Country Cottage Arts

Tuesday, 29 March  2011


My special needs students at GOLD and I had a great time sifting sand at the sand pit at the 3C community centre last Monday. 

Instead of just painting with acrylics, I thought that a change  of activity would be much welcomed, so we went to the sand pit and using a fine wire mesh, we took turns to sift the sand into a big bowl.  Back at the centre, I then gave each of  them a plastic container filled with  enough sand ,  poured  globs of  of food colouring (  I used my icing colours from home)   and made them stir the sand thoroughly .   The students had a great time stirring and seeing the sand changing colours.   My next step was to hand them cups and saucers and using them as templates, I  guided them into drawing concentric circles. Of course, another gaff of laughter followed  among themselves as the plates kept moving off the position they wanted and they didn't know how to pencil around the plates.







They are actually a good bunch of kids/teens with varying levels of cognitive and linguistic  development and understanding.   Some have Asperger's Syndrome , thus  they have difficulty in communication  with limited  and repetitive patterns of behaviour.  Some of them have Down's Syndrome, which basically means it is a chromosomal condition caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome.  Some are autistic, some are slow learners and some are mentally challenged. For all the grim description, we do have a good time.  How ? I'll tell you - some call me Teacher Lak sa mee ,  ( like in Laksa ?)some call me Aunty Laky , ( sounds like boy in Malay -laki?some Teacher Laksh-mini and some call me Teacher Last Minit (as in minute)  How not to laugh, you say ?








Being special needs children, every simple act which we take for granted is a novelty for them and during times like these, my heart is filled with  burgeoning love and gratitude to the Almighty God for His mercy and blessings because it makes me realise how  stoic and difficult life must be for the parents and guardians concerned.

There are not many schools or centres where such children are given attention and taught social and living skills .  GOLD is one of such centres and it welcomes all parents/guardians to take an active part in such activities.  

It goes without saying that any or all contributions  in cash or kind are welcomed and much  appreciated, so do drop me a line or call or sms if you wish to do so.    It's not a matter of how much we  want to give, it's more of how much we care.

A line from Andy Rooney , a man who has a gift of saying so much with so few words

 " I've learnt that sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand "

( I received this touching  message through  my friend, Vasantha Maru and as it sounded too beautiful to be filed  away, I thought I'd share it here )

Happy reading and painting


Lakshmi

Wednesday  23,  March  2011


I received this video by email from a friend .  You simply have to see it.  You don't need words to understand him.  Your heart will do it for you.

Happy listening


Lakshmi

Ps:  For those in Malaysia, it's not the video that was in the local news !

Monday, 22  March  2011


Datin Rashidah is really  a dainty and delightful Datin who is from Pekan, Pahang.  She attended my class on Saturday and we  had the  most delightful time together , really.  A grandmother  to a host of grandchildren, Datin Rashidah's passion for Decorative painting and, especially, painting roses, brought her all the way from Pekan to Shah Alam.

 The quintessential Datin with a delightful smile for the camera


  


Deep in concentration, learning how to paint the rose, rose,rose.......................................  yup, you saw it in the background......................................, I made chocolate cupcakes and iced them.  But then again, the rose did win this time too !



After several false starts and repeated attempts, Datin Rashidah finally gave a big smile when she won her battle with the rose.   She was positively glowing and beaming happily  with her rose painting - pic below . Mission accomplished !





Very happy with her class and with me ( I think !) , Datin Rashidah  is definitely  coming for more classes after her big breakthrough with the rose. 

The following are paintings done by my good friend, Tengku Norashikin, which I took ( as a guide and  reference for my readers  )  when I met up with her lately.
















That's all for now

Happy reading and painting



Lakshmi

Sunday 13, March 2011



This is Masyah of Putrajaya.  A very friendly and petite student, a mother of 3 who still manages to look like she's in her twenties.  I just don't know how she does it.  Very photogenic too, if you look at her in the pictures below. What a great smile, Masya

A very beautiful shot of  Masya..... ( notice my muffins on her left ?  She was so engrossed  and happy  with  her rose painting , she waited until class was almost over  to enjoy them )  Sigh... since when had muffins beaten the rose?




