tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53716837269735400112024-03-19T03:40:47.367-07:00Meaning MattersReflections and thoughts on the things that matter to me at the time. Not for profit, not for money. Just for the love of it. Hoping that others might read, find some meaning herein and will occasionally post a comment...Michael P. Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02389407421536719696noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5371683726973540011.post-47774180559960295522013-06-03T05:01:00.000-07:002013-06-03T05:06:22.581-07:00What Matters?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back at work today after a week’s
leave. We enjoyed a family holiday break in Penang (4 days) and Fraser Hill (1
night). The sojourn in Penang was for the purpose of finding suitable
accommodation for our August arrival in the “Pearl of the Orient” and the
location for my new work contract. Secured a very pleasant 3 bedroom apartment
in a new condominium and met the outgoing Director of Tenby
Schools Penang, Mr. Phillip, who interviewed me last month and offered me the post of
Head of Primary International Section, Penang. (I think I will call myself the Head of
the Primary International School though).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2C_daHF7vdlINkxNACrJIOJHRrRr5Ki2EDcblVRN7edzypG1PQMJDSXiJCL_ggIqbQwSg0AaoZ1Rl_wmF2aP4ogLXOwe2K-FCv9rEP9HzEDgHlSMpns80LXQsZKVR2ixwuGsz9INCins/s1600/DSC_0053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2C_daHF7vdlINkxNACrJIOJHRrRr5Ki2EDcblVRN7edzypG1PQMJDSXiJCL_ggIqbQwSg0AaoZ1Rl_wmF2aP4ogLXOwe2K-FCv9rEP9HzEDgHlSMpns80LXQsZKVR2ixwuGsz9INCins/s320/DSC_0053.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">View from our apartment-to-be, 7th floor / Unit 7, <em>Surin</em>, Penang</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A return to school leadership... I
am excited and a little apprehensive, mindful of the unhappy circumstances
surrounding my departure from Bangkok in October 2011, and the emotional assault
on my memories and general well-being. Not to mention the marital stress at
that time. But I sense and hope for a closing of this process of catharsis that
has seen me return to Malaysia, working here in Johor Bahru as an Advisor,
learning a few new skills and preparing me both mentally and practically with
what tools I may need in a new school leadership position. I pray and hope that
all will be well at Tenby Penang, and that I will be able to move the Primary
International Section forward, and lay to rest any ambivalences that lie
lurking at the depths of my soul.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am looking forward to putting
into practice myself some of the pedagogical principles and strategies I have
been encouraging the Malaysian teachers here in Johor to implement. I sense it
will go some way to changing the way I have traditionally taught. Change can be
uncomfortable and challenging, but I feel I must grow with this new opportunity.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spent some time this morning with
my daughter... How lovely she is; how she seeks connection and engagement, play
and interaction. We played our balloon game, ate sliced mango together, and
discussed the need to paint parts of the 'space rocket' before assembling it
together with glue!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What matters is that I can enjoy
my children’s company while they are children, that I can be a worthy father
and husband. That I can hold it all together for most of the time. The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Corpus Christi</i> celebration in church
yesterday left me feeling quite shallow. The array of male church leaders – priests,
assistant priests, deacons and a bishop behind the altar – brought back old
questions of why the Catholic Church is so male-centred. Is this what God
decrees? Is this part of the natural order? How does this resonate with the
revolutionary message of Jesus Christ? For me, it seems not to resonate very
well at all; and with all those robes and pomp and display, it seems to be a
million miles away from what He Who was slain on a cross might have wanted, I
feel…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It matters that we remain optimistic
and strive a for a better world, that we use our intellect, our facilities and
bodies for good and not for non-goods and evil. How easy at times to drift into
apathy, laziness and a weariness for life’s joyous struggles!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The one night at Fraser Hill was
memorable for the meal at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Scott’s
Restaurant</i> and the short visit to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ye
Olde Smokehouse</i>. Ah the Fuller’s English Ale at Scott’s was indeed a joy to
imbibe and to wallow in reminiscences of Sunday afternoon drinks on walks in Cambridgeshire,
ending at fine taverns. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
</div>
Michael P. Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02389407421536719696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5371683726973540011.post-90052501571976065092013-05-25T05:23:00.002-07:002013-05-25T05:27:47.850-07:00Travel matters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We find ourselves in an unspectacular little motel in a town near the mini Malaysian metropolis called Seremban. We are en route to Pulau Pinang, and decided to stop off along the way to break up the journey. This was not such a good idea, as in retrospect, we could have reached Penang in one day quite easily. We need not have worried about our daughter's inability to cope with a long journey. It is becoming obvious that she is now a well travelled little soul, and can manage long car trips.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The guide book suggested that we could visit the Hot Springs Water Centre in Pedas, but the site turned out to be a glorified water theme park, and the hot water baths much like any other small swimming pool, overcrowded with lots of pairs of legs hanging over the pool side. Not for us. We drove further along the road towards Melaka, admiring the traditional Malay homes scattered by the road side, and verdant hills in the distance, before finally performing a U turn to get back to our hotel. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now back in the hotel, and planning to retire early - before 9pm - as an early start is called for.</span> </div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy Birthday to my brother, Anthony - one year my junior!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thinking about all the music I would put on a pen drive and give to my loved one...</span> </div>
Michael P. Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02389407421536719696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5371683726973540011.post-68165531272275051712013-03-01T02:27:00.004-08:002013-03-01T02:27:35.385-08:00Mountain Matters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-MY" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mount Ararat, Mount Sinai, and the
Mount of Olives… all the names of mountains I grew up with from my Catholic
catechism.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-MY" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Last Sunday’s homily at the Cathedral
of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Johor Bahru took as its theme the
symbolism of the mountain as a place of withdrawal and prayer, as a prelude to
resolution, enlightenment and action, as well as a source of mental,
psychological and spiritual strength. The Gospel reading was the Transfiguration
Story from the Book of Luke.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-MY" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The mountain. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sacred in many cultures. Also a place of
death. How many bodies lie dead on the slopes of Mount Everest, or Holy
Sagarmartha, as the Tibetans refer to it. Many devout Buddhist Tibetans
consider trekking and climbing upon and over this mountain to be an affront to
the gods, and possibly one reason for some and many deaths. The business of
ascending Mount Everest these days has certainly become unsavoury at times, as
big bucks are paid by rich individuals to ascend with ever-obliging Sherpa porters
and guide teams. The pressure to ascend during small windows of good weather conditions
adds to the stress that is placed on teams and individuals and the weight of
loss if a climber is unable to summit with increasingly diminishing resources
and supplies. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-MY" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But I digress.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-MY" style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I liked the theme of the homily that
we all need to find time to reflect and pray <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">on</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">in</i> our own
spiritual and symbolic mountains, our own places of quiet, closer to heaven, to
the gods, to God, to our Meaning. How busy we have become with our working lives,
our families, our technologies that were supposed to make life easier and even our
leisure hours become filled with pursuits to keep us ever busy. We forget to
pray and to think and to reflect – arguably some of our most basic, archetypal behaviours.
