Exploring the Ancient Forests in Singapore with My Pupils

"Quickly put your plastic bag in your bag", I shouted across to one of my female student who was being chased agrassively by an alpha male. She had been confronted by the monkey once she stepped off the bus, and the poor girl was running in circles trying to get the monkey off her back.

This was the first lesson that we learnt once we reached Bukit Timah Hill - never to feed monkeys, if not, they will turn agressive. Bukit Timah Hill is one of the remainding few patches of primary forests in Singapore. Primary forests are the original patches of the forests that have never been cleared by Man. Secondary forests, on the other hand, are forests that have grown back after human intervention, for example, an abandoned rubber plantation. Due to the lack of human intervention, primary forests are known for their richness in biodiversity, tall tress and lack of undergrowth due to the density of the canpoy wipping out sunlight within the forest. In comparison, secondary forests tend to have lesser species and have more undergrowth as more sunlight can pass through.

Mr Wong, my first guide, shared that there are around 900 species of non-flowering plants and 100 species of flowering plants in Singapore. He also shared that there are more types of plants and animals in Singapore compared to the entire North America! How amazing is that? We are a country too small to find in the world map, and with more than 90% of our forests cleared, we still have more species types compared to an entire continent!

Throughout the fieldtrip, we saw many interesting plants. Beside are the links of my students' blogs which capture much of our learning. We also did manage to see the monitor lizard and several other insects, but they were too fast to capture on the camera.

I really enjoyed this fieldtrip, not just because I like being with nature, but I can see a lot of good character/values in my students. Many students showed interest, and were taking photographs, writing down notes and asking questions. It was heartwarming to see them interested in the nature. I see students, particularly the international students, sharing their own knowledge about certain plants. I also was proud of the student, whom despite was born with a hole in her heart, decided to join the class and climbed slowly to enjoy nature and persevered on. I was equally touched when I saw another student being a gentlement and offered to carry the bag of the girl I mentioned earlier on.

That's why I enjoy organising fieldtrips for my students - other than to expose them to nature & reality - I also get to see them with a different perspective.

Mr Murphy, My Belated But Unwanted Valentine

Murphy came knocking once again.

I was almost close to tears.

It was 8.30pm. I was cold. Tired. Hungry.

I was still in the office.

And this time, I was locked inside the office.

Because my keys were locked in the students' office.

When I should be safely locked inside, I was locked outside.

When I should be safely outside a locked office, I was locked inside.

Murphy, Murphy, I know I didn't have a date on Valentine's,

But you really need not come knocking ... ...

Editor's Note:
You need to read the blog entry on “A Stormy Adventure” where I was locked out of my house to fully understand the context of this entry and how miserable I felt when I found myself locked in the office. Nevertheless, Nelly became my superhero when she braved the cold and dark night to rescue me from my pathetic situation. On a positive note, we spent some time walking her back and admiring the stars. This time, we could identify the Orion and see The Milky Way clearly (also read “A Night Under the Stars” to understand context).

Dinner @ Charlotte's

“Let's put our hands together and pray for our food.”

I held hands with Charlotte and her mom as her mom said a prayer for our dinner. It was fish that Charlotte's sister, Inge, who had caught it in Namibia, and they had invited me over for the braai/BBQ. This was the third time that I am eating with her family, something that I am very grateful for.

The first time was when I was in Bloemfontein for the eco-school assessment. It was my first time having a dinner at a more traditional “English” household. There was a prelude of chips and tea and epilogue of tea and chocolate to the dinner. It was a really nice, warm and homely experience. It made me feel like home, and Charlotte's mom also reminded me of my mom and aunt.

The second time, I was invited over for Christmas lunch. Again, it was a new experience for me, putting on Christmas hats and popping Christmas crackers. As usual, her mom wiped up delicious meals which were presented so nicely that they could easily be part of a hotel buffet. I was really touched by her family who so kindly offered me to be a part of their celebration.

To a large extend, Charlotte's family is like a surrogate family to me in this foreign land. I look forward to every interaction with them, as they remind me, and provide me of the family warmth that I lack over here. This is one of those memories that I will pack carefully and safely in one corner of my heart and bring it back with me when I go home.

A Night Under The Stars

“Chi, the bread that you ordered is here!”

I looked at my watch – 2.30am.

“Thanks, I will be there just now,” I quickly placed down the telephone receiver, got off the bed, grabbed my jacket, money and car keys, and drove down to the security gate.

I was there to receive 50 loaves of bread on this early Sunday morning. We were going to make sandwiches for 625 learners/students for the Wetlands Day Celebration on Monday. Looking at the bread, and loading it into the car, I was getting worried if we could actually pull off such a stint. There were only four of us, and we were only starting in the late afternoon that day. Nevertheless, I should worry about that later. Now, I just needed to quickly pay up the money and snugged back into my warm bed before icicles start to form at my nostrils.

