Passing the port

I'm still reading 'Watching the English' which is pretty interesting, though I think occasionally overstates its case.

Her suggestions as to which mannerisms come from which social class is interesting as it makes me aware of what I picked up from each of my parents (who came from fairly different backgrounds).

She comments on the custom of passing the bottle of port to the left around a table and says that no one has any idea where this custom originated. Well, my family never followed that particular custome, but I should have thought it was blindingly obvious where it originates.

It's got to be a pun. It it was called 'starboard' then we'd pass it to the right.

Deep Space Nine and gender attitudes to sex and same-sex relationships

Cut for the few who really don't want to know. ( Read more... )

Teaching - the first step towards teacher-training.

I've just signed up for an Open University short course on Exploring the Oceans.

This may not seem like an obvious first stop towards doing teacher training, but in fact it is.

There's a scheme (Open Univeristy Student Associates Scheme) which allows students to do two paid work placements in schools to give them practical experience of what teaching is actually like before they commit to a teacher training course.

But, you have to be a student to qualify for a place. So, I've just picked a short course (a mere 99 pounds...) in a subject that I know will interest me.

They'll send me the paperwork for the teaching experience and I'll give it a go when schools start in September. Becasue the only way to find out if my health problems are compatible with full-time teaching is to stop dithering and actually try it.

Hm, anyone want to help me come up with a suitable icon for teaching?