</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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Michael P. Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02389407421536719696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5371683726973540011.post-82455820793703144112013-02-16T01:00:00.002-08:002013-02-16T01:03:37.870-08:00Weekly Matters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">This week started with the onset of Chinese New
Year, with the Year of the Snake having now begun. Never been much keen on the snake.
Perhaps it is my <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Genesis</i> upbringing
and the memory of the serpent’s temptation at the biblical dawn of our race. Or
the memory of stories of villagers in the district of Parsa in Nepal, of their loved
ones dying beneath a tree from venomous snake bite, and the acceptance that emergency
treatment is too far away for a life to be saved…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">On the Eve of Chinese New Year, we enjoyed
great Chinese dumplings, or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">jiaozi</i>,
at the house of C.K. Lee (see my Facebook page for homely photographs of the
event). They tasted a bit like Nepalese momos, accept that the chutney, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">achar</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>sauce had quite a different taste. Our hosts explained that they would eat
plate fulls of these until midnight. Somewhat incongruously, even though I knew
our friends to be Christians, Lee presented me with a biblical treatise to
read as we said our goodbyes, a book that examined the genealogies in the book
of Genesis and calculated precisely when Adam was born and lived. He explained
that he had been given the book by his local pastor and was very effusive in recommending
it to me, to read and to keep. I took the book thankfully, wondering if I would
ever read it. I <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">have</i></b> dipped into it since, but have to conclude that I now
often find such ‘theological fundamental’ works difficult to read for their unflinching
acceptance that all that is written in the Bible is (historical) truth.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Then mid-week we celebrated the beginning of Lent,
Ash Wednesday, at my local Catholic Church, and an uplifting homily from our enthusiastic
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>priest from Melaka, who was upbeat about
the joys of chastity, fasting, alms giving and other penances for this period of
40 days. I still can’t quite get used to his rousing sermons that are
punctuated with emphatic Amens, to which we are bound to reply Amen too. I often
don’t feel I can respond as I am called to do with a genuine heart, and feel a
pang of guilt at my weak faith and my lack of evangelistic and Christian</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span>fervour<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">. As
a child I was quite attentive to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">giving
up something</i> for Lent; and my son has resolved to abstain from chocolate
this year. Good for him. Perhaps I am achieving something as a Catholic parent
after all! I intend to ‘give up’ alcohol for this 40 days, and will do my best to
be more disciplined about chocolate and coffee intake – not quite saying that I
will definitely give them up. I lack faith in my own capacity for such self-discipline
these days!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">And then it was Valentine ’s Day. A card <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and a present for my beloved wife, who is
really not that bothered, but a ritual which I cling to not least for our children,
and especially for my son, who will one day operate in a global and probably a
more western culture, and will have a girlfriend or two to please. I feel he
must learn something of this modern culture so that he can at least ‘know the
right thing to do’ if called upon. I
also like my wife to know that I am still a romantic at heart, even if she is
not, and even if I am nearing fifty and she is not!</span></div>
</div>
Michael P. Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02389407421536719696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5371683726973540011.post-89791413097385461722013-01-10T06:00:00.002-08:002013-01-10T06:02:33.126-08:00Flying Matters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
absurdity of flying. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">38,000 feet
above sea level… eating miniature Christmas dinners and Chilean wine, served in
doll size, giant wine bottles.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paper
liners for the toilet seats; individual and individualized personal TV screens
on the back of the passenger-in-front’s seat; throw-away headphones; throw-away
food and utensils; listening to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Armenia
City in the Sky”.<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Turbulence.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
elements could cause a catastrophic and explosive loss of life. Human error
could cause the same.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Are we
pushing the boundaries too much, expending great quantities of carbon in the
process, and not just the fuel consumption midair, but the complex chain of
manufacture making the flying machine airborne…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Smiles and
professional etiquette from the airline stewards and stewardesses.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Queues
outside the toilets. Toilet engaged sign on, toilet vacant sign on. Seat belt
switch sign on, seat belt switch sign off. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Boiled
sweets. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Sorry, all the chicken is finished, Madam.
Would you care for fish? </span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Is that tea or coffee, Sir? With milk?<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Turbulence.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Michael P. Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02389407421536719696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5371683726973540011.post-36245549773597196722012-12-21T00:32:00.000-08:002012-12-21T00:32:41.580-08:00Christmas Matters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Goodness me. The Christmas tree has finally
been erected in our ancestral home in Royston, after days, even weeks of gentle
reminders (face to face) and moans (out of ear shot) to my father, now a 72
year old man. Timely. The children and I had returned from watching the film <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Nativity2 – Danger in the Manger”</i>, which
had perfectly put us in the mood for a bit of Christmas cheer and frivolity. Christmas
is a time for children so it warmed the heart to return in the night, when it
was cold, to be greeted by a house of colourful tree lights and a green twinkling
(albeit artificial) tree in the corner of our cozy, open fired living room.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Our second morning in the UK saw us wake up to
a sea of snow all around the area, as – unaware of any forecasts – white magic
had enveloped our neighbourhood overnight. By 8am we are all in the garden
making a snowman, throwing a few snowballs at each other and clicking the camera.
