tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81804657753270499062024-03-12T16:49:29.574-07:00Little Red JotStray thoughts from a children's book writer on the 'Little Red Dot' of Singapore
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631737274099808113noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180465775327049906.post-14675890058056698382016-04-23T20:28:00.003-07:002016-04-23T20:28:33.047-07:00What an imposition!<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So I set myself the challenge of explaining book printing at Bookaroo Kuching. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Simple! I told myself.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jEdBuJLa356jMojtqJmlUcxYhxmxD3o4pOQiLV1vUZR9hu0U8X_Qgr-ntXUYVV1yQrLJFQ6NEkvMqhOvHQCFdd67IYKFbobeaesT1fGSd2Al8y0vmoDB0W7GvZtD-70IDNk0uonWRaMZ/s1600/imposition2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2jEdBuJLa356jMojtqJmlUcxYhxmxD3o4pOQiLV1vUZR9hu0U8X_Qgr-ntXUYVV1yQrLJFQ6NEkvMqhOvHQCFdd67IYKFbobeaesT1fGSd2Al8y0vmoDB0W7GvZtD-70IDNk0uonWRaMZ/s640/imposition2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I would be talking to kids aged eight to ten who can easily understand the four-colour printing process, the way the pages are laid out on the page (imposition), and the way the huge pages are folded into sections (signatures), so all I needed were some nifty, colourful slides and a few anecdotes of how my own book was printed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wrong!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I had a group of kids of random ages. And almost as many adults. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Would </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">any of the parents be graphic designers, printers or publishers? Hmmm, </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I tried not to think about it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then I realised that with several very little ones in the audience I'd have to race through my powerpoint and get to the hands-on bit pretty smartish ... or I'd risk people just walking out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of course, I had loads of props. I had a wooden block to show that printing was basically "pressing something with inky onto something papery" and I even did a quick demonstration of how the image will be reversed when it's printed, so you need to 'offset' it onto another surface to get the image the right way round. It's called 'offset printing' after all. That's pretty technical for me, and I felt happy when one or two of the dads nodded as I waved my inky fingers and the piece of paper in the air.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh dear, was I making a fool of myself?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">No! Definitely not. There were kids at the session who had been at the Dragon Mask Making craft session that morning. They were hooked.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I asked my lovely helpers to hand out sheets of A4. (As seen below, dressed for the occasion.)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8l78QJuCKJ59mVMn-3XnJsO1uIGA4ipwcXqh18Uf-nUYimNPT3DP_5s3FuGE7WltAoOIyr7DyYEUkoj_F3fsdQwouuZTg50zw7n7iyPneOaqTZSlz32zJm_26PBNajru3cnAAB2R05gJB/s1600/helpers+%2540bookaroo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8l78QJuCKJ59mVMn-3XnJsO1uIGA4ipwcXqh18Uf-nUYimNPT3DP_5s3FuGE7WltAoOIyr7DyYEUkoj_F3fsdQwouuZTg50zw7n7iyPneOaqTZSlz32zJm_26PBNajru3cnAAB2R05gJB/s400/helpers+%2540bookaroo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Originally I had planned to just talk around the subject, so I hadn't really thought through a hands-on activity, but for someone brought up on hands-on activities, via BBC's ground-breaking Blue Peter programmes, I had no excuse. None at all. And my primary school teacher, Miss Muffett, would be proud of me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, I told the children, we fold the sheet up and we number the pages, and when we unfold it, we have a strange order - like this:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thank heavens for nerdy dads and kids who love numbers, I thought as my willing audience began folding and numbering. The father in the photo above was obviously totally absorbed. His daughter could well have been asleep, or cross-eyed trying to see what Daddy was doing. Some of the kids got stuck in, writing a story. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yeah! I had got through to them! A few asked politely whether they could use pencils or crayons. And the boys who had been at my mask-making session stayed right to the end. Along with a girl of about seven who was in tears, as she'd made a mistake, and wanted to rewrite her story! I wonder how long her parents had to wait before she was ready to leave.</span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631737274099808113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180465775327049906.post-64963158636901778602016-04-23T19:35:00.002-07:002016-04-23T19:35:42.490-07:00Please, teacher<span style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The sun was beating down as I approached Sg Apong Primary School with my kind guide and driver, Mas. Everything in the school seemed well ordered and quiet. The library I was ushered into was well ordered and quiet. I took my props out of my huge bag and organised them in a well ordered and quiet manner. I looked at the books on the shelves. They were in Malay and Chinese. There were a few in English.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's a Chinese language school, Mas explained. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hey ho, I'll act up. I'll use lots of mime, I'll ask the teachers to help me, I thought.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZC1v_If3OJhfeFUpAgptTW1Cj_7wJzXf6RHgpBrrpJ0i76sOx6f0EQldtz0KKfYu4QEdfTSPbeVbi4d6Ole4vyTWuk_rHBdsqSOZYZIwf6Urg2wJT-rDYBCAEdOS9TMksBkh8fMhZCoW/s1600/quietening+down.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZC1v_If3OJhfeFUpAgptTW1Cj_7wJzXf6RHgpBrrpJ0i76sOx6f0EQldtz0KKfYu4QEdfTSPbeVbi4d6Ole4vyTWuk_rHBdsqSOZYZIwf6Urg2wJT-rDYBCAEdOS9TMksBkh8fMhZCoW/s640/quietening+down.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">T</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">he children soon filed in, and they waved and said Hello. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sixty eight kids in all, sitting in neat rows, looking at me expectantly.The head teacher came in and introduced me. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I started on my Powerpoint. And all seemed to be going well, as I explained where I got my ideas from. Can you see what's in this picture? I asked, as a photo of an orang-utan holding a stick like a pencil appeared on the screen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's orang-utan said one.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yes, and what's it going to do?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There was no reply.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Will it write a story?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Still no reply.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don't they understand? I thought.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But no, they just weren't used to being asked.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I read from my book and they enjoyed being entertained. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I wore my dragon ears and they laughed. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I let them smell the real gobstoppers I had brought along.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When there was lots of text on the Powerpoint, they read it out loud. Wow - they were doing my job for me!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQet-Jf7q-OLaO343x_PgDtJeoiKQqZUzmPHAXruiuo5zkYpdb5I6Quu-BEyStjxsVRrFKjiaDtpkFacWIB2ceJ53QGq0IgtOwTQujTCHLhaFm96WC_Nab-mAeefzsaALE3pZ6G-FlWiv/s1600/P1060217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQet-Jf7q-OLaO343x_PgDtJeoiKQqZUzmPHAXruiuo5zkYpdb5I6Quu-BEyStjxsVRrFKjiaDtpkFacWIB2ceJ53QGq0IgtOwTQujTCHLhaFm96WC_Nab-mAeefzsaALE3pZ6G-FlWiv/s640/P1060217.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Soon a few of them were bored. They were talking. A teacher poked one of them gently. But </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I didn't mind the little buzz of conversations. I suspected they were hungry. And I had a couple of very bright kids in the front row (put there deliberately) who were drinking in my words. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoUBBPofSq2Cwk1DxqOj-JO3D2N5NTQGcEAy86ySN2o-vwyeedOsWUn6AAXGL-WaYpQGx63Mx1GY1Towe2wurSdD3xdsETwVmpMZgZjeZYfVIk3Rx66Sy_09ObuNSdUZcdlwfpgKdHMGXt/s1600/FullSizeRender-195.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoUBBPofSq2Cwk1DxqOj-JO3D2N5NTQGcEAy86ySN2o-vwyeedOsWUn6AAXGL-WaYpQGx63Mx1GY1Towe2wurSdD3xdsETwVmpMZgZjeZYfVIk3Rx66Sy_09ObuNSdUZcdlwfpgKdHMGXt/s640/FullSizeRender-195.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">T</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">hen I started drawing. I got the idea from Candy Gourlay and had practised for weeks and weeks, perfecting a simple picture that the kids could follow. I had simplified Charlotte Micklewright's illustration of Freddy and thought through simple stages the children could copy. Charlotte's drawings are adorable, so it was a happy experience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While I was drawing there was silence. Complete and utter silence. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not a single titter. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You could have heard a mosquito biting my ankle, it was so quiet. And when I finished they gave me a round of applause. Gosh! I have never had a round of applause like that, at least not within living memory. </span><span style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">It made me so happy I repeated the exercise at the end, letting them call out 'ear' or 'nose' or 'tooth' as took their fancy. This time they were willing to participate. Very willing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then the second surprise of the day. The teacher presented me and Mas with presents. Mine was a large drinks container - Tupperware - and was decorated with a handmade paper rose. Wow, thanks you, I said. Shall I fill it with gobstoppers? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">No, water! they replied.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Doh! Silly me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We handed out stickers and the kids rushed off to lunch. I had enjoyed myself and I had learned a fantastic lesson. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These kids love watching. And reading out loud. It was to stand me in good stead for the rest of the book festival. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKDwcdL4PCQMewXKpO_DXQw0jd8OM-_t5DOjbDlKzoyy4LdVBBFAA1evVm_K8KSrPZrXyzk8MYqNdGGXsoWLTjheFa6IyfnpdN_LlRFao-2JpBx61tNSvoTb6c-toQpGapikPqGpeWod9/s1600/drawing+bookaroo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKDwcdL4PCQMewXKpO_DXQw0jd8OM-_t5DOjbDlKzoyy4LdVBBFAA1evVm_K8KSrPZrXyzk8MYqNdGGXsoWLTjheFa6IyfnpdN_LlRFao-2JpBx61tNSvoTb6c-toQpGapikPqGpeWod9/s400/drawing+bookaroo1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(This young lady even copied my hasty dragon picture...later during the library sessions.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On the way back to the car, we passed a class of older students reciting some Chinese text. I can't remember reciting things at school at that age. Maybe at seven years old, going through our times tables. Or repeating the odd word in French when we were older. But it was strangely comforting to hear them speaking 'as one'.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631737274099808113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180465775327049906.post-32515716784522431532016-04-23T19:08:00.001-07:002016-04-23T19:08:50.040-07:00Fear for Ears<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What is the first thing you think about when you're packing for a long weekend at a Book Festival? </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's ears, isn't it? I mean, my best prop is my ears. Not </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">my</i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> ears, of course, but </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">those</i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> ears, the ears that belong to my character around whom and which my story is based. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Got it now? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Good. (Here's Raymond modelling the ears so you get a clearer picture.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzd36D358bABoUB9AEk34-EB0xO4lWb1OP-fgQE4ZWXQW2ZwJkXCjwr8dup_Jml-EhzpVI8Y-weuXspeo7NMT0skN-HRi4Adv_9Z3fqG_tyRtPzBKvUDUe8zYGNlBVuUJT1SyxAPBMCGnX/s1600/FullSizeRender-201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzd36D358bABoUB9AEk34-EB0xO4lWb1OP-fgQE4ZWXQW2ZwJkXCjwr8dup_Jml-EhzpVI8Y-weuXspeo7NMT0skN-HRi4Adv_9Z3fqG_tyRtPzBKvUDUe8zYGNlBVuUJT1SyxAPBMCGnX/s640/FullSizeRender-201.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So I find my ears in their sensible box. Then I decide I can't really pack the sensible box because it's too big and because, when I add several copies of my book, papers, other props, clothes, mosquito repellent, sun cream, sunglasses, etc etc I know my case is too heavy and bulky. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ok, so no box. And if the ears get crushed, I'll have to make up another story.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But the ears don't get squashed. Of course they don't. They were made by Kinnetia Isidore, costume maker par excellence, and they are built to last! Almost....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The thing about the ears is that once I put them on I can face a crowd of children and not feel daunted. With the ears on I can talk in different voices. I can adapt my voice for different ages to understand. I can read out parts of my book without having to look at the book. And I usually let the kids have a close look at the ears and touch them. They feel the sequin scales. They marvel at the flap of material that hides the blue gobstopper (wooden button), and they sometimes try them on. I like to think that if they remember nothing else about me or my talk or even my book, they will remember the ears.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was haunted by my ears when I was little. Big Ears was a nickname that one of my sisters gave me. How sweet of her! Probably her revenge for something I did to her at some point. But nonetheless when you're a teenager the last thing you want is ears that stick out. Thankfully now I've turned that to an advantage. And an even bigger advantage comes from the fact that I have a dent in my left ear. Unequal ears? Yeah, sure! Perfect for a dragon who wants to keep a spare gobstopper handy and has no pockets to safeguard it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But even so, I'm a little cautious. I carry the ears with me everywhere I go. I'm frightened someone might sit of them and break the headband. I'm frightened someone might steal them. I'm terrified I'll leave them in one of the rooms in the library and they'll be swept up inside a pile of discarded paper clippings from the many craft activities and consigned to a rubbish dump.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh, stop being paranoid.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, maybe there are other things I'll be fearful for when I next do a long weekend at a Book Festival? </span></div>
