New Projects:

ABC book for Waldorf homeschoolers and people who want to see what first graders do with letters.
An extended day program at the kindergarten for multi-age group.
Craft camp next month for five days.
Waldorf Administrator for the Waldorf Steiner Education Association (Singapore).
Public Talk series with once a month talk on element of Waldorf Education.
Enrichment Program on Saturdays for children 6-11 (ongoing)
Craft parent education (pay per class)

Rachel Maddow is on fire. She was sounding to me a little like a serious, female version of Jon Stewart. This video is long but I think interesting because she talks about how a US Senate candidate for Kentucky (Rand Paul) has struck the tuning fork for racism in America. I agree.

The sun woke me up this morning, (not the cats or the girl). It was nice.
We rode the bikes (and burley) to get coffee and bagels then to the big playground we just discovered in our neighborhood. Booty likes the adult section better than the children's section, so we hung out there checking out the exercise equipment. Next door there is a croquet court and it is always busy with local people playing. Today there was a tournament. You could hear them calling out after shots, "Ahhhh!" or sometimes they sneak in a little english, "You never see that ball!". On our way to unlock the bikes we came upon the familiar site of the Filipino aunties sitting with their employer's dogs. The dogs were leashed to the children's climbing structure and when I tried to say hi to one little Jack Russel he bit me. I couldn't explain to the woman that dogs bite when they are leashed too much and not walked enough. Oh well. Some doggies are like this also.

Last week we went to my friend Nikki's house in the center of town. She has two shelter dogs. Both are more gentle than most dogs I know. George, the shepherd mix ambled up to the gate when we arrived, sniffed and wagged his tail. Very gentle and lovely. The entire visit was filled with sweet dog sniffs and one gentle and tender dog lick from Sidney. It made me long for doggie love. Some dogs are like THIS also.

Starting a new project of alphabet book, in the first grade Waldorf main lesson book style. See "A" above.

Last night I went on skype and was able to see, and be seen by, my friend in Chicago. My new MacBook has a built in video camera. What a treat. Not alone! Not Alone!!

This morning I went to a learning center called Julia Gabriel downtown Singapore. It is a hugely successful business for families who want their children to be more expressive and interactive with their learning. It runs mostly on the weekends and each class for children ages 2-18 lasts for one to one and a half hours. It reminded me of the way I taught public school in Chicago. The teachers are real lovers of learning and of children. Unfortunately for me it would be a step back from what I really believe in, which is letting children experience their own development through the body and the arts before the intellect is tapped. It seems that the children were enjoying themselves in the small classroom but my perspective is that they are pushed too far into what we call "parts thinking" and not so much into the gesture of language- the sounds and their meanings, the numbers and their relationship to the whole world. Just because you can read doesn't mean you have a healthy, balanced relationship to language. And this creates thinkers that are not able or willing to solve big problems. Just small ones. Which may lead to problems in the big world.

Imagine you have dry lips and they are so chapped nothing you put on them helps but the doctors decide to give you a special cream with hormones to solve your problem. The cream causes more serious problems and your original problem was only dehydration. Why don't we treat illness like whole body illness? Why can't we educate the whole child?

What Singapore needs is sensory integration schooling. The children need to feel their bodies (clay, tumbling on a mat, art, singing, marching, climbing etc.) and feel themselves in the world as important and loved. Not like little students with their portfolios.

Singapore just earned the title "most competitive nation". How dreadful.

Whatcha readin"?

Right now I am reading "The Story of Forgetting" by Stefan Merrill Block and "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell. Having already read, "What the dog saw", "The Tipping Point" and "Outliers" I figured I should read the best seller. I like Malcolm Gladwell's work.

Movies?

Watched Douglas Fairbanks' "Thief of Bagdad" last week and LOVED it, which surprised me because it is a silent movie. But it includes a magic rope, magic carpet, white winged horse, mermaids, a dragon, a very excellent evil khan Mongal, and lots more.
And last night "Grapes of Wrath" a John Ford adaptation of Steinbeck's novel.
the cast is phenomenal (Henry Fonda!!!) and the screenplay excellent.

For the last few weeks we have had a Filipino Eurythmist stay with us, Grace. She is so warm and fun to talk to. Booty loves having the company. And Mr.D is doing some therapy with her which is really great! Selamat Grace! (Thank you in Filipino)

Girl. How I feel too!

