In today's art classroom

As an art trainer, I get numerous opportunities to visit various kindergartens, primary and secondary schools. I teach visual arts, and I provide my children with learning experiences – primarily to explore, to experiment, to create, to destroy, to reflect and conclude. It is a fun job, but a little part of me dies every single time. Why?

“I don’t know how to do. I scared wrong”. Or “I don’t want to do, later my hands dirty”.

For the 22 years in my life, I have never been to the toilet as often as some of these kids have, in one lesson. I am not kidding. I have spent more time responding (more like rejecting) to requests for them to go to the toilet to wash their hands, than actually creating something in class.

The disgust on their face when a little bit of paint gets onto their fingers. The frustration they feel when things get stuck to their sticky fingers while gluing their artwork. Worst, when they make an irreversible mistake on their work. The devastating look on their face makes me wonder at times, if they see me as the devil who is out to ruin their lives. However, I do get my fair share of blames from ‘The blame game’ – “teacher I told you I cannot do it, you ask me to try. See what happens. Now it is ruined”.

True enough, I did ask them to try, but what I expected in the end of a failed attempt was for them to figure a way out, or experiment to see if another method works, but they give up. They simply give up.

It puzzles me to know that these beautiful intellectual beings are afraid to try something new, or try something different. They are just… Afraid.

It irks me even more to know that the only texture they are willing to touch or lay their finger on, is the screen of their phone or Ipad.What a waste.

Don’t get me wrong. Not every child is like that, and I did not say that it is wrong to be a fastest fingers first. You can be a genius with technology, but your ziggity zag fingers that got your through Temple Run, will not get you through a Visual Arts lesson, especially when you’re supposed to create with your hands - on paper, on batik, with wires, clay, paint, etc.

I am not the ‘cleanest dish in the sink’ either; I am not the finest example in the early childhood or education industry, so I will not cite famous quotations from great philosophers on what is good or bad for kids. However, what I do know is that if I were to ever take care of kids, or be blessed with kids of my own, I will make sure that these kids get to feel what it is like to have gooey, sticky, messy, muddy, or to what others deem as “gross” things on their hands, feet, body, and heck even their faces.

There will be days where they will scavenge for their little toy soldiers that are trapped in huge ice blocks, and there will be days were they will pretend to have crime scenes and chalk silhouettes outside. They will have coloured bomb baths, after wriggling their feet in mud puddles, or after running across oobleck. They will read books about plants, and they might even pick up gardening after that. They’ll meet insects that help their plants, and they’ll keep pet caterpillars and butterflies. They’ll have puppet shows on rainy days with their felt and paper mache-made puppets, or they could play with shadows and lights when there is a storm.

They will explore, experiment, present, create and destroy. Most importantly, they will have fun.

Technology? Oh they will get to go on the web. That is, when they are fine tuning their ‘blueprints’ so that we can make cardboard go-karts to race round the park.

Now who’s with me?

Tanner Edwards

Watch how this little precious work the stage!



Couldn't stop smiling to myself throughout the video!

Romanian Orphanage

When the 'child' is mentioned, what comes to your mind? 

To many, an image of a child comes to mind; A healthy, happy child, either playing by the playground or with friends; one who explores and loves being close nature; A child who has the privilege of having all their needs met (air, water, food, shelter, and even love); A child who has never-ending fun. 

Many assume that all the children on Earth are given that privilege. I beg to differ. Not every child is that lucky. Not too long, a lecturer of mine showed my cohort a video of an orphanage. Now, to the normal naive mind, many would think that an orphanage is a haven to children without any parents. The video below would change your mind about your assumptions. 

It pained my heart to see the children placed in such a living condition. All of them seemed so identical to each other, even though they were all not related. Was it because of the environment? The upbringing? The physical and psychological treatments? No child deserves to be given such a treatment. Every child has the right to live a proper life, with their needs met. 

Thankfully, John "Johnny" Upton came to their rescue.

Sometimes, the reason why I hate volunteering or doing humanitarian stuff is because I am not able to reach out to everyone. Just like in the video, John Upton had to leave behind so many children because of the incomplete paperwork from their parents, or the director of the orphanage. The worst part is that, the child does not understand why he or she is being left behind, and that moment, they lose belief in themselves, the people around them, and in life. Even though coming up with an intervention is a good thing because one is making a difference, the guilt in not being able to help everyone outweighs the positivity in the interventions.

Despite all that, I hope that this video can put an end to all the hate and torture children go through. They are just too young, innocent and naive to know what is going on, or to do anything to stop it. They do not deserve such treatment, and I hope that whoever who is responsible who get punished eventually. 

My plea for now is to hope that we all do our part to help or ensure that the young and the innocent get a chance to live a proper life. 

Children as Advertisers

As most of you would know, my attachment days for this semester are on Wednesdays. Usually, it would be the most dreaded day as each attachment lasted four to five hours, and for someone like me, that meant hell.


However, something struck me one day as I was making my way for attachment. I figured that I could have been more positive, or at least look at things on a brighter side so that things wouldn't be so awkward for me every Wednesday. So I decided to go with the flow, do my own thing, and try to be as comfortable as possible, and by that, I meant doodling, more doodling, observing, goofing around and making fun of people and things by myself.

Whaaat?

Anyways, just a couple of weeks ago, something interesting happened. I was doing the usual stuff, interacting with the kids, doodling, folding some origami for some of them when one of the students came up to me. I wasn't really paying attention to her, so she waved at me with something in her hands.


Upon taking a closer look, I realized that there were two cards in her hands, literally business cards. She shoved both of them to my face and grabbed a seat beside me to explain that they were her parents'. "If your car is spoilt, you can go find my daddy. But if your spectacle spoil, you can find my mummy".