<span id="goog_2086047669"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631737274099808113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180465775327049906.post-87173684221584116912016-03-09T18:11:00.003-08:002016-03-09T18:11:49.193-08:00Waking Early 9 - Patterns <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPjEmLx9bEgn6J4gba5ezGSq27v_gymSQsgY7VjhHtEXXB87lJ7ddkjICouhzWiNcv7tobslLPCv_Bef6ThoiCrYBteqgq3aNeRjMuuXfj8nG2wB0UKPOPeyILHu7jqlKzJqMPS0LFWunA/s1600/IMG_8016.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPjEmLx9bEgn6J4gba5ezGSq27v_gymSQsgY7VjhHtEXXB87lJ7ddkjICouhzWiNcv7tobslLPCv_Bef6ThoiCrYBteqgq3aNeRjMuuXfj8nG2wB0UKPOPeyILHu7jqlKzJqMPS0LFWunA/s640/IMG_8016.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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Possibly the most interesting morning I spent in Laos was in a weaving and dyeing workshop just outside Vientiane. If I ever go back, I will sign up for a two-day course.<br />
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The women can stay here, in safety, bringing their own skills and learning new ones.<br />
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A lovely, messy time adding the indigo dye.<br />
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Below are the scarves we made. It took us nearly two hours to dye them, with excellent help from our teacher.<br />
I also spent nearly an hour on the loom. It's a lot harder than it looks!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlsuErlpKydTexA7JuxD6o-81hSQ9E7u0bfqsJAShmuu-F43tdQIW1MKjvPkoTsfCoNbwCzv23qZrhZgd-RhxJn6FboUNQxTGV8ngwhYMxga9eX8Rm5a4-mceVvEOakH6pki0DWHqUgD2H/s1600/IMG_8005-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="552" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlsuErlpKydTexA7JuxD6o-81hSQ9E7u0bfqsJAShmuu-F43tdQIW1MKjvPkoTsfCoNbwCzv23qZrhZgd-RhxJn6FboUNQxTGV8ngwhYMxga9eX8Rm5a4-mceVvEOakH6pki0DWHqUgD2H/s640/IMG_8005-2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Some examples from their shop. Oh I wish I had bought more, but time was running out.<br />
The labels below read: jack fruit, stick lac resin, indigo<br />
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I find the colours and patterns superb, and when you see the work that goes into a few metres of hand dyed, hand-woven fabric, it really makes you appreciate their art.<br />
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Of course, it's not hard to find colours, patterns and interesting textures all over - in the trees:<br />
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on the river platforms:</div>
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in the wooden roofs (which I drew while waiting for lunch in Savannakhet)<br />
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and in the tiles and on the pillars in the temples, of course. I could devote more time to patterns, so maybe in tomorrow's blog....<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631737274099808113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180465775327049906.post-47804066307279269842016-03-08T15:45:00.002-08:002016-03-08T15:45:17.213-08:00Waking Early 8 - Highlights and LowlightsI've already mentioned that there were several 'wow' moments as we travelled round Laos, and looking through my photos, these still give me a little jump.<br />
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It may be something to do with having spent summers in Norfolk, England as a child. The sky there is so, well, all-embracing, for lack of a better word. It just goes on and on and on and lifts you out of yourself. Now the climate in Laos may be a little hotter (!) and more humid than the UK, colours even more vivid, but I could feel the same sense of awe, day and night: from our hotel balcony in Thakhek, at around 5pm with the Mekong stretching away on the left.<br />
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a little later that same evening:</div>
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in the morning: the Chao Anouvong statue in Vientiane </div>
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or another evening shot as everyone strolls along the Mekong in the capital and the sun is split in two by the railings </div>
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I've learned one trivial fact - that sunsets (or sunrises) seem to get more 'likes' on Facebook than any other type of photo, even though they're pretty darn easy to photograph. They don't move, they don't need editing, they just <i>are, </i>provided that you are in the right place at the right time!<br />
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So, basically, the skies win, hands down. And if ever I want to regain that 'wow' feeling, I only have to look at this view from the boat, sit back and sigh. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631737274099808113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180465775327049906.post-49662840625501290992016-03-07T13:55:00.001-08:002016-03-07T13:55:15.440-08:00Waking Early 7 - Lao coffee If there's one memory that lingers longer than all the others of our holiday in Laos, it's the taste of the coffee. There's simply nothing like it. And it's not just the sublime taste. It seems to have qualities other coffees don't have, as if there are other ingredients dissolved in it - a happy pill, a calming pill, a you'll-never-taste-this-outside-Laos experience. <br />
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I brought some beans back with me. It was the 'Korean blend', their mildest roast, and I bought the Sinouk cup and saucer you can see above to make sure I could enjoy the full experience. I make it slowly and lovingly through a pre-dampened organic filter paper (!) but it still doesn't quite taste as divine. Probably the water, I tell myself. Here it is, growing amongst poinsettia plants on the beautiful Sinouk estate.<br />
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So where did we find such a delightful brew? That's easy, it's all over Laos. Starting in our hotel in Luang Prabang, and continuing on the Bolaven Plateau Sinouk Coffee Resort, in the casino in Savannakhet, and in the cafés in Vientiane. I don't know how easy it is to buy outside of Laos. I still have a lot of beans left - a little goes a long way!<br />
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Hmmm, all this talk of coffee - I must go and brew myself a cup!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631737274099808113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180465775327049906.post-17594117568770529552016-03-06T16:55:00.001-08:002016-03-06T16:55:37.594-08:00Waking Early 6 - Elephants and other creatures <br />
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You can't go far in Laos without seeing elephants in one form or another. </div>
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I've been a fan of elephants since I sewed one from felt in Miss Muffet's class, aged seven. </div>
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So I wasn't disappointed to have to stay in a rather depressing casino near the Thai border - with no wifi, plug for the bath, or off button for the light in the wardrobe - because it was simply bursting with elephants. </div>
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When we weren't out admiring temples, markets, or the bridge over the Mekong with our enthusiastic guide, we sat in the cafe overlooking the gambling floor - entertaining the cafe staff by our total lack of interest in money as we buried ourselves in novels and sketch books. This was the huge plaster sculpture in the centre of the gambling floor, with Savan Vegas flags hanging all around.</div>
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Of course we saw live elephants, and other creatures, </div>
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like these birds decorating the yellow house I was drawing:</div>
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the pig chilling in a tribal village:<br />
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the cat complementing the tiles on the temple floor:</div>
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or the silk moths shedding their load in a weaving workshop:</div>
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But the elephants will stay with me for ever. And thank-you Miss Muffet for your patience in teaching me to appreciate them! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631737274099808113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180465775327049906.post-13728702031943568262016-03-04T17:06:00.000-08:002016-03-04T17:06:38.144-08:00Waking early 5 - Waterfalls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCCCveYvZhVAI8Mu-lWZYE0pCcNjIXmY-NIY6FymcFFQYp093pOwCO5AQ35Qna1LA4GPIKb63A7rG-51TSARSj7AjBQ-bAndgLQ7kjd-1oevugS4lPAEzpIBxR2EzZzf6kimj1TrnBJp-0/s1600/IMG_7748.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCCCveYvZhVAI8Mu-lWZYE0pCcNjIXmY-NIY6FymcFFQYp093pOwCO5AQ35Qna1LA4GPIKb63A7rG-51TSARSj7AjBQ-bAndgLQ7kjd-1oevugS4lPAEzpIBxR2EzZzf6kimj1TrnBJp-0/s640/IMG_7748.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
As I said in yesterday's post, we were never far from the Mekong during our Christmas trip. Here in the south near Don Khon island, there were tourists, but once on the river, they were hardly noticeable. And even at the waterfalls - Khon Phapheng Falls, part of a 13km stretch of powerful rapids and supposedly one of the most visited sites in Laos, they were thin on the ground.<br />
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Wow! is something I say from time to time, but during our stay here I must have said it several times a day, and you can see why.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFrmZ1RR8laKsDOO61aXZVzQfiA1HKIh5cGNuyhzfW5sv5dbj62LyHadDBhWZWdvXAEDEGXhRqepD6v5HgJwVINfxqf_vL5bF8fx6-Y1rYDaQbfbbXvc-Nj8cSONC1nDsXdQdLrCNIEd83/s1600/IMG_7745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFrmZ1RR8laKsDOO61aXZVzQfiA1HKIh5cGNuyhzfW5sv5dbj62LyHadDBhWZWdvXAEDEGXhRqepD6v5HgJwVINfxqf_vL5bF8fx6-Y1rYDaQbfbbXvc-Nj8cSONC1nDsXdQdLrCNIEd83/s640/IMG_7745.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The water isn't just beautiful, it's aggressive, and unstoppable. I stood for a long while wondering how many millions of years it had flowed and would continue to flow, thunder, swirl, dance, splash, drown, impress and astound. Wow, indeed.</div>
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In the late 19th century the French built a short railway across Don Khon to transport supplies around the impassable falls, but since the main road from Laos' top to toe - Route 13 - was built after WWII, it became redundant and now all you can see is a rusting locomotive. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ChsIIm7LX7bCYCYnlOHG56uoI-JMtZ8lcSLBC3CeaQWU1ucev0ZVtVdZQvfg8xL73uLvpmJRGd9nk31Rj0h4BWG_9KZBqKntNK62DCvSV_8acFdaHdnkJLJbmkFyax_Cc_RHW_uRt08U/s1600/FullSizeRender-132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ChsIIm7LX7bCYCYnlOHG56uoI-JMtZ8lcSLBC3CeaQWU1ucev0ZVtVdZQvfg8xL73uLvpmJRGd9nk31Rj0h4BWG_9KZBqKntNK62DCvSV_8acFdaHdnkJLJbmkFyax_Cc_RHW_uRt08U/s640/FullSizeRender-132.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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We saw other waterfalls on our way to the Bolaven plateau. This photo makes them look meek, but the forests were beautiful, and and the depth of the falls, crashing into a deep abyss, quite breathtaking. Another time - is there's another time - we will venture on the walk to get up close to the falls. </div>