Perfect moment for a family that has not spent Christmas together in the UK
ever – the children’s first experience of snow in England. I had woken in the
earlier hours and taken a few eerie pre-dawn photographs, trying to capturing
the Narniasque atmosphere. It has been worth coming back to England just for
this!</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">It has been good to see family – a gathering on
Saturday 15<sup>th</sup> December saw us all assemble in a Hitchin Public House
for our traditional fare, and to exchange the first of the Christmas presents. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A traditional
Christmas dinner at “Dad’s” is planned for Christmas Day – again a first for
our children. Socio economic factors have always meant that we have felt our
Christmas way of doing things has never mirrored the ‘perfect’ representation we
see in the British media and pre-Christmas advertisement waves. As children growing
up in east and north east London it never bothered us until we became more self-conscious
as teenagers. I hope my own children are equally untouched and untroubled by
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Michael P. Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02389407421536719696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5371683726973540011.post-62219413104523681562012-12-01T18:28:00.002-08:002012-12-01T18:30:39.243-08:00Anniversary Matters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">17 years married to the day. It
all began in Nepal in 1994, when I met Manisha in the Nepal-India border town
of Birgung. I was first introduced to her father, Mahendra, and gradually came
to know the family. After a trek into the Langtang Himalaya together, Manisha and
I decided to tie the knot, and the official court marriage ceremony was completed
on 1<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>st</sup> December 1995. Due to visa red tape, I returned to the UK
shortly after that, alone; and it was not until I had secured a job and was
seen to be earning a UK salary once more, that I was able to ‘sponsor’ Manisha
and bring her back to England as my wife.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How naïve I was then, were we
both.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">17 years on and
now with 2 beautiful children – Chris (11 and Rebecca (5)…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dinner for two yesterday
at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nandos</i> restaurant, followed by a
film – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Life of Pi</i>. The film was interesting,
especially the first half, set in India. The second half of the film following
Pi’s shipwreck adventure, dragged a little, but the magical imaginary visuals
were lovely to watch in 3D. Thanks to Annie, Manisha’s sister, for baby-sitting
Chris and Rebecca.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Off to Changi airport
later this afternoon, for our onward flight to the UK via Qatar. Winter vacation.</span>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Michael P. Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02389407421536719696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5371683726973540011.post-51626408853233404662012-11-17T21:12:00.000-08:002012-11-17T21:15:54.107-08:00Strange noises that go bump in the … morning<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Continuing my reading of Claxton’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hare Brain Tortoise Mind</i>, I share with
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<br /></div>
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</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">indirect</span>, sideways, allusive and symbolic; which hints and evokes and moves
in ways that resist explication.“ p.173.</span></span></div>
</div>
Michael P. Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02389407421536719696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5371683726973540011.post-17881833260827818472012-11-10T21:23:00.001-08:002012-11-10T21:28:40.288-08:00What matters?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The Tamil lady
passed away on Friday morning, 9<sup>th</sup> November 2012, in Sultanah Amirah
Hospital in Johor Bahru. She had been hit by a motor cyclist while crossing a
busy road the day before, on Thursday morning, a stone’s throw away from our</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">organisation’s</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> <span lang="EN-US">local office. At the time of the accident a group of colleagues and I
had walked briskly to the scene of the road side accident. Another colleague
had in fact partially observed the accident from the office window; several of
us had heard the sound of the impact of the motorcycle on the lady’s body, that
unforgettable thud noise. Later it was reported how the body had been thrown some
distance due to the impact, had been almost bounced along like a rubber doll.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">She was
bleeding badly when we arrived road side. It was unclear from where the blood
was coming. Possibly the side of her face, but there was blood oozing from her
mouth and nose as well. She appeared to be breathing, and occasionally breathed
more awkwardly as if feeling the pain more acutely. An arm was broken, and I later
learned from her relatives at the hospital that in fact she had also broken her
hip bone and her leg. Her condition roadside was critical. I lay beside her stroking
her shoulder, checking on her breathing, occasionally offering comforting words,
a part of me terrified that I might have to give her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
We had placed her in the recovery position, but with all those broken bones,
perhaps in retrospect, such movement had only made the trauma all the more
worse. What else could we have done? An ambulance had been called, but seemed
to be taking an interminably long time to get there. There was in fact a much
closer private hospital nearby, but this lady would be a government hospital
patient, and would have to wait for her transport to the hospital in a more
distant part of town. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">When the ambulance
finally arrived, maybe half an hour or more after the collision, the staff
seemed hesitant about the scene before them. They were slow in their application
of a neck and arm support and clumsy it seemed in positioning the limp body on
the mobile stretcher, a body which was then shunted into the back of the ambulance
vehicle in a rough sliding motion. There seemed an absence of compassion at the
scene, these ‘medical’ men, nay boys, just doing their job, picking up the body
and transporting it to the hospital. I wondered what level of training they might
have had. It appeared quite minimal.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I was troubled
that I had been weak and ineffective at the roadside, and I felt ashamed that
in my mind at least I was hesitant and nervous at the prospect of having to do something
more demonstrable to try to save this lady’s life. Every time the lady appeared
to stop breathing I was afraid that this was going to be my moment to give
mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and I was not at all sure if I was able or up to the
task, even though eighteen months previous I had undertaken an Emergency First Response
(EFR) course. I scolded myself for my shallow recall of what needed to be done
in this situation.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">That night at
home I watched again my EFR videos and hoped that I might be a little better prepared
if there was a next time and I found myself in such an emergency situation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The following
day at work we reflected on the inadequacy – at least by western standards - of
the emergency response services here in Malaysia. ‘Life seems quite cheap’ was
a comment banded around. Why had the woman tried to cross such a busy road? Why
had she not walked a little further along and used the over pass? Why was she running?
