This is a Journal entry by Emily...overly fond of the ellipsis...and top ten lists...submit yours @ A87824361...

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...

Post 41

Emily...overly fond of the ellipsis...and top ten lists...submit yours @ A87824361...

Yep! Should have known you'd be a QI watcher smiley - tongueout

I don't know actually, I used the fibre optics from a couple of dud laps I had, so I don't know (a) what kind and (b) which would be better.

Think the urchins were mad, I've been making coral out of cotton buds and candle wax the last few days!And why? Because my sister and I are trying to make an underwater window for this rather washed out summer. It's fun, but time consuming. Made paper mache rocks too. smiley - biggrin


Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...

Post 42

The Researcher formally known as Dr St Justin

I can't imagine what you might be insinuating with that comment! smiley - angel

Ah, well there's some research you can be doing when you get a spare minute smiley - winkeye

smiley - jesterYou artsy types do get some very strange ideas... I hope you'll be issuing people with snorkels when they go through the door?smiley - silly


Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...

Post 43

Emily...overly fond of the ellipsis...and top ten lists...submit yours @ A87824361...

That you're as big a smiley - geek as I am smiley - tongueout

Yes, smiley - snorkels are a must after the flooding and people will have to come in two by two after the monkey, giraffe and the kangaroo.

smiley - laugh We do get strange ideas, but they genuinely do work! Although I probably ming of scented candle and matches by now.

Day off today to try and get it all finished off so it can go in this weekend. Have a good one.


Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...

Post 44

The Researcher formally known as Dr St Justin

smiley - nahnah Yeah... I guess I probably am!

Now if you're going to put that kind of restriction on customers, I don't think you're going to be getting much business, are you? smiley - tongueout I mean, how many monkeys/giraffes/kangaroos do you know of locally?

Hope you enjoyed your day off - make any other weird and wonderful sea-bed inhabitants?


Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...

Post 45

Emily...overly fond of the ellipsis...and top ten lists...submit yours @ A87824361...

Nothing wrong with being a smiley - geek I've been one since about 1985...I blame my mother. smiley - biggrin

More monkeys that the others smiley - laugh Anyway, I hope we don't have a busy day today, it's a double clinic and mum's got to go over to Dundee to get papers signed, so I'm going to have to be upstairs more this morning to help the girls...so I'm hoping the torrential rain will keep people away. But I dare say I won't be that lucky!

I did enjoy my day off, I got lots made and yesterday I stuck sand to cardboard and made a few more corals. And Louise (my sister) and I altered the sea anemones we made out of loo rolls last night, so they look better. Putting it all in tomorrow afternoon, so lots of finishing off this afternoon and I must remember to charge my camera!

Off to work now, have a nice day!


Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...

Post 46

The Researcher formally known as Dr St Justin

Did I say there was anything wrong with it? smiley - winkeye Not sure who I blame for my smiley - geek-ness though...

smiley - laughI know that feeling... Far too many little monkeys at school... Even bad weather doesn't (usually) keep them away - they just smell worse if they get damp!

I *really* hope you weren't sticking the sand a grain at a time! smiley - winkeye Hope you get some decent piccies, this certainly sounds like a display that needs to be seen!


Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...

Post 47

Emily...overly fond of the ellipsis...and top ten lists...submit yours @ A87824361...

smiley - laugh Well for me it's definitely mum. She's the one who introduced me to Dr. Who, Star Trek, X Files and most importantly The Hitch Hikers Guide. I took on smiley - geek status about the same time I got braces and glasses! smiley - biggrin

Damp monkey, lovely, wonder if that's as bad as damp locum smells? Which is apparently what we had at work today, but I didn't notice. Anyway I think I can deal with the little monkeys, I just show them the paper houses I made and ask them what their favourite colour is. That's easy, it's the elderly ones which cause the most trouble! As soon as they know that I'm dad's kid they give you that look, the one that says "auw, poor you, did dad have to give you a job because you're rubbish? Auw, well, I'm sure you'll be a 'jeweller' someday." It's that or they're complete curmudgeons.

smiley - nahnahNo, I wasn't sticking a grain at a time, I was basically just chucking it on. It was great! Reminded me of being at the beach. Haven't been to the beach for a couple of years now. I shall get some photos and post them on the old blog. Which I am once again neglecting. Spending so much time on the computer at work right now I don't really feel like spending much time on it at home. So you're privileged getting a quick reply smiley - tongueout


Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...

