We don’t need no education…

I’ve managed to open the curtains downstairs as well as the windows. Small steps. Had they closed all week due to wanting to hide? Nice having some fresh air blowing into the house. Well, as fresh as Manchester air gets. Not quite the same as when we were living in the middle of nowhere in Wales. Which I miss. It was great living there. Like 20 people in the village, big house, a nice garden that we worked really hard at so we could have chickens, vegetable plot and yeah, it was great. No fear of anyone knocking on the door. I’m also sure we were amazons worst nightmare as we ordered stuff with same-day delivery knowing they would drive a single trip from an hour away. Good value for money!

It wasn’t real life. I warned D of that so many times. You go to Wales and you live there, and nothing really happens. Everyone is always happy, polite and it’s clean and looked after. You go to primary school, high school, and college with the same people. You have one or two nightclubs to go to. Actually don’t think there are any in Llandudno now. But yeah life breezes happily by and you just live. Probably why it resembles gods waiting room.

We needed to get out of there for the kid’s sake. Education in Wales is very different, we found it more “As long as the child is happy” than “You should learn this”. We saw the difference when we moved here straight away. They were way off the knowledge level of kids in England. They’ve caught up really well, it took time but they managed it. S did well in her tests for high school so she’s in decent sets. B will follow suit as he faces his SATS exams next week.

I still think the whole primary school education system needs an overhaul. They have spent every day teaching from September preparing for these tests. Just tests. Test papers. Constantly so they all get good grades. They are being taught just by answering old questions. The problem is, in my head anyway, kids should actually learn about the world, history, English lit, all of that stuff not just being trained on how to get maximum points.

“Sir said if I don’t know it just writes some working out as you’ll get points”, “You can skip questions with lower points” And it’s great, great for exams and the advice fine but I for some reason cannot support it. Oh well. After a couple of months left, B got accepted to a STEM university high school. Everything is computer-based by the looks of it and he’s excited to get that bus every day. He knows math but has an apathy-like feeling toward things. “I already know how to do that so let’s just move on”. Need to train him to focus more. But that’s where their mental health team comes in and gets support in place.

Rant completed.

I did see Dr. Well. They phoned me. They think I might have narcolepsy or catalepsy. They took a full history of things, I explained that I don’t have to be stressed when it happens. I’ll just be in the dreaming world for a few moments. I also explained that my 12-year-old son had to sit next to me on the sofa and jab me in the ribs when I randomly passed out. It’s been happening all day again. I keep catching it and forced myself to keep my eyes open.

I have a killer headache, double vision, and dizziness from doing that. Really hope the doctor calls back with some kind of solution. I asked if I should just take a fist full of caffeine but that would be bad, I think I already rambled about this,

Plus I hallucinated a bird in the corner of my eye. I started shouting at it after a while as was in a half-sleep state. Stupid bird. Soon as I got some fresh air I was okay again.

A new dawn…

Hey.

This will be my first proper post in about 2 years. It is something that I miss doing as it helps me, or so the therapist says, to get things off my chest and on to paper. Although I do prefer writing on paper. Even though my hand hurts after an hour or so. Woo. Go the computer generation!

So since this is technically my first post…

Andy Young My name is Andy. I come from Wales but I live & work in Manchester. I like shiny objects, have a strange addiction to nicotine patches and diet coke. So now you know at least one two random facts about me. Hopefully I will have figured out how to put an image in here of me.

Ok, less of the specifics about me as sharing isn’t a key quality in me if I know the person, if I don’t and they don’t know me I’ll quite happily share to my hearts content. Music. That is something which is a huge part of my life. I’m one of these firm believers that there is a song for every conceivable moment in life.

An example, driving through Manchester city centre, 5am in the morning when the light is just starting to creep through the city. Its still dark and murky but you can work out the figures and objects emerging. I had ‘Sweet dreams – Marilyn Manson‘, I’m aware that isn’t the name of song but um nur nur nur, nur nur sweet dreams are made of thiiissss. That one. He covered it which happened to be particularly good.

I once spent a whole summer living the life of a vampire. Not ripping out peoples throats and drinking blood! … actually today’s vampires don’t do that. They wear mascara and have hair covering there eyes. Anyways. I would wake and rise late in the afternoon and sleep at 9am. I used to listen to loads of music during that time. Bob Dylan specifically. Say what you will about his upbringing, poor little rich boy etc, but his music has always had a nice calming effect on me. Even now as I type I can hear the lyrics to shelter in the storm. Sort of a conditioned programming through sleep deprivation from a decade ago heh.

*reads back* hmm. not painting a well rounded image of myself am I.

Have a picture of Molly, the words best dog ™

Molly Wog

Molly is amazing. She makes everything that is bad, wicked and evil in the world better. She does it with a smile, a lick and a leg hump. Yes, alas, my dear sweet Molly is in fact a lesbian. Much rather prefers the company of my leg as opposed to cuddling up with a boy dog. That aside, she is still cute despite being old and into the whole ‘hairing thing’.

So this will do for now. Hugs for all. Oh. Yes. I like hugging everyone. What can I say, I’m cuddly 😉

Continue reading “A new dawn…” →