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Monday, April 30, 2012

Thursday Song: The Jingle Jangle Scarecrow



There is a competition  in Auckland to build a scarecrow.I teach adult ESOl students, and they enjoy this.

"The Jingle Jangle Scarecrow"       Dingle Dangle

When all the cows were sleeping
 and the sun has gone to bed
Up jumped a scarecrow
and shouted very LOUD!
"I'm a Jingle Jangle scarecrow     ( Dingle Dangle)
 with a flippy floppy hat.
 I can shake my arms like this!
 And shake my feet like that!"

When all the hens were the roosting
And the moon has gone to bed
Up jumped a scarecrow
and shouted very LOUD!
"I'm a Jingle Jangle scarecrow      (Dingle Dangle)
 with a flippy floppy hat.
 I can shake my arms like this!
 And shake my feet like that!"

1: We drew posters of a farm with fruit trees and vegetables. I showed them photos of my apple and fig trees that had fruits eaten by birds. The students added animals on the far,

2: We acted out as scarecrows.
choosing different farm animals, the students changed the song ,"when all the cows"  to the particular animal.

3: Two-word alliteration. Learning the vowels AEIOU and the Consonants. We used the first letter of name, in case of a vowel, eg, Eric, we used the second letter.
Changing Jingle Jangle, we sang  
Fanny: Fingle Fangle
Susan  : Single Sangle
Eric   : Ringle Rangle
Sound silly, but the students loved it.

4: We made a giant 2 dimensional scarecrow. Different children made different parts. I used split pins to attach the limbs , head and hat so they "Jingle jangle"

5: For Mothers Day, We our own scarecrows with one limb of their choice that jingle jangle" 

6: writing their own song


It is 10 sleeps to Christmas,
The plums on the tree are getting ripe.
The birds fly to the white fence,
And chirp to themselves,
I am going for that red plum,
That very yummy plum.
I am going for that red plum,
That very yummy plum.







http://youtu.be/xyGagpZRpWU







Sunday, April 29, 2012

Photo hunting: your street.






Not your usual street. Some one was making a movie in a quiet street in the Auckland Domain.


Gattina, I saw on TV the building of this badge and got all excited. It was a travel show to Belgium.



http://gattina-keyholepictures.blogspot.co.nz/2011/11/list-of-photo-hunting-themes.html


http://gattina-keyholepictures.blogspot.com


Saturday, April 28, 2012

texture: mullein plant and wool

http://whistlestopphotohunt.blogspot.co.nz/
rough texture of the mullein leaf, and nice soft texture of baby wool

Can this plant be Mullein? Four years ago, the Water Engineer spotted this unusual giant plant that looks like a big flurry cabbage plant. We spotted another. He has caught some of my blogging interest and suggested I take photos of them, and we got Sam's hand to show how big it is.

I just read some articles of Mullein that it is a common weed. Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) has long been used in herbal medicine, especially in remedies that aim to soothe the respiratory tract. These remedies involve the use of mullein's flowers and leaves.

I google searched for Mullein and found a lot of very interesting and educational entries.

One day, in my garden, I saw a baby mullein plant, and was so excited. I dug it up and transplanted it in a terracotta pot. I killed it through neglect.

I like this for today's meme. The texture is flurry. The leaves are quite thick.





We provide support to families of premature or sick full term babies as they make their journey through Neonatal Intensive Care, the transition home, and onwards.
We are committed to supporting these courageous families, the people who care for them, and partnering with organisations and people who want to support us.
We are dedicated to making a difficult start to life that little bit easier.

The 'Neonatal Trust' was originally established in Wellington in 1986 by two families with extremely premature babies, The Neonatal Trust became a nationwide network of five regional trusts and one over-arching national trust in 2009.

Our Mission
The mission of The Neonatal Trust is three-fold:
  1. The primary focus is to support parents who have had a baby in a neonatal unit.
  2. To provide assistance and support to children and the families of children, who are or who have been patients in a neonatal unit.
  3. To support the education of neonatal staff and the advancement of medical research relating to the activities of the neonatal units.

