Teacher reading a Canuck Book to a captive audience

Once he saw how the kids loved the book, he was willing to try it himself. He was definitely overwhelmed with the participation, but will soon figure out how to keep control over the kiddos during story time.

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Everyone is so kind to want to send books.

I must tell you all that I will accept books for this library from any of you. Many have asked what kind of books.  I have thought carefully about that question, and know that Dr Seuss, Berenstain, H.A. Rey, and Richard Scarry are the only ones that I think will work here. The children are delighted because they have never seen these books. They are fun, understandable, and good resources for phonetics - a huge need in the English department.

Another thing to keep in mind is cost of delivery.  I have been paying the postage (except for poor Jennifer, who sends at her own cost) BUT, I cant continue to do this. Every Canadian dollar for postage is calculated in ringgits for me, and I am paid in ringgits. That works out to 3x my income.  I know it does not seem like much, but it all adds up at the end of the month. My poor kids will have to support me if I keep doing this.  So please think twice before you get carried away sending books.  They will all be loved and they will all be appreciated.  Now, having said all this, I will complete this post with the books I have at this time, but have another box on the way. Some duplicates are fine, because they tend to be the very popular books and each school would probably love to have one at all times.

DR SEUSS
the foot book
one fish two fish..
green eggs and ham
the cat in the hat
the cat in the hat came back
mr brown can moo
hop on pop
ABC
BERENSTAIN
bears on wheels
the B book
H. A. REY
george takes a job
how many
AL PERKINS
hand hand fingers thumbs
RICHARD SCARRY
little ABC book

SO IF YOU STILL WANT TO SEND BOOKS, THE AUTHORS LISTED ABOVE ARE THE ONES I AM SEEKING. I WILL ADVISE THE MAILING ADDRESS LATER

OTHERS I HAVE ARE:

 IF YOU ARE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT  -  Jane Cabrera

MICKEY’S Halloween Treat – Disney book

THERE WAS AN OLD WOMAN WHO SWALLOWED A FLY – Pam Adams

A couple of cardboard books of phonics

I will update my list once the box in transit arrives. 

tried to upload a video.

cannot seem to upload here - probably internet connection problem

I will see if I can do this at the wifi cafe. It gives you an idea of what kind of impact the books from Canada have on the kids here.  For now, for those of you are interested in my library project, here is the blurb Adrian, my boss requested from me to promote it throughout Malaysia. It has already generated interest from my colleagues. A couple of mentors from JB have travelled to KL this holiday week to buy books for kids. Yay

Why These Kids Need Books

While the students get a maximum of five hours of English instruction in school on a weekly basis; it is our job to encourage them to take that learning beyond the classroom. Taking a book home is one way to get English beyond the classroom. When they go home they do not take English home with them. Many families have limited or no English. If we want to see our work here producing that which was anticipated, then we need to develop strong reading habits in the young learners. I have found a way to get books in their hands, but I need your help to make this grow.

Introducing books at your schools, that are fun to listen to, will encourage the children to read English books. I have enlisted my Canadian friends to shop at second hand stores there and send me books. I have given them a list of the books appropriate to our learners, and I regularly get packages in the mail filled with Dr Seuss, Berenstain Bears, and H A Rey classics. These books are a hit, and when the students at my schools see me arrive, they squeal with delight and prepare for another new book experience. The first two books I have read to them are HAND HAND FINGERS THUMB and THE B BOOK.  Now I regularly hear the students chanting the lines from the Hand Hand Finger Thumb book, and I frequently see them miming bubble blowing when they see me. (I take a bottle of bubbles to the classroom when I read The B Book. 

Scanners are marvellous tools, but they do not replace books. Please don’t scan books and think you have given the gift of reading. It is not fair to the publishers and it is not fair to the students. Children need that tangible object to get into the habit of reading. Flashcards and laminated pages are tools for learning. So are books.

