World Thinking Day

22 February 2013


Different Shoes!

World Thinking Day is a day to show appreciation for diversity in our community and around the world. It is a day to accept differences between people of all cultures and backgrounds and to recognize that our similarities are greater than our differences. With this day near the beginning of my year working at SMK Labis, I took the opportunity to teach my students about diversity and the importance of accepting people’s differences and similarities.

Although we are all physically different, we are also all the same. I have light skin; you have darker skin. I am from the United States; you are from Malaysia. I am American; you are Malay, Indian, Chinese, Orang Asli. We may look different and act different, but we can still work together. We can still understand each other and learn from each other. We can be friends and value each other for who we are, for both our differences and our similarities.

The thought came to me on Monday night. With World Thinking Day occurring on Friday in the United States, I knew I needed to work quickly. That night I drafted a letter for my school’s headmaster and in the morning I requested his permission to implement this project with the students. With permission granted, I began preparations. I had two of my classes make flyers to post around the school promoting World Thinking Day. Throughout the week, I taught my students about diversity and culture, World Thinking Day, and why and how we would be celebrating the day this year.

A key feature of World Thinking Day is the wearing of two different shoes, hence the day also being known as Different Shoe Day. On Friday, all of my students were supposed to wear two different colored shoes as a visual representation of diversity. They also had to sign an agreement to value differences between all people on this day and every day.


Students participating in World Thinking Day


My fellow English teachers

Over 125 students and 10 teachers, including all of the English teachers, came to school wearing different shoes on Friday, 22 February 2013, daring to overcome any embarrassment and discomfort by doing something unusual. Since I do not teach every class in the school, many students were not aware of World Thinking Day and the reasoning behind wearing different colored shoes. Thus, my students had to explain the significance of the day and of wearing two different types of shoes. Many students could not believe I would make them do such a strange thing, but in the end, I think they understood and were willing to share the importance of the day with their friends.

Malaysia is a very diverse country. Every day the students must interact with individuals of different races, religions, beliefs, and customs. And yet every day we see cooperation, friendship, communication, and acceptance. Every class I teach has Malay, Chinese, and Indian students; Muslim, Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist students; students of different shapes and sizes, interests and hobbies; yet every day we work together. This is the message I wish to share with my students all year – even though we are different in many ways, we have just as many similarities.


Pledging to Accept Differences

Agreement to Value Differences
To those of you who are different from me,
I promise:
To learn about you,
To understand you,
To befriend you,
To value you and your differences,
And to appreciate that our
Similarities are larger than our differences.


Students participating in World Thinking Day


My class Form 4A

Click here to watch a short video about World Thinking Day at SMK Labis

Gong Xi Fa Cai

Chinese New Year with the Wee family
9-11 February 2013

It's a time for extended families to come together and celebrate the beginning of the new year and bid farewell to the old year. The new year celebrations last for fifteen days, but the most important night is New Year's Eve when there is a huge reunion dinner to thank the gods and honor the ancestors.

On Friday, some of my Chinese students gave me a gift basket with oranges, New Year's treats, and ang pao. Instead of containing money, the ang pao had short notes written by the students wishing me a good, memorable year in Malaysia and thanking me for coming to teach at their school. This was the best gift they could have given me!

In the evening I took the local bus to Segamat to meet my friend Freddie. A while back, he invited me to celebrate Chinese New Year with his family, and I couldn't think of a better way to spend the holiday. Freddie and I met at the Penang Ultimate Frisbee Hat tournament at the beginning of December. His family happens to live in Segamat, the nearest town to Labis. An incredible coincidence.


Freddie and me having fun on a swing

We had a quiet first evening at home, watching television, looking at old family photos, and chatting late into the night. We ate dinner at a local Chinese restaurant with his brother, mother, and aunt, a very small preview of Saturday night's extended family dinner. Freddie's mom seems to know everyone is town, greeting every customer who walked in the door. When you live in a small town, everyone knows everyone.

Over the course of the weekend, I believe it is safe to say that I gained 5 pounds from delicious CNY food! One breakfast with Freddie's mom and aunt was followed by breakfast with Freddie and Patrick which was then followed by coffee. A mandatory sampling of yellow rice and mixed salad in the mid-afternoon and a table full of delicious foods in the evening. This is not to mention the taste testing of the plethora of New Year's treats and cookies. Repeat the following day.


New Year's Eve's dinner

On Saturday, the eve of the new year, we had a relaxing day, spending most of it at Freddie's grandma's house watching episodes of a Korean TV show, playing with the children, and attempting to help prepare the food.