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The image of the river and its falls won't ever leave me - or the views from the boat - the water buffalo, the exquisite temples...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirINSWrsjmJ0wjKqRkWFngbPXvqAKcXqDYZo0CrfLJ3QzsgeI_BMWKkGRpNOvtC-fqALrbR4YhqA6_JXDrvopJSY0Rwlic1u6mXDHyp2u5XNoJQBiroDujxLTIySPiAeEbCNiQUyBPY4uS/s1600/IMG_7730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirINSWrsjmJ0wjKqRkWFngbPXvqAKcXqDYZo0CrfLJ3QzsgeI_BMWKkGRpNOvtC-fqALrbR4YhqA6_JXDrvopJSY0Rwlic1u6mXDHyp2u5XNoJQBiroDujxLTIySPiAeEbCNiQUyBPY4uS/s640/IMG_7730.jpg" width="480" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWLO2NQqPnPw5kB2GCbXXI6x2AS_2lzmTtoqrvoEBmRWMCx0bjobdL429PmuEyIYuSVlTg-H-usTdNaauC-j3QPft1_6_vgSDUO5R2qdBrVktZKXPvLP_xlsb-npzj0OreHTxkgr4TTVqX/s1600/FullSizeRender-134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWLO2NQqPnPw5kB2GCbXXI6x2AS_2lzmTtoqrvoEBmRWMCx0bjobdL429PmuEyIYuSVlTg-H-usTdNaauC-j3QPft1_6_vgSDUO5R2qdBrVktZKXPvLP_xlsb-npzj0OreHTxkgr4TTVqX/s640/FullSizeRender-134.jpg" width="596" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631737274099808113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180465775327049906.post-7052055786605912722016-03-03T13:13:00.001-08:002016-03-03T13:13:56.688-08:00Waking Early 4 - the Mekong River<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Before you even land in Laos you're aware of the huge river that runs from top to toe, forming the border with China, Thailand and Cambodia - the Mekong. Here it is from the plane:</div>
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Throughout our stay, we saw the river every day, and most nights we were dining by its banks. Of course, once it's dark you can't see a lot, but sometimes you see lights on the boats, or from the streets in Thailand on the other side. Overall, it's very calming...</div>
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Here it is where it meets a tributary at Luang Prabang: </div>
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And this is taken from inside the Buddha Cave further upstream:<br />
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This was our boatman later that afternoon:</div>
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This was for a morning sketch: </div>
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And this is an evening view from one of the few bridges: </div>
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The Mekong isn't very deep, so mainly traditional vessels are used. </div>
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In the south, where four thousand 'islands' dot the river, you can see river dolphins. I took some photos, but all you can see are the ripples after they've disappeared! </div>
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It's incredibly peaceful sitting on a boat. The engine may be noisy, and the narrow seat rather hard, but the scenes are stunning. </div>
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There are some amazing waterfalls - I had no idea Laos had several waterfalls! - but I will write about them tomorrow.</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631737274099808113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180465775327049906.post-14914532717288835852016-03-02T15:48:00.002-08:002016-03-02T15:48:26.943-08:00Waking Early 3 - CharactersOne of the best things about holidays is meeting new characters.<br />
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Of course, there are the wonderful people you talk to as you're wandering round - whether it be with a smile, a gesture, or a long conversation in a language you don't understand. The woman selling live mud crabs in the market:<br />
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The patient weaver and our helpful teacher in a craft centre near Vientiane (more of which in a later blog):</div>
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Or the kids playing in the village:<br />
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Then there were the tribal people in the village on the Bolaven plateau, where we didn't want to take photos, as many were drunk, and their situation - and our tourist eyes - made us uncomfortable.<br />
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One of the most fascinating characters was the curator of the dinosaur museum in Savannakhet. His passion for his fossils ("Please handle my fossils," he urged me, opening drawer after drawer) was palpable. He was a self taught palaeontologist and worked with a tiny team, and French support, to conserve his collection. <br />
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There were the guests at our hotels - not that we stayed long in any one hotel. Our first night on an island in the south of Laos brought a handful of German tourists, of whom Herr Flick (recognisable to British tv viewers of 'Allo 'Allo) was the most memorable, with his precise haircut and speech, explaining to his patient wife over and over again everything she could already hear or read for herself on signs and menus. The same hotel brought us a Michael McIntyre look-alike who spoke like Jamie Oliver, grinning and joking with us beguilingly as he served us breakfast by the Mekong. I assumed he had travelled abroad, but he assured me he'd learned his English and his jokes from English-speaking tourists, innit, mate! And not to forget the grumpy French owner - overweight and in his seventies, but with a charming Lao wife.<br />
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Another hotel, this time in the Savannakhet Casino (yes, we stayed right inside a casino), was headed up by Mr Smiley, a Thai who refused very, very politely to give us a password for wifi because, we realised, he didn't want his clients gambling online when they should have been hunched over his tables and slot machines.<br />
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Our first driver was wide boy who looked about fifteen, but rode over potholes too fast and got lost - and was sacked on day two! Our second was silent, but professional. He too nearly got lost - map reading obviously not a prerequisite in this country of few roads - but was never late for picking us up, and always handed us wet towels and cool water whenever we came back to the minivan.<br />
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And finally our guides. The first, in Luang Prabang, loved talking about footie, and showing us (below) the drums in the temples. We spent an entertaining morning negotiating with a bank, and then a hotelier friend of his as we tried to pay for our holiday (the bank said it was too much money in one transaction, but the hotelier eventually obliged, and all went smoothly).<br />
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And our second guide was marvellous, with his two catch-phrases:<br />
"Now for some information," as he launched into a page or two of statistics about Laos' economy and geography; and, usually at around one pm, "How about your lunch?"<br />
"How about it?" I would say as my stomach grumbled and the nearest eatery might be half an hour's drive away. He only let us down once when he got carried away showing us the customs post at Laos' newest bridge over the Mekong of which he was obviously extremely proud, and we ate in a noodle shop surrounded by smelly goods vehicles. Actually, we could have avoided the bridge altogether, but we were so fond of him by then, and it was his last day with us, that we let him have his way. A slim guy in his thirties, with good English and an encyclopaedic knowledge of facts on Laos, he had opened up to us over the eight days, telling us he was too critical to have a career in government, and saying rather ruefully that he'd been offered a term at a Singapore university, but couldn't afford to go. We both wished him well when, later that afternoon, and after circling three times round the one-way system, we finally found our hotel in the capital, Vientiane. For a few days afterwards I missed his "more information" and "how about lunch?".<br />
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And finally, no one can spend time in a buddhist country without being impressed by the monks collecting their rice from all the local people at dawn:<br />
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Or the people (including another hotelier we met) who wake every day at 4am to cook the rice to give the monks. This is my third day of waking early to blog. But not nearly early enough to cook rice at 4am! Respect.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631737274099808113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180465775327049906.post-10972977569634016152016-03-01T14:39:00.002-08:002016-03-01T14:39:48.352-08:00Waking Early 2, Hello LaosIt was on Christmas Day that we flew to Laos for our holiday.<br />
Changi Airport was no different from any other day, albeit quieter than normal. Christmas Day is just another public holiday in this country of many religions. And Lao Airlines - well, they would be Buddhist, so there were no concessions to those of us expecting at least a packet of Christmas pudding flavoured nuts, or a brandy to speed us on our way! Here they are, discussing just that as they board the flight at Vientiane, where we changed planes to fly to Luang Prabang in the north of the country.<br />
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But there were no more disappointments when we landed in Luang Prabang and were swiftly driven to our hotel in the beautiful Unesco heritage town, and ate a superb Italian meal, spurning the turkey specially cooked for the many European tourists in favour of the most delicious pasta. </div>
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Our room was simple, simply comfortable with dark wood furniture, white beds and walls, a fan (not needed), aircon (not needed), and a balcony for sketching beautiful views, like this temple roof.<br />
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The next morning we sat in the courtyard below to eat an exquisite breakfast of fresh mango and lime, and unbelievably French tasting baguette. I couldn't resist sketching the fruit, or the woven lamps hanging from the banana trees:<br />
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My next blog will be about the people we came across, and I won't mention Christmas pudding flavoured nuts again, or brandy, but Martini might creep in at some point. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631737274099808113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180465775327049906.post-30732981937901740032016-02-29T14:20:00.001-08:002016-02-29T14:20:40.081-08:00Waking up earlyWhat's so wrong with waking up before dawn? Nothing, so long as it isn't you who has to go to Changi Airport for a flight to Mumbai, then endure a five hour wait in the domestic terminal for another to Goa.<br />
"Packed your flight socks?" I ask.<br />
"Yep."<br />
"Good novel?"<br />
"Course!"<br />
"Passport?"<br />
He pats the front pocket of his rucksack.<br />
I haven't asked him these questions in years, not since after the time he took the train to Gatwick and on the way realised his passport was still in ... er... Kennington. That was many moons ago.<br />
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Now he's gone and there's a cool breeze out on the balcony, and I'm just, well, chilled. And I'm going to do something I promised myself at New Year - to start blogging again.<br />
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There - I've done it!<br />
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More soon... .<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYRioHl8ztxcW9O5ABRAHTFLTHKZ6PkrzBbmSF6kRWa5JAl7UicmuNNnVrpnHHb2SoJIxxnBTLAeUAB4oX4N1mek-dH4SNbXUx6GCzlhOqPAqtpj75vL2ILq8dc4ifATgqsU3LWdV6dE4B/s1600/FullSizeRender-91.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYRioHl8ztxcW9O5ABRAHTFLTHKZ6PkrzBbmSF6kRWa5JAl7UicmuNNnVrpnHHb2SoJIxxnBTLAeUAB4oX4N1mek-dH4SNbXUx6GCzlhOqPAqtpj75vL2ILq8dc4ifATgqsU3LWdV6dE4B/s320/FullSizeRender-91.jpg" width="244" /></a><br />
and here's a taster - on the Mekong, December 2015Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631737274099808113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180465775327049906.post-2255513625763926722015-07-10T20:49:00.000-07:002015-07-10T20:49:13.237-07:00Dreamy Cartoons<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last time I went to the Art Science Museum in Singapore I was slightly underwhelmed by an exhibition on Leonardo da Vinci. This time, however, I was truly overwhelmed. The DreamWorks Animation exhibition does just that - makes dreams work. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a writer and sketcher (a newbie sketcher too) I was sure I'd be interested. And an hour and a half later the only thing that made me leave was the extremely cold aircon. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I could have spent over an hour just in the first section, Character, learning how initial sketches are drawn, what they used (graphite, pencil, marker, etc), the advice they give, and how well they capture the character even in the earliest stages. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will let you see for yourself, and do please read the instructions on the lion, from Madagascar, my favourite being "Even though these characters are 3-D, try to exploit the graphic quality in the design, to keep shapes simple and crisp".</span><br />
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Christophe Lautrette, Pointing Crane, Color pencil, Kung Fu Panda<br />
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Craig Kellman, Alex Crouching, Graphite, Marker, Madagascar<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I came to the Aardman Productions display and grinned even more.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nick Park's original sketches were there, along with other artists' work. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, Chicken Run wasn't Aardman's first film by a long way ... or even 'by a just tiny amount' (for fans of The Fast Show!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If the exhibition had stopped there, I would have gone home a happy bunny .. or panda, or dog, or whatever.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But it didn't. Story came next. And a mock-up meeting table covered with papers and pens and cups of coffee - yes, we get the picture, there's a lot of brainstorming that goes on! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For lovers of script, there was a piece from Mr Peabody and Sherman. And two walls of videos, intriguing young and old alike!</span><br />