The whole concept of a travelling library cannot rely on only me.  Yes, it is a cost to me – I do not expect my friends to pay the postage to Malaysia. But a small price to pay to bring a gift of learning. My goal was to have a travelling library that circulates through the five schools I work with. I have attained that goal, and the books are ready for travelling to the schools for a one week layover at each. I have also bought a few games so that a room can be dedicated to English reading and games – where the students can gather during their break and get into the habit of reading for enjoyment.  Now, I know that this could expand to much more. If other mentors want to witness the delight when the students see you arrive with a book, they need to find a way to get more books here. If we each have a case of books travelling through our cluster, we can exchange with each other to bring in a whole new library. If several or all mentors took part in this project we would have an extensive library for the children in Malaysia with very little monetary injection individually.

I have collected about 30 books and have been advised that I have another $130 parcel on its way.  That price tag would probably indicate 20 – 30 more books. Far less than that number of books would cost here. My focus is primary readers – but once they are active readers we will need to focus on a higher level to accommodate their needs as they grow. But for now, I am happy with this.





Pepper Mill Mic and Happy Birthday Song

A pepper mill in hand - we were instructed to sing a song before we were sung to.

Enjoying the Happy Birthday Franley with tamborines, tubas, and trumpets

Stanley and Frances are sung to

The waiters and staff at the restaurant combined our names into Franley for the song.

Here I am known as Frances - you would understand if you ever heard an Asian try to say Fran. Not enough time to recover from the short name to pronounce anything. But my buddies have quickly figured out how to call me Fran or Frannie. I guess I know who is a buddy here!

Ending the Birthday Night at some outdoor bar

John, from Batu Pahat and formerly Wiggins (somewhere in UK), and my dear friend Emma, who is leaving for Negari Sembalan today.

picture worth a 1000 words?

Probably shows you how I felt on my surprise birthday party on Friday. Complete with pearls from Ryan from an earlier birthday.

Just after my rendition of "I'm a Little Tea Pot" - I am just like the kids, I clap for myself!

I am backing up

I have decided that I will move backwards this year. I spent the last year thinking I was 62 and only recently discovered that I am only 61. What a nasty time to learn that one. Because now I really am 62. So, I have decided to be 61 this year to reclaim the age I missed out on. I think you can do that when you are my age. Besides, this evening I was acting like 16.  Emma was texting me with messages about plans for tomorrow. We were like a couple of kids – planning and plotting. She has decided we should wear make-up and get dressed up. I told her I would try – but would have to find my make-up first. She even wanted to get our hair cut together – but I won’t be finished work in enough time to do that. All this flying back and forth in texts. Apparently there are great plans ahead for the evening – and I am going to be sad when it is over. She and Travis are leaving for the west coast on Saturday.  I was so lucky to have them so near as we all became like family as we became familiar with Malaysia. Remember – she is the one that found apple sauce for me when I was in the hospital. Now I know why we clicked so well. Emma is so much like Jennifer – mature beyond her years, taking over when someone needs to lead, but always full of fun too. Travis is just like Ryan – a great sense of humour, and that winning smile just like Ry. Just like Ry, he doesn’t fill space with a bunch of useless words, but when he does talk it is always worth listening to.  So, looks like I am going to be not living near my kids once again. Only this time the kids are my surrogate kids.

I am not completely sure what the evening plans are – but I think it will be low key. We all begin a week-long vacation so many have left already today, and others will be heading off somewhere in the afternoon. I am looking forward to a week of relaxing and maybe finishing a book I never have time to read. And I think it is time to get my hair cut. I cannot believe I have allowed it to straggle to the extent that it is. I have been here 7 months and have really let it get quite ratty. But fearing no ponytail, I don’t get it cut.

Hari Raya

this is the greeting that causes the festivities after Ramadan. It goes on for a week of visiting, celebrating, and enjoying life in general. Jeff and I decided we needed to make a card for the Head Masters and Head Mistresses at our schools. Since we are are working in schools, making a card felt like the appropriate choice. We used photos from different occasions at each of the schools and you can be sure each Head Master or Head Mistress searched the surface of the card to be sure they were represented.Because we are involved in 15 schools, we needed a two sided card. Here it is.

on the left in the lower page - Jeff as a mouse - in a storytelling workshop we did. On the right on the same page - Madam Frances in her  baju kurung - a gift from the little girl standing beside me.

