Earth Day

Monday, 22 April 2013

In honor of Earth Day, I conducted three projects at SMK Labis, a school-wide “Black Out,” a recycled art project, and a recycled planting project.

On Monday morning, I took the microphone and once again spoke in front of all 700 students in my school as well as all of the teachers and staff who are required to be at Monday assembly. “What is today?” I ask the students. At first I hear a couple “Mondays,” but then I hear the response I was waiting for. “It’s Earth Day!”

“Yes it is. And today we are participating in two projects.” One, the Recycled Art project, my students already knew about as I had been promoting it for the past week. But first, we were going to have a school-wide “Black Out.” A what? A black out. For third and fourth periods, a time frame of 80 minutes, students and teachers would be required to go about their daily routines without lights, fans, phones, or computers. (Don’t worry, permission and support was first obtained by the headmaster.)

Considering all of the classrooms receive direct sunlight – two walls are lined with windows – and very few are equipped with any technological gadgets, this activity did not hinder the students’ ability to learn. The real impact was the lack of fans. Although conducted in the morning when the weather is cooler, it’s still warm at all hours of the day. Some of the students complained of the heat and even I sweated more than usual during my class, but the purpose of the activity was understood and appreciated by the students.


A Form 3 class using no lights or fans during the Black Out

After school, I was joined by students in almost every Form for the Recycled Art project. I challenged students to create original art out of recycled materials. My only requirement was that they only used recycled materials, excluding adhesives. The students rose to the challenge and created some very original pieces.

The masterpieces included:

The Petronas Twin Towers (with accompanying cat)
Made of: Water bottles, newspaper, straws, and toothpicks


A Car
Made of: Cardboard and bottles


Robots
Made of: Cardboard boxes and cans


A birdhouse, including nest and eggs
Made of: Cardboard, paper, tin cans, paper shavings, and bottles


A Dress with accessories
Made of: Plastic bags, paper, cardboard box, and food wrappers

Front of dress with accessories


Back of dress

I am so proud of my students’ creativity. They really impressed me with their recycled art projects. 

The third, and final, Earth Day activity I did, besides simple class lessons on the 3 R’s and ways we can protect the Earth and conserve the Earth’s resources, was Recycled Planting. My Form 2C and 2D classes brought water bottles to class which we turned into plant pots. Water bottles, a rock, soil, seeds, and water, plus a pair of scissors to cut the bottle – that’s all we needed. The students enjoyed getting out of the classroom and doing a hands-on activity since they don’t often have the opportunity to do so. They didn’t even freak out (too much) when they found a big frog in the bag of soil brought by one of the teachers!



I must take this opportunity to thank my headmaster, Amat Paijan bin Saruwal, and my fellow teachers who may have been inconvenienced by the Black Out, for supporting my Earth Day activities. I am very appreciative of the support my school gives me as my projects and camps would not be possible without this support!


Some of the students with their Recycled Art projects on display during Wednesday assembly

An American Summer Camp

13-14 April 2013

With scavenger hunts, ultimate Frisbee, charades, a talent show, line dancing, pillow fights, science experiments, relay races, and ice pops, An American Summer Camp was a huge success. My first English camp brought 38 Form 1-3 students, 8 ETAs, and all of my English teachers to school on a Saturday and Sunday. The fear of sleeping overnight in the dark and scary Block F didn’t deter my students who were so excited to practice and improve their English skills while spending time with new and old friends.



The students participated in many activities typical of an American summer camp. A few of their favorites including the ETA Scavenger Hunt, Line Dancing, and Ultimate Frisbee. For the scavenger hunt, the students had to use English clues to locate the ETAs who were stationed around the school campus and then complete various tasks. For example, the students had to spell words with their bodies, talk about their favorite foods and subjects, write a rhyming poem, identify money from various countries, summarize their favorite story, and tell and English joke.



My favorite part of camp was Sunday morning line dancing. We all piled into the Block A hall after breakfast for an hour of dancing. The Electric Slide, the Macarena, and the Chicken Dance were big hits. Several of my students now want to dance the Macarena for Teacher’s Day in May.



