New Book I recommend to all parents of young children and people who are interested,
"Simplicity Parenting" by Kim John Payne.

I have studied and worked with Kim Payne during my years as a Waldorf teacher in the states. His "Social Inclusion" work with schools is a productive "no blame" approach to bullying and could be used on a wider scale in the world to beautiful effect. To be in the presence of Kim is to witness a person with a truly wise and peaceful nature.

Many publishers have been trying to get him to publish his work and finally Random House has landed him. This book is an easy read and an even easier set of lessons on which to follow through.

If you can't buy it now, try to find it in your local bookstore and browse through it.

If only words could express my pleasure at discovering his new book and my excitement at the thought that many parents would read it!!!

KUROSAWA!
Today DHL delivered The Criterion Collection, "25 Films of Akira Kurosawa". This was a gift from my mother in Maine, (Thanks mom!) via an Amazon e-certificate. Most people associate Kurosawa with "Seven Samurai" and epic warrior tales. But those who know his work can see that his pictures are both portraits of the human being on a grand scale and stories of the common man. His movies are as much masterpiece paintings as historic theater on film. Certainly, he was the first Japanese film director known in the west but also one of the first directors, along with Fellini and Bergman to prove film is an art.

My first Kurosawa film was released in 1980. I was a sophomore in high school and saw the film, "Kagemusha" at the Nickelodian theater on Cape Cod.

My first realization of his genius came after seeing, "Throne of Blood", a take on Shakespeare's, "Macbeth". The images in its most famous ending of Wishizu's demise are still imprinted in my memory.

My favorite Kurosawa film actor is Toshiro Mifune. Altho' he lays it on thick, he is mesmerizing, versatile and breathtakingly powerful. Takashi Shimura, is also wonderful and carries his roles with more subtlety and depth.

I haven't seen all 25 in the collection. However, my favorite is still "Seven Samurai". But "Stray Dogs", "Ikiru", "The Lower Depths", "The Hidden Fortress" (hilarious) and "Red Beard" also rank as some of my favorite movies.

Above image thanks to Wikipedia.

Booty and mom have new Kurtas. Again not perfect but fun to make!

And starting next week we have our Waldorf playgroup here at our house on Mondays and Fridays. This is not the drop off program but a mom and tot thing.

And what else is new? Still working on the Waldorf primary school initiative which I have offered at our house but we still need at least 2 more students enrolled.

This is how everything is transported up the mountain as no cars are allowed.



Roadside shop on MG Road (Mahatma Ghandi Road) in Matheran.



Sheets out to dry at the Regal Hotel in Matheran, India.



This is a nice quiet morning spot for breakfast and the newspaper, (in Mumbai).

It doesn't look good for the drop off program we planned. But that just means more time to make stuff!

I finally made the purse roll today. It is nice because you can take out the inside zip pockets to make more room for bigger stuff (passports, wallets...)I admit, tho' that it isn't really made with precision. I just sewed it up without ironing or measuring. I guess I am more a sculptor than a seamstress. I got the shiny ribbon from Bombay, my absolute favorite place to shop.

Behind my family's house are alleyway shops and streets filled with open air shops where you can find some seriously beautiful things for shockingly low prices. It helps to bring Mr. Discount (my father-in-law). He is notoriously thrifty and will bargain a shopkeeper down to the last rupee. I can't decide if I feel good about my purchases or guilty.

Now that camp and the Holidays are finished I can find time to post a little.
Goodness what a busy month! Camp went extremely well and despite some boy-girl bickering and a little "We aren't your friend" business Yeng Yen and I had a wonderful time with the campers. We made lanterns, felted slippers with recycled newspaper pulp soles, clay turtle candle holders, wove bags and a bunch of other crafts and games and songs. Christmas was quiet but nice. We went to Arab street and then downtown Singapore to show Booty the crazy Christmas lights which were way over the top. The day after Christmas we flew out to Bombay. Now that we don't live in India I can't get enough of it. Especially Mumbai (Bombay). Dad took me to all the back alley shops and markets. It was an amazing feast for the senses. Booty, H and I drove to Matheran, which is a mountain village outside of the city. They don't allow cars so one has to walk up to the top of the mountain or take a horse. We took horses. Booty remarked that our horse was beautiful and was hooked. The next two days she wanted to ride on the horsies. And ride she did! We saw lots of monkeys at close range. Booty also made a number of friends. The children were extremely friendly and stunningly gorgeous. The food was also delicious! Our only complaint was that we were COLD! And not prepared for the weather. A lovely holiday!