Become a Volunteer



 My friend Megan inspired me when she said she was knitting a baby blanket for a Sands angel.  I used to knit a lot, but have stopped because I spend too much time on the computer. Lately, blogger had a lot of trouble, and it was too much hassle trying to load the photos. So I decided to do what Megan is doing,. I walked to the local craft shop, and it was difficult trying to tell the lady that I was going to knit for a dead baby.  As I knitted, I chatted with Megan on the Facebook.

I told Megan, I don't want to knit for a Sands angel, I will knit for a living angel, and see how I could take it to the hospital. 3 days of frantically knitting, I finished it. It would be what I told fellow blogger, Sarawakiana, my knitting teacher would have told me, CHE DIOU, in Chinese meaning, undo, undo. but I was donating it , so I didn't bother to undo. The tension isn't too good, the next one would be better.
 I found on the internet, the neonatal website and called. A very friendly voice answered. She even offered to come and pick it up. But I wanted to go and visit NICU, the last time I went was last year when I went with Dr Aftimos to deliver my book, Diary of a bereaved Mother. Andrew was in NICU for 55 days in 1989 in a different hospital.

Here is Chanelle, showing what the neonatal trust does. She says, they always welcome volunteers. I know where to go during my next long holiday. Chanelle was a NICU mum, Hers is a successful story. Her twins stayed at NICU for 3 months. They are noe 4 years old.
In order to become a volunteer, please fill out the below form.
Volunteer Registration Form (Word Document, 161kb)
Please note, you may be required to undergo a Police check to become a volunteer at the Neonatal Trust. 

Make a Donation

Direct Credit / Internet Banking / Phone Banking

Thank you for your support of The Neonatal Trust.
If you would like to set up either a one-off or regular donation to the Neonatal Trust please contact your own bank by either:
  • logging in online (Internet Banking)
  • calling the bank toll-free (Phone Banking)
  • dropping into a branch
You will need the following information in order to set up either a one-off payment or to set up a regular donation:
Our bank account details:
Bank Account Number: 12-3142-0347708-50
Name of Bank: ASB Bank Limited
Branch: Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
Please include your NAME in the Reference panel
Please include the CODE in the Code panel according to which Trust you wish to support:
NZL – The Neonatal Trust (New Zealand)
AKL – The Neonatal Trust (Auckland)
HLZ – The Neonatal Trust (Waikato)
WLG – The Neonatal Trust (Wellington)
CHC – The Neonatal Trust (Canterbury)
DUD – The Neonatal Trust (Otago)

Cheque Donation

Thank you for your support of The Neonatal Trust.
If you wish to make a donation by cheque, there are three simple steps to complete:
1. Please make your cheque payable to:
The Neonatal Trust New Zealand.
PO Box  9366
Marion Square
Wellington 6141
New Zealand
2. Please indicate to which Trust you would like your donation directed.
  • The Neonatal Trust (New Zealand)
  • The Neonatal Trust (Auckland)
  • The Neonatal Trust (Waikato)
  • The Neonatal Trust (Wellington)
  • The Neonatal Trust (Canterbury)
  • The Neonatal Trust (Otago)
3. Please include your contact details (either email address or postal address) so that a receipt may be issued to you

Please note:

1. If no preference is indicated your donation will be given to The Neonatal Trust (New Zealand).
2. The Neonatal Trust (New Zealand) is the overall governing body for the five regional Neonatal Trusts in New Zealand.
3. All the Trusts are registered charities with the Charities Commission.
4. That 100% of your donation goes entirely to benefit either
  • neonatal families in need and/or
  • the purchase of equipment or furnishings in Neonatal Intensive Care Units that directly benefits neonatal families and/or
  • the professional development of neonatal nursing staff and/or
  • medical research into neonatal care.
Thank you very much again for your support of The Neonatal Trust.
You can be assured that your donation will help to make a difficult start to life that little bit easier!