And then of course I loved teaching them ultimate Frisbee and watching them laugh as their attempted throw sent the disc straight up into the air. Surprisingly enough, my students are quite good at Ultimate, despite their never having seen a Frisbee before this year. Every time I bring it out during co-curricular time, the students who join me are able to throw a mid-range backhand with little difficulty and can also catch! They seem to learn the skills much quicker than the students I coached back in the United States.



After 21 hours of fun, games, and little sleep (due to excitement and a huge thunderstorm), we all left the school tired and happy. Thilaga was incredibly generous to have prepared a meal of thanks for all of the ETAs. I don’t know how she found the time and energy to cook for all of us. But it sure was delicious and a fantastic way to end an exhausting and rewarding weekend.


Group photo

Hello, my name is Morning

For the first month of school, before I bought my motorcycle, I rode to school with my mentor, Thilaga, and her children. Her son is in one of my Form Two classes, and her niece, who lives with them, is in Form Three. Unfortunately, I do not teach her grade level. Every morning, I would enter the car and exchange greetings. “Good morning!” “Good morning, teacher.” It became a standard procedure. Every morning, “Good morning.”

On our way to school, we would drop Kishira, her daughter, who is almost two years old, at the babysitter’s house. And in the afternoon, we would swing by the babysitter’s house to pick her up. After a few weeks, Kishira started saying “Morning!” when we picked her up. Smart girl, I thought, knowing that Good Morning is a greeting often used. “Good afternoon” we would try to correct her, to no avail.

Eventually my motorcycle was inspected, fixed up, and ready for me to ride. Since then, I have not seen Kishira very often. Only on special occasions, like going to the Indian coming-of-age ceremony, or when she comes with Thilaga to badminton with Kishan and Jeevetha. However, this past weekend I saw her a lot.

I saw her when Thilaga stopped by my house to pick up forms for my English Camp last Wednesday. I saw her on Friday when I meet them at a restaurant near my home and joined the whole family for tea. I saw her on Saturday and Sunday when she and Prasad, the father, came to my English Camp. And again later on Sunday when we went to Temple for the Hindu New Year.

“Morning!” she would say. “Good afternoon,” I replied. Yet then I realized, she kept saying “good morning,” even when I had been with her for a period of time. Turns out, she’s been calling me by my name the whole time!



At tea on Friday, I got lime juice. As Kishira was sitting with me, naturally she wanted some. I told her “no” as she had already finished her drink, but she proceeded to scream “MORNING!!!!” until I gave her some.

At my camp, she was given a sheet of paper but needed a pen. I didn’t have one at the time and had to finish giving directions to my students so I couldn’t look for one. The next thing I know, I hear “Morning! MORNing! MORNING!!!” until I turn around and she sweetly says “pen”.



At the Hindu Temple, I was talking to my roommate’s student and mother, but Kishira wanted me to come stand with her and Thilaga. So I hear “Morning, come.”

The morning has always been my favorite time of the day, so I suppose it’s better than being called “Afternoon” or “Night”. Soon enough, I’ll get her to say my real name! For now, it’s super cute.

Myanmar

22-30 March 2013

Welcome aboard the flight to Yangon, Myanmar. Please be patient as we locate the bags for the 15 missing passengers. We should be departing in 20-30 minutes." Strange, but okay.

30 minutes later, the passengers listen intently to the emergency procedures as we slowly move away from our gate toward the runway. Myanmar here we come! I proceed to fall asleep, having not slept the night before as several of us ETAs had camped out in the bright and noisy airport. I'll wake up in 2.5 hours we land in Yangon. Or so I thought.

When I wake up, I am in a daze of confusion. We're at a gate but I know we're not in Myanmar. But we already left... As it turns out, we are back at our original gate. The pilot comes over the intercom, "Due to extreme fog in Yangon, we can not leave. Hopefully, the fog will clear in the next hour so we can depart." Nevermind that the flight is supposed to take 2.5 hours and any fog is bound to have dissipated in that amount of time. But anyhow, we wait. Two hours after we should have left, we finally do. I just hope this isn't indicative of how travel will be inside the country! (With three 10 hour bus rides to look forward to, it could be a real nightmare!)