That's Masya, practising her rose,  not bad, on  her first class with me.................................



The smell of freshly baked muffins was wafting around my house when Masya and Asma arrived. Boy! they did taste great hot from the oven. I packed some for their home consumption too......




This is Asma, the lovely maiden with the sweet shy smile,   working on her roses too.............................



Asma had attended my classes quite sometime ago.  As a working lady, she had to fit her busy schedule but still managed to attend my class, travelling all the way from Sungei Besi . Such is her passion............................. A cup of hot coffee and my chocolate chip  muffins perked her up ,  I think  !






Happy reading and painting



Lakshmi

Thursday, 10  March   2011



I recently conducted a Decorative Painting class at PERMATA, ( PETRONAS Training &  Management Centre ) which is located at Bangi.  This  is part of their Work Life Balance program in which PETRONAS staff are encouraged to pursue positive recreational activities.  Hey, didn't  I keep telling everyone ( more like yelling from the rooftop ! ) that  Decorative Painting is the perfect leisure cum recreational activity for everyone?


And so, as was usual, I took the wrong turn, ended up near the swanky  PM's residence at Putrajaya, made several  longwinded drive  along the long long stretches of road (  frankly it's a nightmare driving in Putrajaya - the roads are such a terrible  stretch  with no turns anywhere near to exit out ,  the place  is so deserted that there's hardly anyone you can seek help for directions and by the time you decide to take the next longwinded turn, your petrol tank would be empty !)  and finally found my way out of there to Bangi.  Would you believe it if I told you that just as I was reaching my destination ( PERMATA Centre ) a dumb driver banged my car from the back ?  And I was driving at 50kph ?  ( Haiyoo- that's really too much lah ...............  I've a deadline to keep, I  can't go into it now...................more later........)

Anyway, I did reach PERMATA in time and did have a hilarious and happy class with my first batch of PETRONAS  students.   There was much laughter and fun  and everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves. It was a  hilarious  journey of self-discovery  and a learning process, all rolled into one for my PERMATA students...

Here are some of the pictures that I took at PERMATA

Ha, her first stroke work.....................................................





Now, this is Mr Mokhtaruddin, one of the Senior Managers in PETRONAS.  I think it is great that he even attended the painting class ! .  Most men of  his stature would surely have shied away from learning Decorative Painting.  En Mokhtaruddin's  friendly  and jovial demeanor and his ' willing to learn attitude ' certainly gave the class a fun  experience. His great sense of humour kept us all in  stitches..........................   He certainly must be an asset in  PETRONAS .




The very friendly ladies who are all part of PETRONAS/ PERMATA organisation





Didn't I say that we had a great time ?  Just look at Ms Smiley and her sign of Peace




That's  Mr Yusof Omar,( left) also  one of the Senior Managers who was a good sport throughout the class.  They were such nice gentlemen with a great sense of humor that  all of us had a really  jolly good time together! He actually did paint a very pretty daisy..........................................





While the ladies were busy going around, comparing strokes, the men were busy practising ! Ha! ha!








Before I sign off , I would like to thank Ms Nurul Shahira Shahruddin ( Executive Systems & Processes, PETRONAS Management Training ) for her very kind and generous assistance  in arranging for the  Decorative Painting class to be conducted.

 Saturday, 5 March  2011


My trusty Kodak camera which I had been using for the last 3 years played out on me in the midst of clicking away.  Having no choice but to buy a new one, I finally bought another one. Problem is, I can't seem to transfer the pictures  from the new camera ( hey !, I did try and try and try  on my own  first.  I'm not that ' ulu ' you know ! ) until I get hold of my daughter to show me again.


Anyway, by way of compensation of the pictures, I received a few good jokes via my email  and thought I'd share them  with my readers . .. ............................................. have a hearty laugh on me folks !

