The Anchorage, Part 3

[Pendraia]

Thanks Miss B and Terre! We have a number of interesting children but most grades are the same as us. I have two wonderful Education Support Officers as I have two students with extra funding but all up we have 3 students diagnosed with ASD and a number of students with behavioural issues, not to mention a number of students who are low academically and need additional support. It's all part of being a teacher these days.

 

[DanaTA]

Do you teach in a private school? I find that teachers in public schools have it really tough these days (in the U.S. at least). Many (if not all) of them have to buy supplies for the classroom out of their own pockets. I find this disgraceful!

Dana

 

[Pendraia]

Hi Dana,

I teach grade 1/2's (think between 6-8 year olds) in a public school and it is similar here unless you work in a public school in an affluent area. I have in the past bought items for school and still do in terms of things like picture story books and also craft items. I also recently bought some round cushions for children to sit on. I have some students who find it hard to sit still on the floor having a cushion helps them to know where to sit. I had taken one home to wash but it didn't work well so in the end I replaced it. Teachers do things like that all the time here. Even my eso's(educational support officers) buy extra stuff like bubbles and books which they shouldn't as they don't get paid enough to be doing it. It can mount up over a year. First year I was teaching I spent about a thousand dollars...didn't realise it until I went to the tax agent and added up all the bits of paper my husband wasn't impressed. But it was all things that I needed in the classroom. I either make or buy things like playdough and slime also.

Our school has a high migrant population and low income earners. It's a high growth area because it outer metropolitan and the housing is cheaper. At one stage we had over 60 different languages in the school and often you have at least have the children with english as a second language.

I went into teaching because I wanted to make a difference...I never wanted to be anything but a classroom teacher so I'm not interested in leadership roles at all. I like working with the kids and 1/2's are a lot of fun but can be challenging at times.

cheers

Pen

 

[DanaTA]

Well, I'm certain that age group is a lot easier than high school. I would dread that, especially these days. In the late 60's and early 70's it wasn't too bad. We were rebellious, but we weren't violent thugs (well, most of us weren't). Today it seems I'm always seeing news stories about thugs that threaten the teachers, or worse.

I respect your dedication!

Dana

 

[Pendraia]

Thanks Dana...I teach because I enjoy doing it most days. Don't like the politics that you get in any school but working with the kids is great! The school I'm at is a P-9 so we have teenagers here...most of them are way taller than I am but most listen when I ask them to do something you always get a few who are challenging though doesn't matter the age.

 

[Terre]

I respect your dedication!

Dana

As do I.

 

[Pendraia]

Thanks Terre...

 

[Satira Capriccio]

Apparently, Weightless by Marconi Union, is the world's most relaxing song???

I don't find it all that relaxing though. However, once I turned the volume down to barely audible, it wasn't quite as distracting. But, I also find most sounds/noise distracting. I'm probably over-sensitized to noise though since I live and work on incredibly busy streets in the sixth-most populous city in the US. To put that in perspective ...

Rank	Metropolitan	Country	Population	Year
1	Tokyo	Japan	37,832,892	2016
7	Beijing	China	24,900,000	2015
9	New York City	United States	23,876,155	2017
11	Mexico City	Mexico	21,650,668	2017
18	Los Angeles	United States	18,788,800	2017
29	London	United Kingdom	14,187,146	2016
34	Paris	France	12,532,901	2015
70	Philadelphia	United States	7,206,807	2017
76	Madrid	Spain	6,549,520	2018
78	Toronto	Canada	6,417,516	2016
94	Sydney	Australia	5,005,400	2016
96	Seattle	United States	4,764,736	2017
97	San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward	United States	4,727,357	2017
98	Melbourne	Australia	4,641,636	2016

We must be crazy to live in such populated areas!

 

[McGyver]

They have New York City at number 9... with only 23,876,155 inhabitants... They never count the CHUDs... Granted the Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers usually eat any census takers they find, but it’s important to note with NYC’s beloved CHUD, it would have at least 25-26 million inhabitants.

 

[Miss B]

Geeze McG, I nearly chocked on the water I was drinking just now.

 

[DanaTA]

They have New York City at number 9... with only 23,876,155 inhabitants... They never count the CHUDs... Granted the Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers usually eat any census takers they find, but it’s important to note with NYC’s beloved CHUD, it would have at least 25-26 million inhabitants.

I'm pretty sure I have that movie on one of my hundreds of video tapes!

Dana

 

[Satira Capriccio]

That would put NYC metro area at No. 2! Impressive!

Unless they counted the CHUDs in all metropolitan areas. I'm sure NYC isn't the only city with an underground population. For sure, Philadelphia has quite an active underground population. Though, I'm not sure whether they are cannibalistic or able to survive on the underground wildlife.

Then too, a large proportion of the underground population are the roving gangs of middle and high school students looking for a fun time (which is not so fun for those they encounter) and a wee bit of extra spending cash (also not so fun for those they encounter). That is ... when they aren't busying invading stores to lick cartons of ice cream or eat tide detergent pods.

 

[Mythocentric]

Blimey! All we've got in our sewers are giant mutant hedgehogs!*

* There is absolutely no truth in the rumour that someone once saw Elvis down there!

 

[DanaTA]

Blimey! All we've got in our sewers are giant mutant hedgehogs!*

* There is absolutely no truth in the rumour that someone once saw Elvis down there!

Well, that's one way to start a new conspiracy theory!

Dana

 

[Mythocentric]

Well, that's one way to start a new conspiracy theory!

Dana

Good one innit? Actually, we only put that about to distract people away from the truth. Of course, I couldn't possibly tell you where he really lives but those goonies planning to invade Area 51* could be in for one heck of a surprise. Unless of course, they bump into Paul McCartney first who died in 1966 and was replaced by a walrus called Rocky!


* Have you noticed how everyone talks about Area 51 but nobody ever, ever, ever mentions Areas 1 - 50! What's going on eh? That's what I want to know. What's going on?

 

[Seliah (Childe of Fyre)]

Unless they counted the CHUDs in all metropolitan areas. I'm sure NYC isn't the only city with an underground population. For sure, Philadelphia has quite an active underground population. Though, I'm not sure whether they are cannibalistic or able to survive on the underground wildlife.

...I'm going to wave my "what rock have you been living under" flag here.

What the heck is a CHUD?

 

[Satira Capriccio]

McGyver introduced us to CHUDs ... Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers.

They have New York City at number 9... with only 23,876,155 inhabitants... They never count the CHUDs... Granted the Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers usually eat any census takers they find, but it’s important to note with NYC’s beloved CHUD, it would have at least 25-26 million inhabitants.

 

[Seliah (Childe of Fyre)]

McGyver introduced us to CHUDs ... Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers.

Hah! Got it. I knew I'd missed something!

 

[DanaTA]

...I'm going to wave my "what rock have you been living under" flag here.

What the heck is a CHUD?

C.H.U.D.

Surprisingly, they seem to have made a sequel!

Dana

 

[McGyver]

“C.H.U.D.“ was an 80s B-movie (more of a documentary, really) about chemically mutated people living under the streets of New York City, eating their way through New York’s population.
C.H.U.D. had a limited “theatrical” release and mostly went straight to video.
It was followed a few years later by “C.H.U.D. II- Bud The Chud”... which was as good as it sounds.
Aside from their penchant for consuming human flesh, the CHUDs are mostly misunderstood and really just want to be treated like everyone else... and also to eat you if you turn your back on them for a second.