Day 1 of the official start date. We actually started last week and had orientation the week before. I had a frustrating time figuring out what my timetable was. I had to check emails and forum posts until I could find the times for each subject. Honestly, I don't know why they couldn't make it simpler for us. Talk about confusing. Giving us this essential information ahead of time would have been so useful. But I digress. So I'm pushing through task one of CDF (the child development subject). I'm struggling to keep my nerves from overloading. Task 1 of 3, before we even get onto the readings - God! so much to look forward to. We have to make notes for our timeline of childhood, then post a mindmap based on these notes in Teams. Well, I've finally been admitted into Teams. That's a start. The idea of doing a mindmap makes me want to scream - it's safe to do it while gargling since it doesn't disturb anyone. I've only written notes for the first two periods: the medieval child and early modern child. Three more periods to go. I found myself rolling my eyes before I could even attempt the Romantic Child. Spare me! It's going to be a loooong day. And boy am I stressed!

Pre-service Teacher

First week into my course, which is called week 0 - I'm confused, too. And what a fuck-over it's been. Christ, after reading each subject learning guide, which is full of dense officialese language so we know how important this subject pretends to be, my eyes want to bleed. We don't even have a timetable yet - or some subjects do, others don't. My biggest gripe with the subject is task-switching between half-a-dozen platforms: LMS, teams, emails, forums, Zoom, Padlet. I don't even know how to use Padlet; I'd love to see how my assignments look in them haha. One of our readings was a document on the teacher standards, complete with waffly explanations of what a bespectacled technocrat sees our profession as looking like. Here is the Mount Sinai of our vocation. These be laws: Thou shalt deliver differianted teaching techniques in accordance with the diverse learning needs of your students. And so on and so forth. One of the few good things to come out of this is the chat in Zoom. I found out I was not the only one to have entertaining thoughts. I had a chuckle over some of them, including one of a pre-service teacher calling herself the mother of dragons. I've been zipping everwhere on my bike. One day exercise with my physio, another tutoring. I'm getting tired. My naivety and doe-eyedness about the profession has been disabused. Hello cynicism!

The sneak

Gossping, sneaking housemate is driving me to distraction. Very shifty around me, passive aggressive even. Now I'm desperate for a new house - past time already. I haven't been terribly sociable lately. Now I'm busy with Pilates, Qi Gong, Yoga, Cycling and Swimming. Walking too.

Tears and a tunnel

I spent the day with my girlfriend, foregoing exercise. Unintentionally mislead her about the wonderous festival, which finished when we arrived. Oops. She cried and we made up. Felt very shabby afterwards. I also got rained on and chilled by the wind.
There is a campaign to stop construction of a big tunnel going through Melbourne. I feel excited about participating in the agitation.
To sleep now.

Carnival

Deliriously tired. Just arrived home from a park carnivalesque festival. Tents, amusement stalls, bands, colourful costumes. A peek turned into a long stay. Met a number of people, all giddy with excitement. A frenetic, fast-talking, parti-coloured Irish girl I once talked to on the side of the road after warning her of a bus behind. Her friend gave a full account of her experiences from Indonesia, all praise. Some oddball strangers, one of whom didn't seem to be enjoying the festival at all. Little else of note. I danced despite my better judgement and the hours slipping away. A long walk home followed. Earlier today I made a long conversation with a girl from Brittany. Of all places, this little province has surfing beaches - who would have thought? Finished the Upinashads. Gorgeous and inspiring.

An early start. 6.30AM - Arrgh! I took a bleary-eyed train ride to the city for Qi Gong at Federation Square. And just as well, because the class was incredible. A 80-something-year old was teaching with the vitality and nimbleness of a 20-year-old. Never before had I seen such grace in a woman of her age. An awfully good advertisement for Qi Gong. This class turned my day into a happy one. I scudded through the city on my bike. I refreshed myself in the cool water, doing laps, with the sun beating down on me. And I ended the day with yoga. Little conversation with strangers. A shopkeeper, recognising me from a gathering, flirted with me. An English girl I hardly knew exchanged a few words. I'm off to a slow start. Sorry. In the middle of the Upinashads.

Introduction

Reader, what I will treat you to is but a small picture of my life. The life I mean to create, that is. I have three goals: to become fitter through exercise; to develop my mind through reading and intellectual activities; and to enrich my social life through conversations with strangers. It is this last point which is the motivation for this blog. The idea came to me when I was talking to a stranger after meditation class, who had a similar blog. Here you will see how I fare in these pursuits. It is to bring myself to account that I blog. More things than already mentioned might be included. We shall see. If you will excuse me, I have to finish my Mishima.