A Life in the Day

09.00

Just finished a cup of Milo and reading The Straits Time, which is, as usual for a Saturday, a bit on the thick side. (Great lines from the Singapore Repertory Theatre's version of Blithe Spirit, done a few years back: 'Anything interesting in The Straits Times dear?' 'Don't be ridiculous Charles.') Actually emerged from the pit at 06.40 for the dawn prayer, but quickly collapsed after completion. Noi still in bed, and I don't blame her - even though it means I had to make my own Milo. Checked e-mail to find another comment from autolycus for this Far Place - sadly, my friend, I also taught in TKGS in the late eighties and Rawmarsh Comprehensive in the middle seventies so I'm not quite as young, or vigorous, as I might appear.

10.00

Marking Theory of Knowledge essays. This is my second time round with this batch. We haven't done the standardisation required and, since I've never marked such essays before, I stand sorely in need of guidance. So now I'm sort of just keeping familiar with the material through re-reading and adding some more comments, and giving provisional marks.

11.00

Still TOK-ing, but about to break off for breakfast: hot, sweet tea plus a bowl of cereal. Will read the sports section as I eat and build up confidence for tomorrow's derby game. Sven, you'll be going down!

12.00

And the TOK-ing goes on, though a music break is imminent. Just considering what to listen to. Zappa's Yellow Shark is leading the field as I intended to give it a spin late last night but got hijacked by the excellent documentary series Little People, Big World which is a hot favourite with Noi. It centres on the Roloff family in which mum, dad and one of the kids are midgets, or rather little people as they prefer to be known and can be inspiring, funny, sad or wise, and usually all & more at once.

13.00

Now swimming restfully with The Yellow Shark, and meeting The Girl in the Magnesium Dress. Zappa is the only musician I know to get a Parental Advisory sticker on a purely instrumental album (Jazz From Hell) and considering the wonderfully subversive nature of his music those who did the labeling may have been more right than they realised.

14.00

Just fired off an e-mail to Val & Peter regarding their September stop-over in Singapore and now putting something together for old buddy Len Webster who dropped a line a couple of days ago. Len included a link to some rather tasty poems he's composed and here it is: Spirits of Place.

15.00

Putting together material for an English A1 test next term, but will stop soon for a bit of a read. Intending to finish E.H. Carr's What Is History? today. I read most of it in Melaka last week but stalled early this week due to the heavy workload. I first read it back in 1976-77 or thereabouts and thought it was a pretty incisive little book. Now it feels a touch dated, though cutting in its own way. I don't think it does Popper or Berlin justice, but I don't know enough about the field to be too sure of this.

16.00

It's been raining for most of the day, but are we deterred? We answer with a resounding No We Are Not and will set off to Geylang, as planned, in a few minutes, even though Noi keeps saying expressively, if somewhat ungrammatically, 'I'm lazy to go out.' There we will buy potatoes, I am informed, for the curry puffs Noi will kindly cook tomorrow for me to take into school on Monday for our teachers' Charity Café. We will also partake of the cup that cheers and one or two or three little goodies. I've not quite finished Carr but history can wait.

18.00

Replete from Geylang I am back home TOK-ing. Carr is now history for me, though I still fail to grasp what history is.

19.00

Watching the weird and wonderful Titus on DVD, the movie adaptation of Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus, one of the all-time great truly dreadful plays, kindly lent to me by Ferdinand who reckons it to be one of the best films of Shakespeare. Twenty minutes in I can see why.

20.00

Have reached the rape of Lavinia with Titus now a part to tear a cat in. Hopkins is chewing up the pavement and I've just got to break off until tomorrow. Anyway we'll be off to dinner soon.

22.00

Back from a walk to Zeenath's I'm about to settle down to watch some footie. They're showing 3 games and I'm not sure which to go for. Most likely Spurs vs. Derby. Noi is reading her latest Malay novel, with her new reading glasses and looks well settled for the night. I'm wondering whether I'll stay awake to the second half of whatever game I watch.

23.00

Spurs were 3 up in no time at all against Derby and it's a wonder that more didn't go in. A bit of a thrashing so far. Not much to stay up for so soon it will be a case of: and so to bed.