Canadian Christmas?

As I sit at the computer gnawing on some semblance of italian sausage, cream cheese in a bag, and homemade salsa - all neatly stuffed into celery sticks, I browse the web for the elusive deals for flights home. There seem to be tons of them, but whenever I get close to clicking on one the internet shuts down. This will have to be a Rosemerah venture over a roti pisang with an iced cap chaser.  And of course - free wifi.

I have a week off next week so I can do my scouting then.  I have been invited to Hari Rayas all over the place - I guess I will have to show my face at a few of them next week. But I long to lounge around and do not much of anything. One of my head masters has invited me to his home, so I guess that will be one I will go to. It is also near to my new school cluster (once I get replaced where I am).

Much like Christmas cards, Hari Raya cards are floating around the countryside. What will even knock your socks off is fruitcake is also in abundance Seems like every country in the world tries to get rid of the stuff and uses a special occasion to do so. I have to admit that I actually like the stuff. I have been seen spreading this cream cheese from a bag onto a slice or two in the past.

If anyone wants to feed me when I am back in Canada I have only one request NO CHICKEN PLEASE. Other than that, if you have been a faithful reader here, you will know that very simple fare, in fact fare you have probably never considered will please my palate immensely. A tanquary gin would probably be a good idea too. Martinis here are whatever clear fluid - Malaysian gin or Malaysian vodka = martini. dont even need an olive

Lizard for Levi and some drivel

I am sure all of you are wondering about Gordie and his clan. Well, the update is that he really has become very fond of me – dancing merrily on the patio ceiling when I occasionally visit him in the evening. He and his buddy romp around in circles when they hear the screen door slide open. Of course I always leave the light on in the evening for them – even when I am not out myself. They have learned that the patio is their territory – the living room mine. But, I do know that Gordie himself slips inside occasionally , and that is ok. He keeps all bugs that squeeze through crevices under control.

His cousin, who has claimed the back kitchen, has not warmed up to my presence  - and the feeling is mutual. He understands that I can enter at will to do my laundry. I see him fleeing for his life across the wall, to the window, and then magically slipping through the joint of the sliding panes of glass. Kinda looks yucky to see him flatten himself to that degree, but as long as he leaves when I enter I am happy.  I pay the rent, so I should have some upper hand in this one. Beside, my vacuum cleaner has a workout each week cleaning up behind him.

As I went outside to hang my laundry today, this little gaffer was following me around like a puppy.  He must be one of Gordon’s offsprings. I would almost step on him because he is so tame and like a puppy, does not know that he is in danger by being so close. I’d hate to step on him, it would be like stepping on a grasshopper. Maybe it is a she, not a he. I think I will name her Ghaici. Now to remember it - I made it up so I could easily forget it too.

Internet is not being fair. I may not be able to  upload an image today - thunder and lighning rolling all around my place, and that causes havoc with my connection.  Unlike many of my colleauges - I enjoy the storms - they remind me of cottage days at Katepwa.

Laughing Cow et al

I am thinking I am getting an idea of why all the tooth decay in this part of the world. At least part of the answer. There is no food here that actually requires any chewing. How I long for a rib eye steak to sink my teeth into. This the probably the most difficult adjustment in this country - the lack of meat, the lack of food that requires much chewing. Maybe a jaunt to Singapore would relieve this craving. Chicken is about all that is really available in the protein department - I would not buy the beef here as it tends to be a chunk of flesh on a wooden block - where they will hack off a chunk from that for you to take home. In JB there is some Australian beef, but it looks kinda nasty.  For now, I have found some organic celery in JB and hide it in my fridge from others. 

I cannot believe I am admitting this, but here is my lunch for today.
spam, laughing cow, & celery

I actually found some spam 'light' - not sure if it was from anorexic pigs or somehow modified for me, but the crunch of the celery was delightful!

Jenn and Pat are Heros Here

Just received parcels from Canada - Pat and Jenn both sent books. When I get a parcel from Canada I tend to have a lot of people looking over my shoulder, and insisting I open it NOW.

