Journal Entries
Back To School
Posted Oct 1, 2001
A quick message to let you all know that I have arrived safely in London and have now started this scary thing called a "Teaching Course."
It's been two weeks now and we've been given more books and folders than it is possible to carry. We have one reasonable sized book for the National Curriculum. Then there is an unreasonably large folder for each section of the Cirriculum, which is just to explain each section in depth. Then there are the guides to those, the work plans to learn the guides, and so on. Any flat that I find will need a sturdy bookcase.
We spent last week in our schools, getting to know the kids we would be working with for the first term or so. So, I am now "Mr Surridge" or even "Sir", something which will take me a while to get used to. All in all they aren't the worst class in the world and they seem to have got used to me. However, I do return home exhausted, despite the fact I'm not really doing anything yet!
I've moved into a flat attached to the college (very handy in the morning!) but we only get to keep it for 4 more weeks before we have to move out. I've ended up in a flat with 3 other really quite nice people, so we're going to try and move together.
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Latest reply: Oct 1, 2001
It's not very far to Tipperary!!
Posted Sep 2, 2001
And so we hit the road again. It's now day seven and we're on the west coast of Ireland, in a place called Tralee, which is the first place we've found that has email.
Landed on Monday evening and proceeded to cycle into the night to find a campsite. Next day we cycled on the rough route to Tipperary, after a little detour to a place called Slade. That evening we had a "few" pints of Guinness in a pub that had what could be called a band, or perhaps just the lads bringing along their own instruments and belting out traditional music.
The next day went a little pear-shaped when Crog discovered the existence of a "local" magic road, where cars seemed to magically roll up hill. It turned out to be 20 miles away, and all up hill offroad, and it didn't work on bikes anyway.
Finally we made it to Tipperary the next day (one and a half years after we first set off for it), took the cheesy photos and promptly left for nearest B&B and pub. Full celebration in pub, made amusing by an Irish guy who insisted we were fish ("Jaysis, but you guys are fish, y'know." - maybe "fit"?) and who tried to encourage us to go into town with him by saying "Go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on,.....".
We've finally made it to the west coast and found what seems to be the only habitations in Ireland. This country is amazing. It's actually quite similar to England in scenery, it's just that there's nothing else on it. There are random houses stranded in the middle of nowhere, with another 5km to their nearest neighbour - but they all walk between each other anyway. Occasionally you'll run into what is marked as a village on the map, to discover a pub, a shop, and the houses of the people who work in them. What we can't work out is where they get their business from.
The entire country is also uphill.
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Latest reply: Sep 2, 2001
Ho Hum
Posted Jun 10, 2001
I'm still here. Still at home. Still working for a bank, cheque shuffling every day.
God I'm bored.
To try and do something with my time I've actually started to write a book of my travels. Talk about living on past glories. Whenever Crog and I meet up again conversation inevitably swings round to such illustrious topics "The most disgusting toilet we ever used."
On the plus side I've got a place at a university for a PGCE in Primary Education, so at least it looks as if I'll definitely be making it away from here to do something real with my life soon. Looking forward to it immensely.
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Latest reply: Jun 10, 2001
Merry Xmas!!!
Posted Dec 24, 2000
Well, the obligatory Christmas greetings are hereby given folks.
Enjoy everything, I'll be kicking around the family for the whole time, in the traditional stylee.
Have fun
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Latest reply: Dec 24, 2000
Men At Work
Posted Dec 16, 2000
Well, in less than a month since our return I've been to see the old mob at Sheffield Uni and now even gone and got a job. God, who'd have a normal life eh?
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Latest reply: Dec 16, 2000
Little Rich
Researcher U149931
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