Wednesday Night- Our Last Night

On our last night we were treated to a farewell dinner which the whole staff team, Mrs Kumar( the founder's wife), her son and daughter, some of the trustees, and Lisa attended. It was wonderful to end our visit celebrating as a whole team. We were all treated to a traditional Chinese banquet, with more than 11 different dishes. The meal was delicious and the company excellent. It was good to sit and have time to talk together.

To our surprise we were honoured by the presentation of plaques and a giant card made and signed by the children. I cried .... those of you who know me well will know I rarely do this so I need say no more about how moved I was !! In this state I was even pushed into a speech .... even rarer !! (in public)

We found it very hard to say goodbye to the children at The Home and our new found friends. It was an honour to work with such caring and giving people. We are looking forward to our future visits in the hope that their new skills will flourish and increase.


PS I sadly post this with no pictures as we didn't think to take our cameras to dinner with us.(Tracey did!) In our defence we returned to the Hotel after 6.30pm and had 15 minutes to shower and dress. I'm sure the doormen wondered some nights as we rushed in and out their door, given 10/15minutes to change and a 5th floor address !!

Posted by Lynne

Wednesday - last day

Today was our last day, and what a day it was. We were up and off by 8.30 am and we didn't stop. Lynne and Tracey in the morning, with delegates from The Home, had a visit to the local primary school that some of the children attend. Lynne said they were doing fabulous work and she came back with a new desk request for The Home. I better get the Triton out. Meanwhile Jessica and I went to The Home's warehouse storage facility and managed to find even more equipment for the Gross and Fine Motor programs. Today was pure gold!!

Lynne and Tracey then spent time with the children demonstrating lessons and completed the training while I completed the templates and special requests. I is a clever sechetary. LOL.

After lunch Tracey spent time completing the teacher's training in the Multilit and Literacy program and demonstrated the lessons with some of their boys. Lynne completed a sample IAP for one of the children and outlined plans for 8 children she and Tracey have targeted.
Jessica was with the kids all day and they responded well when she played. The last item to try today was Playdough. We have been overwhelmed with how the children were responding to the program. Some of the children with severe cerebral palsy have shown us that there is a thought process happening but the spasms are holding them back. I give them 200 out of 100 for sheer determination and guts.
We were farewelled by our new family and sent on our way knowing we have been blessed in more ways than I can count.

Tuesday Wk 2

Hi all,

It is very hard to explain today!!! We have had so many children doing things we didn't expect them to do .... especially the children with cerebral palsy !! We have had time today to spend with these children and discover just what we can get their limbs to do. Some are reaching up to the baby gym, another while laying on the floor is connecting mega blocks, turning book pages and doing chunky puzzles ! Another child when her lower arm is placed on a chair seat is moving her fingers to grasp at a block. The physiotherapists are doing an amazing job ... the children are at a point where limbs are able to move. Others are now able to drag themselves along with their upper limbs after years of dedicated therapy by the wonderful physio's. Thank God for people like this!!

To see these staff using the equipment with the children with confidence is great. We even taught one of these very special girls to cook playdough today and are hoping to have enough time to use it tomorrow. We spent yesterday training staff from 10am till 7pm, then today watching the children do it. It was also good to see volunteer helpers using the equipment to interact with the children.

We have finally had some time spare to work at the other house with the children who attend school. They range in age, from 6 to about 15 years old, and ability levels. Tracey helped with homework and assessed the children's use of time. I sat with one of the teachers and supported her while she began to assess/ screen the children for the first time. It was great to watch her gain confidence with the screeners as I made suggestions, explained results, and together we made alterations to suit their culture and language. Some children were more comfortable in English surprisingly. Many of the children's comments about school, lessons and instructions were the same as ours. I even laughed as children got into trouble for not having their glasses on. Proof that all children are the same where ever they live !

Monday : Wk 2

Monday was a very busy day !!! The staff is very keen but they are not used to "directed teaching" of this kind. So it is all new, and most of the staff are not teachers ... and are not fluent in English.
We ran workshops on Monday from 10am till 7pm with one short lunch break. The workshops focused on Literacy, Numeracy and Gross motor today but of course each time some new people arrive we must cover the basic ideas again. In hindsight this is probably good as it allows everyone to soak the information in more. Everyone was very keen to learn.
We even had a session with some ambassadors wives from Venezuala and Chile who are returning this afternoon for another session. We are running out of time and still have lots to do!!! Problem is as more people hear of our visit we are asked to meet with them and are taken away from our already long list of things to do !
Now we understand the school system better we understand the dilemma they are facing, with time a significant factor !!!

More later as we are running out the door for another day !!!