So I did, and squeals of glee were heard throughout the office as each book became the object of everyone's attention. It was delightful watching the teachers read these books with the same enthusiasm I witnessed so many years ago when my children were young. Those books are truly a gift here.

Thank you for the efforts and the generosity of sending something to make so many people smile and enjoy the gift of reading.

I Survived

This past week was frantic, long, and more hectic than most. But it is over, and I am home, with the gate locked, rain drenching the plants that I put on my patio by the gate, and my feet up on a stool. A good ending to a good week. I managed to find ocean prawns today. Not sure what they will be like, but I am willing to try them. One of my teachers in the most rural school is going to take me to the fisherman next Friday to pick up one kilo of the lovelies.  Yummy!  I am wondering how to tell them I need the heads off. I will get to that bridge when it is time. Also found a person to make me my new baju kurung. That is the style of dress worn here. I need an expert - I spent all my money on some silk and I do not want something badly sewn. I found him when I was looking for a postal office out in the nowhereland. He has a sewing school - where I saw a bunch of sewing machines and went in to enquire. He will sew the outfit so I have no doubt that it will be perfect.  But of course, he could not measure me - Muslim rules. So I had to be taken to his home (by his assistant) to have his wife measure me. I just might have my new outfit and prawns on my birthday. What a treat!

For now, a refreshing shower and maybe just a wee g & t would hit the spot.

Although Em and Trav are leaving, they are leaving behind their huge bamboo tree in my care. I can talk to the tree and know that they are not far away from hearing range. Not sure how this thing will make it to my house, but that will happen somehow, like everything else.

Now for that shower and other treat.

Go Dog Go

Internet here tonight is sadly lacking. I had to wait for about 10 minutes to load my e-mail page, so not sure why I am bothering with this. But, my kids will know that I am at home safe and sound after one of those hairy days on the roads burning up about 350 km of pavement (sort of).

Tomorrow will end the week, and I will retreat to my home with the gate locked and unavailable to others while I recover from the week.

Here is how I looked today:

Diorama in Sedili

a diorama is a model of three dimentions that we use for creative teaching and learning. With hand and finger puppets, as well as popsicle stick puppets, the children have fun making up a story much like the old punch and judy ones we did as kids.
Again, the teachers have impressed me immensely with their handicrafts making something so intricate wtih such limited resources.

grass in the forefront was made from homemade playdough

this one is the setting for the lion and the mouse - complete with the net that traps the lion

The dioramas were made from shoeboxes and the puppets from scraps of fabric and needle and thread.

Levi's hungry caterpillar

NOW THIS IS ART! Look at the chubby cheeks of this hungry caterpillar. Now hanging in the living room of my home along side of all the other art work Levi sends me.

bought batik

I took Emma out to my schools to give her a feel of what her new location driving will be like. She has a new respect for the driving I have been doing but did enjoy the scenery too. It is breathtaking - when you have a chance to look at it. But when driving out there, one tends to require all their attention on the road, anticipation of crazy moves by other drivers, and constant scanning for various wild life. But we got there and back and both managed to pick up some beautiful batik for our homes. We decided we needed some art and Maimunah, my batik artist was the answer. Maimunah was so thrilled that I brought another buyer to her studio that she offered me one of her creations as a gift. I convinced her to sign it, explaining this is art, and her name needs to be displayed as much as her art. Emma got into the mood, and was asking for art that was not for sale, and before you know it, the two of us were taking home several pieces of art, plus we ordered another together to have duplicated so we both can have a beautiful silk wall hanging that we can always look at and recall the time we spent together in Malaysia. We took our 'finds' into a local framer. I will pick them up this morning and deliver Emma's to her this afternoon on my larder run to JB. Here is one that I brought home yesterday. I love the colours and simplicity of the piece. I hung it with some cup hooks that were on the wall, and then taped the top of it to the wall. Hope you like it too.