What I found intriguing about this situation isn't the fact that it proves one of early childhood's researcher's theory right, but rather, the amazement of how such a naive little girl was actually trying to boost business for her parents by advertising for them. And I wasn't the only one who received the cards. Teachers, and other staffs received it as well with the same speech given by the child.


Simply amazing. The once naive, innocent and blur type of child I once was, is totally not evident in this generation.


Sooner or later, kids might even start running agencies to sell houses. Who knows?

Interview at Temasek Polytechnic!

One word to describe the interview: Nerve-wrecking.









I received a call last night at around 10pm. ( I really need to freakin' kick the habit of being "selective" to the calls that I pick! Hey, at least I admit that I "avoid some people's calls, especially numbers that aren't registered in my phone. I'm trying hard to kick the habit, but if you need to call me, and want me to pick up, register your number in my phone, or at least text me and say it's you. Can't blame me, blame the KFC guys, right Syuh?) Okay, it was more like a miss call.


Well, I didn't call them back. And you would've thought "so how did you make it for the interview?". Well, my friends, there's something called the internet, and I was lucky enough to check it last night.


They did leave their numbers behind and hey! They matched my missed calls. Okay, so it was too late to call them back, and so I waited for the next day, which was today.


Anyway, I actually set my alarm to call them at 10am (hey, it was early already, having that I slept at 4am) but I freakin' missed another call from them at 9.24am! Damn, when I woke up at 10, I made sure I called them back, and I did!



Okay, putting all that aside, you might be thinking "say what course you take lah! Type so much!"


Well, I applied for Psychology Studies and Early Childhood (cut off point is 9 leh! How can? I've only 13 points!) through JPSAE (Jeanice, I asked you to apply hor!) and that explains the interview. I was lucky enough to be one of the shortlisted few and it felt awesome to actually step in Temasek Poly.


Anyway, I almost got myself lost while finding the building, but fortunately, I made it on time. There were some ice-breaker games(it was a much gentler version of Wacko!) before we began the interview. I had no idea as to why I was placed as the last one to be interviewed, but it was awesome anyways, having to chill with people I didn't know.


Before I left home, I told my mum that I was worried that people might think of me as a freak, from the way I dressed, to my hair, to the way I spoke. But when I reached TP, I realized that the interviewees there were just as fun.

I did make some good friends, like Mabel, Grace Song, Li Min, Hanna, Elsa and Jia Qi. Li Min was the wackiest one there, while Mabel was the lamest one. She even said, with qoute, that she could kill someone with her own lameness.


Now how awesome is that.


Well, having to wait from 5.30 to 7.15pm wasn't as fun as I expected when everyone left, leaving me behind. And when it was my turn for the interview, I could only say one thing "I'm hungry."


The interview questions were very much related to the course that I chose, the dual diploma. Apparently, I was selected for my efforts in volunteer work and leadership. I tried to refrain from uttering pure rubbish, but I couldn't help it, they were asking too many questions, so much that they too were confused at each other's questions.


But it was fun though, because I made use of every cert. I had, from the Adam Khoo workshop, to the CSSP and Ne Ambassador Certs. I talked so much till the lecturers had to raise their hand to stop me from talking. Wah Lao... I felt pretty much like an American Idol contestant that was about to be booted off the stage.



Oh well, whether I make it or not, it's up to them to decide. But I'm happy that I got to experience being interviewed by professional Psychologists! It was nerve-wrecking as they were analyzing my every move. Hahah. But it also means that I may be a step closer to my dream job!








All the best everyone, for your choices! It'll be out on 30th January!




Loves.

What would you do if a beggar were to ask you for money?

I was walking home last night when I saw an elderly lady who was selling tissues near the escalator at the MRT station. She seemed to be begging for people to buy tissues from her, at 3 for $1. She was always at the same spot, be it day or night, sun or rain.

I must say, the citizens of Singapore are either too busy or just damn bloody rude. Most of them simply ignored her, or shunned her away, as though she was some pest. Though she was rejected a couple of times, the lady never gave up, and continued to beg, exclaiming how poor she was, that she had no food to eat and that she needed money.


" 我没有钱吃. 请你们可怜可怜我 "(I have no money to eat, please pity me) was what she said when I passed by.

I took out a $5 dollar note from my wallet, and handed it to her, together with some biscuits that I had bought earlier on. I rejected her offer of the 15 packets of tissue, but I told her this: " 我觉得每个人都是穷的. 所以我们去做工. 您已经不年轻了, 所以应该好好照顾自己,而不应该在这里求人给你钱.你的孩子们应该给你钱. 难道他们不心痛吗看你在这里求人? 虽然我们穷,但是我们不应该放弃, 对自己没有信心. 我们应该继续努力 , 来让别人知道我们不会那 么容易被打败的.

(It sounds nicer in English, because my mandarin is THAT BAD: "I think that everyone is poor, that is why we get a job. You aren't young anymore, and should take care of yourself, not stay here and beg. Your children should be shameless for letting you beg here, they should support you and not let you suffer like this. But overall, even though we're poor, we should never give up on ourselves, and we should prove that we can actually live on without having to turn to the worst, begging. We should prove that we tough enough to not be put down easily.")

I don't know if she understood what I was saying, but I think she did, as I saw her eyes getting watery, but she smiled and thanked me.

I don't know if she had misinterpreted my Bad Mandarin, but I hope not. I was not trying to pick at her, or make fun of her, but rather hint that she should expect better care from her kids, as they should return the care she once had for them.


It's been a day, and I've not seen her yet. Maybe she took my advice? Or maybe she shifted to some other place to beg. I don't know. But what would you do if you were in my shoes?