Monday, April 23, 2012

ABC WEdnesday: O for overseas

My Bonnie lies over the ocean, my bonnie lies over the sea. My dad used this song to teach us what Overseas means. In Sarawak, many of the kids aspire to go overseas. My Dad was one of the very early students to go overseas to England. I was privileged to get my parents' scholarship to go overseas to Canada and New Zealand. It was fate that the water engineer chose to go overseas to New Zealand and we were to meet so many years ago.

In this photo, I met overseas guests from New York and Japan. We met in Jurong bird park. I invited them home for a cup of tea. They accepted. At that time, we had a very small car Mazda 323. I don't know how we fitted everyone in the car. There were 9 of us, and the man ws a tall man. The two African kids are my nieghbours from Ghana.

For the Save the world meme, I believe in saying Hi to total strangers, and they become your friend. When Ann and Bunt Burkhalter went home to Long Beach New York, they sent the girls some home made toys, including Oscar in a rubbish can. It is a coicidence, today, I met two women from Japan at the Auckland Domain. I played host to them for a while. My newest overseas guests, Saya and Kaye frpom Okinawa.
From overseas in Ghana is Dorothy who now lives in England and Normah French from USA. She always liked to clarify that her name is French, but she is not French.


My wonderful friends gave me a surprise baby shower when I had my son. Because he came 3 weeks early, the shower was held after he was born.  All of these ladies had lived overseas.


In 1990, after 13 years in New Zealand, the water engineer got a job lecturing at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. We came to this campus  where people came from all over the world. We lived in the campus accomodation like htis. My daughters and I were enriched with living with them. My neighbours came from all parts of the world, includig remote areas of Nepal, Fiji, Ghana, Ukraine. We were like minded, some of us organised the Charity for the Deaf in Kenya, the rest contributed and supported. It was the best time of my life with these sisters.

http://youtu.be/dCtC2_IF8Ms
http://youtu.be/YHxycdSF_uU

Lyrics to My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean :

My Bonnie lies over the ocean, my Bonnie lies over the sea,
My Bonnie lies over the ocean, O bring back my Bonnie to me.

Chorus:
Bring back, bring back, O bring back my Bonnie to me, to me:
Bring back, bring back, O bring back my Bonnie to me.

Last night as I lay on my pillow, Last night as I lay on my bed,
Last night as I lay on my pillow, I dreamed that my Bonnie was dead.

Repeat chorus

The heater is blooming around me,
The blossoms is spring now appear
The meadows with gree’ry surround me
Oh, Bonnie I wish you were here

Repeat chorus

The winds have blown over the ocean
The winds have blown over the sea
The winds have blown over the ocean
And brought back my Bonnie to

Repeat chorus…3

Bring back, bring back, O bring back my Bonnie to me, to me:
Bring back, bring back, O bring back my Bonnie to me. Bring back, bring back, O bring back my Bonnie to me, to me:
Bring back, bring back, O bring back my Bonnie to me. Bring back, bring back, O bring back my Bonnie to me, to me:
Bring back, bring back, O bring back my Bonnie to me.

(Merci à Marc CURRAT pour cettes paroles)

[ These are My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean Lyrics on http://www.lyricsmania.com/ ]

http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.com/



http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com/


http://thursdaythemesong.blogspot.com/
http://hootin--anni.blogspot.com/



Bridge for the birds.



http://bayphoto.blogspot.com/


http://scenicsunday.blogspot.com/




http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com/


Bridge for the birds. A friend has this special contraption for the birds to drink water. I tried to connect the two photos, but I can't do it. The bridge can be moved to the balcony so she can change the water. Sometimes birds stand on the plank as though it is a bridge.


Saturday, April 21, 2012

Weekend reflection, meeting with David Shearer


                     Dawn de Stigter, David Shearer, Ian de Stigter, me

You can see the reflection in the building windows. If you look carefully, you will see the figure in green.That's me. I used to drive everyday pass these old unpretentious buildings. I like it, and I hope David will become the future Prime Minister of New Zealand.