In actuality, that was the only transportation glitch in our week-long trip. Thank goodness! A delightful trip it turned out to be.

Yangon
A stroll through the palace grounds led my friend Wes and me to a small park where a group of young adults were enjoying the beautiful day by having a picnic on the side of the lake. Naturally, we went over to the group and engaged the youth in conversation. They were all in secondary school in Yangon and were indeed just enjoying the nice day together. We exchanged cultural information, sang "You Are My Sunshine," and took photos together. Interacting with locals is often the favorite part of my days and it is usually greatly appreciated.


Our new Burmese friends

I sat at a tea shop in a kid sized plastic chair at a kid sized table next to another kid sized table where a grown man sat. I ordered Burmese tea, a must-have when in Myanmar, and relaxed as I watched the people leave the local market with their daily purchases. The gentleman next to me kindly interrupts my people watching to ask where I am from. Then he asks, " Are you a teacher? You look like you might be one." I'm not quite sure why he thought that as I was wearing a t-shirt and ultimate shorts, but I just so happen to be one in Malaysia. Conversation about the importance of teaching grammar versus speaking confidence ensues. This man is a secondary school teacher in Yangon. Mainly a science teacher, he has taught two years of English as well.

A decision to stay at a pleasant restaurant to listen to the live local band play a mix of popular English and Burmese songs led to meeting a remarkable man who is training the Burmese police force after having spent many years of his life in the US Marine Corps. Apparently, according to this man, the Fulbright program is expanding into Myanmar in 2014.


Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon - Covered in real gold leaf!

Bagan
At 5am, we take a horse and buggy in the pitch black into the land of 4000 temples. After removing our shoes, we climb the steep stairs up the temple in the waning darkness. And then we wait. A few temples are lit up, standing bright and radiant as nothing else can really be seen. As the dawn breaks, more and more temples appear on the plain. It is an incredible sight.

The sun rose long before it could actually be seen. There was a layer of haze hovering on the horizon. Several hot air balloons lifted off to fly over the plains as the fireball sun finally broke through the haze. And a fireball it was! Perfectly round and fiercely red, a distinct shape in the far distance.


Sunrise in Bagan


A temple in Bagan

Every temple is different, yet each honors Buddha. With colorful and fading murals on the walls, statues of Buddha inside each, and hidden staircases leading to exterior platforms with breathtaking views of the temples on the plain, Bagan is truly a remarkable place, unlike any I've ever visited.


From the top of Shwesantaw Pagoda


The temple-speckled plain

Inle Lake
Another must see. Small boats carved out of wood speckle this vast expanse of water. Fisherman standing on the back of their boats throw fishing nets into the water while holding the oar with their leg. Yes, they control the movement of the boat with the power of their legs. Unimaginable strength and balance.


Fisherman on Inle Lake


Stilt houses

On my 25km bike tour around part of the lake, I pass a sign for a traditional Shan vegetarian restaurant. Note to self: return for late lunch. And so Wes and I did. A 15 minute bike ride into a small village leads us to a woman's house with two tables outside and a sign that says "Country Traditional Shan Vegetarian Food." We made it. While our food was being prepared, we played with the two adorable children who quickly warmed up to us despite not a word being spoken between us. Peek-a-boo, hand slaps, making animal shapes with our hands, and teaching/learning high fives put smiles on all of our faces.


The precious children


Ox cart in the village

And the food was delicious! Soup, potato and tofu curry, steamed rice with peanut crumbles, steamed vegetables and fresh calamansi juice. Mmm.

Back on the main road, we went another kilometer to the Red Mountain Estate Vineyard and Winery. We sat on the edge of a hill overlooking the plains and Inle Lake and watched the sun set behind the mountains in the distance.


Sunset

This trip marks the first of three school term breaks. As I post this, I have been in Malaysia for three months. Only seven months of my contract remain. Time is going by so quickly. And I'm loving every minute of my time here!