“Thanks buddy,” I thanked the equally tired, but reliable security guard, before I went back into the caddy.

As I drove up the hill back to my house, I was greeted with an entire sky filled with stars. I have never seen so many stars together, ever. They were packed like sand on a beach, of various brightness, but all gleaming that the moon was not here to outshine them today. I parked my car under my porch, and walked out of my gate, away from the light, to admire the amazing sight.

I tried to identify the stars, but it was evident then, that I had been sleeping through much of my astronomy course, as the only constellation that I could identify was the Orion, with his awkward posture, belt and dagger. I realised that the more I stared into the sky, the nearer the stars seemed to be, and somehow this created a false sense of warmth. I quickly forgot about the icicles that were forming, and continued to absorb the beauty before me.

“Chi, what happens if you cannot open your door like the other day?” my imaginary friend warned. I brushed it off, as I was quite sure that Murphy would not decide to visit me twice in a month. Moreover, my door was already closed. If it was stuck, it was stuck. Why should I stop what I was doing to check?

“Chi, unlike the other day, you cannot be banging at your neighbour's door for help at half past three in the morning....”

Somehow, I understood where my imaginary friend was coming from, and thus reluctantly returned to my house. That night, I had a strange but wonderful dream of swimming with the stars. Yes, swimming, not flying with the stars. Thus, it was a strange dream. But still very pretty.

Afternote: At the end of Sunday, we managed to complete all the 50 loaves, and created lovely sandwiches for the learners! It was really a cool learning experience for me i.e. making the sandwiches, not waking up at 2.30am to receive the bread order.....

The Golden Gate Special – Using Drama in Environmental Education

“Welcome to the Live studio of Wilgenhof at Golden Gate Highlands National Park! You are here today, because your school, Mariam College, have received free tickets to this awarding winning talk show – The Golden Gate Special. Our programme will start rolling in five minutes. As this is a Live recording, please kindly switch off all mobile and sound devices. Please also kindly refrain from talking to one another during the show. Are you ready?”

After addressing the audience, the host settled down in her chair, and her assistant, Nelly, helped to neaten her hair as camera man, Koketso, started to count down to the start of the show. “5, 4, 3, 2, 1...”

“Good Evening, and welcome to the Golden Gate Special! I am your host, Chi, and we are honoured to have the presence of Mariam College today as our audience. The focus topic for tonight is - The San People. We have several important guest speakers who would be sharing and discussing their knowledge about the different aspects of the San people. First up, we have Professor Kirsten and Professor Kaylee, anthropology experts from the University of Cambridge, who will share with us who exactly are the San people and how they look like.”

“Hi Chi, thanks for inviting us to your show. First, I would like to bring out my models to better explain who the San people are and how they differ from the Khoi Khois.... “

It was a wet-weather programme for Mariam College. It had been raining continuously Golden Gate for the past few nights, and they were not able to go on a night walk to Holkran's where they would learn more about the first inhabitants of the area – The San People. Prior to the start of the talk show, learners were divided into six different groups. Each group were given information from various articles concerning a specific topic and area of focus about the San people i.e. physical appearance, social structure, food & water, language & beliefs, culture & art and current challenges. The group then had to select two key guest speakers who would share information about what they have learnt. During their sharing, other team members were integrated as part of the show in many ways e.g. live models, acting in a “documentary video”, demonstration etc. Each team was then interviewed by the host and the audience. The host then showed the audience photographs and summarised key points to wrapped up the segment before introducing the next guests. The structure of the programme was modeled after famous talk shows like the Oprah Whitney Show and Dr Phil.

It was indeed an academy award winning show! Other than the first guest speakers who introduced the physical characteristics of the San people with the help of models, “professors from the University of Reitz” also shared the social structure of the San people through a “documentary video”. “Language experts” taught the audience how to pronounce the different clicks “!”, “/”, “//” and “=” of the San language. A “team from National Geography” shared how the San people hunt for food and how they obtained water. “People & Conservation officers” also shared the culture and beliefs of the San people, with particular focus on rock art. “Representatives from UN” also generated a discussion on the fate of the San in modern society, with particular interest in the current San community who is facing oppression in Botswana.

Through the various presentations from their peers, and with the questions and further inputs from the host to fill up the content gaps, learners from Mariam College were able to learn about the San in a much more fun and engaging way! Let us continue to try and think of creative ways in which we can engaged our learners in environmental learning!

Chinese New Year @ Golden Gate

Sticking to traditions, I started spring cleaning on Saturday. Defrosted my fridge and gave it a good scrub. Cleaned my sheets & pillows. Vacuumed and mopped the floor. Scrubbed the toilet & kitchen. Cleaned my oven. Tidy the house. For my reunion dinner, I wiped up a nice meal with prawns, dried shitake mushrooms and broccoli. The only thing that was missing was the presence of family.