Sunday - Day trip to Melaka

What a day. Up and out with the sparrows - 10 am. Our sponsor, Lisa was raring to go and was in a hurry to get started. I've nicknamed her super woman because she is just so full on. One very dynamic lady. Day trip to Melaka and the first thing that happens is "I get the map". Not a good thing as I get lost going around the corner but no one believed me. Melaka is a very traditional and historic place. Very multicultural. The chinese originally occupied this part of Malaysia and set up trade. They freely intermarried with the locals and the first generation of the Chinese/Malay offspring were called Straights Chinese. They took on a local name of Nyonyas (women), and the Babas (men). They continue to respect and live according to some of their unique traditions. Lisa made sure that we went through a museum house of a wealthy Babas and Nyonya. The antiques and artifacts were amazing. One problem was that some of the beautiful chinese embroidery was being affected by black mould and deteriorating in the frames. Another restaurant left us with more traditional flavours to mull over. Definitely not Chans Chinese.

We finally found the "Fort" after much searching. We wondered why the fort was so far inland and once we read the story it became clear. High vantage point with a one direction attack zone made it a very difficult target. One side steep and the uphill climb was a challenge for the attackers. Small cannons with rifles was sufficient to hold ground.

We had a ride on a revolving viewing platform and it was worth every cent. What a view over the city and harbour. We took a lot of pictures and later headed back to Kuala Lumpur. Dinner, another huge shopping mall, and the twin towers shining pure silver in the night sky were a sight to behold. We arrived back to the hotel exhausted but happy. Again, what a day.

Saturday

Saturday morning till after lunch was spent meeting with the Trustees of The Home, Baskin the Manager of the Home, and Lisa. We finished our meeting over lunch at Lisa's restaurant, the Thai Express. It was a great way to get to know each other better. Plans have been made for the future educational directions of the Home and we are now to return for possibly 1 or 2 more trips next year. The first will be in January for Tracey and I.

The afternoon was spent at Batu Caves which is a Hindu Shrine near KL which is set in limestone caves. Due to the steep 272 steps which lead to the cave and shrine area I was not able to go up, but waited patiently in the heat at the bottom. So I can't tell you much except to say that the others thought the climb was well worth the effort.

Unfortunately, I may as well have stayed and relaxed at the hotel as we had another language difficulty with the taxi driver who had waited an hour and a half for us. We had planned to go from Batu Caves into the city (10 mins away) for the night as it was only 4.30pm and this was our one free day. We were looking forward to viewing the city from the top of the Petronas Twin Towers. We didn't make it !! Instead of driving us into the city to explore for the night we found ourselves driven back to the hotel. We alighted from the taxi disappointed, but laughing, to the interest of our doormen. When we explained our problem they chuckled as well.
Oh well, there was nothing left to do but explore the Saturday market stalls near the hotel and have another dinner. We found an interesting restaurant across from the hotel. We have had more meals out this week than we have probably had in the last ten years !!

Tomorrow Lisa is driving us to Malaka, an old seaport, a few hours away.

Friday Night

Just back from the Night Markets(midnight) where our friend Lisa was kind enough to take us tonight. Very crowded as many of the aisles are barely a metre wide and everyone is jostling to go both ways. Lots of different aromas - good and not so good. You must barter with the stall owners and it is wise to offer a third of their price. Lisa was very good at bartering and enjoys the thrill of seeming to win.
George and Jess spent 185 ringgits between them which is about the equivalent of $70. They bought 2 pairs of sunnies, a watch, a shirt and dress, belt and aftershave.
We had supper at another different restaurant/street cafe on the way back to the hotel. We have over the 4 days eaten 8 different types of cultural meals. Some of us more game than others !! I'll leave you to guess who that may be !! We are definitely being educated ourselves !

Friday

Today has been another busy day !! George and Jessica have spent the day with the special needs children at the home introducing them to various new equipment. Last night we went to Toys r Us and bought lots of different things that could be used for Gross motor and Fine motor activities. We looked pretty different arriving and leaving the Hotel with hula hoops and crawling tunnels and big shopping bags under our arms !! We have been very pleased with the reactions to baby gyms and soft baby books from the children with severe disabilities. We were pleased our assessments of the children were accurate.

They also introduced the children who returned from the special schools after lunch to mega blocks, shape sorters, hula hoops, and more music therapy.

Tracey and I spent the day presenting Literacy and Numeracy workshops and relating these back to yesterdays information. This went very well and the staff were much more relaxed today and are very keen to begin trying different strategies next week. They asked great questions about how to implement and manage the children so I believe they are very keen to try. They were also keen to continue over the weekend. Even after two days processing new information from 10am till 4.30pm !!

Tomorrow we meet with the trustees, committee and others informally here at the hotel. We are beginning to have very definite thoughts and ideas about where and how they can proceed with the programs. We are also feeling more comfortable with the people here and the situation and therefore more confident to suggest things. The plans and model for the new Home are huge, it is to be 4 storeys high and covers a large area of land.