Marching band rehearsal at one of the schools in a village on the shores of Inle Lake

Cambodia

11-17 February 2013
(A long overdue post)

Only one week into teaching and we had a week off for Chinese New Year. So naturally I took advantage of the situation and traveled to Cambodia for a week. My friend Wes and I spent two days in Phnom Penh and three days in Siem Reap visiting the remarkable temples of Angkor.

We jammed packed our days so I won't go into too much detail about everything since the blog would then be way too long (instead of just long).

Our first full day in Phnom Penh, we hired a private tuk-tuk driver from our hotel who took us around the city for 9 hours. We would not have been able to do everything if not for our driver.

Our first two stops centered around the Khmer Rouge genocide. Although emotionally difficult places to visit, the Killing Fields of Cheoung Ek and the Toel Sleng S-21 prison were very powerful and full of history. We took an audio tour of the Killing Fields which explained the events at the site in much detail - the history of the genocide, the mass graves, the methods of torture, the stories of the torturers and the tortured. There is a large memorial stupa which houses 900 skulls which have been removed from the graves. Very powerful.


Memorial Stupa at the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek

The S-21 prison was a former high school that was converted into a prison and torture center to house victims of the Rouge before shipping them to Cheoung Ek. The images and stories made me nauseous. And to think it all occurred between 1975 and 1979. A quarter of Cambodia's population, including most of the intellectuals and professionals, were murdered by Pol Pot and his followers.


S-21 Prison, formerly a classroom

The rest of our stops were lighter in subject. We visited the Royal Palace grounds. No one is allowed inside the palace but the grounds are a sight to see themselves! Remarkably intricate architecture with minute details covering every square inch. I was so impressed by the architecture in Cambodia, even though at this point I had hardly seen anything!


Royal Palace


Royal Palace

Wat Ounalam (where one eyebrow of Buddha is kept), Wat Phnom - the Temple on the Hill - and the Central Market, closed out our tour.

Hardly skipping a beat, we walked down to the river front for dinner where we met a lovely couple living in China and spent the next couple hours talking to them.

The next day, we went to the National Museum. Small but full of relics from the Temples of Angkor and with good history and background information about the religions and progression of the country.

Our afternoon and evening consisted of one long hot bus ride to Siem Reap. The aircon on our bus emitted air warmer than the outside air and with no windows that could open except for two at the very back of the bus, I was grateful to be sitting in the last row. Regardless, the bus ride was worth it, considering the incredible temples of Angkor.

A three day pass into the Archeological Park, two days with a personal driver and one day on bike, supplemented by a book with detailed descriptions of each temple we visited, I was one happy traveler. We visited so many temples, I can't tell about all but I will mention my favorites.


Entrance to the Archeological Park

Day two was a 13 hour day starting with sunrise at Angkor Wat and finishing with the sunset on the side of a steep hill. Sleep? Who needs it!

Ta Prohm
The Temple of Trees
Growing out of the walls of this remarkable temple are trees, the two hugging each other for support as parts of the temple crumble away. Cast in shadows due to the trees, it's no wonder why "Tomb Raider" used Ta Prohm as one of the sights for the film.


Ta Prohm


Ta Prohm

Angkor Wat
The most famous and the world's largest religious building. It is the only temple opening to the west as it was built to honor Lord Vishnu, the Hindu deity.


Sunrise at Angkor Wat

Bayon
The temple with 216 faces - My favorite
Bayon is located inside Angkor Thom, the ancient capital city of the Khmer empire. There are 54 towers, each decorated with four faces of Avalokiteshvara. The outer walls are covered with bas-reliefs often depicting scenes of daily life in 12th century Cambodia.


Bayon


Bayon

Banteay Srei
The Citadel of the Women - My other favorite
This temple is farther away but well worth the 45 minute ride. It is constructed out of pinkish limestone and is referred to by many as the crown jewel of Angkorian art. Delicate and elaborate stone carvings cover the walls of this temple.


Banteay Srei

When not at the temples, I was doing yoga at Peace Cafe, eating delicious salads and guacamole, drinking fruit shakes, exploring the night markets, biking through the outskirts of town, joking with all of the tuk-tuk drivers, and watching traditional Cambodian dance performances.

A jam-packed, spectacular trip.