how to deal with stress

I once asked a friend of mine, who is a doctor, what is the main issue to consider if you wanna live healthily. He did not hesitate a second, but categorically replied: 'Avoid stress!'

Stress has become a very common expression. Seen from its medical context, I believe that still many of us have no idea what stress really means. I have experienced both sides of a classroom: I have spent years at the desk as a student, and I have spent a few years teaching as well. Neither of these roles is freed from potential stress. As a teacher, there's so much you have to deal with, whereas students mainly see the "peak of the iceberg", which is the teaching as such. Teaching means leading a minor enterprises with sometimes striking employees! :)

Students too, can experience stress. A high pressure, caused by exams, teachers or expectations of parents, can lead into very stressful situations. As for me, I estimate that factors of this sort abound. Furthermore, stress does not merely come from outside, but also from inside. Often I realised that most stress was caused by my mind. To see abundant assignments and meetings on a diary it's not quite relaxing. Facing a schedule squeezed of tasks is what usually bothers me a lot more than the tasks themselves!!

Weekend No. 9

This weekend was quite a busy one; on Friday I went with my classmate Yasemin to watch the movie "Elisabeth - The Golden Age". This movie is currently in the cinemas here in Vancouver. Much as the movie was impressive, I still prefered the original one about Queen Elisabeth. I couldn't help thinking that some sequences targetted on staggering artistic images rather than historical truth. But still, it was worth the money, for sure.


On Sunday we went to the Vancouver Aquarium in the Stanley Park. As I didn't expect too much, a surprise was almost garanteed. There's a wide range of sea creatures exposed. It really is impressive. You keep asking yourself: so, that's what we know. And what is it that we don't know yet? There further were beluga whales, dolphins, sea lions and seals. Thanks to informations near the vitrine I learnt how to distinguish a sea lion from a seal.

On Monday I attended a concert of the Vancouver Symphony. They played the Violin Concerto of Tschaikovsky. It was fabulous. I'm short of words to describe what it was like. A only 19 years old talent, born in Vancouver, performed the solo. This piece of music once was reputed unplayable! :) I conclude that it is playable, indeed. At least for some talents. This too, did worth the money!


All in all, the weekend was shamelessly expensive, yea.

geneneral

This is a picture of Tofino in Vancouver Island. I strive for going there still in October; according to most Canadians point of view, in November or later prospects are slim to ever have good weather.

why tofino?

I'm aware of what a popular location Tofino is. As a matter of fact, nice places are popular. It is most important to me to come out of Vancouver for a while and enjoy Canada's wonderful nature, fresh air and wilderness. Despite the fact I chose to come to Vancouver, I'm without a doubt a person who loves the countryside.

Tofino, I've been told, there 's great occasion to do Whale Watching, which is a must for me once I'm here. (Switzerland's not quite an appropriate part of the world to do Whale Watching :))

vancouver island

It's not my only goal to attend a Whale Watching program over there. To discover the island as such, see Victoria and spend a couple of days outside the smoggy air of downtown would be parts of my wish, too. I intend to rent a car for maybe two days and spend a while at the coast. Before arriving here I hardly had an idea of Vancouver Island. The more I was amazed how huge it is. I found out it has a size that's seventy-five percent of the size of Switzerland. Whenever I'm on a trip, I don't merely wish to go to places known, but also to discover new areas. Unless there is a vehicle, it's rather impossible.

comment of week 2

The view of my future



The current situation is the following: By January 2008, I will have finished the language school I am attending these days in Vancouver and will have to get new orientation; I see it's actually easier to talk about what I don't wish rather than what I wish for my future!





The way I don't see my future:



I surely wouldn't spend the rest of my life at one place doing the same job until I'm 65, 'though I have the desire to get settled at last! The past three years I moved often and had a lot of different jobs! Whereas I don't strive primarily for doing the same for the remainder of my life.

I am a human being that needs to do and try out new things from time to time.





Ideas



Probably I will do a visit at a career counselor to figure out if another education for journalism is something suitable for me. It's often been a wish of mine to go to that direction. As I love writing, reading and researching work (all things I could do in my profession as teacher, too), I am really interested in that direction! If I keep this idea alive, I'd may start with a new training next fall.

It may happen that I go on working as an Elementary school teacher instead. It depends a lot on what the career counselour, my dearest and God (who plays an important part in my very life - that is not a joke!!) think. There has not much emancipation been achieved in my life, has there?! :)