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lokifanSort of headachey today, probably because I'm stressed. (Also haven't eaten yet despite being up super-early. But I need to wait for another couple of hours, until it's not the heat of the day, because I would rather be hungry than hot.) Nothing too bad; I had observations of other people's classes this weekend, and tomorrow I have a day of induction workshops at the big centre in Ho Chi Minh City. (I work at HCM2, which is a quarter of the size.) Then I need to go into work to do lesson planning and stuff, try to get a handle on where my classes are. I officially start work on Saturday and it'll be a bit of a baptism of fire: four two-hour classes both Saturday and Sunday. My first lesson begins at 7:40, and the last ends around 8pm I think. Plus I have to do one-on-one speaking tests my first day. ARRRGH.
But it will probably be fine! They're nice kids and I'm the teacher. I just need to buckle down, make my Kinky Kristmas fic happen fast (it's happened a bit so far, and I know where the rest of it needs to go - it's been YONKS since I wrote smut but I have a good feeling) and plan every minute of every lesson as far as possible. I know that last sounds crazy and maybe it is, but I'm also having that sort of undercurrenty stress where you can't actually start work on something yet buut you're worrying about it. The more I plan the less that stress will be - up to a point anyway.
I just need to learn lots and lots of games to play with my Jumpstarts and Juniors (5-year-olds and 9-year-olds) and make sure I am Mistress of the Target Grammar before I face my two classes of Seniors.
Who I'm looking forward to meeting, actually. I didn't get to observe any Senior classes this weekend - just Jumpstarts and two sets of Juniors. I'd like to get a handle on how classroom management works with Vietnamese teenagers, since I imagine giving them stars will be less of a motivating factor. But I think it'll be fun. I like teenagers, and they'll have pretty damn good English, and we can maybe talk about the more interesting elements of how English works. If not, we can talk about manga.
Now back to writing smut and watching Buffy season 7. A Conversations With Dead People watch became an impromptu rewatch. I'm enjoying, and as ways to cope with culture shock go, this is a good one. One of my colleagues took up smoking when he moved to the Phillipines last year. Although - Buffy's my girl, but I'm nearly at the end now and Faith's arrived. Which I love because I love her so much, even when she's suffering Not The Protagonist Syndrome as badly as she does here. But it makes me really angry with Buffy. DON'T PUNCH HER IN THE FACE, SHE WANTED TO HELP THE TROOPS' MORALE. DON'T PUNCH HER IN THE FACE THEN LOOK SMUG, SHE LEGIT THOUGHT SPIKE WAS EVIL. DON'T "WHY ARE YOU HERE?" WHEN SHE CAME TO HELP YOU.
ARRRGH NOBODY LOVES MY GIRL LIKE SHE DESERVES
And she was connecting with Spike and then Buffy came down and poured cold water on it.
I LOVE YOU BUFFY, I REALLY DO. But Faith brings out the worst in you. And I hate that Faith's experience in Dirty Girls is people being cold and unwelcoming and sometimes flat-out mean and also beating her up for no good reason, and no one giving her any fucking credit at all for how awesome she's being and how hard she's trying to help. There are reasons and history there, I don't so much blame the Scoobies, I just get sad and annoyed on behalf of my girl. Seriously, she’s researching and fighting Caleb and defending Buffy and making friends with the Potentials and providing a morale boost and doing recon and not rising to the bait over and over. (Including being cool about the Scoobies not sending a warning over A CLEAR AND PRESENT HREAT TO HER LIFE.) She tries to reject what she once wanted most of all: to be chosen and recognised as Slayer over Buffy. And she gets punished by the plot. I mean, I like Wood, but Faith deserves a better reward for SO MUCH AWESOME (and in just one episode!) than a principal with mummy issues!!!
Plus it reminds me of the Scoobies' irritating lack of support for Spike's kinda-sort redemptioning in S5-S6. Like, people, I realise you have history here. But take a tip from rational self-interest as well as enlightened altruism and provide these people with some fucking incentive to redeem themselves!
Or in Faith's case to stay awesome and not punch Buffy back.
