Future All Mapped Out!

That's me passed everything I need to pass to start teaching. Inevitable, but certain factors were out of my hands, until now. I have 2 weeks back at Uni, just tidying up paperwork and rounding things off, then that's me through till August. One small thing, to pay a visit to the school where I'll be teaching, meet the Rector, scope out my classroom and evaluate the teaching resources and equipment, see what I need! There are of course several unknown variables; who will be my mentor, which courses I'll be teaching and what level of support I will get, as a newly qualified teacher. I am looking forward to it, but of course there's a sense of trepidation. A visit next week should hopefully address my primary concerns.

I've started reading again as well after a prolonged period of book-abstinence. My choice of tome for re-entry into the World of literacy is "Spartan" by Valerio Massimo Manfredi, and Italian author, but translated into English obviously. I'm not that cultured! Of course I'm familiar with elements of the story of the Spartans and the book weaves in and out of the common legends. It's quite gripping, I've read a couple of his other books and he's fast becoming one of my favourite authors. I also have his "Alexander" trilogy, sitting patiently, awaiting my attention.

I'm planning bagging another couple of Munros tomorrow, but it's a bit up in the air at the moment, as the weather forecast keeps changing, and what was promised fine weather, may now well be low cloud and poor visibility. Can't have that, as I was intending to go off the beaten track, in which case I will be reliant on map and compass, but without visible landmarks a map would be no use. So, hopefully, the forecast will alter yet again, and I'll be able to have a grand day out tomorrow!

Bring Out Your Books!

Today I managed to acquire some books that I've wanted for a while. I would have had them yesterday had the parcel fitted through the letter-box, but it didn't and so it winded up back at the delivery office. There was a good reason why it didn't fit in the letter-box, and that was because it was a box-set. The "Alexander" trilogy by Valerio Massimo Manfredi. Translated from the original Italian into English of course. Supposedly second-hand, but clearly they've never been read. You can tell that sort of thing!

I hadn't intended to buy them yet, but having purchased a CD from Amazon recently, I realised that by adding a couple more cheap items, that I could save paying postage (they have some sort of deal on). I read "The Tower" by Manfredi, last Summer when we were in Italy, and it was a decent read. I have decided, from the reviews that I've read, that these "Alexander" books will be even better. I also notice that Matthew Reilly has a new book out too, "The Six Sacred Stones", the first part of a double header, continuing the adventures of Jack West. Now, that's a man who knows how to write action adventure stories.

You might be wondering what the photo above is of? Well, this is where all good books go to die, an abandoned book depositry. Perhaps not, they go to live in cardboard boxes in attics, cellars and garages. There must be billions of books rotting away unwanted and unloved. Why don't you go and look through your old books... do you still recognise them? Perhaps some of them are worth reading again. Otherwise take them to a second-hand bookshop, so that someone else might get the benefit of them.

I Got Me Some Bargains!

I picked up a couple bargains this morning, when the wife and I went on our bi-weekly grocery shopping trip to Elgin. I always look at the book section in Asda's because quite often they have some decent novels for £3.50 ish. Harking back to my Italian holiday in July, if you were keeping up, then you would remember that I read "The Tower" by Valerio Massimo Manfredi while I was there, and that I promised myself to buy his other books once back home in Scotland. Well I did have a look on ebay, but then the focus went elsewhere and I forgot all about it. Anyway, there I was this morning, looking at the books in Asda's when I saw "Spartan" by Manfredi for £1. Woah... bargain book buy or what? So, I snapped that up and "Wolf Of the Plains" by Conn Iggulden for £3.50. That's a novel about the life of Genghis Khan. Yep, you're starting to see just what type of novel I go for, aren't you?

Following that coup, we had to go and try and get some music book for my daughter, for flute, which of course wasn't in stock. They never are! My wife decided to look in some clothes shop and waved me off to Ottakers book-shop, although I wasn't really intersted, but then I found the best buy of the lot, despite costing me £10 this time. I looked under education, you know, just on the off chance that I might see something worthwhile buying, when I spotted a book called "The Trainee Teachers Survival Guide" by Hazel Bennett. After 2 or 3 minutes flicking through it, I relaised that this book might just save my life. Not only has it a wealth of pointers on all aspects of Teacher Training within the Uni, but it also has lots of helpful tips for what to expect and to do while on school experience. I should have had this book a few months back, but better late than never, as they say!