I am supposed to be working on my camp preparation. Since I have only 10 days left before it begins. Camp is FULL! And I just came up with a brilliant idea for a "totally recycled" art project. More details to come. But look! There is a Leeeee Zard on top of our back gate! You may not know this but I love lizards. I had to stop for a moment and gaze adoringly at her (or him).

We are in the process of obtaining a POI card for me and Booty. Which is funny because POI stands for Person of Indian Origin. I can pretend that in some distant past I WAS Indian. But for Booty it ain't right. She is from Opi Opia, (Ethiopia in Booty speak). The reason why a 10 year visa isn't good enough is because there is a new restriction on long term visas. One cannot return to India on a 10 year visa before 2 months. This doesn't work for us. We may need to go home for family.

My schedule has filled up. There are visits with Anthroposophic doctors. And workshops (this weekend) to attend and to present (next month). Parent meetings (tomorrow!) to discuss starting a school here. And art supplies to purchase with the abundance flowing to me.

Yes I am still retiring very early at night, (9pm) but I am up and ready by the time super girl has her cape on and begins to sing.
LOUDLY!

Happy Thanksgiving

On each grain is written the name
of the eater.
The giver is the one.
The giver is the creator.

Sometimes, just to feel productive I make an origami box. It only takes a few minutes but then I can add it to the list of boxes I know. My schedule is kaput. But then again I didn't know this energy-sucking malaise would hit me at exactly the time when the Waldorf Community wanted me "back in the saddle" again.

Camp is going to kick my butt.
That is, if the ladies in my Waldorf support group don't, (I have promised to host a workshop on Waldorf Education focusing on math and a NUMBER of other things).

!!!

A lot of activity on the homefront. A few more "campers" have registered, which makes the group more lively. So far, the girls outnumber the boys 2-1. I guess since it is a "Craft" camp, more girls would come. But is that it? Hmmmm.

I took some pictures today of my walk between home and the train station. It is a walk I enjoy, even when it is so hot I am using an umbrella for protection. I think it is because I like alleyways and canals. Singapore is full of these sort of hidden passageways. Where the laundry hangs and the foreign domestic workers cook and things are not all sterile and the ladies gossip tho' I know not what they say. But I know they do because our helper M tells me.

Picture 1: Alleyway off Swan Lake Avenue on the way to Bedock station.
Picture 2: The reason I wait in the public restroom for the ONE non-squatter toilet.
Picture 3: Our convenience store.
Picture 4: Our take-away.
Picture 5: No car in the driveway.

Waldorf Camp

My camp is up and running as I now have enough campers registered for everyone to get paid, (me, an assistant and space rental).

What with the useless medication (that only makes me tired) and the flu, I have been utterly without purpose this last week. Sorry.

Interesting stuff to read (watch) about H1N1 though. If you want to read Teresa Forcades presentation.

Or watch her on Youtube:

flu.
bla.

Tonite I am excited about going to this talk at the Waldorf School that is in my neighborhood!


Waldorf Steiner Education Association Singapore
Presents:

Connecting With Your Destiny
A Talk by Hans van Forenstein Mulder

Hans van Florenstein Mulder
Hans was born in Sumatra. He served as General Secretary of the Anthroposophical Society in New Zealand from 1992- 2006. He and his wife Ineke were involved in founding the first Waldorf High School in New Zealand. Hans was also director of the one-year diploma course in biodynamic agriculture at Taruna. Since 2006, he has been assisting the Executive Council at the Goetheanum in Dornach to foster the life of the General Anthroposophical Society and the School of Spiritual Science in Asia.

I think the joke is on me.

Last week I started researching post-graduate school and online courses. There are many universities (like UMASS) that are offering degrees online. I started to get excited about this. Being productive. Improving myself!

This week I was persuaded to step back into the Waldorf community and agree to offer some time. My friend RR has offered to co-teach a two day morning program for 2 to 3 year olds with me. And after attending a very intense Anthroposophic mother's support group I believe I will be busy next year starting a 1st grade and supplementing main stream curriculum.