It was strange spending new year away from home, family and friends. However, thanks to technology, I was able to call my family and friends to send my greetings half way across the globe. It was really heartwarming to hear the familiar voices from home. It was then that I fully understand the meaning of absence makes one's heart fonder. I also then decided that I shall not be so stingy (with money) and try to call them more often.

Another reason that made me upset, spending new year away from home, was the fact that I could not have my lao he (toss fish) this year. I really do not understand why this dish is only available during this time of the year. The ingredients are actually available in the market all year round! (Actually, I do understand, but I'm in denial at the moment.) It's my favourite dish that I look forward to every year, and I would eat it on all the 15 days if I could.

Nevertheless, I'm glad to be back home for the next new year. And I am quite sure I would never spend another new year away from home, ever again!

A Stormy Adventure

It was about six in the evening. The storm was creeping quietly but quickly from afar. Filled with reddish sand and dust, the storm was ready to squeeze itself through the valleys of Golden Gate Mountains. Like a funnel, the location of my house is right at the entrance where the neck of the funnel starts, i.e. storms usually hit really hard at my house.

While the storm continued to engulf the faraway scene, the late afternoon sun was still shinning brightly above my house. Birds continued to sing, oblivious to the approaching storm. I quickly went into the house to grab my camera and contentiously closed the main door behind me. I was determined to film this storm.

The bright spring scene at my house was quickly taken over by strong winds and gloomy clouds. Rain drops hit hard against the wall of my house at an almost parallel angle to the floor. The wind was so strong that the bushes in garden looked that they were doubling over from a severe tummy ache. My roof rattled so violently that I swore it would have blown off if the storm just tried a little harder. Either I was being brave or naive, I excitedly continue to film my National Geographic documentary show, giving a “live” commentary as I described the storm process.

Fifteen minutes into the filming, I realised that I was simply naive, and was nothing close to brave. I was getting soaked through, and the storm was getting more aggressive. I was drenched in no time, in a short sleeve white t-shirt and (thankfully black) quarter pants, and fighting a losing battle with the storm. Temperatures were dropping a degree every two minutes. I was freezing, and the sky was darkening quickly. Moreover, it was time for me to take out my dinner from the oven.

To my horror, Murphy decided to visit at this inappropriate time, and like any predictable B-grade movie, I just could not open my door!

The next hour was the most dramatic experience I ever had. Went over to neighbour's house, contacted the technicals (they were 28km away, busy with another repair), waited and prayed that my dinner would not burnt too badly. Technicals came, tried to open the door and failed. The reassuring thought for me was that by this time, there were two other people who were also miserably wet and cold like me. I had company while the storm continued to enjoy its torture. The technicals then jumped over the fence, into another neighbour's garden and broke my window grills to access into my room. Filling confident of my agility, I followed suit. Tore a hole in my pants and poked my palm into the barbed wire as I jumped over. Only to find out that I was too short to climbed through my window. Borrowed a chair from a concerned neighbour who was shocked to see me appear from his back door, drenched from head to toe with a bloodied shirt and torn pants. As I climbed through my window, I was welcomed by a string of granny underwear which I had to duck under before I was safely in my room.

Thankfully, the technicals were very professional, and only commented about the lock which they eventually managed to break and fix from the inside of the house. As appreciation for their efforts, I shared my burnt dinner with the technicals, and made them hot chocolate.

Yo, what a stormy evening!

The Suicide Bird

It was in the evening when the sun was setting. We were returning back to the base camp of Venetia Nature Reserve near Mapongubwe National Park behind an open air safari buckie. The sky had considerably darken for the past half an hour. I was looking at the outline of the trees against the sunset when I saw an outline of a chicken looking like bird flying out of the top of a tree at almost a vertical angle.

It flapped it wings rapidly and struggled to fly its fat body about three metres above the top of the tree. At the peak of its height, it stopped for a split second, did a 360 degrees turn, tucked its wings tightly against its body and took a dive back down.

I blinked my eyes and stared hard. I thought I was imagining things. I quickly closed my mouth and looked around to see if anyone else saw what I had seen. Was it a guinea fowl? But I have never seen a guinea fowl doing anything remotely close to such a display. But I was so sure it looked close to a chicken looking like bird. But it also looked so unreal, almost like some scene from the animation Chicken Run.

“It's a suicide bird doing a display,” Laura, GVI volunteer from Tstsikama explained.

Cool.

Apparently, suicide birds, known as the red-crested korhann, do this as part of their courtship displays. More information can be found can be found here

What a cool bird!

The Venetia Experience

It was the GVI get together trip and we had dropped by Venetia Nature Reserve for an afternoon, another project that GVI is engaged in. We were going to try and track a wild dog.

Despite having to sit in the open 4X4 safari vehicle for the next one or two hours under the sourcing 40 degrees heat from the afternoon sun, I was looking forward to the experience. I threw aside my self image and put on my super big wide brim japanese tourist hat and sunglasses to protect myself from the sun.