While I'm venting my FAITH FEELS - Spike, you did NOT reform "way before [Faith] did!" She was keeping herself in prison and seeking penance while you were breaking up the Scoobies and delivering Buffy to Adam! IN WHAT UNIVERSE WAS YOUR RECENTLY-CHIPPED ARSE MORE EVOLVED THAN THE FAITH WHO'D LIKE TO MAKE A CONFESSION?!
She did more damage than you that year, but don't hate just cos Faith's more efficient than you are.
But it will probably be fine! They're nice kids and I'm the teacher. I just need to buckle down, make my Kinky Kristmas fic happen fast (it's happened a bit so far, and I know where the rest of it needs to go - it's been YONKS since I wrote smut but I have a good feeling) and plan every minute of every lesson as far as possible. I know that last sounds crazy and maybe it is, but I'm also having that sort of undercurrenty stress where you can't actually start work on something yet buut you're worrying about it. The more I plan the less that stress will be - up to a point anyway.
I just need to learn lots and lots of games to play with my Jumpstarts and Juniors (5-year-olds and 9-year-olds) and make sure I am Mistress of the Target Grammar before I face my two classes of Seniors.
Who I'm looking forward to meeting, actually. I didn't get to observe any Senior classes this weekend - just Jumpstarts and two sets of Juniors. I'd like to get a handle on how classroom management works with Vietnamese teenagers, since I imagine giving them stars will be less of a motivating factor. But I think it'll be fun. I like teenagers, and they'll have pretty damn good English, and we can maybe talk about the more interesting elements of how English works. If not, we can talk about manga.
Now back to writing smut and watching Buffy season 7. A Conversations With Dead People watch became an impromptu rewatch. I'm enjoying, and as ways to cope with culture shock go, this is a good one. One of my colleagues took up smoking when he moved to the Phillipines last year. Although - Buffy's my girl, but I'm nearly at the end now and Faith's arrived. Which I love because I love her so much, even when she's suffering Not The Protagonist Syndrome as badly as she does here. But it makes me really angry with Buffy. DON'T PUNCH HER IN THE FACE, SHE WANTED TO HELP THE TROOPS' MORALE. DON'T PUNCH HER IN THE FACE THEN LOOK SMUG, SHE LEGIT THOUGHT SPIKE WAS EVIL. DON'T "WHY ARE YOU HERE?" WHEN SHE CAME TO HELP YOU.
ARRRGH NOBODY LOVES MY GIRL LIKE SHE DESERVES
And she was connecting with Spike and then Buffy came down and poured cold water on it.
I LOVE YOU BUFFY, I REALLY DO. But Faith brings out the worst in you. And I hate that Faith's experience in Dirty Girls is people being cold and unwelcoming and sometimes flat-out mean and also beating her up for no good reason, and no one giving her any fucking credit at all for how awesome she's being and how hard she's trying to help. There are reasons and history there, I don't so much blame the Scoobies, I just get sad and annoyed on behalf of my girl. Seriously, she’s researching and fighting Caleb and defending Buffy and making friends with the Potentials and providing a morale boost and doing recon and not rising to the bait over and over. (Including being cool about the Scoobies not sending a warning over A CLEAR AND PRESENT HREAT TO HER LIFE.) She tries to reject what she once wanted most of all: to be chosen and recognised as Slayer over Buffy. And she gets punished by the plot. I mean, I like Wood, but Faith deserves a better reward for SO MUCH AWESOME (and in just one episode!) than a principal with mummy issues!!!
Plus it reminds me of the Scoobies' irritating lack of support for Spike's kinda-sort redemptioning in S5-S6. Like, people, I realise you have history here. But take a tip from rational self-interest as well as enlightened altruism and provide these people with some fucking incentive to redeem themselves!
Or in Faith's case to stay awesome and not punch Buffy back.
While I'm venting my FAITH FEELS - Spike, you did NOT reform "way before [Faith] did!" She was keeping herself in prison and seeking penance while you were breaking up the Scoobies and delivering Buffy to Adam! IN WHAT UNIVERSE WAS YOUR RECENTLY-CHIPPED ARSE MORE EVOLVED THAN THE FAITH WHO'D LIKE TO MAKE A CONFESSION?!
She did more damage than you that year, but don't hate just cos Faith's more efficient than you are.
