google "boyfriend" and "shirt" and you'll get an entire page of fashion links. The "Boyfriend Shirt" seems to be an essential bit of a girl's wardrobe. Unfortunately, I don't think it works the other way around.
This was a sight we saw yesterday and I really could not stop laughing. To his credit, he looked perfectly comfortable and assured of his masculinity as he sauntered up to the counter. I wonder if he stayed the night at his girlfriend's and forgot to bring clothes. I wonder how big his girlfriend actually is. I don't think Packrat could fit into ANY of my old College or school t-shirts even though I still have them lying around .
Now, to find out whether he shaves his armpits so that he can where the blue pinafore and to find out if he's Man enough to carry that one of.
Technorati Tags: Singapore, fashion, schools
Ondine tossed this thought in at 21:46
Monday, April 21, 2008
Put the left hand in and the right hand in
... and shake it all about.A teacher can turn an enthusiastic young mind into
a brilliant thinker ready to take on the world.
Which is why teaching is known as
the profession that teaches all other professions.
Come consider your options in the education field
while networking with like-minded individuals.
There's much to learn at this exclusive event.
The institution I have worked for, for the last 5 years, obviously is indeed the black hole that everyone thought it was.
Obviously, the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing, especially if one department signs off on my pay checks and another department sends me an invitation to become a teacher. Either their snail mail takes 6 years to reach its intended audience or they are totally clueless.
Another friend of mine who had resigned from the service was sent a letter inviting her to return to teaching because it was much more attractive now, what with the GROW package and all. Totally ignoring the fact that one) it wasn't all that much two) for most people who resign, it isn't usually the money or the lack thereof that causes them to quit.
And obviously, my employer's got more in reserves than it's letting on. I mean, the invite's glossy, it has more than one colour and it's printed on thick paper. Now, why can't they channel this into the salary of teachers? It won't make teachers return but it would sure help keep those who are just waiting for other job opportunities to come round.
And if people think it's just me who got such an invite it's not true. Packrat's got one too.
Technorati Tags: Singapore, education service, government coffers
Ondine tossed this thought in at 23:11
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Metaphors from hell
When bored, stressed English teachers get together, all literary propriety go out the window. This is purely for the fun and sticklers for the English language should not read on. We were talking about metaphors and how it was difficult to get students to imagine what the metaphor was trying to get at. We thought, perhaps, if they were bad metaphors, they'd get it more easily.For instance.
It is a burden as heavy as a bastard child
The rumour spread like syphilis
It was an irritation akin to a yeast infection
The odour was overpowering like that of a wet dog
It would have been great if we had time to come up with more but we each had work to do and had to go our separate ways.
Sigh.
Technorati Tags: Language, Teachers
Ondine tossed this thought in at 22:52
Friday, April 11, 2008
Expensive allergies
I am allergic to many antibiotics. They make me break out in rash. Thankfully, I don't take antibiotics all that often. Add to that, I'm breastfeeding, so that limits the choices I have. Today however, I was given a choice. Either take antibiotics or line up surgery for next week. Of course, when faced with such a choice, it's quite a no brainer. I chose the antibiotics. Armed with the prescription, I head off to the pharmacy.While queuing to pay, I realise that the course of 10 pills I have to take cost a HUNDRED BUCKS!
Crap. I was ready to put it back. The only thing that stopped me, surgery would have cost more and I'd still have to take the hundred buck antibiotics.
So, this coming so soon after my rant about increasing costs and prices means I'm going to be eating home a lot of the time.
Great.
Technorati Tags: Singapore, antibiotics
Ondine tossed this thought in at 19:24
Thursday, April 10, 2008
More rising costs
I was sent to the supermarket last night to buy rice for my children. My children eat a fistful of rice everyday so the last time I bought rice for them, I think they hadn't sprouted teeth yet. Anyway, they eat brown rice and when I approached the rice aisle at the supermarket, I was taken aback at how much it looked like a Russian supermarket during the Soviet era. Our supermarkets are the crown jewel of the wealth of choice in our capitalist societies. Except for rice. Because of the fears of rice going beyond $700 a tonne, people hoard them. As a result, the shelves are empty and even the brown calrose rice that I feed my kids is affected. One, the one that I usually buy was out of stock. Two, the one that I bought cost more than I remembered the previous one to be. Three, there were only two packets left. But like I say, because the kids eat so little, I didn't see the need to indulge my inner Kiasu-ness and buy all to keep.But I am annoyed. I am annoyed that everything is more expensive. Juice that used to cost $3.90 on offer is now $4.20 on offer. The kids' diapers cost more too. I know everyone's complaining about it and it's all around but the message gets driven home in the smallest of ways.
Now, not only do I have to watch the number of times I drink iced tea and eat my favourite cranberry muffins from Coffee Bean (which have increased by 50 cents)- these are admittedly flighty things, I have to worry about how my dollar has to stretch far enough to clothe the bums of the kids and feed them (formula is DAMN expensive and people ask why I am reluctant to wean).
So, when we left the supermarket and drove off and I realised we didn't claim the parking that we could, I was inexplicably pissed off. It was just a dollar but I'm beginning to realise that a dollar is still a dollar and even though it might buy less, it still contributes to buying some things...like 2.5 diapers.
But some people will say that we can buy home brand items and still eat cake. And that's when the pitchforks or in our case parangs come a brandishing and a revolution shall be on the way.
Technorati Tags: Singapore, babies, rising costs
Ondine tossed this thought in at 09:49
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Rising costs
The Prime Minister assured Singaporeans that the price of rice would not sky rocket. He said we got them from various sources so the rising costs wouldn't affect us this badly. I shrugged and flipped to the next page in the paper. It didn't bother me all that much. Especially now when I had decided that I was going to cut down the amount of carbs in my diet.What did bother me, and this runs contrary to my cutting of carbs and there had been no reassurance from the PM about this, was the rising cost of tea at MacDonalds!. I used to shell out between $2.65 and $2.85 to be allowed to sit there and grade papers. Now, to sit at the Macs at Taka costs me a royal $3.05 for a large tea.
I believe the right term is WTF ???
I need to find a cheaper fix.
Technorati Tags: Singapore, rising costs, commodities
Ondine tossed this thought in at 05:59