“Watch out for the branch!” I shouted and pointed. Both me and Melissa, a GVI volunteer from Khgalahadi ducked to avoid smashing our faces against the low branch that our 4X4 safari was driving into. Strangely, it reminded me of those coaster rides that I took where one would be on a safari, going through tunnels and adventures like Land of the Dinosaurs or Tomb Raiders etc.

Pete had explained and taught us on how to use to the tracking device. We took turns to use the device while Pete drove around the area to track the dogs. Even David had the opportunity to try out and helped in establishing the location of the dogs. Unfortunately, the dogs seemed to be on the move as their location was not stable. After two hours on the road, we still had no luck. Nevertheless, there were still various good sightings along the way, including seeing a bustard (the largest flying bird), a flock of around thousand swifts flying from tree to tree, and a suicide bird (see blog entry on “A Suicide Bird”)!

As we drove back to base camp, I could not help but smile to myself as I enjoyed the beauty of the South African sunset, along with the long awaited cool evening breeze. It had been a wonderful day!

“Watch out for the branch!” Melissa shouted and pointed.

Both me and Melissa ducked.

“Er Chi, did you just lose your hat?”

An Adventure with No Name

No Name, the horse that I was riding, finally stopped. I was still hanging on No Name, with both my arms tightly grabbed around his neck and my body hanging off on the right saddle in an awkward position. I looked at Alet, who arrived a second later on her horse, with polouring eyes, as if to gain some sympathy and also to ask “What next?”

“Chi, just let go!”

In a very Singaporean way, in my head, I immediately told myself, “Yah hor?!!!?” and felt really silly as I slowly lowered myself to the ground, and tried to rid No Name again.

I had requested for Alet to bring me and david for a two hour horse riding session. It was nice without riding with the tourists, as I could really experiment and learn how to control a horse, e.g. trotting and galloping. It was also great to have Alet around as she would also help to check my posture and commented on what I should really be doing. No Name is a very pleasant and easy to ride horse.

We went to the top of Cathedral Cave and actually tried to see the source of the waterfall. It was actually a really small stream that supplied water for the magnificent Cathedral Cave waterfall! Other than some individual antelopes, we also saw an entire herd of red hartebeast. I would estimate around 35 to 50 of them, including the really young ones.

It was my best animal sighting in Golden Gate so far.

When we were riding towards the valley, we saw around 12 to 15 young ones running up the slope away from us, followed by a group of adults. As the herd moved further up the mountain, we noticed four adults slowly walking cautiously up the slope towards the big herd, looking at us once in a while.

“Those are probably the alpha males,” Alet explained.

As we rode slowly towards the herd (not that we want to, but the trail is such that we had to), we could see that there was some confusion as to where they should now proceed – back to the valley or further up the mountain. After some thought, the herd decided to proceed towards the peak of the mountain. It was an amazing sight to see how they sprinted up the slopes with such energy! This time, the little ones were in the middle of the herd.

Wow! Have I mentioned that it was my best animal sighting in Golden Gate so far? =)

Thus, looking forward to return from Victoria Falls for another horse riding adventure with No Name before David goes back to Singapore!

Close Encounter with a Rock Dassie

Editor's Note: Unfortunately, I did not have my camera with me, and even if I had my camera with me, I would probably not have taken a photo either, but rather enjoy the sighting. Nevertheless, here's a picture of a rock dassie (source: http://pagesperso-orange.fr/gerard.joannes/03damanrocher2.JPG).

It really looked like the one in our presentation slide show. Except that this was larger.

That was my immediate reaction when I saw the rock dassie appearing from the bushes less than three metres away.

I was chewing on my breakfast/burger at my favourite spot when I heard some rustling. When I turned to look in the direction of the bush, I was pleasantly surprised to see a rock dassie popping out of the bush. Yes, popping. It definitely popped out from the bush, like a rocket that had failed to launch properly and just popped out from the launcher.

It was so cuddly and adorable that I wanted to go over and hug it! But I knew the slightest movement from me would have alerted the oblivious dassie. Thus, I stayed frozen at my spot and enjoyed the sighting. The dassie sniffed around the rock surface with its animated face and nibbled at some plants near the rocks. It continued its little adventure exploring the rocks towards my direction until it spotted me.

It froze and stared at me straight on – face to face.

Time stood still for the next 5min as we competed to see who would blink or break away from the stare.

I won.

It started to turn and walk upwards towards another rock, turning to check on me ever so cautiously. I tried to turn my head slowly inch by inch towards the back to get a better view of the dassie, stopping and pretending to be a piece of rock whenever it turned around to check on me. It reminded me of a game I used to play in my younger days, where I would creep up behind a friend and everytime when my friend turns, I would have to freeze in my position, until she 'catches' me moving.

Just as I was in a totally uncomfortable position, with my head twisted more than 110 degrees at my neck, the dassie decided to stop and challenged me again.