I could not get rid of the glare at the bottom of the picture, but this gives you an idea of the work she does. I love the leaves and I love the colours. You can see I am not a gifted photographer. Maybe that will come when I take the time to try some tricks with the camera. For now, you get my efforts as they are.

as promised - Mentee Art

Armed with a plastic bag of broken crayons, our mentees create this sort of work in our book making seminars. If you have never read the B Book, then trust me, this is a duplicate of the picture in the book. If you have, then you can see their reproduction skills are amazing.

coconut shredding at Sedili

this thing was inside a coconut and I asked what it was. never did figure out what they meant, but they kept telling me to eat it, eat it. So, I did. It was good, kind of like coconut but spongier. But good.

Then they laughed and said I could try this too. But when I began to try to settle in to do the shredding, they said no, no, no. Not sure if it was dangerous or what. But I did not get my hand on the shredder today.

I was actually at the school to work with the preschoolers who enjoyed phonetics with M. Frances. Had lots of shouts, hollers, and volunteers with answers. Then down the road to the other schools I visited today. Finally home after the professional development in Pengerang and a stop off at Rosemerah for Pisang Roti (banana roti) tres good!

East meets West, Technology vs Creativity, Can One Live without the Other?

Well., I decided to give you all a lesson - or shall I say - my thoughts on two very different cultures. We, as westerners are of an individualist culture. Meaning, we think for ourselves, and act upon our own thoughts. Asians are a collective culture, which means they act upon what the collective determines to be the best for all. So, having said all that, I have observed something very interesting. We as westerners tend to express ourselves from thoughts and ideas we generate from within. Asians, however, express and reproduce what is already there. And they do a splendid job of this reproduction!  At my professional development sessions this week, we are having the teachers recreate the books I have in the ' library' I am building. By doing this, they will all have a copy of sorts in their clusters and schools. The videos we made from this exercise are hysterical. The drawings each teacher produced were profound!  Now I know that artists are developed through practice. We in the western world tend to encourage young budding artists to draw willy nilly - expressing themselves through this medium. Asian cultures tend to use self discipline and self control to do the same. As I see it, the Asians appear to be winning - with the number of talented artists everywhere. But are they artists, or are they reproducers? you know - the ones that copy famous artists?  Does it really matter? Can you reproduce a master's work? I know I cannot.  Every one of these teachers produced an almost mirror of the drawings in the books. I know they did not trace - I watched them draw. Besides, the images they made were a bit larger than the book images. So, what does this tell me?  Asians, which we already know are technically superior to westerners. That is not a bad thing - we are creatively superior to them. With the two strengths we build incredible tools to share.  And that has been proven over and over again. A marvelous invention created by a western mind becomes a reproduction from asia in no time at all. Everyone can access these because there tends to be varying levels of the reproduction; making it affordable according to the choice of the end product.

Maybe all should be left as it is - I think these talents are part of ones being. There are western artists and there are eastern inventors. But if you look back in history - neither is a common occurance. Yes, I think it is inherent, but also cultural. We as westerners tend to encourage individualism in expression. Doing this, we are encouraging imagination, invention, and self expression.  Asians, as a culture encourage self control, collective beliefs, and reproducing and maintaining what is there already. Taking that posture, they churn out technological wizards and reproducers that we will not match in our own society. Both are needed.  I will post a picture soon of the teacher reproductions of the books so you can see for yourselves.  They are teachers through educational pursuits - the skill of technological reproduction seems inherent.

The two Beautiful Females in My Family

Have you ever seen two more beautiful females in your life?

I am not sure if I already posted this picture, but was cleaning up my desktop and sat and looked at again and thought they need to be on the blog.  I can hardly wait to go home and pick up that little bundle of pink and kiss her chubby cheeks. And then maybe even give Kollin a kiss too.  hee hee

Yikes what a downpour

We had our professional development program this afternoon at my base school. Then, out of nowhere, the wind came up, and the rain drove into the classroom. Lightning and thunder were erupting all around us. What a nasty thing to walk through going to my car. Nice leather shoes - but I finally decided that my linen dress was soaked, so my shoes might as well be too. Good grief, the water was up to half way to my knees.  And what a lovely drive home. Soaked to the skin, sitting in air con on high. That is the only way to clear the windows in in rain here.  I have to report - the locals behaved themselves on the road. They appointed me leader, and I drove us safely to the highway.  I hate that position, but what can one do, when no one will pass.  Guess that was the bright spot to the day. Home now, trying to figure out how to dry my shoes without them turning into mould. I wonder why no one bothers to sell shoe and leather protector here? Odd, isn't it.