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Noble Prize in Physics?<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This video showed an actor (I think it was an actor) reading through the storyboards of Shrek - the Gingerbread man, using all the voices, fascinating. There were mock-ups of piles of storyboards, to show how many are used per film. It was a lot, believe me!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then we came to World. And hands-on stuff, like models.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A model of Shrek's Swamp House (above). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wallace's kitchen garden (actually that was earlier, but, well...)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8Ra5JRirdiWkc98fSApv6Tb2kKadE59T0DQ08of8ALG5AgjztodKyEdUor0TBNZ5l4AEz9-rd1fIs39JSztmuMa-_43Q27zmMBhoUsSHEed0QETIYVbVjy62c9TTC_ppaVPudgdPL_QT/s1600/IMG_5781.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8Ra5JRirdiWkc98fSApv6Tb2kKadE59T0DQ08of8ALG5AgjztodKyEdUor0TBNZ5l4AEz9-rd1fIs39JSztmuMa-_43Q27zmMBhoUsSHEed0QETIYVbVjy62c9TTC_ppaVPudgdPL_QT/s640/IMG_5781.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and sketches of backgrounds, including these two lovelies for Kungfu Panda (gorgeous trees!) </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7YEUQyZUgvO1swgXBjNFwsozKeCuJh96ctbukTq0XpwpkX0mksjMLeVjxhyiRPOuo8BtKhKrXrFJ98N9y0MiisWSfBjsTWzTCniW6PO-4DiMEf_-LuoFdfMH5DR4Ev0on6ex4kPBPkAiS/s1600/IMG_5805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7YEUQyZUgvO1swgXBjNFwsozKeCuJh96ctbukTq0XpwpkX0mksjMLeVjxhyiRPOuo8BtKhKrXrFJ98N9y0MiisWSfBjsTWzTCniW6PO-4DiMEf_-LuoFdfMH5DR4Ev0on6ex4kPBPkAiS/s640/IMG_5805.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzIP_sU_cnQbQ-_VAoi5SmBGubzuve8oMGivd2Q93uCz7e2SgxMnYPNJf4ppYfabnSloCeffuY0IJy6CsFBhrSCVfICjVlaRXj8LpzkI4sQmfcxfQx5jrCICH1HHg9H1oftfWVwSwYPV9/s1600/FullSizeRender-49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzIP_sU_cnQbQ-_VAoi5SmBGubzuve8oMGivd2Q93uCz7e2SgxMnYPNJf4ppYfabnSloCeffuY0IJy6CsFBhrSCVfICjVlaRXj8LpzkI4sQmfcxfQx5jrCICH1HHg9H1oftfWVwSwYPV9/s640/FullSizeRender-49.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and How to Train your Dragon (Pencil, Marker by Emil Mitev)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, we were allowed to get our mitts on the actual Animation Desk. Though all I managed was peering over someone's shoulder.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh well, an excuse to go back again at a less busy time! And I'll arm myself with warmer clothing too. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you, DreamWorks. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LUAyj00Xb0iUGnTjAD-Za9kPUZjlLCKfjCP5hOHbo5SUo8Ken0cgK8S4yVr9tyNOMi3hMX27ifuzdiptX2WAFEnC-4PhJaaJVIXpblQ8wd_eBULXVjReP_ghlt_jwmA5IIcrlT-qRcVU/s1600/animation.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LUAyj00Xb0iUGnTjAD-Za9kPUZjlLCKfjCP5hOHbo5SUo8Ken0cgK8S4yVr9tyNOMi3hMX27ifuzdiptX2WAFEnC-4PhJaaJVIXpblQ8wd_eBULXVjReP_ghlt_jwmA5IIcrlT-qRcVU/s640/animation.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631737274099808113noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180465775327049906.post-70983858753790634122015-06-10T23:08:00.002-07:002015-06-10T23:08:49.479-07:00Amy Ng: Staying Curious <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-left: 14.2pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #642680; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 24.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Amy Ng: Staying Curious <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Last week I was asked to be the moderator for a talk entitled <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #642680;">Meet the Blogger</span></b>. It was a free event as part of <span style="color: #642680;">AFCC 2015</span>, held in Singapore’s newest library,
Library@Orchard on June 4th. I hadn’t met Amy Ng before, but I jumped at the
chance when I took a peek at her blog, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #642680;">Pikaland</span></b>,
“Connecting the dots between creativity, illustration and entrepreneurship
since 2008”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Amy has been blogging
for seven years; she teaches illustration in Kuala Lumpur, and runs online
courses as well, attracting students from all over the world. Her Facebook’s
reach is an impressive 25,000!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; line-height: 115%; text-indent: 21.8pt;"> </span><br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Amy snaps her own advert at the entrance to the library<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">It was my first experience of being a
moderator, and so I prepared myself with loads of questions, but was thrilled
when the audience came up with their own. And instead of keeping an eye on the
audience, or doing anything else a moderator is supposed to do, I was so enthralled
I took notes and photos. One question I did manage to squeeze in was, “Which
illustrator, alive or dead, would you like to meet?” and her answer was
Canadian illustrator and animator, Jon Klassen. You’ll see why:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><a href="https://vimeo.com/89748436">https://vimeo.com/89748436</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>http://www.gallerynucleus.com/detail/17203/<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">We started by watching a video of Picasso painting, going over
lines, changing, building up the image. “Don’t give up just because it’s not
the right shape or size,” said Amy. “It’s ok to be wrong or fail.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Below are the ideas I managed to jot down:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #642680; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Art resides in the quality of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">doing</i></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">. This was a quote from someone
famous, but I scribbled it down before I had time to snap the pic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; line-height: 115%;">“No one knows what they’re doing, so do what you want.”</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjanaedsIdmjQWWC5-LD1bcBjBItevXiDWI1za5bClKscH8hfE5RfUQEp5WDXaDaL1FJW0Wdq455d4E6pXcdOU6w8dE7dGqmLZmf3AvJdJoEp6kq0Hzp3nAkRVGlBMZwBLzzXp4WCILjrQl/s1600/FullSizeRender-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjanaedsIdmjQWWC5-LD1bcBjBItevXiDWI1za5bClKscH8hfE5RfUQEp5WDXaDaL1FJW0Wdq455d4E6pXcdOU6w8dE7dGqmLZmf3AvJdJoEp6kq0Hzp3nAkRVGlBMZwBLzzXp4WCILjrQl/s320/FullSizeRender-9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #642680; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Ways of seeing</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> – seeing
patterns, and not just visually, but in your behaviour too. Playing games with
yourself, eg, looking at a street scene and seeing how many yellows you can
spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you sketch, identify
patterns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Amy has been writing personal
journals ever since 2007 when she gave up her fulltime job, and she keeps them
all. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; line-height: 115%;">Above left you can see two book covers created with needlework - another way of seeing. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #642680; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Write down the important things. Read</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> a lot. In response to a question from the audience, Amy told us
that she reads when she gets writer’s block. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">And finally ... a painting in an exhibition communicates a new
idea, or an old idea in a new way. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #642680; font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">About Amy</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; line-height: 115%;">Amy took a degree in
landscape architecture, because it was the most creative degree on offer in
public university in KL. But she discovered that architects don’t spend their
time drawing! After working in the media, especially for architectural
magazines, she left fulltime work and started her blog. She and her husband did
up their house, existing for two years without a kitchen. But she never
gave up. She knows how to make herself happy. And her followers would
definitely agree that her enthusiasm and her vision is infectious. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; line-height: 115%;">Amy's loudest message, and one I shall certainly follow: <span style="color: purple;"><b>Stay curious!</b></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631737274099808113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180465775327049906.post-270604220679434322015-05-29T04:49:00.001-07:002015-05-29T04:49:15.297-07:00Waltzing Dinosaurs in Singapore<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It might have been because I had succumbed to an afternoon
nap, and was feeling kind of dreamy. But the combinations of sights and sounds this
evening really made me smile. You see, I only went out for a stamp, but then I
wandered inside the mall to buy some sorbet for my other half. And then I heard
them, low moans and groans ... animals with constipation, I thought. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The main mall music was something
from the charts – and it clashed with the groans as badly as chilli sauce on meringue
– but I had to stop and peer down into the basement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You see, it’s school holidays
here and United Square being the mall that entertains and educates kids (as
well as clothing and feeding them), there are all sorts of surprises. This one
really did surprise me. I wasn’t going to cry, like one toddler, or point and
gurgle, like another, but I did have to lean over the balcony and gawp. And
that’s when the music changed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Last
Waltz – we all know the song by Engelbert Humperdinck. Love it or loath it,
it’s as stubborn as a ... whatever stubborn thing you can think of. Even now,
twenty minutes on, it’s playing in my head – including the line that goes tra la
la la la la la la la. That takes some writing!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMgTYLj-R1VxIbUHFOROArlNpGYJ_MCcHWC6FjX8vzjOYkNKrBNu6hVliQdfB4j-DLAArLXbaG-e5OglIZ4vptZZ2fxZ7FVjQ_YHUSgs59eZgFy5DD-7m-d3pwuG8URcHaMj8e09NXohpk/s1600/music-000002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMgTYLj-R1VxIbUHFOROArlNpGYJ_MCcHWC6FjX8vzjOYkNKrBNu6hVliQdfB4j-DLAArLXbaG-e5OglIZ4vptZZ2fxZ7FVjQ_YHUSgs59eZgFy5DD-7m-d3pwuG8URcHaMj8e09NXohpk/s1600/music-000002.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So what’s
she on about? What was going on? Well, dinosaurs, of course. The moans and
groans came from life-size models with moving heads and limbs, smoke and
lights, arranged around the basement like a zoo. Very realistic. At least to me
and the surrounding toddlers. Not especially scary – the bright lights and the
music put paid to that. But fascinating. As I said, maybe I was in a dreamy
mood, no need to rush home to cook, as the other half’s flight has been
delayed. And I would have stayed longer, gazing at the nodding triceratops and
the flying pterodactyls, and humming along to Humperdinck, only thankfully I
remembered the sorbet ... and the sorry state it would be in if I stayed too
long. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then finally the short walk
home which was all the shorter thanks
to that song and the thought of Mr E waltzing with one of those friendly extinct
folk. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Thank you
dinosaurs, thank you Mr E, you’ve made my evening.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Tra la la
la la la la la la la!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631737274099808113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180465775327049906.post-10173416574863691252015-04-01T21:47:00.001-07:002015-04-01T21:47:54.828-07:00<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Here is an interview I wrote for GatheringBooks </div>
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<br /></div>
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Thank you so much for featuring me
in your fantasy reading theme issue, Myra. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
- What was the inspiration behind Princess Petunia's Dragon?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9mP7_eS7o56ClptjSWCUukCBl45dNiCY-d7p_8UVgMjLa3Lg2fsy4Hgre1KvwQS79pgSjvYeqWuyB6BSmzg5NDPVVNmAlh5XnmRxuhq8Fq1xA3FQ6YLyKenBvvD-_A-TykCrUn9POIb0/s1600/LOGO_colour_font&writing_1-3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9mP7_eS7o56ClptjSWCUukCBl45dNiCY-d7p_8UVgMjLa3Lg2fsy4Hgre1KvwQS79pgSjvYeqWuyB6BSmzg5NDPVVNmAlh5XnmRxuhq8Fq1xA3FQ6YLyKenBvvD-_A-TykCrUn9POIb0/s1600/LOGO_colour_font&writing_1-3.jpeg" height="200" width="161" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
I started writing ‘Princess
Petunia’s Dragon’ as a picture book because I love the format. The story was
about a child who wanted a difficult pet, a dragon - who finally came into his
own when the weather suddenly turned cold. Each time I did a draft I found
myself developing the plot, until it ended up at 7,000 words for a reading age
of six to nine. I don’t make many conscious choices as I write, rather my
imagination makes demands on me.</div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">- Princess Petunia strikes me as a feisty, determined, </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">self-possessed</span><span style="line-height: 150%;"> girl who works for things that she wants. Was she a bit like you when you were younger?</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Like you say,