Post 48

The Researcher formally known as Dr St Justin

Some of the damp monkeys can be quite pongy... especially if they've had games earlier in the day smiley - ill Little monkeys can be reasonably easy to deal with - they've (usually!) not learnt to argue back yet. And yes, I'm sure the elderly ones can be even worse! I'm trying to remember which comedian it was that commented on how often elderly monkeys tell you their age... Might have been Jasper Carrot? smiley - huh

Why, do you normally try and stick the beach together? smiley - nahnah You've got me thinking now, when the last time I went to a beach was... Think it must be when I was in Falmouth a few years ago smiley - erm

Another five weeks or so, then it'll all be over for another year - and the 'summer' holidays will be here!


Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...

Post 49

Emily...overly fond of the ellipsis...and top ten lists...submit yours @ A87824361...

I believe you are right, in my head I can certainly picture Jasper Carrot saying "I'm eighty five you know!" though there's definitely other comedians who have gone along the same lines. What age do you teach? (I assume given the holiday schedule you're either Primary or High School smiley - smiley) Because some of the little monkeys I remember from both were quite disagreeable and one I remember very well in Primary 4 shouting repeatedly at the teacher and throwing a chair across the class smiley - erm hopefully none of yours are that bad.

I taught for one year as Designer in Residence, it was to a third year class of jewellers and they could definitely talk back but at least (being only really two years above them) I was friends with a lot of them and the other half never seemed to be in class! Wish I didn't really need my PhD to teach smiley - sadface I loved it.

smiley - nahnah yeah, whenever I go to the beach I try and stick as much sand as I can to my feet, just to irritate whoever's turn it is to vacuum. Last time I was at the beach was probably Broughty Ferry beach in 4th year, I was basing all my work on Norman MacCaig poetry, and he had a lot of water based poetry. Though I made every excuse to go the year before when I made that fibreoptic necklace because it was based on Sea Fever by John Masefield. Broughty Ferry is about 40 minutes from here and I end up there because of work quite often, and yet I still haven't gone. "I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide. Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied".

You should take yourself for a day on the beach during your holiday, I will be at work over the 'summer' and hiding from the noise of the roadworks to expand the path along the side of my house because the tiny primary children can't possible stand to the side to let people past. 6 weeks of diggers and dodgy blocks being able to see into the garden...actually, I hope the weather doesn't improve!

Hideous thought last night, it's been 3 years since my masters ended. Brain has started muttering about being a total failure and is talking about mutiny. smiley - pirate


Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...

Post 50

The Researcher formally known as Dr St Justin

I have the pleasure (or otherwise!) of teaching secondary and sixth-form (11-18 years old, in case that needed translating smiley - winkeye) The monkeys I teach aren't quite as bad as that - certainly nothing physical. Some of them are downright horrible though.

Teaching can be a good job - when you've got kids that don't want to learn it gets more than a bit wearing though. Hopefully I'll get more sixth-form teaching - they've at least made a concious decision to take the subject.

smiley - laughJust hope it isn't your turn to vacuum then! smiley - winkeye Sea Fever - I think that might have been one of my Dad's favourites. It's certainly one of the (very) few I can remember, only the first couple of lines though.

The problem with living in the Midlands is that you're about as far from the coast as you can be... smiley - tongueout Could manage a drive for a few hours though, so long as a) it wasn't going to be *too* hot; b) the beach wasn't going to be too crowded; c) it wasn't going to rain (too much)!

Hmmm... How exactly would your brain mutiny?


Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...

Post 51

Emily...overly fond of the ellipsis...and top ten lists...submit yours @ A87824361...