On Friday, my friend Ian de Stigter made a submission to  David Shearer, Mt Albert MP and Leader of the NZ Labour Party. Ian, a Mt Albert elector, science technician at Mt Albert Grammar School, member of NZ Educational Institute (NZEI) went  to discuss of school support staff pay and proposals for better outcomes. He invited me to come.

It was good that David  had visited all the schools in his electorate and during the discussion showed he already knows a great deal about those schools we represented. I took this school oneafternoon after school at the entrance of Pt Chevalier School.


http://annkschin.blogspot.co.nz/2009/05/by-election-fever-david-shearer.html

  





























http://weekendreflection.blogspot.com

http://whistlestopphotohunt.blogspot.co.nz/   This week, we are also doing reflection, so I am combining these memes

I had problem loading my photos, and formating, do any of you have similar trouble?

Weekend Reflections: Multiple faces.





I like this photo so much because it showed the creation of two budding photographers. I had previously posted this before I joined the Friday shoot out gang.

During my sixteen years in Singapore, one of my favourite places with the children was the Singapore Science Centre. In the humid Singapore, the air conditioned building was a welcomed place to spend the whole day. It was a wonderful hands-on place. The entrance fee was cheap too. When I felt too stuffy inside the building, I would go outside to view the many spice and herb plants.

This photograph was taken by D and G, budding photographers at 15 and 11. Sam was three. Many had tried to duplicate this photograph after seeing this. But none had succeeded. This involves two mirrors attached to a hinge, and by moving the mirrors at different angles, you get different number of reflections.

I took this photo to school, and encouraged my students to experiment with two mirrors. They were very curious.

This is a dulpicate post from my other blog.  Do any of you have difficulties loading photos? I have tried the whole week, and have trouble.


http://weekendreflection.blogspot.com


Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Save the world: Senior citizens and Lifelink personal alarm.


Lifelink personal alarm. from St John Web site
Yesterday I was watching TV when I saw an ad for St John about Lifelink personal alarm. It made me think of an article I read from the Auckland Overseas Students'Association.

It wrote of: An Asian woman:
When she is a girl, she takes a subservient role in her place as a daughter and sister to her brother.
When she is a wife, she takes a subservient role in her place as a wife and a daughter in law.
When she is a mother, she takes a subservient role in her place as a mother and mother in law.

It hit me, how true it was, even today, many mother in laws are expected to baby sit her grand children, do all the house work and cook.

I told my kids, I would not do that, but I would like to play with my grand kids when I get some. I like it  in New Zealand and live in my own little house and wear a Lifelink personal alarm.. If I can't manage on my own, I like to move to a retirement cottage in a village. When I can't manage in a cottage, I move to a residential block.

This morning, I read of a 95 year old Second World War Vet living alone was attack by an idiot. His life was saved by his Lifelink personal alarm.

http://www.stjohn.org.nz/medicalalarm/

http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/6771279/Man-95-stabbed-in-head-by-intruder

This post is not sponsored. There is some problems with loading photos.

I was going to show you some photos of Sewlyn Village near my house. 25 years ago, childless friend Ken and Lois Thornton moved to one of their first villages. I really liked it.
Selwyn Village has a rich history as one of the first retirement villages in New Zealand. It now offers those over 65 a unique lifestyle, with superb modern apartments, amenities, and support and care later in life if needed.





http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com/

Monday, April 16, 2012

ABC Wednesday: N for Nits or Lice.


A light hearted post for a very serious issue.

These are staged photos. They are of my head. I don't have the heart to take photos of kids who have Nits or lice even if they admit they have them.

My son asked,"Mum, what is this whisk doing on your head?" This whisk like thing is a Chinese head massager. It is good for reducing headaches and migraines. It is also good if you need to scratch your head. But it is no good to get rid of Nits.

There is a special comb to remove lice and their eggs. It is a multi comb. I am lucky. I never had Nits or lice.