That last statement reminds me of what I was teaching them today. Tag questions. You probably don't recall what a tag question is - you just use them and know how to use them. Try to explain to an ESL student that English speakers ask a question they already are pretty sure they have the answer. Then, they go ahead anyway and ask it.  Very important to teach this to them - otherwise, we get wrong answers to questions because they only focus on the statement - not the question.  It was fun. I hope they thought so as well.

And that is about all I have to say today. G'nite

between downours I shall attempt to post the birthday boy photos

Being a senior citizen and a mother, I am allowed to tell lies. This is not Ryan but it might as well be. It is Levi in a photo that Ryan took. I don't have the baby pictures of Ry on this computer with me, so this will have to suffice.  August 7 1977 he looked much like this.

Well, a few years ago in Victoria on the breakwater we took a simular photo of us to the Koh Samui Grandfather and Grandmother rock shot. This clearly shows the weather and temperature difference. Why do kids get taller than their parents?

Hmm, looks like kids lie too.  This is a photo from Ry telling his fretting mother that he finished his dive in the Red Sea and was heading back to Thailand. The person on the left OOPS, YOUR RIGHT, THEIR LEFT looks amazingly similar to my son, the diver. But then, there are no pyramids in Thialnd, are there? I seem to be giving directions like the people that give me directions here.

I love this one. It shows me what life is like ondeck or whatever one calls it. They all look so cute, with big grins on their faces.

Now here is the most recent picture of mother and son - this one wearing far less than the Victoria one.

so, now we have to plan our Viet Nam vacation, Ry so I can post more fun and travels next year.

Now I am gonna be in trouble with Jenn.  I don't have any pictures of us together. I guess I will have to allow the camera to snap a few of us and begin this file with her too, But she does shine through on her own quite nicely as you have witnessed here.

Happy Birthday Ry Guy

Happy Birthday Ryan

I am attempting to load a couple of pictures on this for the pictural progression of who you are, but the internet is not playing fair.  Hopefully we will all see the darling baby that became the handsome man you are  now.

For now, wishes for a great day - although we cannot be together for it, in our hearts we are.

I love you

Mom

most recently - pondering the day in Thailand and how to keep Ma amused again.

A bit of Trivial

The town Ulu Tiram translates into English as Snake Oyster.

I am gonna head to my friend's in JB and get the list of schools and try to find them on my way home. I would like to know what I am considering getting myself into before I get into it.  I will let you know what I discover after the discovery.

No No to GO DOG GO !

I was sorry to hear the response, but have to hnour the culture. I know that dogs are not acceptable animals in this part of the world. But the stories by Eastman are such good stories for beginners.  I have cancelled the shipment of the Go Dog Go book because they cannot wrap their head around reading stories about dogs to the children.

Isn't nice, isn't freeing to be Canadian?

How Much Do I Miss Western Culture?