I am grateful for:

My beautiful daughter, my lovely house, my helpful live-in maid, my strong body, my loving heart, my Guru, Rudolf Steiner, my friends and family altho' they seem like a dream from a long ago time, my cats when they aren't waking me up, my husband who hasn't quite given up on me yet (I hope), and the divine light that keeps me optimistic despite my feelings of hopelessness.

That which makes me feel crazy and finished:

Many things...
but I know this too will pass.

When I went to long Kreeya today (breathing meditation with Art of Living fellows) I was followed into the building by a short old man with a beard and a fez. He asked me a question which I didn't understand as I pressed the elevator button. He seemed lost. He pointed up and I said, "Art of Living meditation" which he didn't understand but as I had put my hand gently on his shoulder he put his hand on my waist and then before I knew it he was patting my butt. I (again) gently pulled his hand away. And as the empty elevator door opened I quickly asked myself if I could hold my own with this guy, yes. I waved him in first. I wasn't going to fall for that again. As we rode up he asked his question again and again I didn't understand so again (he he) I said, "Art of Living meditation". "Meditation!" he smiled and I got off the elevator.

My friend at meditation seemed shocked to see my short hair. I cut it again last week. It is funny how differently people from the east react to short hair on women. Why did you do it???!!! Like there was some sort of drastic reason. I like my hair super short. I am also aware that I look very masculine with short hair so I try to wear make up and dress a little nicer. But I certainly didn't cut my hair to shock or offend anyone. People from the US and from Europe don't seem to be affected by it. I know I am generalizing but I had short hair in Chicago for many years and it was never an issue. Well, except for my mum. She does not like it short.

Why is it so hard to find lumber!
Or a play structure/frame for the booty!
I have been searching online for hours and failed to find plywood to build something (like a climbing wall for the girl) or a wooden play structure like this (by Plum in the UK) for our back yard.

Please spread the word!

This is a pretty cool project and if you pitch in you will get a very unique "comic book style" portrait. C'mon! The artist only has two weeks to raise his goal! Just check it out:
Click here: Portrait Project

Also for more examples of Ryan-Alexander Tanner's work click here:

www.ohyesverynice.com

My picture of the Oriental Pied Hornbill



And



Wild Singapore's picture

For Nature Lovers, YES! For foodies, Oh No!

I found our week-end to be a big YES! and a big OH, NO!

The island of Palau Ubin is a fifteen minute bum boat ride from Singapore and the difference between the two places is quite breathtaking. Palau Ubin does not have electricity, it runs on generators. It is mostly jungle and mangrove swamp. There are 4 vans on the island. Downtown boasts of two restaurants, two convenience shops and a bike rental shop. Temples outnumber any other establishment.

On Palau Island there is a nature conservation area called Chek Jawa. We rented bikes and rode there from our hotel. We also visited the next day. We saw an Oriental Pied Hornbill, amazing! A wild boar and her piglets by the shore. Mudskippers!!!



It was quite hot and our hotel was the only place with AC. We stayed at the vastly disappointing Celestial Resort where the rooms are unfinished (see handy man 1, 2 and 3 trying to fix our knobless bedroom door behind which is a trapped husband).



Where "American breakfast" consists of an overeasy egg, 2 hotdogs, canned beans and instant coffee with creamer. While the downtown mom and pop restaurants had veg fried rice, tofu dishes, prawn, fish, chicken, pork, beef and various vegetables the resort restaurant (the very poor Hornbill Restaurant) had a very limited menu especially for the vegetarian eater (many unavailable items) due to "rationing", I was told. Service was also very slow and the background music constisted of Best Hits of the Eagles. My own personal nightmare especially when all one wanted to do was gaze out over the lagoon eating fish and sipping a cold Tiger. For each dinner I relied on my old stand by, fresh thai coconut, rice, salted fish and baby kailan (spinach). YUM! Poor husband, who was not drinking or eating any sugar had to make due with sauteed veggies in a non-descript gravy. By the end of our stay we were sitting down with staff management and giving them a list of things they could improve on. While it was nice of them to listen, we were still overcharged for our "suite" and there was no compensation for our troubles (getting locked in, lack of food, reluctance of chef to "prepare" food etc.)



At the fish spa we hired an army of fish to nibble the dead skin off our feet. At first the sensation is almost unbearable but then you get used to it.



Giant fan palms!!


And Nurse sharks that live in the Lagoon.