Time stood still for another 5min as we started our second competition. It was really not easy. I was in an awkward position. I was starting to have pins & needles at my feet, my hands were starting to freeze due to the cold morning breeze, and I wasn't getting enough oxygen or blood to my brain due to my twisted neck. The rock dassie obviously had a better advantage this time round. I was quite sure I saw it smirked before it went up to the nearest rock, and stood up there with its head up high.

I tried to shift my body towards the dassie to get a more comfortable view. Unfortunately, my movement startled the dassie. It probably thought that I was a piece of fallen rock, and did not expect me to move. It quickly scampered behind some grasses and disappeared from my view.
Gesh. What an idiot. Myself, I mean.

Disappointed, I went back to my original position, completed the chew in my mouth which had stayed untouched since the start of the encounter, before taking a second bite off the burger in my hands.

Yo, what a morning breakfast in the veld.

Scrapping Leftovers

I went on a spending spree yesterday. I splurged R90 (including tips) on a sushi set at a local restaurant and R13 for a bag of chips & drink. For two weeks, I have managed to survive without spending a single cent. I was rather proud of myself. At the same time, I was also taken aback by my own behaviour and what I had done to save up money. It was not something that I would normally do.

I was fortunate to be assigned to coordinate the LoveLife group who were taking our meals. Thus, I had the opportunity to have at least one meal with them daily, and I would packed some of the leftovers, freezing them for future use. I would strategised such that I have just enough for myself over the weekends, and during lunch or dinner. I would also try to exercise my creativity to create new dishes from the leftovers, instead of eating the same combination =).

Yo, looking back at the last two weeks. I really cannot believe what I was doing. I did not expect myself to be scrapping for leftovers. Nevertheless, other than saving money, the benefits were that I did not have to do much cooking and that I did not take much meat, since leftovers were usually just the rice, sauce and mix vegetables. The problem was that I had more carbo than I would normally take! Plus, I am also taking larger servings than I would normally have taken.

Unfortunately, I am now back to normalcy. Will be starting to cook my normal meals tomorrow! Thinking back, wow, it really had been an interesting two weeks!

Taking Time Off - An Alien Concept

“But what can I do if I take off?” I candidly replied to my supervisor who felt that I was working too hard, and should take some time off.

“Er, you can sleep in later or tidy your house?” Sandra earnestly suggested.

I further explained that since I wake up daily at 5.30am, it was difficult for me to sleep in. Even on weekends, I “sleep in” till at most 7 plus. And tidy the house? Because I do keep my little house tidy and neat on a daily basis. It doesn't take much time for me during the weekends to do my more extensive household chores. I reassured her that I would definitely take time off when I feel exhausted, and need time to rest.

Actually, there are also other reasons why I don't take time off.

1) An Alien Concept
As a teacher, I don't calculate the hours that is put into work on a monthly basis, nor do I have the option of taking time off just because I have worked over the stipulated hours. When work needs to be done, it needs to be done. And there is no such thing as I have finished all my work and I can go home early. And as a teacher, unless I am really sick and have a MC, I would not stay at home or do my own things while my colleagues are still at work. It just doesn't feel right to just take a day off.

2) Already Taking Time Off
On average, I have been working 9-10h daily for the month of October. For a person who used to leave home for work before sunrise and return after sunset, working for an average of 12h daily, it is already a luxury to be back home by 5pm. Also, because I do not have to bring work home, I could sleep a full 8h on a daily basis. Moreover, I get to do caneoing or go on hikes almost on weekly basis during office hours, and I can even clock these leisure activities as “work time”! What more can I ask for?

However, I must admit that if I had a car or there is reliable public transport to Clarens or Bethlehem, I would probably take time off to explore the towns. Nevertheless, would do that when david comes around, and we can explore the towns together.

In the meantime, taking time off? Nagh... maybe when I'm really sick or need to rest...

Death of Shortie

I reached over and gave her cold hands a long hard squeeze. She looked sadly into my eyes and struggled to respond with a weak smile, indicating that she had understood and appreciated my well wishes. Somehow, both of us seemed to know that it would be probably the last time that we meet. I gave her one last concerned look before I closed the door of the caddy. Please let her survive through this, I muttered under my breathe as I watched the caddy drive away.

“CHI!!!!!”, Esther welcomed me into the kitchen in her usual way, hugging me as if I were her life-size Teddie bear. We had bonded within the first few days I arrived at Golden Gate. Perhaps it was because I would always greet her, in my broken Sotho, with a bow in respect, or maybe it was because I had bothered to find out her name and called her Esther rather than Shortie (her nickname as everyone knew her by – she's below 1.5m). Despite our inability to communicate in English or Sotho, we often laughed and hugged each other when we met. I quickly adopted her as a mother figure in this new foreign environment.

Thus, I felt a surge of anger when I heard how she died.