One Night 4 college students were playing till late night and could not study for the test which was scheduled for the next day.
In the morning they thought of a plan. They made themselves look as dirty with grease and dirt. They then went up to the Dean and said that they had gone out to a wedding last night and on their return the tyre of their car burst and they had to push the car all the way back and that they were in no condition to appear for the test.
So the Dean said they could have the re-test after 3 days. They thanked him and said they would be ready by that time.
On the third day they appeared before the Dean. The Dean said that as this was a Special Condition Test, all four were required to sit in separate classrooms for the test. They all agreed as they had prepared well in the last 3 days.
The Test consisted of only 2 questions with a total of 100 Marks.
Q.1. Your Name......................... (2 MARKS)
Q.2. which tyre  burst  ? (98 MARKS)
a) Front Left
b) Front Right
c) Back Left
d) Back Right.....!!!

                                                        888888888888888888888888888888


A worn out wife's poetry goes like this ...




And not to be outdone, the husband's one goes like this ...



                                                         HUSBAND:
                        The rain makes all things beautiful.
                                           The grass and flowers too.
                                     If rain makes all things beautiful
                                         Why doesn't it rain on you?

  
                                      

                                                                   88888888888888888888

Now, this is a specially tailored ( I think this should be made compulsory )  seminar which all would be husbands and existing ones should attend..................................................................


 WICOE

  (Women In Charge Of Everything)

    Is proud to announce the opening of its

EVENING CLASSES FOR MEN!
OPEN TO MEN ONLY
ALL ARE WELCOME

Note: due to the complexity and level of difficulty, each course will accept a maximum of eight participants

The course covers two days, and topics covered in this course include:

DAY ONE

HOW TO FILL ICE CUBE TRAYS
Step by step guide with slide presentation

TOILET ROLLS- DO THEY GROW ON THE HOLDERS?
Roundtable discussion

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LAUNDRY BASKET & FLOOR
Practising with hamper (Pictures and graphics)

DISHES & SILVERWARE;
DO THEY LEVITATE/FLY TO KITCHEN SINK
OR DISHWASHER BY THEMSELVES?
Debate among a panel of experts.

REMOTE CONTROL
Losing the remote control - Help line and support groups

LEARNING HOW TO FIND THINGS
Starting with looking in the right place
Instead of turning the house upside down while screaming -
Open forum


DAY TWO

EMPTY MILK CARTONS;
DO THEY BELONG IN THE FRIDGE OR THE BIN?
Group discussion and role play

HEALTH WATCH;
BRINGING HER FLOWERS IS NOT HARMFUL TO YOUR HEALTH
PowerPoint presentation

REAL MEN ASK FOR DIRECTIONS WHEN LOST
Real life testimonial from the one man who did

IS IT GENETICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SIT QUIETLY
AS SHE PARALLEL PARKS?
Driving simulation

LIVING WITH ADULTS;
BASIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
YOUR MOTHER AND YOUR PARTNER
Online class and role playing

HOW TO BE THE IDEAL SHOPPING COMPANION
Relaxation exercises, meditation and breathing techniques

REMEMBERING IMPORTANT DATES
& CALLING WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE
Bring your calendar or PDA to class

GETTING OVER IT;
LEARNING HOW TO LIVE WITH BEING WRONG ALL THE TIME
Individual counsellors available.



And my last one for the day, is in the form of  pictures which says,  well,  you make it out yourself ...........................................................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Tuesday, 1  March  2011

I've been baking away mufffins and more muffins, from chocolate to blueberries and  bran and thus had to put aside my painting for a while.

And just when I had thought that  I had baked  enough muffins to go round the world, I had to make more.  I'm thoroughly sick of them but my kids and friends keeping eating them anyway.  It's quite easy to make and there's nothing complicating about it.    I make a basic mix and then add a variety of different flavours for each batch.  It's either chocolate or  chocolate chips, ( lots ) or  sultanas or frozen blueberries or grated carrots or even zucchini - whatever I have in my pantry. ( that's what tired and seasoned people do, I think )  My son, Arvind, takes it to school every single day and he eats half a dozen or more  at each sitting while watching TV............ !  Luckily his basketball craze keeps him off the flab.  Can't say the same for me though !

 My chocolate muffins.............................................................





 Blueberry muffins






 And my own special one - sultanas and carrots ..... before I got sick of all of them............................




I'm back to my painting again !


Happy reading and painting



Lakshmi