We discussed feasible projects for the school to undertake... the actual events to take place around Youth Day celebrations and Project REAP (Respecting the Environment, Appreciating the People) in July, as well as long-term projects, or 'sustained partnership' as Ms Hamidah likes to call it. Yikes... they want me to hold an assembly talk... a presentation to introduce the students to nature and environmental issues, and to the project/s that they will be undertaking. Gulp. But... it'll be a good opportunity to 'reach out'.
The meeting was held in the staff room lounge. It was weird... a place formerly strictly out-of-bounds... and there we were sitting on the sofas sipping water while teachers walked in and out. It was funny, though. More than once a teacher bent over, looked at me, and went, "Are you Jacqueline? You're Jacqueline, right?" then I'd go, "Hello Mrs (or Mr) so-and-so!" I spent some time before and after the meeting to chat with my teachers. They still remember the lizards that I used to bring to class. :) Most also asked about Tania and ZF or Lydia... our foursome used to be known as the Four Musketeers. All nodded their heads as I told them how I had switched to Ecology. "I never imagined you doing Business", they'd say, "Why did you do that in the first place?" And... I found out that my prefect mistress was actually in Venice with the choir girls when I went backpacking there! Reminds me of Turn Left, Turn Right...
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Today was originally set aside for a field day out at the Central Catchment Nature Reserves and Sime Forest, but... I ended up at Sungei Buloh instead. Wanted to do some proper digiscoping at the Reserve without the hassle of needing to tend to members of the public. No guided tours on Fridays... much, much less visitors during weekdays... so it was all cool.
There was a school talk scheduled for today, and Jeanne was supposed to be the one presenting. But her recent sorethroat left her voice edgy... and she asked if 'we' could 'take over' her... (as Outreach Officer, she has been doing the same 'school talk' at a rate of 12x3 per year... so I guess it must've become pretty dull for her :/) So while ThiHa supervised a school group doing their CIP coastal clean-up, I clicked powerpoint slides and 'talked' to a theatrette-full of P6 students from New Town Pri. Bleh... general stuff. Intro to Sungei Buloh, the different habitats, intro to the fauna and flora, uses of mangroves, a little bit of ecology (my field! :P), and a heated quiz... a quarter of the theatrette had raised hands and they practically 'fought' to answer... 'tis the power of prizes :P. Only thing that got my throwing my hands in the air was when they ended with a "thank you auntie Jacqueline". Arhhhh!! I think I prefer schoolchildren as audience (heehee: "Teacher, how can the monitor lizard catch birds?"). It's easier to entertain them... make things funny... get them interested. Adults... they are capable of dozing right in front of you, and they are much more difficult to please.
'Old Man' Fu Wei came today, after a long period of absence from guiding. He cycled here and arrived with a badly-bleeding knee. He's grown much taller... arrgh! He used to be shorter than me! :P (That was what, 3 yrs ago?) He'll also be going to Australia... going to Perth... this Fri... for high school. So there goes... Sungei Buloh's officially 'lost' its three youngest volunteers to the land Down Under. The staff are wondering... what's so attractive about Aussieland? :P
New pics from today: in the Birds, Arthropods, and Herptiles exhibitions.
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