Esther had been feeling very weak and breathless for a few days before she was driven to the nearest hospital at Phuthaditjabah. She had been in and out of hospital, and doctors could not give an explanation as to what was wrong with her. Her family went to visit her last Thursday. They found her bed empty and was puzzled. Upon asking the nurse on duty, they found out that Esther had already passed away on Monday. The nurse claimed that the hospital did not have the contact numbers of the family, and thus was not able to contact them. When they searched the case file, Esther's family pointed out the contact numbers that were written clearly in the documents... ...

I was horrified.

How can a hospital not even take the slightest effort to inform the family of a patient who has died? And this was the nearest hospital that we (people living in Golden Gate) have to depend on if anything happens to us???!!!!! I hope I never have to be hospitalised when I am here, or even seek medical treatment at a hospital or clinic.

I hoped that Esther passed away peacefully, and that it wasn't because of the negligence of the doctors/hospital, but the fact that she was already old. The kitchen now looked strange without her around. Although the new staff is friendly and we exchange smiles and greetings, it is just different from Esther's daily yo-i've-not-seen-you-for-a-long-time-and-i-really-miss-you hugs.

Bye, Esther a.k.a Shortie . You will be remembered.

My Love Life

“Here's something for your love life,” Nelly, my colleague, passed a piece of paper into my hands. Sandra, my supervisor, gave me a weird what-can-nelly-share-with-me-about-my-love-life look.

“It's the invoice for the Lovelife group,” I clarified.

A few weeks ago, I have been given the task to coordinate the Lovelife group. Lovelife seek to help the youth of SA, especially to provide opportunities for youth from disadvantaged background and to encourage them to lead a meaningful and fruitful life. This camp is the last phase of the Lovelife programme. The participants have gone through a series of leadership exposure and are attending the camp to prepare them for the "outside" world. Through this camp, they learn more about their own strengths and weaknesses and what suits them as a career through personality tests and discussions by the facilitators.

Initially, I thought I would have several problems with the Lovelife group. Based on last year reports, there were several problems with their requirements and the facilitators were also far from being role models. Members of the group were also difficult to control, were noisy and rowdy.

My first love life group has just ended, and it was one of the best group that I ever had.

The group was very well-disciplined. I was immediately impressed the first day when the main facilitator Max asked the participants why lovelife chose to come to golden gate. As a young adult, he was able to control the group, and the group was also participative. Throughout the entire camp, not only did the facilitators managed the group well, even the participants had control over their own group. It was fun being with them throughout the week.

Bringing them for canoeing was not work. It was like an outing with a group of friends. It was one of the most pleasant group that I brought. There was no splashing or shouting. Everyone was just enjoying the serenity of the place. It was very heartwarming to see the excitement in many of the faces.

Bringing them for a walk at cathedral cave was not work. The participants followed instructions well and walked in a line throughout the session. They asked a lot of questions, and listened attentively when I was presenting. It was amazing. In the cave, we had a warm sharing session and discussion on their Basotho Culture. Even though I was with the group for the entire day from 8am to 6.30pm, I did not even feel tired due to the adrenaline I had!

Thinking back, I have been working for 14h everyday for the entire week! I had to wake up at 5.30am to fetch the cooks, and only returned home at 8.30pm!

But the group was worth it.

A World Class Musical Written By Nature

The whole room brightened for a split second, followed by a loud roaring sound so close that it caused my roof to vibrate. Heavy rain pattered against the window panes in rhythms with the howling wind. It was indeed a world class musical written by nature - the first serious thunderstorm that we had in Golden Gate since winter.

The sky was magnificent earlier this evening. The dark clouds gathered tightly behind the mountains, causing the sky to quickly changed its mood from a calm blue to a gloomy gray, A series of beautiful lightnings started to colour the greying sky, each followed by deep angry thunder. The scene was so intense that I could feel my heart beat faster with the increasing streaks of light flashing across the sky.

Another flash of lightening strike close, and I counted. One, two... it was quickly followed by an angry roar. This time, I swore my walls were vibrating. Clenching my pillow tightly, I cuddled underneath my blankets, and with mixed feelings, I prayed that my roof would hold as I continued to enjoy the world class musical written by nature.

A Slave to Technology

Editor's Note: I don't think you can truly understand what I am saying or understand how I am feeling in this blog entry. Nevertheless, I am doing what Singaporeans are best in doing – complaining. So, just bear with my rumblings.

I was so angry that I could feel my chest tightened immediately. I had to close my eyes and breath slowly and deeply to calm myself down. I could feel tears swelling in my eyes. Tears from anger, not from being upset. The knots in my temple were so tight that my head would probably burst at the slightest touch. I had never been so frustrated and angry in my life.

Never. Ever.

I was surfing on the net on the evening of 18 Oct when my data credits ran out. When I tried to purchase more data bundles (at R80 for 100mb), I was told that I was only allowed to do so once a month. I had to wait till after 24 Oct to make my second purchase. I couldn't believe what I heard! Nobody from the service provider could give me a reason for such a rule. Which means that I only have two choices – pay R2 per mb or go without internet access till 24 Oct.

