Last Day

So, here I am, in the staff room on the last day of my subbing stint. I've sent the kids off to do (yuck! That's sad, being at a loss for a better word. "Do," indeed! Yuck.) some research for the debate that will be chaired and adjudicated by Sprite, now that she's back from Stuttgart.

"This house believes that working mothers make better mothers."

Lessons learnt:

1. I'm now more convinced than ever that teaching, even subbing, is something I'd only do in short/ sporadic bursts.

2. I am not a morning person. Nor an afternoon person. Sometimes I'm not a night person too.

3. Coffee is my friend. I should never have left the sacred fraternity of coffee drinkers.

4. Staff room hijinks and conversations are the same everywhere.

5. The PowerBook runs hot. Very hot. I've taken to placing a couple of pencils under the thing a la Wahj so that more air can circulate underneath and cool it down somewhat.

***

I've been asked my plans now that I'm almost done with this gig. Hard to say, really. That's one of the good things about being free from the clutches of a government job (or any job, for that matter): I can take my time to think about my next step. And until that happens, I'm free to wake up whenever the hell I want, and do everything or nothing, if I so choose.

Not this time, though. There are several plans in the works:

1. I've been asked by the P to help out with something in the college (can't say what it is yet because we haven't worked out all the details of what I'll be responsible for). I'm pretty sure it'll involve photography in one way or other. This won't be too long-term (I hope), seeing that I have no wish to be beholden to the Ministry again.

2. Plus, it appears that the SAF has been rather diligently calling up several of the male tutors in the college for their annual sweat fest (a.k.a., reservist training) and I might be subbing for them instead. Must remember though, short/ sporadic bursts -- I'd hate to end up like an acquaintance who was a full-time 'relief' teacher at another college, which shall remain unnamed (*hack*ACJC*cough*), for five years.

3. I'm in the process of selecting photographs for a portfolio to be submitted to Objectifs for a course I really want to get in to (only ten applicants are chosen every year, so it'll be tough). The portfolio's almost done but, with a 20-photo limit (set by the organisers) for a portfolio that "best represents [my] work", it's hard deciding which ones I really feel the strongest about. I've changed the selection several times in the last week and will probably to do so until I submit my application.

4. And there's always the YST gig. Speaking of which, my first photos have made it to the December issue of the newsletter. So, woohoo!

If nothing else, there's always exercise.

Or beer.

Or travelling.

One thing's certain though: with the money from the last ten days, I'm finally going to be able to get that Crumpler haversack I've been eyeing -- the one that has enough space for all my cameras and accessories as well as the PowerBook.

Ahhhh, sweet freedom.