Petunia is a feisty little girl and is probably the child I’d have liked to
have been. Writing about a quirky, determined child is exciting, especially
when she starts shouting back! I love the randomness of writing fiction.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp55FbBrXxyxhX4UeR1x7SzOUITVT3b1KybRmICzX6RsCWpV1U8XzfjWfgADBKycc2IPow9Y6gkoHiOSBVdrwvKSjSKyCMa2qEZD-OvKwjFzk-RMmD-MM0O2M6IT6OMwUTv87pUbQylgOA/s1600/P+writing+glossary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp55FbBrXxyxhX4UeR1x7SzOUITVT3b1KybRmICzX6RsCWpV1U8XzfjWfgADBKycc2IPow9Y6gkoHiOSBVdrwvKSjSKyCMa2qEZD-OvKwjFzk-RMmD-MM0O2M6IT6OMwUTv87pUbQylgOA/s1600/P+writing+glossary.jpg" height="93" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
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<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;">- Tell us about BBB and gobstoppers and cobwebs. Clearly they are important elements in this story.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;">There are
elements in the story of Petunia – such as the gobstoppers – which grew out of
the drafting process. Gobstoppers are a mainstay of strip cartoons in the UK and
even saying the word outloud makes me smile. Freddy keeps one safe under a flap
on his ear. I was teased as a kid because I have a dent in one ear too. These
ideas jump up out of my tombola brain when I’m half asleep. (I'll just add that BBB is the big bottom in brown trousers, aka big brown bottom, belonging to the gobstopper trader, Gordon. Just having a bit of fun!)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">- You worked as </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">an</span><span style="line-height: 150%;"> editor. Tell us a little more about that.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;">My first job
after leaving university with a degree in French and Spanish and a year’s
teaching abroad was (obviously!) </span><i style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;">not</i><span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;">
teaching or translating. It was at a children’s publishing firm doing
everything from typing invoices to packing books. All good experience, despite
the chilblains and the blisters. As I worked my way up in different companies,
I collaborated with designers, illustrators, authors and other editors, and it
was great fun. The editor’s name was never put on the book, but an author might
compliment me with a ‘you do it, you’re the expert’. I also worked as a
freelance editor in non-fiction – a calmer job, but rather lonely. </span><span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;">-You also worked as a language teacher. What are some of the insights that you have gained in your teaching that helped you become a better writer?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;">With language tuition, I showed my pupils how to view the world. Each language has
its own mindset, rather like a character’s viewpoint in a novel. As well as
speaking languages, I’ve always loved drafting translations over and over again
until I’ve done my very best.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;">What led you down the path of becoming a children's book author?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;">Why do I love
children’s books? Well, in the beginning there was an imaginary friend and I
told her stories. And then I told stories to my little sister, who was not
imaginary. Later, my daughter had two imaginary friends at once – oh dear, such
competition! I also grew up surrounded by fabulous books and parents who loved
reading out loud and often quoted our favourite characters. The rhythm and
sound of the text is magical to me. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;">When did I start
writing fiction? When a very feisty friend decided that I should provide her with
a taxi service to a writers’ group. Shades of Petunia in the making.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">- You are an active </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">member</span><span style="line-height: 150%;"> of SCBWI. How do </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">organisations like</span><span style="line-height: 150%;"> this help aspiring authors and artists?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;">Although a
writer is somewhat of an ‘outsider’, being an insider of a supportive organisation
like the SCBWI is fun. It doesn’t matter if you have to move to a new country,
you can still find great people for mutual feedback and moral support. And get
involved in activities such as workshops and retreats. </span><span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;">- What are some of the best fantasy stories you read as a child, and to your own children?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2-hCimvWzVOKqs0JarbzFz6MWOjtu_9OAkAITIL-PipOZB5kRl3NFxsiIxBIGgnlpGRj966Z2ismPCujQwZFdb04DGpR2wARbw2yq5cY7zKcLXblhA6h3L_EdeZkzPKBnjCOYBZdzw4n/s1600/Padd.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2-hCimvWzVOKqs0JarbzFz6MWOjtu_9OAkAITIL-PipOZB5kRl3NFxsiIxBIGgnlpGRj966Z2ismPCujQwZFdb04DGpR2wARbw2yq5cY7zKcLXblhA6h3L_EdeZkzPKBnjCOYBZdzw4n/s1600/Padd.jpeg" height="139" width="200" /></a><span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;">For me, fantasy
is inherent to all stories. It’s the author’s imagination which introduces the
reader to characters who can do things the child would love to do, or at least witness.
Paddington Bear, Little Mrs Pepperpot, Winnie the Pooh and Alice in Wonderland
are the stories that took root in my imagination. Later I read Tom’s Midnight
Garden where fantasy plays a role in a realistic setting. And I should add that
humour is the thing I remember most about the stories I read as a kid. </span><span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;">My children were
lucky enough to grow up as the Harry Potter series was being published.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">-What do you think is the role of fantasy in children's literature and its impact on children?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">All good stories
are stuffed full of </span><span style="line-height: 24px;">imaginative</span><span style="line-height: 150%;"> writing that allows a child to relax, dream,
and create their own world. I wasn’t asked to discuss the fiction I read in
primary school - I would just slip into a book and puzzle things out, or not, owning
my reading of the story in my head. I don’t know how fantasy affects children
other than the fact that young readers will naturally pick books containing the
type of emotion or action they find most intriguing and satisfying. Allowing
them to own this space for personal pleasure is so important.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;">- What should we look forward to from you in the coming months?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;">As for me, I am
working on an adventure for nine to twelve year-olds, set in the tropics. The
characters find their inner mojo in a believable setting, though an enhanced
version of reality is obviously integral to my fiction. There are other similar
stories in the pipeline. There may be more stories about Petunia and Freddy, so
please watch this space.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
I am excited to
be giving a talk at the AFCC in June 2015. I will be doing more school and
library visits as I love sharing ideas directly with my readers. My next trip is to Mumbai at the end of April!<br />
Please see my Facebook page for updates</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Emma Nicholson
Children’s Book Author <o:p></o:p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Emma-Nicholson-Childrens-Book-Author/1486741701552062?ref=tn_tnmn#" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;">More options</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631737274099808113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180465775327049906.post-8741795025430463132015-01-23T02:00:00.003-08:002015-01-23T02:00:58.635-08:00To Mona or not to Mona - and the 'Exhib-iPad '<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've seen two exhibitions on Leonardo da Vinci - both taught me a great deal about the man. And both were thought-provoking, in different ways.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK-a73rwJXls9Ef7n-qZZvhqPgFY5MnZhvHIvUHYaZG5kywEXQ033vi8AqRMJBQV4lNePzXJB9_9usgHH6CX84jy1UriknruDDIYwkyqdIkR-SGwi10mQipg1o7Ae9lglW6DOPdqxh0uQz/s1600/photo+2-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Exhibition Number One:</b> Singapore's Art Science Museum </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5BkYNS0g7FScMgeewegBcYM4pLFa20JpRSd5FBiv7-4KPf1EZxvxJFHKHLBsPQ17-Zzc8lF_LwZu04K4UNyvqMtziyP2VIqEOQ8GtsWy2nj_8yxKiOhajmkceqQgGy7-Ocd_za5NMNaKO/s1600/photo-37.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5BkYNS0g7FScMgeewegBcYM4pLFa20JpRSd5FBiv7-4KPf1EZxvxJFHKHLBsPQ17-Zzc8lF_LwZu04K4UNyvqMtziyP2VIqEOQ8GtsWy2nj_8yxKiOhajmkceqQgGy7-Ocd_za5NMNaKO/s1600/photo-37.JPG" height="320" width="313" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(an amazing building in the shape of a hand) hosts the Da Vinci exhibition, described as:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 19px;">'Presenting original masterpieces by da Vinci for the first time in Southeast Asia, the exhibition focuses on the Codex Atlanticus, da Vinci’s largest notebook.'</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of these notebook pages are on view, in low lighting, at the end of the exhibition. Now here's a spoiler, so if necessary please look away - Leonardo wrote backwards in mirror writing, for the most part. I can read backwards handwriting in English, but in 16th century Italian? That's a challenge.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Never mind... There are activities to test your science and engineering skills. And there are panels and models describing da Vinci's work in all areas, including music which I didn't know about. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And three contemporary artists' work is on display, showing how they were inspired by the great man. All well and good. I was better informed about da Vinci, his theories, his practice and his life, than I had been. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you, Art Science Museum. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, I was disappointed that there are only a handful of real paintings to gaze at, and these are from the <i>School of da Vinci</i>. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you pay to enter a Museum exhibition, is it unreasonable to expect see an appreciable amount of the artist's or others' work? And to make up your own mind about his skill, with a little help from the curator? I was confused and frustrated by the notebook pages which are hard to read because of the low lighting and the mirror-writing, even though I could admire the sketches and pen-work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So here's my suggestion: Maybe some of the pages could have been transcribed (typed) and translated? Some visitors may need help in understanding the theories behind the work, and enjoy the interactive displays which are fun and educational. But others are used to using our own powers of observation. We just want to see what's displayed - properly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And so to <b>Exhibition Number Two </b>in the Arts House (the former Parliament Building, a gorgeous Palladian number) which hosts an exhibition entitled 'The Earlier Mona Lisa' described as: </span><span style="background-color: #f8edde; color: #626262; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">'650 square metre, tablet-led, interactive audiovisual exhibition'</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK-a73rwJXls9Ef7n-qZZvhqPgFY5MnZhvHIvUHYaZG5kywEXQ033vi8AqRMJBQV4lNePzXJB9_9usgHH6CX84jy1UriknruDDIYwkyqdIkR-SGwi10mQipg1o7Ae9lglW6DOPdqxh0uQz/s1600/photo+2-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK-a73rwJXls9Ef7n-qZZvhqPgFY5MnZhvHIvUHYaZG5kywEXQ033vi8AqRMJBQV4lNePzXJB9_9usgHH6CX84jy1UriknruDDIYwkyqdIkR-SGwi10mQipg1o7Ae9lglW6DOPdqxh0uQz/s1600/photo+2-18.jpg" height="400" width="290" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's the story: there is evidence that Leonardo painted more than one portrait of 'La Gioconda'. An earlier version was known to exist and was 'rediscovered' in 1913 in Bath, England by art curator, Mr Blaker, and has been authenticated by many scholars. First you are shown the 'evidence' from Vasari's Lives of the Artists, and other witnesses, to build the case for the defence. Then you are taken through the painting's many homes and journeys after Mr Blaker unearths it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next comes the technique, showing how Leonardo's artistic methods have been examined over the centuries, to add more evidence.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIcTJyCtLjruzlEQw-ROWoIfZmRJkHNSALNa4O90Qia_sULuogDFRM8PF1AlntqDdO41j4JK0tMpdX0iW1oA6LUYdyJjtnTOfB7Q3f-ctSCEg3HqGIA6rh4rRTPo-qS9KINXPRww8nO2yR/s1600/photo+1-22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIcTJyCtLjruzlEQw-ROWoIfZmRJkHNSALNa4O90Qia_sULuogDFRM8PF1AlntqDdO41j4JK0tMpdX0iW1oA6LUYdyJjtnTOfB7Q3f-ctSCEg3HqGIA6rh4rRTPo-qS9KINXPRww8nO2yR/s1600/photo+1-22.jpg" height="400" width="307" /></a></span></div>