How can I be paying R2 per mb when my budget is R100 per week?
Also, why would I pay R2 (S$0.35) for a miserable mb, i.e. R160 ($30) for just 80mb to surf facebook, when R160 could probably buy me UNLIMitED access back home. Not to mention that R160 can also buy me 30 pieces of chicken (R90), 5 heads of cabbage (R35), 5 bags of carrots (R25)and 15 onions (R10)!

I feel miserable.

And ANGRY.

Reason 1
Because of the lack of competition and expertise, technology is ridiculously expensive over here. Games that usually we can buy for $10 at petrol stations are sold at $50 over here. Computer cables/wire that would cost $6 to $8 back home are sold in shops at $30 to $40. The same wireless modem that can be purchased for $120 in Singapore cost $350 here.

Reason 2
It is not just the high cost of technology that is pissing me off. It is also the arrogance of the SERVICE providers. How can MTN, the only network that I can use in Golden Gate, call themselves the SERVICE providers when their service plans actually blatantly “milks” the customer?

1st – you can only purchase data bundles once a month, i.e. you are forced to spend more money to purchase a larger bundle or end up paying R2 per mb when your original bundle is used up

2nd – even if you purchase a larger bundle (e.g. 1G ), it will also also expire after one month, and you cannot carry the data over.

Which means to say that if you are working online, and suddenly you have used up your data bundle before the month ends – too bad, you have to continue your work paying exorbitant prices, and the next month you just have to learn your lesson and purchase a larger data bundle.

And you call that service?

Reason 3
The lack of IT competency also frustrates me. Recently, I had to check out a quotation for laptop repair, and I e-mailed a computer repair centre in Bethehelm. It scared me when it took them 3 days to reply my email. I can understand if a local school takes two weeks to reply an e-mail or they do not even have e-mail, but I find it hard to comprehend how a supposedly IT service centre can take 3 days to reply an e-mail. Also, they insisted that the laptop is virus free until I ask them to insert their thumb drive into the laptop, and use it on their own computer, which then alerted them of the virus.

Reason 4
Lastly, the viruses are driving me nuts. I freaked out when I scanned my thumbdrive and found that 471 of my files were infected with 3 different viruses. And I am quite sure that at least another virus have not been identified or picked up by the anti-virus scan as I am still having funny files on my thumbdrive that I cannot delete.

I am seriously trying to cope without reliable technology. I can handle and cope with all other “challenges”, e.g. having no water or clean water for a few days, having no power at times, having a tight budget etc. But the lack of realiable technology is driving me nuts. I have to learn how to manage my emotions while waiting up to 20min for the office computer to start up and load outlook for me to start working.

Thankfully, I still have this mini-hand-top to keep me sane by being able to type my blog entries and listen to music. I cannot imagine if my mini-hand-top is also infected with viruses. I would probably be zombified.

Can I live without internet access at home? Yes, I have already been doing that from mid Jul to end Sept anyway. While, on a positive note, other than saving money, I will definitely be posting more blog entries now that I have more time to reflect at home rather than to surf the net.

Challenges of SA Educators

The knots above their eyebrows became tighter as they frantically looked through their packed calender to find another suitable date for us.

“You must find a date for us before the final submission on the 31st Oct, and make sure that the things that we talked about are in the final portfolio. There can only be one result and that's for us to succeed!” My co-colleague, Thami pressured the educators from Pheta Primary School again.

This would never be a scene that you will see in Singapore. Let me put it into context for you. Imagine you are writing a report or doing up a portfolio for the MOE NE Award, and the people from Singapore Discovery Centre not only demands that you make time for them during your lessons, present your portfolio to be critically assessed by them and you will also be pressured to be on your toes to complete tasks and guidelines given. I cannot imagine our Singaporeans teachers humbly appreciating this gesture, we just have too much pride.

Many schools here apply for the Eco-School award, do a lot of school improvements, but fail to give themselves a pat on their back due to their lack of interest or capability to put together a portfolio. Our job is to guide the educators to put together this portfolio. There is a lot of communication and hand holding to help the educators in this process over the year, from workshops to one-to-one sessions. I feel that it is a meaningful additional gesture by SANParks to help the community. Being with so many schools in SANParks, it is obvious that there is a great gap between the quality of education in different schools, especially between the private schools in the urban areas VS the public schools in rural and poor areas. And hopefully through simple gestures like these, it could help to expose the educators in more rural areas.

My co-colleague has this genuine interest to help the schools to achieve, especially for Pheta Primary School. She had seen a lot of improvements in the rural school, but was concerned when I feedback about the lack of content in their portfolio to her (based on what i had observed during the eco-school meeting). And thus she was really adding pressure on the team of teachers. I could fully understand where she was coming from, but my heart also went out to the educators.