I totally don't get the English education system. smiley - laugh In Scotland you hit 11/12 and go into 1st year high school, then it's 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th, which technically you don't need, but you do advanced highers (sixth year studies) which are slightly higher than highers but not quite as far on as HNDs. But then again I was brought up with that system smiley - tongueout

That is a good positive and one of the reasons I would like to teach in high education rather than high school art. When the monkeys are 17/18 they're usually picking subjects they're slightly interested and need for uni or who are wanting to pursue at uni. So in Art class I went from being in a class of 25-30 people who took it as a easy class to muck around in and to a class of 3 people who loved it and when I went to colleged and subsequently uni I really settled and finally felt comfortable! What do you teach incidentally?

smiley - nahnah Nah, I avoid vacuuming at all costs! I love Sea Fever, it's one of my favourites and I can remember most of it off by heart. My favourite poems are actually by Norman MacCaig,


"More like a raft than a boat
the world I sail on.

I say I'm not troubled - I accept
the powerful hospitality of the tides.

But I write little communications and float
the off to anywhere.

Some are Ophelia's witless and singing
among the foam flowers.

But others are Orpheus lamenting
a harbour, a house there, and a girl in it."

Come to think of it, a lot of the poetry I love has watery imagery smiley - erm

I'm quite lucky where I am, the east coast is close...but would involve wading in the North Sea...in Scotland. I may have been born in Aberdeen, but I didn't live there long enough to adapt to freezy water! smiley - brr You should try the beach in the winter. Sounds like it wouldn't be nice, but it is, plus it's quiet. Which I like smiley - smiley

Hmmm...my brain may mutiny by slowly creeping out through my nose...or just deciding to switch itself off mid...


Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...

Post 52

The Researcher formally known as Dr St Justin

Ah, the English and Scottish systems don't sound *too* different then. I guess you get used to what you live with though. Not that it ever stays the same for very long, anyway!

I'm surprised you can't guess my subject... It's got lots of numbers in it smiley - tongueout And of course, being a compulsory subject (up 'til GCSE, at least) class sizes are usually fairly big. Even my A/S level class is 18 this year. Although I have taught some much smaller classes: bottom sets, particularly if there are kids with special needs (of varying descriptions) can be quite a bit smaller. I had one class last year that just had six kids in it!

Don't think I know any Norman MacCaig - may have to do a little research at some point.

Mmmm... The North Sea can be bad enough in Norfolk (had a fair few family holidays there over the years!) - have the icebergs melted round your way yet? Quiet beaches are certainly good, you really get to appreciate your surroundings a lot more.

Ah, so undergoing the first step towards mummification by yourself? smiley - winkeye


Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...

Post 53

Emily...overly fond of the ellipsis...and top ten lists...submit yours @ A87824361...

No, nothing ever does.

Could it be maths? If so I don't think I can speak to you anymore, I'm probably worst at maths than English and I'm dyslexic. As much as English flummoxes me, maths is worst, I gave up on it (or possibly it gave up on me) when I was 16.

In some respects don't you prefer the smaller classes? There must be more time to be spent one on one.

Norman MacCaig is very, very Scottish and, whilst we're on the subject of school, I first discovered him there and didn't get it, then when I went into jewellery we had to design a piece of jewellery based on a piece of writing. It didn't make sense to me, or seem quite as beautiful until after I started to make three dimensional pieces. smiley - smiley Guess that's how my brain works.

smiley - laugh the icebergs are smaller but there's definitely a few cubes bobbing about in there once you get past Aberdeen.

Yeah, brain's going to try mummification first and if that doesn't work, pickling in Vodka.


Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...

Post 54

The Researcher formally known as Dr St Justin

It could be maths, yes... smiley - blush Hope you're not serious about the not talking to me any more though!

Oh, definitely! That class I mentioned with just six kids in it was one of my favourites! They were certainly some of the nicest kids I've taught, and despite (or maybe in spite of?) knowing that they were in the *very* bottom set, had learning difficulties or whatever else, (generally) they *wanted* to learn! It's *so* much easier if everyone is trying to achieve the same goal!!!

Thinking back, apart from 'humourous verse' I don't think I really 'got' much poetry. Not that I've ever really tried reading it, but still. smiley - erm

Ah, so that's your poison! smiley - pggb I'll stick with smiley - ale thankyou very much - I know where I stand with that!