 I think maybe more than I realize.  I stopped into KFC for my coleslaw fix - with a pepsi on the side. There before me were two women from a western culture, dining on rice and something. I stared at them just as others stare at me. I finally went over and introduced myself and asked if they lived here or were travelling. I was actually hoping they were new residents of KT to be friends with me here. Not so.  They are  teachers - in Taiwan, on a cycling trip.  So we had a lovely chat, it was wonderful talking with someone that was from North America.  Anyway, before long I seemed to offer my house and beds for them. I am not sure they will take me up on it.  I said I would let them talk it over and decide after I left.  I gave them my address, a map, and my phone number.
Beds were offered because they were in K.T. heading to Mersing, which is considerable distance from here. They asked if there were any good hotels along the route. That is when I broke into my evil laugh. Might have put them off with that laugh. Plus the fact that I said I would be home for the evening because I have to go home to take my meds. (meds as in antihistimines for the allergies - but they could interpret them as all sorts of meds - ha ha) To give them an idea of what is between KT and Mersing I explained that I live in KT because there is nothing between KT and Mersing - including gas stations. I would have to live in the school if I didn't live here. I strongly urged them to stay in KT because it was too late in the day to get to Mersing before night.  They also did not know that the highways are as they are. They only travelled on the double lane freeway from JB and do not know what is in store for them the rest of the way.
So, I better run the vacuum and check the bathrooms in case I have company.
Jeepers, I wish this blog had spellcheck. I am too lazy to read my posts and when I upload them I see all sorts of errors that sometimes I go back and fix and other times NOT.

And the library grows!

My Victoria friend has been having fun shopping for books. I have advised her to look into the cost of shipping, and I will pick up the tab for that.  I am so excited about having a real library. The count is now up to 20 books! The library is open! Well, it was actually open with 4 books.

I love the Eastman books. That series seems to have the children here in awe of English.  My newest Eastman book to arrive from Canada will be Go Dog Go, joining the well received Hand Hand Fingers Thumbs.  I think I could have a copy at each school and still not have enough.  Whenever the kids see me they wave and say hello Jack, hello Jake. and then giggle.

Adoration of a Big Brother

superman and his little sister

If you manage to tilt your head, you can see writing on Kollin's tummy SK GEMBUT. I had this wee dress made from the school Batik. So, she is probably the youngest one in a school uniform at that school I think. Nana has a matching dress.

The Power of One Never Fails

What began as a library of 4 books and a deck of UNO cards has evolved into 10 books and 4 games. Today I just got a message from a Victoria friend who has been shopping at Value Village for me and has amassed 10 books on that excursion. And her granddaughters want to be pen pals with my kids.  Now off to the school to see if someone is willing to take this on in her classroom.

It is so rewarding to find others infected with the desire to help these kids and what I am doing here. I think this piece of news could be very welcomed during Ramadan.  Definitely something to divert their attention from the fasting.

have a great day everyone!

Adeella Rocks!

Who is Adeella? Why does she rock?

In my mind, a teacher is someone who has passion for helping others learn, loves learning themself, and has patience in the process.  This describes Adeella. But she is not a teacher; she is a teacher assistant in the preschool class where I mentor the teacher.  I mentor, co teach and deliver professional development workshops to the teachers I work with. They are required to attend all of these. Adeella is not required – but she has requested to be included in the professional development sessions, and has never missed one.  Her background however, is a degree in computer science. Now, with this information and if you know me, you will understand why Adeella rocks! 

I find the bureaucracy of my job enough to drive me crazy. I have reports to write, reports to upload, and then monthly logs to write and report to various government officials. I understand the need, but don’t like it any better. I figured out how to write these logs on a spread sheet, but could not figure out how to merge several spread sheets into one. I asked Jennifer, but she being the mother of two little people has barely enough time to breathe in a day. She tried to tell me on the phone, but I am a learner that needs all senses stimulated if I am going to learn anything. And the phone does not do that.

So now to the point. Adeella, the computer genius helped me today. She reminded that her background is computer science. I assured her that her understanding of software is far beyond my own and I was confident she could help. And help she did. And being the great teacher, she patiently did the steps, allowing me to watch and write myself notes, and then let me try it myself.  It is rather odd that we the great mentors have no understanding of how to do this. I have checked with all colleagues and none can do it. I now have the golden key to the spread sheet maze we all dread every month.

Yes, Adeella rocks indeed!

back to work

Now that everyone is settled into fasting it should be interesting to see how they all cope. I will have to sneak off to the car to have a sip of water. Or a nosh of food.  They dont really fast for a month - they eat before 6 am and after 7 pm. I cannot imagine eating and then going to bed. Not good for the digestive system I am thinking. But then, I am not doing that so all is well.

I also cannot imagine not having any water during the day in this climate. But again, I will not have to find out what that is like either.