Thursday

Photos include pictures of the mall -the 1st photos, posted on Tuesday,of the view from our window were of this area. We are surrounded by huge malls. This particular area above is lined both sides by eateries which spill out onto the street. Our friend Lisa owns one of these- Thai Express. She has been our guide and driver thankfully.

Today was spent holding workshops for those who will be running the Gross Motor and Fine Motor Programs we are introducing. Believe it or not this will be done by their Physiotherapists who spend their day treating the many children with cerebral palsy. These men and women are doing an amazing job!! There are a few children who were unable to move at all, but as a result of their dedicated therapy twice a day are now able to use their upper limbs to drag themselves around. Others are beginning to open their hands from a clenched fist when encouraged. They seem keen to be involved in other ways at The Home.

For those of you that know me and my passion for special needs you will know I really do explain things too quickly to adults. For any parent that has been to my workshops at home it is full on, so you could imagine what it has been like today for these wonderful people.....ARRRR ! The language difficulty- Tamil and Bahasa Malay as well as English, the non -teaching background. The culture means they are a quiet, reserved, respectful people and then there is ME ! It has been a great day. We have given them a crash course on how the brain processes information, children's learning difficulties within a learning environment, methodology in general,teaching strategies and programming. We even had a parent, not connected with the home, hear about the workshops and ask to attend. Tomorrow I will be presenting workshops in Literacy and Numeracy to teaching staff as well.

Next week is still to be decided after we meet with The Home's trustees, committee, and volunteers on Saturday. Yesterday we felt there wasn't much to do next week but after today I am sure there is 'much' to do !!! The Physiotherapists have requested we demonstrate our Gross Motor and Fine Motor programs each day showing them how to manage, organise and encourage the childrens' participation. I am sure after tomorrow the Teachers will want the same !!!

PS we were going out to buy a baby gym tonight but miraculously one was in their donation box today!! We had assessed the children with Cerebral palsy yesterday and believed a few may be capable of tracking and grasping at objects and wanted just this.God is good!!! even better two children did just what we thought they would.
We are now off to Toys r Us to buy equipment !!!

Wednesday

It has been another busy 2 days.
On Wednesday we spent the morning visiting a Special Education Centre for high school aged children.
This was a very big centre with many programs in place for the students.(above photos include their tomato green house and dragon fruit) The staff there have recently visited Melbourne to view 2 schools and their Educational programs, and an industrial workplace( corporation) which employs young adults with special needs. The woman who co-ordinates the programs at this centre is amazing ! She is battling 'the system' to create a better life for Malaysian children and their families. These children must sit the same exams as everyone else and complete the same curriculum. I was as impressed by her programs as I am by those of my friend's at Prairiewwod High and those at Mater Dei. My comment to her was, the only thing she lacked was our facilities and equipment.She didn't need our advice! She would like us to arrange visits for her!
Life is hard here for these children. Her school is difficult to get into, there is a waiting list and if placed she requires all parents to be involved.They have raised 200,000 Ringgits in the last year( about $80,000) but crime and theft is high. A few days before we visited, all their hospitality equipment was stolen. Everything and anything movable that could be taken was taken! It is so bad that when we window shopped at one of their biggest centres last night there was security guards with shotguns slung across their chests.
They are also about to attend a conference with 600 representatives from the education and welfare fields to try and persuade the government to allow assistive communication (boardmaker style communication pictures etc) in Malaysia as currently educators are not allowed to introduce them into the school environment. We are about to introduce them into the home which does not have to follow these rules. If The Home's children arrive with them then it is allowed.

The afternoon was spent back at The Home and by 5pm we were exhausted. We spent our time with the children in different ways - reading stories, counting and naming numbers etc, showing them how to play elastics, throw,catch and roll a ball in a variety of ways. This involved showing them how to take turns, line-up, and make a circle. There was lots of excitement for the children who had not done this before, probably too much!!

KL Early Days yet !!

Hi all,
Sorry, I have been a bit slow getting to the Blog! But we have not stopped since our arrival in KL and now it is Wednesday morning.

We left Sydney airport at 2pm and arrived in KL after 8pm. Reached the hotel at about 10pm where we were met by Baskin, the gentleman that manages the orphanage. There was some confusion over our room bookings but finally headed up to the rooms only to find they were still not right. On our way back down to correct this we had our next visitor, Lisa our sponsor and good friend. I won't continue on suffice to say it became a very late night by the time we unpacked clothes and organised our teaching gear !!

Tuesday arrived and we were taken to The Pusat at 9.30am expecting to visit the children's schools so we were all dressed neatly ready to go. Unfortunately this didn't happen. Instead we spent a very busy day at the home which is spread over 3 sites- which in Australian terms equates to 3 small home sites/ terraces. These house about 140 children plus carer's.We spent the day with the children who do not attend school. They are children with severe autism, down's syndrome, cerebral palsy and global developmental delay. We left the home at 6pm. Not sure who was the more exhausted us or the adults there.