My friends fostered a child. He had nits. She spent 3 hours trying to get rid of them, dead and alive eggs. Eventually, she persuaded him to let her take him to the barber to have a close cut so it was easier to find the nits.




In New Zealand, we call lice, Nits. We sometimes have lice infestations, and school sent notes home to ask parents to check their kids hair. Nits like clean environment, so one should not feel embarrassed that they don't keep their kids hair clean.



Because I work with small groups, I often see kids scratching their hair. Some kids are very defensive, refuse to admit or say their mums are treating it.

Sometimes girls ask me to do their hair, I draw a line. I tell them I don't touch anyone's hair. They may not have nits, but X may have it, if I touch X's hair, then I touch Y's hair, and then Z's hair, I pass not only X's nits to y and Z, but Y and Z will pass it to their friends. They laugh.

In the old days in Borneo, when our dogs had Nits, we used to dab the lice in coconut oil. It seems to work and kill the Nits.

Im Australia, some mums saturate their kids' hair with sunblock before they go out to play with other kids. Apparently, the sunblock makes the hair slipperly, so they are not good host of nits. The nits can't stick to the hair.


I knew Robyn when I first arrived in Mt Albert Baptist Church about 6 years ago. Robyn came from England, and at Christmas, we went caroling, and Robyn played the violin while we sang. I am very proud to be Robyn's friend and to see her bald head. Please support her.

Robyn's new husband Alastair Gibson shaved the final touches of Robyn's hair. No, Robyn hasn't got Nits. Robyn had done the amazing act of donating her beautiful tresses to make a wig for a cancer victim.

http://www.shaveforacure.co.nz/view_event_profile/5911



Lyrics for The Lice Song:

CHORUS
If you have lice
If you have lice
Do you have lice
Lice happens don’t you worry ‘bout a thing

Clean hair, short hair, straight hair, long hair
Brush, hat, helmet you don’t share
Lice happens don’t you worry ‘bout a thing

Comb and pick all the lice and nits
Stay home ‘til you get every bit
Soon they’ll be gone, you’ll no longer itch
Lice happens don’t you worry ‘bout a thing

CHORUS

It’s ok, tell your family and friends
You and I, let’s check our heads
As long as we don’t let it spread

Lice happens don’t you worry ‘bout a thing
Lice happens don’t you worry ‘bout a thing
Lice happens don’t you worry ‘bout a thing

http://youtu.be/EApbcGrYcBw




http://youtu.be/UCoZP5Aso5U








http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.com/



http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com/


http://thursdaythemesong.blogspot.com/
http://hootin--anni.blogspot.com/

Vicks Breathe For Life

Vicks New Zealand in partnership with Save the Children will officially launch the Vicks Breathe For Life Project on April 2 - aiming to treat 75,000 children suffering from pneumonia in Bangladesh. So LIKE us and for every LIKE we receive 1 donation will be made to Save the Children!



http://www.facebook.com/VicksNewZealand
This winter every time a Vicks product is purchased and for every ‘like’ on the Vicks New Zealand Facebook page from April 1, Vicks will make a donation to the Save the Children pneumonia campaign in Bangladesh.



Vicks have been in my parents home when I was a kid. The vapor menthol rub  is milder and less strong than  another balm, and hence more acceptible to most adults and children. I was susceptible to nose blocks and colds, and mum used a basin of hot water, put 2 spoons of vicks rub. With a towel over my head, the "tent" captures the medicated vapours and helps  relieve nasal congestion. This has become a tradition of Mum's cure in my family, and my kids love it.

I am given a pack of Butter Menthol VapoDrops to review. This is a product I believe in, and always have a pack in my big "Look what is in my magic bag"  when I am in my school room. There are 24 lozenges in this larger pack. Besides soothe my throat  and stopping the ahemmmmm before I start lessons, Vicks VapoDrops also keeps my mouth clean and fresh, especially when I know I am going to be at close proximity with adults.

Children's charity is one of my pet projects. So Ka Pai and Paki Paki Vicks New Zealand Company.