Friday, June 15, 2007
MODs and Rockers...
Not sure if that post title's going to work but hey, it's my blog so I'll do what I like I suppose...anyway, today I took the bus to school, as is my occasional want.
I took it yesterday too, and on the way home I had the pleasure of listening to a bit of a lost classic, uncovered in the dusty depths of the glovebox. Ten by Pearl Jam really is a masterpiece, every song sounding fantastic and (perhaps?) even better for not having been heard in a while. It really is a lovely thing to hear stuff you've not heard in ages and for it still to sound as good as you remember. So that was the "Rocker" bit.
I took the Banana Bus with me this morning again. That kind of makes it sound like I was going anyway and just asked the van along too, but you know what I mean.
Anyhow, no sooner had I arrived than we were off again to the High School back here in Strontian, to attend the Ardnamurchan Mod, a sort of mini-lead-in event to the National Mod (to be held this year in sunny Fort William). The idea, for those of you unfamiliar with the concept, is that youngsters - Gaelic speaking or not - can come along, speak or sing in Gaelic according to their choice of category and be roundly criticised for not being perfect. At least that's what the format appeared to be this morning. Livid I was (get out of here Yoda!).
At school we try to be as positive as possible, suggesting areas for improvement in the context of telling the children how well they've done to even have a go. All about building confidence, self-esteem and the ability to be an effective contributor who's valued for what they can do rather than slated for what they can't. Miserable old curmudgeons. Who amongst us can honestly say they can lenite perfectly in front of an audience? (NB - that's a mind-bending, scarily academic and generally pretty mental link. Don't say I didn't warn you.)
Oh. My involvement in all this? I only got to join in didn't I? The wee ones (primary 1,2 &3) needed a backdrop for their action song...guess who got to go on stage and hold it up?
There you have it...MODs AND Rockers. The bus certainly gets around...
Not sure if that post title's going to work but hey, it's my blog so I'll do what I like I suppose...anyway, today I took the bus to school, as is my occasional want.
I took it yesterday too, and on the way home I had the pleasure of listening to a bit of a lost classic, uncovered in the dusty depths of the glovebox. Ten by Pearl Jam really is a masterpiece, every song sounding fantastic and (perhaps?) even better for not having been heard in a while. It really is a lovely thing to hear stuff you've not heard in ages and for it still to sound as good as you remember. So that was the "Rocker" bit.
I took the Banana Bus with me this morning again. That kind of makes it sound like I was going anyway and just asked the van along too, but you know what I mean.
Anyhow, no sooner had I arrived than we were off again to the High School back here in Strontian, to attend the Ardnamurchan Mod, a sort of mini-lead-in event to the National Mod (to be held this year in sunny Fort William). The idea, for those of you unfamiliar with the concept, is that youngsters - Gaelic speaking or not - can come along, speak or sing in Gaelic according to their choice of category and be roundly criticised for not being perfect. At least that's what the format appeared to be this morning. Livid I was (get out of here Yoda!).
At school we try to be as positive as possible, suggesting areas for improvement in the context of telling the children how well they've done to even have a go. All about building confidence, self-esteem and the ability to be an effective contributor who's valued for what they can do rather than slated for what they can't. Miserable old curmudgeons. Who amongst us can honestly say they can lenite perfectly in front of an audience? (NB - that's a mind-bending, scarily academic and generally pretty mental link. Don't say I didn't warn you.)
Oh. My involvement in all this? I only got to join in didn't I? The wee ones (primary 1,2 &3) needed a backdrop for their action song...guess who got to go on stage and hold it up?
There you have it...MODs AND Rockers. The bus certainly gets around...
Labels: ardnamurchan, gaelic, lenite, MOD, mods rockers