Will post more later as we are now off to the Home. Time is am !! Photos were taken from our hotel room. Jessica and Tracey's room faces the front of the Hotel.

George's Music

Hi all,

George's Music is beginning to take off !!
If you'd like to have a listen to some of his current music, written and composed by him, then .....
click on the title of this post
..... and it will link you to his ' reverbnation' music site. He could really do with your support ...so have a listen, even become a fan.

Love Lynne

Our trip to Kuala Lumpa

Well, we had our 2nd and last meeting with Lisa our sponsor/facilitator for our visit to the 'Pusat' in KL. We leave for Malaysia on Monday week and are beginning to get excited.
There will be so much to do when we arrive. We are touring the children's schools on Tuesday, both State schools and special needs schools. We are also visiting with one particular Special Needs teacher and her class who is keen to meet with us.
Other days will be spent at the Home with teaching staff developing some simple Literacy, Numeracy, communication, Gross and Fine motor programs and livening up the rooms.
George will be sourcing info from Local authorities for licensing of 'sheltered workshops', and helping to organise a charity concert for next year when we return.
.... And yes we will be doing the tourist thing as well!!! Lisa, our sponsor, will be taking us on some day trips -Malacha, Batu Caves, the Night Markets, Chinatown etc.

Stuck at Home

Hi All,

We have been stuck at home this year and it is beginning to drive me CRAZY!! So I cannot update you on our travels.
At Easter Jessica needed to be at home for school musical rehearsals, " Seussical ". Good thing was she really enjoyed them and the following show nights. She is in her element when on Stage.
In July my father had a big operation to remove a cancer tumour in his stomach and we needed to remain home to support him. Our subsequent trip up to Hervey Bay and Fraser Island had to be cancelled.

The good news is we will be travelling to Kuala Lumpar on a working holiday in the Sept/ Oct holidays. I have been asked to assess an Orphanage for Special Needs children and advice them on educational programs, training, sheltered workshops etc. So we will be very busy over the next 6 weeks.

Be sure to tune in then for our daily updates.

Lynne

Post Tamworth

Hi all,

Since returning from Tamworth there has been some interest in both George and Jessica's music. George will be performing as a support act later this year for Kristy Ansen and the Southern Country band.This will find him travelling a bit for gigs. There has been some interest in booking him for some spots in Tamworth next year. Jessica has been invited to perform at Andrew Clermont's Supper Club, possibly in his Girl's Night Out Show. Both have been offered a later timeslot at the Cricket Club during Country Music.
They went for some fun and it looks like they've come home with some work. How good is that!
Both are busy with music related things and are rarely home! I'm the stay at home - can't even get away in my bus!
They both have My Space Music sites where you can listen to music from their first albums!!
Catch you all soon
Lynne

PS if its you're 1st time here try reading on down the page, you'll find our Travel Blog and photo's from our 3 months away 2009.

Summer Break Dec 2009 - Jan 2010

Hi all! we have had a very busy summer break.
We spent a week down the coast at Corrimal with our family. This meant, as grandparents of two very active grandsons, running around a fair bit after them. We had agreat time but felt we needed a holiday afterwards.Oh ... thanks to a severe storm we lost our screen tent!!

But ... no rest for the wicked !! Next on the list was a trip to Geelong for Family Day at the Girl Guide International Jamboree. So we drove into the night and the next day to get there on time(the bus is not a fast traveller). Jessica had left a few days before on the train with the N.S.W contingent to camp for a week with 2500 girls and leaders from Australia and around the world.

After waiting a few days for Jess we again drove to camp to pick her up and head for a friend's property at Berwick ,S.E of Melbourne, for a few days to catch up.
Once finished there, we rushed home to finish organising George and Jessica's Cd's they'd been recording and purchase school essentials.

A few days after arriving home we left again. This time for Tamworth Country Music Festival. George and Jess have had a great time performing in Tamworth at different places and racked up about 12 spots in 6 days. They have sung and played at The Cricket Club, The Tudor Hotel, The Ritz Restaurant(Jazz), The Supper Club, and had a live radio interview with CAAMA(NT radio) in which Jess got to sing 2 songs.
Please CLICK ON LINK embedded in Title 'Summer Break' to see photos of their performances in Tamworth. or you can google ' Jessica Czender ' to watch her CAAMA radio interview

Well after all that I'm returning to work for a holiday ..???

Our love to all
Lynne

Tamworth 2010

Hi all ,
Thought I would post this link of photos of George and Jessica performing at different venues at Tamworth Country Music Festival.
Please click on' Tamworth 2010' title to access photo album.

Lynne