Why and how had the motor cyclist not seen her? Had he been travelling too fast?
To his credit - poor man in a state of shock - he had accompanied the Tamil lady
to the hospital in the ambulance. I wonder what will happen to him now, now
that the Tamil lady has died from her injuries brought on by him, or at least
his motorcycle. Is he to blame? Will it be a charge of manslaughter against him?
What a tragedy. What a waste of a life. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">What really matters?
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">God rest her
soul, rest in peace, battered woman. I pray your family grieve well and learn
from your accident and death, if at all possible. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
Michael P. Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02389407421536719696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5371683726973540011.post-91763615449637287212012-11-04T03:14:00.003-08:002012-11-04T03:19:50.186-08:00Communion Matters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I arrived at
the church at exactly 6pm, pleased with myself that I was not late, and with the
fact that despite the traffic and heavy rain I had managed to get there on time,
in one piece, composed. But as it turned out I <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">was</i></b> late, as the service
had already begun. In fact the time had been changed from the regular 6pm start
hour to an earlier 5.30pm commencement – on the occasion of the local
community’s celebration of the First Holy Communion of the young children of
the parish. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Lovely damsels
dressed in white gowns with green garlands in their hair lined the front pews, occupying
places of honour for their big day. Boys sat separately in their smart or smart-casual
attire, not looking half as celestial as their sister counterparts. Mums and
dads, relatives and god parents sat in between and behind them. The rest of the
congregation filled the remaining pews in the second half, rear part of the
church. I sat outside. No room at the Inn for me, although I had not searched
earnestly for a place to sit.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">While I tried
to follow the service from a position of restricted viewing, I focused on the
patterns of the pale white and ochre</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
coloured</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> tiles beneath my feet. I recalled a conversation I had
had with my son only a few days earlier about how if you stared at such tiles
for long enough you would be able to “see” things. We agreed at the time that
this was so and mutually verified each other’s experiences. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The marble-like
tiles showed their faces to me this evening. Lions, gargoyles, monsters; Christ-like visages, Neanderthal men, Homo sapiens apes. Faces, half faces, a solitary,
lost eye, with a countenance halved as if having been tortured, spoiled or disfigured
in some way. Mutilated, yet a</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
recognisable</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> face. I considered my need to make meaning and order
out of such chaotic shapes. Perhaps we all have this need and ‘see’ what we want
to see. I have had this experience all of my life. Is it worrying, or is it
just evidence of an imagination at play?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">At what I thought
was the opportune time, I went up to receive Communion myself, as is my custom.
Upon reaching the foot of the altar, however, I</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">realised</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
that today the Host was not being distributed to all and sundry, and</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">computing </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">my mistake further,
I continued walking to the right nonchalantly, as if to give the impression
that I had only come forward to ‘have a closer’ look at the proceedings. Inside
I felt red with embarrassment, and maybe one or two parishioners also observed
this as I sensed their gaze fixed in my direction, but the moment passed off quickly
enough. I returned to my seat, host–less. </span></div>
</div>
Michael P. Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02389407421536719696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5371683726973540011.post-7890066498100936272012-11-02T18:53:00.001-07:002012-11-10T21:28:19.775-08:00Solitude Matters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Having looked
forward (for months) to this opportunity to be on my own – as the family have taken
themselves off to Nepal for four weeks – as I reckoned it would give me ample
time to immerse myself in some company-related writing commitments, I find myself
restless in an empty, people-and-family-less apartment, experiencing it as
somewhat hard to focus without the constant distraction of my children! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In an earlier epoch, I always needed quiet to get
things done – reading, writing study etc.; but in these years of family life I
have learned to be more flexible and have adapted to working with interruptions.
Dare I say it, that I have become good at it, and now find it quite normal to
be sneaking time here and there - in between conversations about school rivalries
with my five year old daughter, and debates about the latest Apple products
with my eleven year old son. Over the years my wife and I have also
increasingly come to know and accept what each other likes, and I love my wife
the more that she tolerates my introverted quirks of behaviour, and allows me
to sit and read or write away from where it is all happening with the family. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">And yet… The
house is very quiet these last two days – they left only on the 1<sup>st</sup> November
– and already I am missing them, especially my daughter, who exhausts me with
her constant demands for attention and the need to engage in dialogue or games.