In the evening, aunts, uncles, and cousins all came together to share the new year's meal. First we had to lou sang (mix) the vegetarian yee sang, a traditional new year's dish. Taking chopsticks or other cutlery, we had to toss the colorful mix in the air shouting our wishes for the new year. Then let the feasting begin!!


Mixing yee sang

At midnight we set off the fireworks. Fireworks had been sounding since the morning but culminated into a surround sound experience at midnight. There were poppers, ground sparklers, fireworks that shot into the sky, and the Chinese specialty, the red firecracker, a long strand of poppers that are hung from a pole and lit from the bottom. It's a domino effect until they've all popped - very exciting and loud. It is believed that the fireworks scare away the evil spirits.


The Chinese Red Firecracker

Many families were also releasing red Chinese lanterns into the sky, in hopes that the wishes they wrote on them will come true in the new year.

Sunday morning began with Catholic mass, the service of which was conducted in Mandarin, so I'm afraid I didn't understand anything. At the end, the church offered ang pao (red packets containing money) and mandarin oranges to the congregation.

The day was once again spent at Freddie's grandma's house, eating two lunches (including fatt choy, the prosperity vegetable dish), playing and gambling (a new year's tradition) with the children, chatting with the adults, and serving tea to the elders. It is tradition for the unmarried youth to give tea to their elders, and in return, they receive ang pao. I served tea to Freddie's mom wishing her prosperity, health, and youth in the new year, much to the delight of everyone around. In return, I too received ang pao, truly becoming part of the family.


The children lining up to give tea to Freddie's mother when she arrived on Saturday afternoon


Me giving tea in exchange for ang pao

I had a fantastic time getting to know Freddie's diverse family and spending a family oriented holiday with them. THANK YOU FREDDIE for letting me be a part of your family's celebrations!!!


Additional Tidbits

On the first day of the new lunar year, everyone wears new clothes. New beginning, new clothes.

Many people wear red because it is believed that the evil spirits are afraid of red (and loud noises, hence the fireworks).

You are not allowed to clean because it would be sweeping away the good luck that comes with the year. Thus all of the remains from the previous night's fireworks must stay until the following day.

Some people bathe with flower petals to keep away evil spirits.

Incense is burned in honor of the ancestors and hell money is burned to appease the evil spirits.


Lion dance

Labis

Home sweet home. I have been living in Labis for a week now. I'm settled in my home, established at my school, and I love my co-workers and students.

Labis is a small town in northern Johor, in the district of Segamat. It has two main roads – one leading north-south and one east-west. I live on the main road, and while the town is overall very quiet, the road is noisy 24/7. But you get used to it.

My roommate, Dorine, and I live in a shop-top apartment near the KFC. Our apartment is quite large for two people with four bedrooms, a living room, a dining room, a kitchen, and two bathrooms. Since we don't have internet yet, we have become regulars at the Coffee Corner, a delightful coffee shop down the road. As the sole orang putih (white person) in town, on our second day, the workers asked if they could take a photo with us. Of course!

We have stayed busy cleaning the house, frequenting the Coffee Corner, walking around town, trying new restaurants, visiting the local hot springs, and making new friends. Last weekend, we attended a wedding reception for one of the teachers at my school; went to a birthday party for the friend of my mentor; and went shopping for household essentials in Segamat, the nearest town. Phew! That's not to mention the most important aspect of our days. Going to school!!!

A group of my students

SMK Labis is a secondary school with about 720 students in Forms 1-6. It is quite diverse with Malay, Indian, and Chinese students in every class. I am teaching Forms One, Two, and Four. These are the years that the students do not have major examinations, and so I have more flexibility in terms of my lessons. Thus far, I have twelve classes a week (four in each form), in addition to participating in the co-curriculars and leading a weekly assembly called "English Within 20 Minutes (EW20). My students have varying degrees of English language proficiency, ranging from understanding almost everything I say to understanding hardly anything at all. Some are very shy, some are very outgoing. I cannot tell you how many of the boys have already asked if I have a boyfriend! Sorry kids, I'm your teacher.

My fellow English teachers are a phenomenal group of individuals with whom I am thoroughly excited to work. They have already been so generous, helping me assimilate into the school's environment. My mentor, Thilaga, is outstanding. I feel like one of the family! Her husband is the English Language Officer for primary schools in the District of Segamat, a good connection to have. They have two wonderful children; their son is in one of my classes. Their daughter is almost two and is a darling little girl.

I am very excited for this year. I think it is going to be quite challenging, but these are challenges that I am looking forward to overcoming.

Segamat District Awesomeness
Dorine's mentor, SK Sri Labis Headmistress, Dorine, me, SMK Labis Senior Assistant, and my mentor