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<i>(Leonardo's advice on preparing a canvas - fascinating!)</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, you can see one piece of original artwork: the Earlier Mona Lisa itself. It is hung in the Parliament Chamber, in the spot where the Speaker would have presided.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitMShwGAcmjKA6Yf1fDULIS89rxwRX4taBHox6kmyfC8XqfmG6O5EcZxU3kkVfv5h-4TNkBDXevwZDwP5OFFjD2OsvpD57-9pJr4pXlVraXigYIl5yEUZv7VHm6oY5hA4SLfPvkVqVxp8-/s1600/photo+3-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitMShwGAcmjKA6Yf1fDULIS89rxwRX4taBHox6kmyfC8XqfmG6O5EcZxU3kkVfv5h-4TNkBDXevwZDwP5OFFjD2OsvpD57-9pJr4pXlVraXigYIl5yEUZv7VHm6oY5hA4SLfPvkVqVxp8-/s1600/photo+3-9.jpg" height="400" width="322" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(<i>The stately </i><i>Parliament Chamber - Prime Minister LKY sat on the left</i>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But here's the crunch: the way you have to experience this exhibition, which consists almost exclusively of wall panels, is through a tablet computer. This tells you everything you need to know about the history of 'the Earlier Mona' and how it's seen by today's academics. The tablet gives you a commentary, from two to fourteen minutes per section, a total of over an hour I'd reckon. And it is not just an audio commentary, it's a documentary, and you <i>need</i> to watch the screen because the wall panels don't tell you very much at all. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm entering a new world here - the world of the<b> iPad exhibition</b>. The documentary film on the tablet was excellent, yes, really excellent. And I would have loved to have watched it in one fell swoop at home or in a cinema. But sitting on the floor of the Arts House because chairs are scarce? Hmmm.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the end of the exhibition, you reach the Parliament Chamber where the real portrait is on display. I sat in former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's chair to gaze at it, and recapped the some sections of the documentary on the tablet - how Mr Blaker came across the masterpiece; and how to evaluate Leonardo's techniques and magical use of geometry.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Again, I learned a fair bit about Da Vinci. And I enjoyed examining the real 'Earlier Mona' because it's so much easier on the eye than the Louvre version - she has a much more pleasant demeanour. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But here are my suggestions: if you can't afford to transport any artefacts or artworks to mount your exhibition, why not make it truly interactive with actors and artists reenacting scenes and techniques, with replica scenes, blow-ups of newspaper evidence that we can read properly, fabrics and paints and canvases that we can touch and smell, areas where kids can get messy with crayons, crawl over canvases and play with Florentine costumes? I for one would love to try my hand at left-handed brush-strokes (he was left-handed), copying the embroidery on her dress, or exploring 'sfumato'. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There were plenty of reenacted scenes in the documentary film from the Renaissance and from when Mr Blaker goes to Somerset to examine the masterpiece which a no-longer-so-wealthy family was anxious to sell. There was even footage of WW1 trenches to evoke the period during which the masterpiece was sent overseas to Boston for safekeeping. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(There you are - I did take in a lot of information from the video!</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These scenes must have cost a fair amount to stage. However, with a little more ingenuity, the curators could have taken up the challenge. They could have employed actors and artists to give kids and adults a real chance to experience Leonardo's skills. And this in turn would help some of the artists working in this city state, here and now. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And finally, could someone invent a new word - an 'exhibiPad', perhaps - to encapsulate the experience of the tablet 'exhibition'? Singaporeans are masters at making up words, so please find a term for this type of experience. Is it an exhibition when it doesn't have an appreciable number of exhibits? You can decide.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631737274099808113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180465775327049906.post-79615264279150863452014-12-14T19:24:00.002-08:002014-12-14T19:24:59.745-08:00Feeling wobbly<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's an image I never thought I'd have to compose - a pile of marshmallows on a merry-go-round. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSYEt0Nh_HG1O7unSU1_I8WItilVIkAwKS-cZ1YtYcT82wzQl42I6z47Y7YVsBJto4os0mt_S81iO8KyIBihyphenhyphenUwawmTXfRIkgysug5eaOee-3HvxX-jqIXRCXXre1NieRpIidCMyiBkpeV/s1600/photo-33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSYEt0Nh_HG1O7unSU1_I8WItilVIkAwKS-cZ1YtYcT82wzQl42I6z47Y7YVsBJto4os0mt_S81iO8KyIBihyphenhyphenUwawmTXfRIkgysug5eaOee-3HvxX-jqIXRCXXre1NieRpIidCMyiBkpeV/s1600/photo-33.jpg" height="483" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZhNZEvC3ihe6J3_TxDGIzLqTWTx6RMJFbqEtNPYx6xgBjnYzecQpD8kqWmc7Jm8BW3WUsqp_UQJMhBmA7Ck-hRfpKue0QVzeDXDphwh2eH0p2iJ1qpTWUxHhF14fnuz2-mJm65l15WUG/s1600/photo-32.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZhNZEvC3ihe6J3_TxDGIzLqTWTx6RMJFbqEtNPYx6xgBjnYzecQpD8kqWmc7Jm8BW3WUsqp_UQJMhBmA7Ck-hRfpKue0QVzeDXDphwh2eH0p2iJ1qpTWUxHhF14fnuz2-mJm65l15WUG/s1600/photo-32.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZhNZEvC3ihe6J3_TxDGIzLqTWTx6RMJFbqEtNPYx6xgBjnYzecQpD8kqWmc7Jm8BW3WUsqp_UQJMhBmA7Ck-hRfpKue0QVzeDXDphwh2eH0p2iJ1qpTWUxHhF14fnuz2-mJm65l15WUG/s1600/photo-32.JPG" height="451" width="640" /></a></div>
<i>(Please note: No marshmallows were mistreated during this photo-session, except for the two I ate!)</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a line in Princess Petunia's Dragon, where Petunia is feeling all kind of wobbly when she realises the problems she will face trying to smuggle her new pet dragon into the Castle. (And avoiding the thirty three soldiers, twenty two maids, twelve bowmen, ten buglers, five cooks, two jesters, a jailer, and the King and Queen of course.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My dear friend, Sophia, who lives in New York, recently told her Mum that she was feeling out of sorts - 'just like a pile of marshmallows on a merry-go-round, in fact'. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you, Sophia! </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I do hope the feeling disappeared quickly</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And feeling wobbly is familiar to me even now, especially when I get up after a long session of typing, my head still in the clouds of my character's story.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, here's an article that I read out in my weekly news-reading session at the SAVH (for the Visually Handicapped). More wobbly fun....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOm1-sQrjROZ77juPSdU_4aYhbiVoHb3KaySnHMXZQTbFuuDJV7xAfEte0Dx4ipdb8iDMgZa8_NAPyRTpd8A36oEjxdUYWFvEl4mebEFvNOg0HfVVC8E__UvUegJdLJDi4ZnjchyphenhyphenAC3Q5X/s1600/photo-34.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOm1-sQrjROZ77juPSdU_4aYhbiVoHb3KaySnHMXZQTbFuuDJV7xAfEte0Dx4ipdb8iDMgZa8_NAPyRTpd8A36oEjxdUYWFvEl4mebEFvNOg0HfVVC8E__UvUegJdLJDi4ZnjchyphenhyphenAC3Q5X/s1600/photo-34.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Her antique shop in Lot 10, in the Golden Triangle area of Kuala Lumpur, is a real haven, cushioned from the big city by stunning antique furniture from China, and her own vibrant paintings. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I could have spent all day listening to tales of her family who performed Chinese Opera. Or of her trips to China to buy all manner of antiques, such as tiger rugs, beds, window shutters and cabinets. Or of her collection of embroidered slippers for bound feet, a passion that dates back to seeing her own Grandmother's slippers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';">But Susanna is much more than an antique
dealer. She is an artist and children's writer and illustrator. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';">Her third
picture book, 'Fun at the Opera', </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';">was published earlier this year. The story tells of the children's growing excitement as their older brother prepares for his new Opera show. First they help by scrubbing the car clean for the big occasion; then once they arrive at the Opera Theatre, they can't contain themselves, and sneak off backstage to try on the costumes and make-up. Finally back in their seats, they watch Ah Kor make his grand, dramatic entrance to the clamour of drums and cymbals. Back home, tired and happy, Por Por (Granny) sings them a soft lullaby. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';"> The text is printed in English and
Mandarin, and translations are available in Malay and French, while I'm
currently making a Spanish version. </span><span style="font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To quote David Seow, writer and children's picture book author:</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Fun at the Opera is like a song in itself. The delicious illustrations
enhance the perfect prose of this magical story. Goho-Quek brings the enchanted
world of Chinese Opera alive and leaves you wanting more."</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';">Along with writing and illustrating
picture books and a collection of poetry for children, Susanna gives art
classes, and has run her impART courses, training teenage refugees in Kuala Lumpur to become art teachers, thus giving them an invaluable skill. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';"> Susanna is constantly innovating -
using vibrant acrylics and appliqué, and even making jewellery. I was thrilled
to find she had some arm bands and necklaces for sale, using beaded cloth from
a baby-carrier and her own choice of beads sewn on top. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';">Her shop is House of Suzie Wong</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="color: #424242; font-family: Arial;">HOUSE OF SUZIE WONG</span></b><span style="color: #424242; font-family: Arial;"> P9, Fourth Floor, Lot 10
Shopping Centre, 50 Jalan Sultan Ismail, 50250 </span><b><span style="color: #424242; font-family: Arial;">Kuala Lumpur</span></b><span style="color: #424242; font-family: Arial;">. Tel : 03 - 2141 0482</span></div>
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<span style="color: #424242; font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #424242; font-family: Arial;">Below are some fabulous, zinging examples of Susanna's work</span></div>
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<span style="color: #424242; font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #424242; font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631737274099808113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180465775327049906.post-2435773278541474712014-09-11T04:21:00.001-07:002014-09-11T04:21:10.757-07:00When a man loves a woman.....<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. and a woman loves writing, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">well, things start to happen!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It all started at 3am on Wednesday morning. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Em, love, my face is swollen."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I sat bolt upright.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The swelling was painful to see. Minutes later we were in Tan Tock Seng hospital being administered to. My poor husband looked like an alien. His speech was slurred. His cheeks and lips so extended that even to call him trout-lips was a compliment.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What had happened?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The duty doctor and the ENT specialist both tried. But neither had a clue. The nurse joked and offered to swap passports. (What? Work in the NHS instead of this fabulous Singapore hospital?) They jabbed and prodded and poked. Thank goodness his tongue and throat were ok. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wandered between the observation room, where a dozen bedded patients were lined up, and the waiting room, with its free-biscuits-and-hot-and-cold-running-water-dispenser. This wasn't devotion. This was payback. How many times had Jim come with me to hospital? I can't even do the sum. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By 5am selfish thoughts began to creep in. How was I going to perform later that morning? I had to entertain a class of 11-year-olds who had chosen to spend their holidays being creatively inspired by writers like me! I had never done this before. My lovely friend, Denise Tan of Closetful of Books, had helped me compile a booklet for them to use. But was it acceptable to fall asleep at the desk after telling them to "get on with it"? Possibly not. Then....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BING!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">THE LIGHTS WENT ON! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I grinned. I hummed. I even helped myself to some more hot-and-cold-running-water to celebrate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Forget the introductions. Forget trying to be inventive and creative. It's all here, right in front of you. Truth stranger than fiction? You bet. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I mimed telling the young students about our night of horror. Our speculations of how Jim had been targeted by some alien, invisible beast, who'd attacked him, leaving no trace. An alien who'd discovered... what? That we weren't exactly what we said we were? No, wait, the students would do the rest.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I grinned for the next hour.