It was lovely to Skype chat with my son yesterday. I feel his need to talk with
me and felt bad that I cut him short a little as I needed to sleep earlier than
him. He sounded grown up, more articulate even.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I do like my
solitude, though, and I see that as I age it will be important for me to have
these times for re-charging the spiritual and emotional batteries. They serve
almost like mini retreat times, interludes for contemplation and prayer, as
well as a time to increase my exercising regime, which always makes me feel more
alive, disciplined and focused. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, the cliché
runs, and I have always found it to be so in the past when husband and wife have
been apart. That is a good thing too.</span></div>
</div>
Michael P. Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02389407421536719696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5371683726973540011.post-61243848112471106362012-10-26T08:17:00.002-07:002012-10-26T08:24:45.524-07:00Learning Matters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The book has been sitting on my
bookshelf for a couple of years and I have delved into its pages on several occasions,
but events have seen me distracted after the first twenty odd pages. The book
has travelled between Nepal, Thailand and Malaysia – a well-travelled book,
which I have always felt needed to be kept by my side as an important one to read
in its entirety one day. Well I have ‘begun’ to read it again in recent days,
and hope that I will be able to stick with it this time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The book has prompted me to write
a little about “learning”. As an educator I find myself mulling on the word and
idea all the time. I often write that it is at the core of all that we do in
school, but a part of me worries that it is not or not half as much as it should
be. The book in question is not <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What’s
the Point of School?</i> by Guy Claxton, which I was much influenced by
when<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I first read it in Nepal, but one of
Claxton’s earlier works, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hare Brain Tortoise Mind</i>. The sentiment and central message of the latter book resonates
with a belief that I have held dear for many years, namely the value of giving
time to slow learning. I have often said to parents that education is not a
race. And this message to parents is borne out of my desire to see all educators
take the pressure and stress out of learning, to allow for time to mess about
with learning, and to allow learning to take place for its intrinsic value and
for reasons that the learner has brought to it herself. Not to say that the
more deliberative <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">d-mode</i> learning
that Claxton refers to is not important. It is just that this kind of thinking
has underpinned our examination system and has taken over too much of the educational
endeavour in schools, to the detriment of more creative and intuitive learning,
we maintain.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Being myself a quiet learner who likes
to dream, recollect dreams, day dream and contemplate, perhaps you can forgive
me for my indulgence in liking this thesis, but if such an understanding of “know-how”
can be rescued and given a complementary place in 21<sup>st</sup> century learning
and its attendant technologies, then perhaps, I believe, we will create more balance
and more ‘holism’ to our modern, frenetic lives. </span></div>
</div>
Michael P. Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02389407421536719696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5371683726973540011.post-81394910989406654182012-10-22T16:54:00.000-07:002012-10-26T08:22:33.543-07:00Tooth Fairy Matters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was lovely to reflect the
other day that our eleven year old son – soon to be twelve years old – still
expected the tooth fairy to leave some money underneath his pillow during the
dead of night. Of course, his parents – Dad in particular – have nourished this
belief from a young age, and the family custom persists. It was also interesting
to see the reaction of our five year old daughter, who was most upset that the
tooth fairy was not paying her a visit that night, and so she proceeded to
burst into tears, like a jilted lover. I did explain to her that when she – at
the appointed time – and that her time would definitely come - were to lose a
tooth, the tooth fairy would visit her also. This eventually seemed to assuage
her.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the reasons I have perpetuated
this custom is to prolong the sense of child hood awe and belief in things
magical. It has been suggested that the prolonging of the tradition is an attempt
by parents to keep their children ‘dependent’ on them and close to their bosom,
like little children are. I had not reflected on it in this way before, but
methinks in our case, it is more a question of a belief in the supernatural, a spiritual
acknowledgement that even in our techno/gadget-filled eon there is still a place
for mystery and fantasy. I know a day will come shortly when our son no longer
believes in the tooth fairy. In fact, when another tooth came out recently and
we were far away from home on a ‘desert island’ he did wonder how the tooth
fairy would come; and was also surprised – when he looked underneath the pillow
the following morning - that she had not taken the tooth away after having left
the money (- an oversight by Auntie, who was sharing a room with our son at the
time!). Our son has questioned me about Father Christmas, after he wondered why
one of his friends said that Father Christmas never came to his house. My reply
at that time was that because his friend did not believe in Father Christmas,
then that was the reason why he never visited him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As our daughter is still young it
is important, I feel, that we continue to play along with the lovely mystery of
Christmas and all things magical, like the tradition of the tooth fairy, not
least to offer a little comfort to a child who may be worried about a tooth
having come out. It is also a nice conversation to have at the dentist, as we
always found with our son. He will soon outgrow his belief. I pray that it will
be replaced by another and hopefully deeper sense of awe of life’s beauty and
richness.</span> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
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Michael P. Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02389407421536719696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5371683726973540011.post-43402803743442644432012-10-14T06:37:00.003-07:002012-10-16T04:26:11.536-07:00Party Matters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">We were
invited to the school annual dinner the evening before last– the end of term
staff and family party for Sekolah Kebangsaan Bandar Uda 2, the ‘high performing’
school I am currently posted to as a Teaching and Learning Advisor. The dinner
took place at one of the hotels that line the beach at Desaru, Johor.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">It was a
rather special event, the culmination of a year's work in the life of the
school, a school I have been working at for only a couple of months now. I was
made to feel very welcome, myself and my fellow Advisor, as well as my family –
wife, children and sister-in-law. Although the whole affair was conducted in Malay
– the speeches and presentations etc., we were made to feel very welcome, with
a few special mentions in the</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">colloquies</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">.
Smiles from each table as we wandered between them, and praises for my family, with
words of “how beautiful” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>they <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>were. The
two School Advisors present on the evening – our other colleague unable to be
with us - had been called to sit at the high table with the Principal of the
School, a charming lady, who has photographs and credits describing her as the “Iron
Lady of Bandar Uda” on several noticeboards on <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the school compound. She can be a formidable
lady,</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">oleaginous and understanding at one
and the same time</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">, but as I said, she was very hospitable and warm on
this evening, and has in fact always been very civil and polite with me.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The other thing
that struck me most about the gathering was its purity. Perhaps it is a Malay Muslim
phenomenon: soft drinks only – no alcoholic beverages, and everyone dressed
very modestly – the ladies and girls of age in the traditional head “tudung"
and the men in casual attire; children celebrated. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Smiles throughout, and no coarse or loud
laughter, no vulgarity, but a very warm and convivial atmosphere. A real sense
of family. Nice also to see a few tables with Tamils and their families, smiling
and enjoying the company as well.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">It was in
contrast to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jaguar</i> event next
door in the more upmarket 4/5 star hotel, where we had popped in briefly earlier
in the evening to get a pre-dinner bite to eat. There, a sexily clad <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>trio of young ladies performed a few songs on a
small makeshift stage and led the Singapore-origin party for the evening’s
special function, beer free flowing on tap at each table. We left before what we
assumed would develop into a more raucous affair as the night drew on.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Then today
there was an article in the Daily National Newspaper, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Star</i>, entitled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sex Matters</i>.
Incongruous in this country, I felt, which I have come to associate with moderate
conservatism and a respect for keeping matters sexual private – at least on one
level. The lingering statistic in my mind, if it can be believed, was that 39%
of Malaysian (married) women confessed to being unfaithful, behind Ghanaian and Thai
women only. The implication is that Malaysian women are the third most
unfaithful group in the world. Could I believe it? I thought of the beautiful women
– most of them married - that adorned the tables of the other night at Desaru,
their open smiles and attractive</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">demeanours</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">.
