Learning Languages

What are your favorite emojis?

At any one time, I’m maintaining my knowledge in at least the five languages I learned from school.

For the three languages I use daily, I also need to keep up with evolutions to spoken, written, and online-use vocabulary.

Are emojis a way to bridge the language gap?

Arguments for : many of us have access to similar emoji keyboards, and there is an unspoken understanding of what the symbols mean.

Arguments against : if you want to get clever with homophones, eg 🍚🐰in China (iykyk – online abbreviations!), it will not work in all languages.

In any case, my often-used emojis are ✨🤞😋💯😬🤔🤷🏻‍♀️😈😂🤸💃.

But what does it all mean? 🤨🍳

Recording Difficult Times

Keeping a record of this winter because it has been a difficult one. I will get through it, look back at this, and be happy and proud that I did.

1. I was having a difficult autumn last year and not being satisfied with my performance at work.

2. Before Christmas I broke my shoulder.

3. The broken shoulder impacted my attendance at the usual family gathering for Christmas, mean I couldn’t refill my emotional cup as usual.

4. I was unable to recuperate the cost of the flights.

5. Further back in time, the garden to the house had gotten overrun and was in a jungle state.

6. Return to work after Christmas has been a rocky road, meaning I was even less happy with work things, and feeling like I was floundering.

7. The boiler in my house finally packed in the week after half term, and I have to function for two weeks at work, but also getting a diagnosis and quotes for a solution.

8. Four weeks and four parents evenings. And fitting in my doctors appointments and CPD seminars and things I need to do for the boiler… Has been a lot.

Progress so far?

1 + 6: I have had my targets at work streamlined. It does make things a little bit easier because I know what I am focusing on. I am improving. I have also seen a counsellor, which also helps.

2. I was officially discharged by the fracture consultant last week. The last x-ray looks… Interesting. And my arm is tired all the time from being worked a lot, all of a sudden. Will keep monitoring, and I still get physio for it.

3. Planning a summer trip?

4. Next time, just claim on insurance instead of asking the bank to help dispute.

5. Finally brought in gardeners and the garden is looking much better. A source of brightness in all of this.

7. The house has heat and hot water again. It’s welcome to get warmer outside though.

8. The counsellor has helped by being there.

I am also going to keep sorting through things in my life and only keep what help me as a person.

Well well well

Do you enjoy your job?

Big picture, yes.

Immediate reaction – I’m exhausted right now.

What a timely prompt

What do you complain about the most?

When I think about it, I definitely have more things I should be thankful for than to complain about. Realistically however… I undoubtedly complain about students the most right now.

Students who disrupt lessons. Students who aren’t curious about anything and don’t want to learn. Students who disregard the fact that their classmates want to get on with the lesson and astutely put themselves and their needs first. Students who have yet to realise that compulsory education isn’t necessarily about learning “stuff”, but also about how to behave in groups, how to get to know new people, and how to help each other. Students who have nobody to look up to outside of school.

Students in exam years who look like they’re about to trip themselves up despite being capable of so much more.

With all that being said. It does only take taking a step back to remember that, in the end, I only want to support and help. And figuring out how to do that might just be the most important part of the job.

2023 Review

2023 day-to-day life : adequate. Feeling stable (or at least) with the job, the house is coming along, and I have time to think about my social life.

2023 travel : good. All trips were to visit family and friends, but why not? Re-discovering China and getting more of Sweden in the summer was awesome.

2023 mental health : could be better. The moods were up and down all the way through autumn. But I have decided to do something about it. Watch this space.

2023 physical health : a broken shoulder right at the end. Recovering well though! Never again please.

2023 food : yes this deserves a category. Categorically excellent. I went to China and ate everything. I have also just acquired an electric pressure cooker and have nice food planned over New Years. More good food coming!

2023 popular culture : taking in China was a whole thing. I would like to listen to/read more books in 2024. I didn’t quite have the brain space to watch many television serials, but perhaps 2024 is the year? (Perhaps I should get Spotify again so that I can have a wrapped?) I actually did cryptic crosswords during lent ! Which was a win.

2023 shirt game : 10/10. I have picked up more shirts in lovely materials (like silk) second hand, and have funky-patterned ones to wear in summer.

2023 prep for 2024? Coming along. I have purchased a red item that I hope to wear during the year of the dragon. I have my new kitchen toy. I have goals (but not resolutions) for work and personal life. I am already looking at summer flights. I know what to do to claim my missed end-of-year trip on travel insurance. I have schemed little gifts to send to each of my emergency Christmas hosts.

2023 overall? If 2024 can continue on 2023’s motive of things in the big picture becoming better, I can handle the small bumps.

Ice cream toast to you 2023!

People going out tonight – stay safe!