So much for career advancement.

Booty and I took the train into the city with Mr.D and stayed on the train when he got off to go to work. In order for Booty to be able to sit safely I kindly requested a young gentleman to get up (after waiting for him to offer for 5 minutes) out of the seat reserved for disabled, elderly and people with young children. We got off the train at Jurong East, a short walk to the Singapore Science Center. I had been told a number of times from one of the dads at our Friday playgroup that this was one his 2 year old twins' favorite places to go.

We weren't impressed.

Most of our time was spent pushing buttons.
But alot of the interactive exhibits were broken. And could not be physically reached by a 2 year old, (and mine is TALL). And this is besides the point. Nothing was appropriate for toddlers. No musical stairs. No spaceship to play in.

Not that the elementary school classrooms visiting today were truly taking advantage of the fine knowledge and demonstrations of science all around them. What we saw was a lot of students chasing each other through hallways or unthinkingly hitting buttons or levers without reading the explanations.

When we walked in I asked the ladies taking tickets what exhibits were good for young children. They looked at each other as if I asked them to recite the quadratic equation.And declined to answer.

How about nothing, ladies? Would that about sum it up?

It started to pour when we were leaving the building and there were about 6 large groups of children sprawled at the entranceway, completely blocking it. No-one seemed to notice nor move when they saw us with the stroller. We had to turn around and go out into the rain and back in to find a spot near the taxi stand.

At the entranceway before you pay your admission fee there is a huge T-Rex that grumbles and moves his head and eyes. Booty wanted to "ride it" and continued to ask me if we could go see the dinosaur while we were inside the Science Center.

When we left the building 2 hours later and walked past T-Rex again she was so excited and wanted to get all up in his face as if this was what she had been waiting all day to see.

Once we were back home we opened the 'brella and stood in the rain.
"Very unhygenic!"

Finished.

PONYO
Today is review day and I haven't thought too hard about the movie I am going to review but it is a movie I was waiting to see for a long time.

Ponyo on the cliff by the sea

Written and Directed by Hayao Miyazaki out of studio Ghibli

A beautiful film, no surprise there but how beautiful? Not to be believed until you see it. A lot of water scenes and a number of fabulous storm scenes. Imagine a young girl with red hair running and jumping on top of huge fish/waves in the middle of a storm while you are trying to escape the storm in a small car, driving on a coastal road. This is where the tension of the movie exists most- before Ponyo meets Sosuke as a human.

Sosuke is a confident boy who befriends a fish with a human-like face. He calls her Ponyo and loses her when her sorcerer father reclaims her to the sea. When she escapes again chaos ensues.

The end of the movie was sort of anti-climatic but this is probably because so much of the movie is a wonder. One has to come down from the high at some point.

Prehistoric fish. A sea goddess.A town under water. The moon falling to earth. Millions of tiny ponyo-sisters shooting up like un-falling stars.

wow.

Here is the trailer.

Five campers so far

Five Waldorf campers have signed up so far:

Two 8 year old boys
A 7 year old boy
A 5 year old boy and
A 5 year old girl

We cannot have camp unless two more children enroll. I have had many requests from parents to stretch the age limits (5-8) but I feel that this gap is quite big enough.

I remember when I was teaching how rewarding the work with the children was and how challenging the work with the parents. This is still true. I still seem to be easily caught off guard by their seemingly "silly" questions and requests. I know this is one of my tests in this life. To breathe and work toward understanding how I can help the parents of my students.

Poop and pee

We have had a little backsliding on the potty "training".
And I am not sure if it is because the Booty is feeling insecure or because our housekeeper/nanny MB is not paying attention or being as diligent as me. This week each day she came home from the playground she didn't make it to the bathroom. One time she even pooped her pants, which she has never done before.
What was troubling was that when I surprised the two of them (Booty and MB) on the playground MB was busy texting and Booty was soaked. When we arrived home she had two more accidents before we made it to the bathroom. It seemed as tho' she was holding it in. But I don't know. She can get distracted and forget to go. This is why I always make it a habit to have her go periodically.
Also, she is only 2 and a half. What should I expect?

Finally, (wagging fingers) bought a baby monitor and used it last night. The girl's bed returns to its room.