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYIf-bImBAtsDzUBGwgpmnD6gPMAd5eczFP2w7Ng6vBFZDaX10rpzJ2clWQdE_EkGZsu6ScomT43Iw6p7oh161vzmiRaZyYL_Ul05mFe2fZPNWnsgQSXo3lj9c_1myjdVaheFojbieCok/s1600/P1050074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYIf-bImBAtsDzUBGwgpmnD6gPMAd5eczFP2w7Ng6vBFZDaX10rpzJ2clWQdE_EkGZsu6ScomT43Iw6p7oh161vzmiRaZyYL_Ul05mFe2fZPNWnsgQSXo3lj9c_1myjdVaheFojbieCok/s1600/P1050074.JPG" height="259" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I'm so grateful, Em," he kept saying.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"No problem," I said magnanimously. "Alien attacks always go down well with eleven year olds. You've made life much easier for me."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(NB, photo of me wearing the heart-monitor stickers and the blue visitors' bracelet to prove to the students I wasn't making this up)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now what shall I do next time?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631737274099808113noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180465775327049906.post-66581030276683253702014-08-13T04:30:00.001-07:002014-08-13T04:30:43.783-07:00Weaving a Story at the Story Museum<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week I went with Anita Loughrey and three eleven year-olds to the Story Museum in Oxford. I had heard about it at the London Book Fair a couple of years ago. Then I saw an article in the Sunday papers. My holiday in England was half-way through, so I grabbed the chance to go. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I could spend hours telling you about everything in there: the helpful staff, the "26 Characters" whose names we had to guess and stamps we had to collect, the laughter and the "Oh this is sooo cool!"s of our three young friends. But I don't want to spoil it if you are going there yourself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So here's a round-up of our tour. And I should say it's equally fun for adults as for kids. No need to feel odd if you're not accompanied by young'uns. Though having Joe, Jack and Tanaka there made it even more fun.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT-qa48Kbp5uRBXfuVVgylUfowwd92tk_gvP9HReGvbVnRru63udeGm2yGV3JHHaMjBmQB5Vux5iEjjWyWcNp2QAVcfdKsXJOBhxyR4nMDMPTCniL_RPXH1nrJtc5KJos5DDrfu4HOk21a/s1600/changing+room.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT-qa48Kbp5uRBXfuVVgylUfowwd92tk_gvP9HReGvbVnRru63udeGm2yGV3JHHaMjBmQB5Vux5iEjjWyWcNp2QAVcfdKsXJOBhxyR4nMDMPTCniL_RPXH1nrJtc5KJos5DDrfu4HOk21a/s1600/changing+room.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 The Changing Room. Dress up in any way you choose, create your name, and sit on a throne while a voice magically announces you. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Love the fur coat. Anyone for a sausage?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivtwNTQjPNDHrwi_RoKbZ7PgHaqrSBR6KZ5T41VsVY5MBLCUsWVM-MRb14qhsBS2dfbtWFajyx2h3doClIYFMujHmg8QZRXcIa3YqpEUHO8fA9NzYKKnQHLCnoqM9ZjCau1KNn_cPre3A-/s1600/announcing....jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivtwNTQjPNDHrwi_RoKbZ7PgHaqrSBR6KZ5T41VsVY5MBLCUsWVM-MRb14qhsBS2dfbtWFajyx2h3doClIYFMujHmg8QZRXcIa3YqpEUHO8fA9NzYKKnQHLCnoqM9ZjCau1KNn_cPre3A-/s1600/announcing....jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 Check out the amazing Story Loom, invented by an imaginative Victorian, or not? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">[The boys were too busy dressing up. I was entranced by this contraption, though.]</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEgbJ54QZGKgTJcFSwFad55hn5k0gmb2LxYZi4cGZ6x6H5uFSyjc0zZm4RSutwM4EjDeNdNO08BhEfayIkVwY1SDwBj0U7MwjwPQJOMDitxHjNAY3Z6XVbIVLpheUZiU0PsgWMxBeU1oh9/s1600/story+loom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEgbJ54QZGKgTJcFSwFad55hn5k0gmb2LxYZi4cGZ6x6H5uFSyjc0zZm4RSutwM4EjDeNdNO08BhEfayIkVwY1SDwBj0U7MwjwPQJOMDitxHjNAY3Z6XVbIVLpheUZiU0PsgWMxBeU1oh9/s1600/story+loom.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 Wander, wonder and explore... each room houses one or more stories.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Can you guess what they are? And what sort of door we came through? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fake snow was a hit! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29LcTJ0eiyhM67gRNbX-ZCUfuym7ySeBnJVfq-HP7dbfaH_LcpFldtDXDBOTqJcsX9Tgw_gs9lno10UIePUHpIwsnpuYk4y0Ka12aHPhV-tocEJ8lv-07Icp8dNoprC9KyaveXGMo9bNn/s1600/narnia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29LcTJ0eiyhM67gRNbX-ZCUfuym7ySeBnJVfq-HP7dbfaH_LcpFldtDXDBOTqJcsX9Tgw_gs9lno10UIePUHpIwsnpuYk4y0Ka12aHPhV-tocEJ8lv-07Icp8dNoprC9KyaveXGMo9bNn/s1600/narnia.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 Create your own story on the Story Spinner - a character, a place and a theme - then write and draw your picture. Or just keep spinning for the fun of it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrAIstNu2k0SFnoduXOCOF0csUtcrkb7Aj017NYBwai9GCI3b0LTIlgUa7uolTfECql-7gpKVq7EdtJjVzG8QFVkJQDV2N6CjqhfL6DolUTfdOn-c7IVLrX7uDFyWXRtNKC79M6gN47VJk/s1600/spinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrAIstNu2k0SFnoduXOCOF0csUtcrkb7Aj017NYBwai9GCI3b0LTIlgUa7uolTfECql-7gpKVq7EdtJjVzG8QFVkJQDV2N6CjqhfL6DolUTfdOn-c7IVLrX7uDFyWXRtNKC79M6gN47VJk/s1600/spinner.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5 Now for a portrait. Put yourself in the frame. And check out all the real portraits. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifGnCU7MCt-4-NRMke-jCtSgWF3lgk5bvyx9_IYJhMt9SoyfqhInk1EYZoTwxHRZ94PygsF024Q51Gy5kZ-GJvUxNZXZNZoGPi9WG_tAtIMezrykDL1ie03kaQZ4CO7VV8JocMwmc6mVm8/s1600/in+the+frame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifGnCU7MCt-4-NRMke-jCtSgWF3lgk5bvyx9_IYJhMt9SoyfqhInk1EYZoTwxHRZ94PygsF024Q51Gy5kZ-GJvUxNZXZNZoGPi9WG_tAtIMezrykDL1ie03kaQZ4CO7VV8JocMwmc6mVm8/s1600/in+the+frame.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6 Choose your favourite place. Needless to say, Narnia was a real hit. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For me it's hard to decide, but I did love Just William's Shed, and The Borrowers' drawer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-gO3Bo5WzZ78fgbO9fc2i6W1KEgU2wqdnQLRLRgvm6_of5PZJRU8x8heOgoa0NH9IX3h2m5MOhzOp043AF9etakwgEfJoRcKk0X0fo1PlC2LxjIbBziilLLO6Gd0p4pZRC3QxMOiyNXB/s1600/just+Will's+shed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY-gO3Bo5WzZ78fgbO9fc2i6W1KEgU2wqdnQLRLRgvm6_of5PZJRU8x8heOgoa0NH9IX3h2m5MOhzOp043AF9etakwgEfJoRcKk0X0fo1PlC2LxjIbBziilLLO6Gd0p4pZRC3QxMOiyNXB/s1600/just+Will's+shed.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7 And finally ... once we'd filled up on panini, we climbed St Mary's Tower to gaze at the city. Goodbye, and thank you so much, Oxford Story Museum. We had a fantastic morning. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And a quick postscript - I loved the atmosphere inside the building, and the fact that it was in the back half of the Post Office. Not hard to imagine the telephone exchange and the canteen. The whole place gave me a sense of being 'back stage'...to so many different stories. </span><br />
<h3 class="r" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px !important; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">
<a href="http://www.storymuseum.org.uk/" style="color: #660099; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Story Museum</span>: Home</a></h3>
<div class="s" style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 18px; max-width: 42em;">
<div class="f kv _xD" style="color: grey; height: 17px; line-height: 16px; white-space: nowrap;">
<cite class="_Ad" style="color: #006621; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal;">www.<b>storymuseum</b>.org.uk/</cite></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631737274099808113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180465775327049906.post-70231669459937040102014-08-04T11:27:00.000-07:002014-08-04T11:27:02.814-07:00WWW without the dot<div class="MsoNormal">
Little Red Jot isn't on the Little Red Dot. She's travelling in the UK. And she's conscious that she hasn't blogged for ages.... so here goes!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Who can recognize the fuzzy feeling in the brain when
everything seems to be shaking around like an old fashioned ‘snow scene’ toy? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 5.0cm;">
I’m not talking about jetlag. Or
hangover. Or too many coffees. I’m talking about WWW without the dot. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 5.0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 5.0cm;">
I thought of it after remembering some advice from my writing tutor, Josh Lacey, at City Lit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A fellow writer was explaining that
she’d reached the stage with her children’s novel where she knew she had to
start her story all over again. She shook her head and rolled her eyes. Some of
us sighed with her. But Josh nodded and said, “Welcome to the wonderful world
of writing.” More nods rolled around the room. A few writers looked bewildered.
But the unspoken words hung in the air – “You’ll reach that point too, don’t
worry!” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 5.0cm;">
<br /></div>
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It’s all about your characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There they are, down on the page. You’ve
reached the end of the -nth draft. And now they’re in rebellion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They want out. They want a new voice. They
aren’t happy with the tone. Oh, for goodness sake! Yes, you’re in the Wonderful
World of Writing. And you’re well on the way to convincing any future reader
that this book is unputdownable. If only you can calm your characters down....<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Welcome to this world. <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631737274099808113noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180465775327049906.post-61491559155865419212014-05-19T17:18:00.001-07:002014-05-20T14:55:14.807-07:00The Writing Process - Bali Coffee for Starters!<h2>
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%;">The Writing Process Blog Tour</span></h2>
<h2>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwRo1jAJyqWq_WcJ9RA721KwKygHcTbu1YYn3It60k7RC7C1VyZZTP3Gpnd-AcEdoosYdoS0NpgWry_C_KoNdTHRb6dEG7IjuZg3AhyQf6E5Y2ZLCeqHpvYYek0_jVChzmGRrXKNw3HNgq/s1600/portrait+author+framed+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwRo1jAJyqWq_WcJ9RA721KwKygHcTbu1YYn3It60k7RC7C1VyZZTP3Gpnd-AcEdoosYdoS0NpgWry_C_KoNdTHRb6dEG7IjuZg3AhyQf6E5Y2ZLCeqHpvYYek0_jVChzmGRrXKNw3HNgq/s1600/portrait+author+framed+copy.jpg" height="320" width="260" /></a><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%;"> - Bali Coffee for Starters!</span></h2>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;">These days I don’t have much time to ponder the
whys and wherefores of my <span style="line-height: 25px;">writing,</span><span style="line-height: 150%;"> but thanks to dear Anita Loughrey from the British SCBWI and her charming email of a month ago, this is what I’m about to do! </span></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;">What I'm working on<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxhXKRDHl4czB9tEfvlw5yFh0T5C5lJDnOAA48yL_i_zR5U8T7JW7gDCMHFr_fgNALcDwMzlapSoK9_6-R3nQfbhOtcdVmhl0qOYSjzkTo_i9Y4Vm9n6kxHvkeKQS3xrZ_0mjfEsoUc2P7/s1600/Sing+CNY.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxhXKRDHl4czB9tEfvlw5yFh0T5C5lJDnOAA48yL_i_zR5U8T7JW7gDCMHFr_fgNALcDwMzlapSoK9_6-R3nQfbhOtcdVmhl0qOYSjzkTo_i9Y4Vm9n6kxHvkeKQS3xrZ_0mjfEsoUc2P7/s1600/Sing+CNY.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;">For the past two and a half years
I’ve been </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;">mainly</span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"> based in </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;">Singapore</span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;">. This where my husband
works which is really rather handy given that it's an expensive place. I've
made my own writing life here, helped by my wonderful Scooby
friends. It's a very hands-on, can-do society and as a result I'm
working on several things right now. Here goes:</span><b style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"> </span></b><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"> drafting the second chapter book for 6+, ‘Princess
Petunia's Dragon’, published here by Bonnie Books;</span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"> writing
and editing a series of readers for 8-12s, based in Singapore; </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"> contributing to a series of picture books, and finally,</span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"> drafting a mystery adventure for 10-13 year olds based in the
rainforest. </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;">Phew!</span><br />
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCWLr_lULqea8oDSBHYLPabCIQLjy6_W5-pBiNpcHuQP6omg7Tz3WnrLj20Sr2hETKBt6uNLIW9lSE4SyWZ36MBzWh4SqoqTyczQ76sgbhUwdzGg4KBOA8Rv5B3iAWTbKbAmGCFD0jTdJ8/s1600/orang+utan+w+stick.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCWLr_lULqea8oDSBHYLPabCIQLjy6_W5-pBiNpcHuQP6omg7Tz3WnrLj20Sr2hETKBt6uNLIW9lSE4SyWZ36MBzWh4SqoqTyczQ76sgbhUwdzGg4KBOA8Rv5B3iAWTbKbAmGCFD0jTdJ8/s1600/orang+utan+w+stick.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;">How it differs from others in the genre<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0XBeAz8Fura3biGCdHzTS1GKHZiH3XdQkPmJZl1NeMT-74EavqGYpzePjl9em8HeeFMmKmuKEk6XyJqEarZ8zARwml0Mec0b-AajyQwmunedoYFgs2NmnGEyDwnLCWBzji-Hy4keIoLK/s1600/Freddy+1st+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0XBeAz8Fura3biGCdHzTS1GKHZiH3XdQkPmJZl1NeMT-74EavqGYpzePjl9em8HeeFMmKmuKEk6XyJqEarZ8zARwml0Mec0b-AajyQwmunedoYFgs2NmnGEyDwnLCWBzji-Hy4keIoLK/s1600/Freddy+1st+.jpg" height="200" width="164" /></a><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;">I'll talk just about ‘Princess Petunia’s
Dragon’ for the time being. My voice is, I hope, what distinguishes
it from other books for this age group - ie newly independent readers aged 6-9.