Surely, a representative group of 39 % unfaithful women did not populate this
group? Perhaps the teaching profession is unrepresentative of his vague statistic.
Perhaps not. I guess I will never know, and it is not my business to dwell on
it further. </span></div>
</div>
Michael P. Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02389407421536719696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5371683726973540011.post-3417808289415008972012-10-11T19:03:00.001-07:002012-10-11T19:03:05.521-07:00Sports Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">They
say sport is good for you, physical exercise, healthy body equals healthy mind
and all that. Well, another example to vindicate this old adage came yesterday
at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sekolah Kebangsaan Bandar Uda 2’s Annual
Sports Day</i> here in Johor Bahru, with nearly 1600 students participating, 100
staff in attendance, and many parents present, cheering on their sons and daughters
and lapping up the atmosphere at the local <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Larkin
Stadium</i>.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Typical
Malaysian daily temperatures saw the heat rise, and people retreat to shadier
spots as the morning went on. They key experience for me was seeing children and
staff smiling, enjoying the sense of occasion, and the liberation afforded by
being outside in a large venue space, seemingly millions of miles away from oppressive
classrooms.. Very few tears, just an atmosphere of good competition, cheering
on of the different ‘houses” and individual efforts in the sprint races. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teachers, students and parents all seemed
quite relaxed. Having been working as an Adviser in the school for nearly two
months now, I had forgotten how much fun it can be just to be in the company of
the school children, simply enjoying being with them, and seeing teachers in different
roles – an experience good for one and all. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The
event was typically Malaysian in that food was in plentiful supply. At one point,
a friendly young boy presented me with a polystyrene food container – my ‘lunch’
for the day - rice, noodles, chicken, apple and water. He then returned to his,
noshing away greedily on the contents of his lunch box, oblivious to the funny
side of seeing an ‘athletics competitor’ eating by the side of the track.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I
took it upon myself to take photographs, the amateur shooter that I am,
preferring to take those pictures of teachers and students in informal settings
away from races, stretching themselves before the event, playing with balloons
and the tomfoolery of kids killing time before competition. My own body,
although not exerted by any races or strenuous physical activity, felt</span><v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
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</w:wrap></v:imagedata></span></v:shape><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> wonderfully relaxed for having been outside
in the open air for several hours, the moderate exposure to UV radiation from
natural sun light good for my Vitamin D production, no doubt! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Michael P. Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02389407421536719696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5371683726973540011.post-8559653419897400682012-10-09T06:51:00.000-07:002012-10-09T07:49:33.799-07:00Teaching matters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you, Purna, for a timely
reminder of the importance of the 'skilling’ and ‘up-skilling' of teachers all
around the world – and especially those of the developing countries. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>(See Purna Shrestha's Blog post - <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 48px; text-align: left;">Take a stand for teachers: children are in schools but not learning – who’s to blame? </span>@ <a href="http://blog.campaignforeducation.org/take-a-stand-for-teachers-children-are-in-schools-but-not-learning-whos-to-blame/#comment-3" style="text-align: left;">http://blog.campaignforeducation.org/take-a-stand-for-teachers-children-are-in-schools-but-not-learning-whos-to-blame/#comment-3</a>).</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Time and
again we have seen development projects measure outcomes by other more easily quantifiable
success criteria - i.e. numbers of schools built, numbers of girl students and increases
in enrolment ratios. Too little attention has really been paid to the quality
of the teachers, their training and the quality of the teaching and learning environment.
Too few studies have attempted to measure this outcome, and then lobby NGOs,
INGOs and other development agencies to provide funding to focus on this area
long term big time and to equip the governments of developing countries to focus
on quality training for its teachers - matched by quality salaries. Or perhaps
the studies and evidence have been there, but a deep commitment to tackle the
problem has not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“No one forgets a good teacher,” was the catch
phrase for a famous advertising campaign in the UK some years ago, a campaign targeting
young graduates to consider a career in teaching. We all have our stories of good and
not-so-good teachers, and often the quality of our (school) learning experience
is down to the quality of the teachers
we had. Sounds obvious, but until the leaders and power brokers of this world match
rhetoric with praxis and truly acknowledge the pivotal role that quality teachers
can play in improving life chances for the children of the developing world (- and
their key role in transforming societies and the part they play in sustainable economic
& livelihoods development -) then we miss precious opportunities yet again to
intervene to improve the educational experiences of the next generation. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Michael P. Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02389407421536719696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5371683726973540011.post-62224717256108224582012-09-27T05:15:00.000-07:002012-10-09T07:49:50.186-07:00Words from Mother Teresa<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The fruit of silence is prayer</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-MY" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The fruit of prayer is faith</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-MY" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The fruit of faith is love</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-MY" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The fruit of love is service</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-MY" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The fruit of service is peace</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-MY" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: xx-small;"><i>"Mother Teresa, Come be My Light: The Private Writings of the Saint of Calcutta"</i>, page 315 </span><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-MY" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">How often I have sat and contemplated
my navel or wallowed in self introspection. Perhaps I have been trying too hard
to ‘pray’. I call it prayer, but it is probably more akin to letting my thoughts
drift. God waves in and out but I rarely remain focused.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-MY" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">When I reflect on Mother Teresa’s
words above, I wonder if my lack of peace - spiritual and emotional peace - is
because the bedrock of silence and prayer is not there. There have been times
in my life when I thought in some small way I was trying to show my love for and faith in God by
serving others, (e.g. temporary jobs as a student working at an old people’s
home, befriending a youth from a children’s home). Now looking back over the years with - if not more wisdom - at least more well trodden experiences, I regard those juvenile efforts as quite tokenistic. Were not my motives shallow and rootless, not borne out of a genuine love of God, self and others? Or a
cry from the soul, a desire to increase my faith and awareness of God’s presence by ever
more service and a loving attitude towards others? Now, epochs later, it all seems to have
been more a case of secular altruism than anything spiritual.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-MY" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I now believe that we have to start at the
top, which means at the bottom, in our quiet selves, in silence, in prayer, as Mother
Teresa so well knew. While she may not have experienced that interior 'peace'
