A Day of Feelings

Today has been a day of mixed feelings, from sadness to relief then to stress of a new possible job and the joys of lesson planning all over again. My school, LSC Calgary, has closed it doors for the last time today. It was a place where I really grew and my grammar skills blossomed, but it was also where I had met so many people that touched my life in so many ways. Sure there were days I wondered why I was there, and days I wanted to blend into the walls and hope nobody would see me, but that's pretty much impossible when one is a teacher! However, overall I am really grateful for the opportunities that the school had allowed me and the experiences that I had experienced, but the best thing of all are the friends that I have made and the places I can go.
My second feeling: relief, came when I visited the bank, some part of me was sad as I was on the road to financial freedom as I was at this moment supposed to be teaching in Saudi Arabia. However, due to that job not working out, I had to cancel my financial freedom plan, (actually I hope it's just on hold) until I get myself in a better place, as I've been unemployed for two and a half months.
My last feeling: stress, comes from having to sub for IELTS for the next couple of weeks, and it's always nerve racking when you're walking into another teacher's classroom, but also a new school with a different system. Or maybe it's the stress of having to get up early, as I've been on artist hours for the last little while.
So, as one thing ends, another new beginning starts. I hope the new year brings avenues I've yet to explore.

P.S. In regards to the pictures above, the teachers had so much grief during our time in LSC from the series, "Just Right" as it was at times annoying with certain grammar being taught at the wrong time and setting up the next grammar focus for failure and annoyance. We called the series, "Just Wrong", sorry Jeremy Harmer. In unison we ripped up the pages that had irritated us the most while we had taught, it gave us great pleasure to say goodbye to a book we all didn't enjoy. Ah the small pleasures in life that make us :)

Chevron Fever

These days I have some time on my hands, for how long who knows... So, I need to move upstairs into the large bedroom. I feel this room is rather plain, as I had rented it out and didn't really decorate it, but now it's my room and it needs some colour! Most of my home is white with hints of turquoise or some form of blue.

Argh!!! The main word being COLOUR! Here are the choices below; oh, did I mention that I'm doing stripes? Chevron stripes to be more exact. It took me two hours to measure up and do one stripe, hopefully it will be done by the weekend!

Sorry for the poor photo in which I took at midnight. I want to keep the white and use one of the colours below, which would you choose?

So here are the colour choices: Pratt & Lambert "Beau Geste"

Next choice is: Pratt & Lambert "Gig's Grey"

And lastly: Sherwin Williams "Buoyant Blue"

Another thing to consider is the bed. I have an Ikea bed, pictured below - I wish it was white. However, the bedding is. What are your opinions? I'm partial to Sherwin Williams "Buoyant Blue".

Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner

So with all of the lead up to Will and Kate's wedding, the TV is array with back-to-back shows on the Royal family and Di's wedding. It's got me nostalgic for my childhood in London. I was a Brownie and faithfully every Tuesday night there I was ready to pledge my Brownie promise:

I promise that I will do my best,

To love my God,

To serve the Queen and my country,

To help other people,

And to keep the Brownie Guide Law.

I think I was there to play the games and earn my badges as well as meet my friends. I have some precious memories; one of them was the celebration of Prince Charles and Lady Diana's wedding. We had a mock wedding celebration in which each of us had to draw names from a hat. I was Earl Spencer, Diana's father and sported a moustache, even thought he didn't have one my mum felt it was the only way for people to know that I was a man! I loved that day and even the prep - my friend Alicia was Prince Charles, her mum came up with the idea to use lollipops for medals ~ ingenious!!! We even had a cake for the party!!!

Anyway I'm proud to be British even though I no longer live there and I'll always be a Londoner because I think of her wherever I go!

Happy Year of the Rabbit

Just wanted to wish you all a wonderful lunar new year!!!

새 해 복 많이 받으세요
Kung Hei Fat Choi
Xin Nian Kuai Le

Oh Monday!

I'm not normally a Monday hater, but today was certainly a blue day. So I did this little sketch to try and cheer myself up. Hope your Monday was a lot better than mine.