Let me bring you back to the first scene where the educators are frantically searching for dates in their calendar while my colleague added verbal pressure. The Principal was standing behind and looking over their shoulders while the Deputy Principal sat beside them with equally tight-knotted brows. It was the 7th of Oct, exams are around the corner, and there was a list of more than 10 items for improvement on our notes.

Is the disease for awards spreading in this globalising world? I do agree that awards help to boost the morale of the school, educators and learners, it is also an effective guideline for the school to check that their systems are in place. However, it can also be equally demoralising for the unprepared educator.

One thing that is for sure, the educators here are also not having an easy time. As quoted from a South African teacher, Parween Khan, in response to people who comment how lucky teachers are to have a half-day job and have four holidays in a year, “Frankly this is a simplistic view and I have come very close to committing murder in response to this comment. So often have I heard this inane and uninformed statement, spoken in a patronising, holier-than-thou tone – and by so many different people – that it is just by the grace of God that I have not become a serial killer!” (“Setting Things Straight”, The Teacher, Sept 08)

Take a peak into the lives of an educator from an urban area -not only do they work long hours and write long reports, they are often also potential victims of violence. Items such as screwdrivers, penknives and the occasional gun can be items found during random searches. Not to mention having to deal with the many other problems such as teenage pregnancy/AIDs/discrimination/poverty of such Mt Everest magnitudes that sometimes make us look silly when we always have so much to complain on our little Bukit Timah Hill.

I agree that back home we are really working very hard and sometimes we multi-task so much that we burnout or forget our duty as classroom teachers. But we also do get world class training and support (in terms of funds and facilities). And really, looking at what the educators have to deal with over here, I feel that we need to just stop complaining, appreciate what we have, and just start acting. Let us manage the system and not let the system manage us.

My Grandfather's Test

I have not talked about this incident for a long time but a motivational powerpoint slideshow that my colleague showed me today suddenly triggered this childhood memory back to me.

It was during Chinese New Year, and my grandfather was ready to give red packets to all his grandchildren. He showed us a bundle of red packets in his hands.

“Here, take one!”

They were all different, but all large and glittery, except for a really plain and small one. My cousins started to grab at large and glittery red packets. I reached out and took the plain one.

“Hey, how much did grandpa give you?”

We were comparing our red packets in the room. Everyone had two $10 notes, and we started laughing at ourselves for thinking that my grandfather could have put different amounts into the different red packets. He had made us believe that there are different amounts of money in those different packets.

I held on to my red packet tightly. I have often been the quiet one, so I got away without answering when asked how much I had. How could I have told them that I had a $50 note in my red packet?!

“Grandpa, I think you put too much into my red packet,” I innocently went back to him to return the red packet. And he gave a winked and said, “Keep it. You deserve it, because you chose the simplest and were not attracted by the size and glitter of the other red packets.”

There were two simple lessons here.

1) Be satisfied and you will be rewarded.
I was happy enough to just take the plain red packet. I did not need to have the biggest or the most glittery one. I feel that happiness is not defined by what happens to you, but how you perceive what happens to you. e.g. if I strike 4D of $100, I can either be really happy with the returns or frustrated that the amount is so low. And strangely, when a person feels happiness, he or she displays more self confidence, and are able to make more positive decisions that lead to positive outcomes and events.

2) Dare to be different and you will find unexpected returns.
It did not bother me that I was getting something really different from the rest. I am not advocating that one should always be singing a different tune, but rather don't be afraid if you don't have a good voice - just sing out loud, be creative with your voice or do something different. You don't have to pretend to sing along with the choir and feel miserable all the time.

It just dawned upon me ....

It's Saturday 4th Oct 2008, 6:15 52sec ....

It just dawned upon me that I am in South Africa.

Alone.

Fulfilling my aspirations and dreams.

I have been just busy learning, adapting and being involved in the daily operations that I forgot that I am actually in a totally strange and new place....

10 years ago, i never thought that I would be where I am today.

I have always been fearful and weary. And had always prefer the “safe option”.

“Why don't you want to study overseas? Me & Mom are willing to send you overseas!”

I must be one of those strange kids who actually rejected my parents to send me to an overseas university. I wanted to be close to home.

I remembered also backing out on one community project in China because I didn't have confident with the organisers, and actually worried it was a 'scam'. I had lots of regret when the rest continued with the journey and gained/gave so much.

“You have made a very selfish decision. You should have done this before you got married.”

“But just go ahead and enjoy yourself.”

Moms will always be moms. They may not agree with your decision, but will support you all the way.

It may not be a big deal to many, especially those who have been educated overseas, but for me – it's one of those decisions that I thought I would never have the courage to make.

And it's also the support and encouragement that I have from home that gave me the strength - my hubby, parents, in-laws, relatives, friends and school. Thank you for believing in me and allowing me to make this selfish decision.

Thank You.