I took a (fairly quick) look at your photos - all I can think of to say is wow! smiley - wow It looks incredible; your attention to detail really looks like it paid off!


Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...

Post 55

Emily...overly fond of the ellipsis...and top ten lists...submit yours @ A87824361...

Nah, I think after not talking for the best part of 7 years it would be churlish to stop talking to you just because you teach maths.

On the subject of learning support, as someone who was bottom of the rung for a long time and went to learning support because of dyslexia, having a supportive, enthusiastic teacher helps enormously. I mean I went from being in the lowest groups in school and basically being written off to having excellent exam results (even in maths! smiley - yikes) and being nominated for Academic Excellence in high school, and then 1st class honours and a masters at university...the best thing those kids can get is a teacher who enjoys teaching them instead of treating them as a punishment.

I actually met my primary 2 teacher a couple of months back at work. She was in getting her eyes tested and I genuinely don't know where I would be school wise without her. She listened to my parents, saw there was a problem and got me help. I genuinely couldn't express how much she'd done for me, without her I could have floundered before I'd even been given a chance.

You're a good guy J and those children will remember that. smiley - hug

Poetry's a funny one, I think I like it because of the rhythm, plus I love Shakespeare, always have done, from a very young age. Mum and dad took me and my sisters to the RSC to see plays when we were on holidays. It's no wonder I was a swat (and bloody minded, apparently when people wrote me off at school I used to just stick at it until I got it...I'm such a smiley - geek).

Vodka is nice, but I prefer Gin...and pear Cider...I'm a cheap date, I've never really drunk much. I'm attempting to make flavoured vodka at the moment, it smells yummy!

smiley - cheers I enjoyed making this window and it was worthwhile, so long as small children can keep their sticky mitts off it! Got a couple of terrors in this week who when they booked the important were on the brink of destroying everything. And the mother couldn't have cared less smiley - grr


Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...

Post 56

The Researcher formally known as Dr St Justin

I don't know how enthusiastic I was most of the time (teaching bottom sets can be really hard work, even when the behaviour isn't an issue!), but I think I supported them as best I could. I hope they get the results they deserve this year!

In a sense there's less pressure teaching groups like that - 'good' results aren't necessarily expected; you hate to see them leave with nothing though, so you keep working with them to help them achieve anything! Even if it does mean you go over the same thing ten or twenty times...

I met one of my old teachers a couple of years ago. I don't know if he remembered his advice to me - not to go into teaching! Although I obviously didn't take much notice of it either...

Thanks Em smiley - smileysmiley - hug

I struggle with (written) Shakespeare. I find I really need to see it performed to get the gist of what's going on. Maybe it's because the spelling's so bad (alright, different) - which you don't have to worry about if it's being spoken!

One of the favourite drinks amongst one particular group of my friends is the strawberry pear cider (could it be any less like cider? smiley - huh) Even the blokes. Despite the fact that it's *very* pink (it's been nicknamed 'fizzy pink', to the extent that the barman knows what you mean...) and leaves your lips looking rather pink as well... One of my friends has been known to make flavoured vodkas - one version using toffee, one using jelly babies!

I hope your window survives without too many sticky fingerprints, or worse. Some parents clearly weren't brought up very well, and are passing on the same value system to their kids...


Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...

Post 57

Emily...overly fond of the ellipsis...and top ten lists...submit yours @ A87824361...

There are a lot of teachers who wouldn't even try. Believe me, my parents begged my primary one teacher in Aberdeen to get me extra help because I was getting left behind - which at that stage doesn't seem that bad but given I couldn't spell, could barely write or read with only a month left of term when we left is a really bad start to education. I also had a speech impediment she ignored. I'm not being big headed, believe me I have little enough confidence in myself to be that, but I was never dumb. Or lazy. I just needed help to get over the bump.