Petunia is a feisty child and won't take no for an answer. She
lives in a world where everyone eats together in the castle dining hall, onion
soup is served every night, and small dragons live in a dragons’ home and
eat blue gobstoppers to keep their scales shiny. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;">There's
no magic in the story - leaving aside the fact that dragons are the main
feature - so Petunia finds her way through sheer imagination and
perseverance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;">I don't use fancy typefaces and I try to use illustrations
judiciously to reach as wide an audience as possible. Bonnie Books published
this book, but I commissioned the artwork and worked with my
lovely illustrator, Charlotte Micklewright, <o:p></o:p></span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;">to make the characters come alive. I suppose it’s because
I'm a visual person who remembers pictures long after the plot has vanished
from my memory.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;">Why I write what I do<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtrJtHiTrzJU-Cif1RvFWF4MwhKEGTJg_25i_I9CJlaJRQ_NOSW9905eTMmeQt3fhyphenhyphena8PxVJg3H2KdBwzNLSP5CwtAry2pyo4Ap-QL0kYzye41ywZ-wgbIAcKEsdNPf2dmcEUrmO5kder/s1600/P+writing+glossary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtrJtHiTrzJU-Cif1RvFWF4MwhKEGTJg_25i_I9CJlaJRQ_NOSW9905eTMmeQt3fhyphenhyphena8PxVJg3H2KdBwzNLSP5CwtAry2pyo4Ap-QL0kYzye41ywZ-wgbIAcKEsdNPf2dmcEUrmO5kder/s1600/P+writing+glossary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtrJtHiTrzJU-Cif1RvFWF4MwhKEGTJg_25i_I9CJlaJRQ_NOSW9905eTMmeQt3fhyphenhyphena8PxVJg3H2KdBwzNLSP5CwtAry2pyo4Ap-QL0kYzye41ywZ-wgbIAcKEsdNPf2dmcEUrmO5kder/s1600/P+writing+glossary.jpg" height="186" width="400" /></a><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;">There’s a very simple answer to that: I have no other strings to my bow.</span><br />
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"> I've been a book editor and
I occasionally write for magazines. Nothing will stop me writing. My stories are often higgledy piggledy, rather like my life, but they eventually come out straight (<o:p></o:p></span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;"><span style="line-height: 25px;">ish), and I've learned not to give up hope! </span></span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;">I
love talking to kids about my stories and seeing their jaws drop open. </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;">Since publishing ‘Petunia’ I've made several school visits and hosted a
bookstore launch. The local market requires authors to be generous
and proactive, to juggle a story-telling
activity/craft event with handing out stickers, calendars, bookmarks...and
cookies. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw6AZCS0MreiUjKSg5IihJCeo1lZ6G66e7ktJRMzTrPLfsafEK7HmbpATE4vvnmTLKanuJgpdyT9qI0gTDmYzsY838oPv8vrszx5rqAeZpL5g-6a-GQQAl9ekoHJetKTdhaoHj1EBU27Cx/s1600/writing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw6AZCS0MreiUjKSg5IihJCeo1lZ6G66e7ktJRMzTrPLfsafEK7HmbpATE4vvnmTLKanuJgpdyT9qI0gTDmYzsY838oPv8vrszx5rqAeZpL5g-6a-GQQAl9ekoHJetKTdhaoHj1EBU27Cx/s1600/writing.jpg" height="288" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;">How the writing process works<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;">I write fiction, so I beg you, nothing
I write now should be taken down and used against me in a court of law. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;">"Every
morning I wake at six. The sun rises at 6.55, but the mynah birds
are noisy before then. I make a cup of Bali coffee (nothing fancy, but it comes from Bali and tastes sublime). I turn on the balcony light, sit at the
table and write. By seven my husband is watching the BBC news,
and at eight, I walk with him to the nearest train station in a huge
shopping hub. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLl1c0XmzQRhz9_9xry5o7gUir7lTvcsDAaOIA3CLx0dJsri3ZecQXHk6FUs8jeZoNgpiUb9sZ0K9fvdzS1cXVb5L3aFfgfyIHHIhpuOTw8jMYBUYS_VvfyQyiXdC7pHcoM3_IVOTS-gVO/s1600/jungle+view.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLl1c0XmzQRhz9_9xry5o7gUir7lTvcsDAaOIA3CLx0dJsri3ZecQXHk6FUs8jeZoNgpiUb9sZ0K9fvdzS1cXVb5L3aFfgfyIHHIhpuOTw8jMYBUYS_VvfyQyiXdC7pHcoM3_IVOTS-gVO/s1600/jungle+view.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"> Spinelli's café
has some seats that remain shaded until about ten thirty, giving me and
my iPad plenty of time to garner more ideas. My hands get a little
sticky from the humidity, but when I'm "away with my characters" -- be it in </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 25px;">the</span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;"> jungle or in 1920s Singapore -- I
don't notice anything. The res</span>t <span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;">of the day is for thinking, reworking my
morning scribbles, and applying calamine lotion to the patches on my arms that
caught the sun outside the café."</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;">Before coming to Singapore I spent many years at City Lit critique
groups learning the ropes and writing for many age groups. Much of what I
write is based on these stories, or on characters that
took refuge somewhere in my mind. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%;">I also read and reread my favourite books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
you’re curious, here are a few of them: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hideous
Kinky</i> (Esther Freud), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Outsiders</i>
(Hinton), <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Catcher in the Rye. </i></span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;">Editing other writing friends’ work for middle-grade readers has
been useful in helping me over hurdles with the dreaded first chapter, or
resisting the delete button in early drafts.</span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;"> </span></div>
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri; line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;"> Now I have a confession to make. I'm meant to pass the baton onto three other writers, but I've been slow in finding friends who haven't <i>already </i>done this. Or who have enough time to blog. Sorry, folks, I'll post my three friends' details later. And </span><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Calibri;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">thanks very much, Anita, for persuading me to share this with you.</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631737274099808113noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180465775327049906.post-40049731059284280312014-04-21T02:37:00.001-07:002014-04-21T02:37:43.088-07:00Why I love .... Book FairsSO WHY DO I LOVE BOOK FAIRS? This year I was lucky enough to go to Bologna and London and soak up just a tiny amount of the book world. Book fairs are primarily for publishers to sell rights, but to me they are a sheer delight as I have no expectations and I'm not bound to any targets. Here are a few thoughts:<br />
<br />
BOLOGNA BOOK FAIR<br />
<br />
Bologna through my eyes is all about illustration and design, from the Cambridge illustrator students' booth to the Japanese book-cum-knitting activity (spinning a yarn), and esoteric artwork from ... gosh, all over, but I noticed especially Taiwan and Korea. I loved meeting writers and artists at the SCBWI stand, cheering on the illustrators in their 'duel' as they improvised and drew five spreads from an unknown pic book text. In theory, the event is not for children, but I saw a few wandering round, both they and their parents entranced, dazed, dreaming .... Who could not be stunned by the beautiful work on display?<br />
<br />
LONDON BOOK FAIR<br />
<br />
By contrast, in London I always make a point of attending some of the talks, this year given by authors, illustrators, Julia Eccleshare of the Guardian, Viv Bird of Booktrust, members of Seven Stories... They really help put the reading world into perspective. Here are some things I picked up:<br />
<br />
Parents: they are both the biggest enablers and the biggest blockers of reading. Why do we stop reading aloud to our kids when they can read independently? Children must get used to hearing their voices as they read aloud - silent reading should not be seen as the norm.<br />
<br />
Reading for pleasure: this is the single biggest factor in finding success in life.<br />
<br />
Feedback: reading is like slow cooking - so don't ask kids for feedback, or insist they keep a book diary, let them lose themselves instead.<br />
<br />
Libraries and bookshops: for many they are too daunting, too posh. "Can I wear my trainers to go into a bookshop?" They are a lifestyle choice and parents must be able to feel comfortable. In some remote areas a book crate in a shop or cafe constitutes the library.<br />
<br />
Dyslexia and other needs: changing type size and shape within the story, as if often done in picture books and increasingly in chapter books, makes reading a huge challenge, and is often too daunting. This really chimed with me. At the 2012 book fair I heard Polly Dunbar stressing the usefulness of including children's 'other needs' discreetly (not just adding a hearing aids to a child in the illustration but encompassing a whole range of things). It's so easy to be inclusive... And also so easy to forget!<br />
<br />
For designers: allow the illustrator plenty of time to develop ideas. Time to think is of <span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">paramount</span> importance. (I quote the wonderfully warm illustrator of the new Harry P jackets, Andrew Davidson)<br />
<br />
For writers: create a hit of excitement, do the unexpected and most of all, create an environment in which the child feels comfortable and enjoys the experience. (Author Steve Cole)<br />
<br />
And lastly, you can't make a story accountable for improving a child's reading age. BUT, and forgive me if I repeat, children who read for pleasure will gain advantages that last their whole lives.<br />
<br />
And by reading, of course I mean everything: artwork and text, on phones, screens, and printed.<br />
<br />
And finally many heartfelt thanks from me for taking the time to read this.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631737274099808113noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8180465775327049906.post-30379104875382422582014-03-11T00:00:00.001-07:002014-03-11T00:00:19.011-07:00"I don't want to have a pet dragon, but...."<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So started the review by a reader of 'Princess Petunia Dragon'. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The reviewer continues, "... I agree that dragons are cute. Especially, Petunia's dragon Freddy is pretty and clever. It was really fantastic and interesting. I don't like her mother but I like Petunia because she thinks everything so simply."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Now this was written by a Japanese girl, <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Hanane SUZUKI, who has been learning English for only two years with her teacher, my friend Ikue. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Wow! I'm impressed not only by her written English, but also by the simple and clear way she expresses herself. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Hanane wrote a summary as well:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">"Princess Petunia wanted to have a pet </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">dragon. She read a weekly magazine about dragon. One morning she tried to buy a dragon with her three pieces of silver but she knew that she needs thirty pieces of silver. She'd never waste her moment. She began working to earn to buy a dragon."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222;">Thank you, Hanane, for letting me see your work, and thank you, Ikue, for sending it to me. I hope that we can meet up one day. In the meantime, I'm sending you a real, handwritten letter. </span><span style="color: #222222;">I hope you continue to enjoy reading books in English. And maybe one day you'll have a clever, friendly, cute pet a little bit like Freddy!</span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14631737274099808113noreply@blogger.com0