throughout her life – rather struggle and alone-ness within – perhaps her peace
was that acceptance of God’s will, ultimately the greatest peace there is?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-MY" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">May God bless her... you and I too. </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
Michael P. Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02389407421536719696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5371683726973540011.post-9048163883673502302012-09-25T05:02:00.001-07:002012-10-09T07:50:13.485-07:00Leisure<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Taman Gaya Recreational Park in
Johor Bahru on a Friday evening provides a delicious insight into one aspect of
Malaysian leisure time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Small groupings of middle aged
men of Chinese descent gather beneath the plaster and concrete pagodas, structures
painted red and white, but which look as though they should be constructed of
natural wood and coloured - if at all - in ochre hues. Several men sit
cross-legged on the concrete slabs of the benches laid out in a concentric
arrangement beneath the shelter of the roof. They don loose blue, grey, brown
or black coloured shorts with collared cotton shirts or vests, sandals removed,
as they stroke their legs and massage their feet, meditatively listening to the
oratories of their acquaintances. There always appear to be one significant
speaker, often in the centre of the group, whose utterances command respect, it
seems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or perhaps there are one or two
who are particularly animated while the rest are content to listen. The scene
is reminiscent of gardens and parks in southern China, Hong Kong, and Penang –
places frequented long ago.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Young men perch on smooth giant boulders
that lay in occasional clusters around the artificial lake, fishing lines
between steady hands of one or two of the boys. It is a slightly comical scene
as billboards in the vicinity state that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fishing
is Prohibited</i>, but nobody seems to mind. Families sit on nearby benches, on
the familiar concrete ones like those that the ‘Chinese’ men enjoy in their
pagoda. They look out across the lake, people-gazing and chatting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Malay couple sit beside a
stationary motorbike beneath the shade of a beautiful, native tree. The girl is
covered in the traditional headscarf, the boy in his skin-tight white V neck T
shirt looking not unlike any hero from the young cultures of the world. They
smile at the scene around them, beaming at each other, an aura of innocent
illicitness about them, a juxtaposition of the modesty of the girl and the
carefree self-assurance of the boy wooing his lady. Other couples sit lazily on
the ground, their hands stroking the mimosa grasses around them, whose leaves
coyly mimic the lovers’ hands as they gently brush against them, the foliage in
secret collusion, bringing their tiny fronds together reverently as if
prostrating before a courtship ceremony.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A dog is walked by on its lead, with
a well-to-do elderly lady holding the line taut. The barking of an untethered
dog can be heard in the distance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Michael P. Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02389407421536719696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5371683726973540011.post-27229174431958619912012-09-23T02:20:00.003-07:002012-10-22T15:26:14.886-07:00Poor matters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="text-align: justify;">In 2008 the World Bank estimated that there were 1.29 billion people living in absolute poverty. The problem with definitions of poverty is that when it is based on social-economic factors, different cultures have different perceptions of what constitutes poverty. And different personalities experience poverty in different ways. Is it living below US$1 a day, for example, or a rubric of basic human rights denied or not enjoyed which constitute an individual being classified as 'poor'?</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A biblical term "poor in spirit" speaks of a poverty in relation to God, where one renders one's needs and dependency on God as being the true way of being. Often it might be those who are socially and economically "poor" who find themselves in this relationship with God, but it need not be such people alone, far from it, and in any case that is not the biblical meaning. We can all be or strive to be poor in spirit. Perhaps we should all seek this quality of humility which accepts our vulnerability and dependency in our lives.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It is a funny old word, a word that traverses our language, and has usages that infuse all situations and walks of life:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
poor show</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
poor job</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
poor effort</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
poor performance</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
poor delivery</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
poor weather</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
poor structure</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
poor result</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
poor health</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
poor display</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
poor attainment</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
poor achievement</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
poor workmanship</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
poor recording</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
poor yield</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
poor growth</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
poor quality</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
poor construction</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
poor climate</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
poor start</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
poor soil</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
poor discipline</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
poor sleep</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
poor grip</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
poor light</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
poor evidence</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
poor return</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
poor analysis </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Some photographers like to digitally 'capture' the poor, sometimes the destitute poor, or those in absolute relative poverty. The finished images conjure up strong emotions in the eyes of the beholder, a feeling that is sometimes both repulsive and strangely attractive at one and the same time, an almost artistic quality. Shame on us that this is so. Charitably, some images prompt action and calls to alleviate the poverty; some document the atrocities in parts of the world, committed by others who inflict more suffering on those already poor. And sometimes we respond. But more often than not we do not, or we just behold the images and move on with our quotidian existence, or we respond meekly or insufficiently. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Poor show. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
God bless the poor. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Who else can they truly turn to?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<br /></div>
Michael P. Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02389407421536719696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5371683726973540011.post-36713246374981903712012-09-12T06:22:00.000-07:002012-10-09T07:51:03.046-07:00This beautiful world - driving to work<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">…
Johor Bahru to Kampong Orang Asli, Sungai Layau, Malaysia</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The
imposing towers of the Desaru-Senai suspension road bridge, like electricity
pylons, rise up to meet the edges of the dark, dawn sky, like a frozen
intrusion on the landscape. The bitumen tarmac road races ahead and behind, as
my grey machine hurtles along the smooth highway, with only circles of rubber separating
it from a spark-flying explosion of friction. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The
<i>Sagrada Familia</i> comes to mind, that
unconventional, beautiful and puzzling cathedral that Gaudi brought to Barcelona.