I hate teachers who don't even try. In all subjects, including my own. Which is why i'd love to teach, because I loved watching that little lightbulb go off in a students head when you saw that they got it. smiley - smiley

smiley - smiley Pleasure. Just don't give me any sums on or I'll reconsider the silent treatment smiley - tongueout

Shakespeare performed is better, but I never found the language a problem...then again when you can't spell anyway it's less of an obstacle. smiley - laugh Are you watching the Richard/Henry's that are on at the moment? I've never read them so kind of get lost with the story but they've very good smiley - smiley

smiley - laugh "Fizzy Pink", very manly! My favourite cider - which I didn't say because it might have seemed too girly but when in Rome - is mixed berry Kopparberg, which is pink and yummy...didn't like the strawberry because it tasted like yoghurt! It's kind of like alcoholic Vimeto, though in uni our version of that was blue Wckd and port (don't ask me who came up with the mixture) which we called a "Fuzzy Vimeto". That group of friends were also the pot heads smiley - winkeyesmiley - pggb

With the window I don't mind kids touching it, in fact it's nice to see how excited they are, but there are pins and cocktail sticks securing things and they could get hurt. But yes, dragged up may be the correct term for some of our patrons.


Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...

Post 58

The Researcher formally known as Dr St Justin

I think I always got pretty lucky with the teachers I had - ones that I got on with, knew how to get the best out of the pupils, and so on. Even if I did have to teach some (or most?) of the primary school teachers how to use the computers... [smiley - geek from an early age!]

You mean this lightbulb? ---> smiley - eureka

Don't worry, you're safe from getting any homework from me smiley - winkeye

I've not managed to catch any of the latest batch of Shakespeare on tv, no. Might have to try and iPlayer it though.

I can't say I've tried the fizzy pink, but from what I've heard it's very fruity. And awfully sweet. Think it must be the Brothers one. You might call that combo fuzzy vimto, most of the rest of the world would call it a cheeky vimto smiley - winkeye

Well, you never know - you might be inspiring future generations of artistic talent with what you're doing! Even if it is a health and safety nightmare smiley - tongueout

Are patrons so-called because they're patronising? Or because they deserve to be patronised?


Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...

Post 59

Emily...overly fond of the ellipsis...and top ten lists...submit yours @ A87824361...

Indeed that smiley - eureka moment is exactly why I love Sir Ken Robinson and his approach to the education system, where the hierarchy of subjects shouldn't be as important as it has been made out to be. Not that the traditional subjects aren't important, they are, incredibly, we all need a good grounding, but students who excel in the arts etc, or have a natural ability should be encouraged just as much. I don't know if you've read any of his books or watched his talks on TED, but while it is idealistic, I do think children often get discouraged from certain subjects because they're not considered career worthy...

...smiley - erm then again this is coming from a girl who followed her "eureka" moment and has so far failed to get a job or succeed in any way shape or form smiley - sadface *goes to hit head off wall for a bit* smiley - injured

The shakespeare's worth a shot, but might be wise to read a synopsis first smiley - winkeye

:P Okay, okay, I meant cheeky vimto, but I think we called it fuzzy vimto too, just hope you didn't have the joy of a baby guinness (baileys and guiness)...even the idea of it makes me feel sick! Give me a Bombay Sapphire G&T, Moscow Mule or a frozen Margarita over anything though smiley - biggrin

It's not a health and safety nightmare per say, everything's stuck in polystyrene, it only becomes an issue if inconsiderate parents let their children pull it apart. I reckon they deserve it if they do that!

smiley - erm Patrons certainly can be patronising, but generally they stop being customers if you patronise them.


Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...

Post 60

The Researcher formally known as Dr St Justin

I think that kind of education system would likely work a lot better than the current one! Focus on what you're good at and enjoy, do enough of the other subjects to be able to survive in the real world. I can't remember who it was proposed it (or if it's actually in use anywhere in the world), but there's an idea that *delaying* the age children start school might help - they may be more focussed as they've experienced the 'real world' more, so have a better understanding of what and why they need to learn, rather than (apparently) just learning stuff for the sake of it.

The best laid plans of mice and men... Mind you don't demolish any load bearing walls smiley - hug

No, I can't say I've had a baby guinness... One of many cocktails I've not had the (dis)pleasure of sampling!

Hmmm... Are inconsiderate parents the root of all evil? Teachers' lives would certainly be made a lot easier if there weren't so many parents who seem to pass the buck of bringing up their children to schools.


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