Sailing

Just went for the MOE sailing course for teachers, and it was a tiring 4 day course out in the sun. Tiring not because the activity itself is demanding, but because somehow just sitting out in the sun going round and round markers is a drain on the brain.


It was pretty fun when the wind blows strongly (it was never very strong though), I pull in the sail taut when going upwind, and hike out the side of the boat to balance the boat. But we actually spend more time sitting in the boat when the wind is low, and that's where I take a dip in the spa pool onboard (my boat was leaky) and hang around. At first I'll get psyched up and go around the triangle course as if i'm in a race, gybing with reckless abandon and loving the sudden flip of the boom, but boredom takes over when the instructors just leave us there to go round and round for a long while.


So what's next? Maybe I'll try is a few more times to get my skills fully proficient, and perhaps get level 2 in the future. I don't think I like it enough to be too 'on' about it, but perhaps just for the satisfaction of mastering a new skill (and getting a new cert/adding one more line to my CV), I might pursue the next level still.

Here's how it looks like out there. I'm actually risking capsize here by sailing one handed and only steering by hiking out, but after a while even that becomes routine.

Change

As always, James asks the most interesting questions: "Do you think you will fulfill your potential if you teach in an international school?"

Potential? What potential?

Why an international school? Never seriously thought about it...I suppose the pay will be better I guess, and the work load lighter perhaps? But I'm sure it comes with its own set of problems, like having to treat the students and parents like clients. Plus my innate ah-bengness might disagree with the environment, especially if I have to deal with bratty ang moh kids.

What exactly am I capable of anyway? I always want to inspire my kids and tell them that anything can be learnt and achieved with sufficient will, but as yet I have no grand dream to work on now. I'm just content (relieved?) to be able to do what's demanded of my job on time, and spend my own personal time vicariously for leisure. It's too demanding, inconceivable for me right now to strive towards personal goals in my out-of-office life.

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ST featured this forex trader today who worked for 4 years, calculated that he'll never be able to be financially independent if he stayed on being a salaried worker, learnt to trade in currencies, and now earn USD $15k and beyond each month. Now that's someone with the strength to make life-changing decisions. 0

I'm far from that state of being right now, and I hope Alex can make it ahead of me first!

I just feel like languishing and dragging my feet along the education track for a while mroe...ironically, mindless drudgery can be easier than mustering courage to change.