The serenity of both structures is there, but it is the artistic glory and power
that strikes one more deeply. Pungent, bucolic aromas tickle the sleepy nostrils
at this early Malaysian hour. Children’s frowns of resistance and repugnance
come to mind, as they would no doubt make faces at such a pong. It is now a
familiar one on my morning route, and familiarity often brings that sense of
comfort and ease with it.</span><br />
</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">“After
all, the world is indeed beautiful and if we were any other creature than man
we might be continuously happy in it.” <i>The
Secret Scripture</i>, Sebastian Barry, page 12 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Michael P. Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02389407421536719696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5371683726973540011.post-84121471157524779242012-09-10T23:51:00.000-07:002012-10-09T07:51:27.018-07:00School Matters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">I am faced with a dilemma.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Working on a Malaysian School Reform Programme, one of the
key components of our professional development training is to develop
co-operative and collaborative learning structures in the classroom, in the
teaching and learning environment. Assigning group roles, and ensuring equal
participation by all members in a group, and giving teachers strategies and
means and ways to include this in their planning, delivery and the organisation
of classrooms. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was running with this pedagogical theme and commitment,
until, that is, I read Susan Cain’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Quiet:
the Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suddenly a torrent of early child hood memories
came to the surface, the quiet, shy boy at school, and the reality of seeing
many students just like me in the schools in which I now work. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The quiet introverted type – how do they participate fully in
group activities, and to what extent should teachers do their best to “bring
them out of their shell”? I myself have written many a school report, where I
referred to a child as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">very quiet in the
class</i>, and that they <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">need to share
their opinions more</i>. Yet, I never did this myself – certainly not as a Primary
school student, and even at Secondary level, I was a reluctant contributor,
preferring to listen and mull on what was being discussed, rather than answer
questions publicly or engage in animated debate. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To be fair, within the remit of our training programme and
good classroom practice, we do encourage time for independent learning, but
perhaps we need to consider further the learning styles of our introverted
school children, who may learn better if allowed to learn on their own even more.
Of course there are always times when we need or should say what we are
thinking and feeling; and sometimes it is a matter of conscience or a deep
value trigger which propels the quiet one to speak up or appear to out-burst. But
there is still a tendency, I feel, to regard the quiet, introverted type in the
classroom as problematic.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Michael P. Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02389407421536719696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5371683726973540011.post-48469225159676383182012-09-08T20:26:00.001-07:002012-10-09T07:51:47.235-07:00Recovery<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am back, having been recuperating from 'hospital procedures' and on medication for one week - hence the absence of posts herein. Yet the mind has been ticking away and a period of unwell-ness gives one time to reflect on what it means to be well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a previous post I wrote about vulnerability. "Wrote about" might be a bit over-stating it; rather I penned a few thoughts on the idea. Taking a cocktail of antibiotics and ant-inflammatory drugs for the last seven days has made me think long and hard about life's priorities. I have realised how dependent I was on my family, especially my wife, who - like a Nurse - ensured I took the correct pills, in the correct quantities, at the right time, until at last I had figured out the routines myself! Had I been alone, it would have been a wholly different and more stressful period of recovery. A recent article in the UK daily newspaper <i>The Independent</i> (07 Sept. 2012) ran a headline along the lines of 'Miracle cure for cancer...marriage'. The article was in relation to a study of lung cancer sufferers and their relative longevity depending on whether they were married or not. It found that those sufferers with spouses tended to live longer. Whether such research and findings can be replicated for other types of cancers remains to be seen. But the point did resonate true with me. Families and loved ones are part of one's heath toolkit. I certainly can vouch for that this last week I was vulnerable and had loved one's to respond to me with love, and not (as perhaps sadly happens to some souls) with indifference or worse, abuse. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you, Manisha.</span></div>
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Michael P. Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02389407421536719696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5371683726973540011.post-43902972119118654522012-09-02T01:58:00.000-07:002012-10-09T07:52:28.141-07:00Vulnerability<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sitting up in a hospital bed - The Regency Hospital in Masai, Johor Bahru, Malaysia - recalling the surgical procedures of the earlier hour of the day: a gastroscopy and a colonoscopy, it feels good to know that all has gone as planned and no malignant growths have been found within and beneath the surface. I slipped into a shallow sleep due to the medication administered, and only woke up when it was virtually all over. That was fortuitous. I had inwardly smiled at the Nurse's repeated (Malaysian-speak) "Sorry lahs", as she failed to find a good vein for the sedative injection, her running off to find a roll of toilet tissue paper for me and her frequent, reassuring "Don't worry la" words of comfort.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One feels vulnerable in a hospital bed. There is no tangible strength that goes with it. But there is a kind of vulnerability which takes as its source the power of those great souls who have allowed themselves to be vulnerable for a greater good. Rosa Parks, Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa to name but a few. Doors open when we make ourselves vulnerable. Connections are made between people, love grows, spirit is nourished. How divorced this kind of connection seems to that which (most of) our political leaders seek to nurture and envelope us in.</span></div>
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Michael P. Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02389407421536719696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5371683726973540011.post-60183371186574576072012-08-31T07:39:00.000-07:002012-10-09T07:52:53.896-07:00In the beginning...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, one has to start somewhere, so here goes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An idea has begun to grow in me that we need to think very seriously about what is going on in the world and how we are spending our money, our creative energies and our applications of technology. "Big deal", I hear you yawn. "So what's new," and you are forgiven for switching off. But bear with me for a minute longer. First, there are thousands of commentators writing about precisely the same issue, which attests to its importance. Right? Second, you cannot begrudge just one more commentator contributing to the debate if the tidal swell of concern and thought begins to bring about change and thinking for the better. Yes? The point is, or one of the points is: we are rejoicing in the Higgs Boson and Curiosity advances of our age in recent weeks and months, yet we cannot mobilise our wills and technologies to share food more equitably on planet Earth. Why is this? That is the point of starting this blog and inviting others to consider the same question(s). Or one of the points.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't get me wrong. As an educator and one in awe at the advances in science and technology, and a reveller in the beauty and majesty of our universe and this particular corner of it, I am not dismissing the pursuit of pure science or the triggers and paths that lead to new inventions. What bugs me is how we truly justify this pursuit in the face of so many other pressing human problems; why can't Science and Technology focus on these.</span> </span></div>
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Michael P. Leahyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02389407421536719696noreply@blogger.com0