Music
I didn't realised what an important part music played in our life until this year. (I'm a slow learner...)
Firstly, Jono wanted to do further study in music except he couldn't as he chose not to learn theory in his younger age. (I am not a tiger mum afterall!) However, he does continue to play his guitar. He plays 2 other instruments - tenor saxaphone and piano.
Matt still shows interest in music, achieved distinction in his Grade 3 theory exam. He also decided not to continue with his piano lessons. He continues to learn some pieces himself and performed a piece at school and got a score of 19/20. To my surprise, he prefers piano and enjoy playing classical music. He is in both the novice and junior school bands playing tenor saxophone like his brother. By Term 4, he also played for Intermediate band and Junior Stage Band (Jazz band). Highlight of Matt's musical career in 2011 - he was selected to play solo and got his few minutes of fame.
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| Matt - the Jazz man |
Here is Fay performing at school end of year Soiree.
Drame queen in action. They don't have microphone, so the kids have to speak loud and clear for the audience. If it were me, I probably died on stage! On the contrary, Fay actually enjoyed it, watch her smiling on stage.
Did you know I have never watched Jono performed at school band? I was banned by him. From what I heard from others, he is actually really good at sax. I wasn't going to make the same mistake with the other two. So I have attended all Fay's and Matt's performance and I have enjoyed every concert I have attended. Actually with Matt and Fay, they make it compulsory for me to attend their concert. Matt: "I got selected to play solo, mum. So are you going to the concert?" Fay: "Are you going to my concert? Well, you went to Matt's."
Fay has tried to teach me to sing and decided that I really shouldn't be heard singing in public so as not to embarrass her!
Art
I haven't updated Fay's blog this year. She has been very busy - made her very own puppet using old cloth. She took them to school and they are very popular with her friends. She also learn how to knit from Pauline. I bought her a sewing machine for her birthday. She has sew a few things for her Barbie dolls and her teddy bear.
Matt as a 'curator' has to create a booklet on Van Gaugh for art assignment. Let's just say it was so professionally done I didn't realised he created it until I saw the fineprint 'curated by Matt Dang'.
Fay has her drawing selected at school to be put in a booklet and submitted to New York, I didn't really have any details. She was so happy when her drawing was selected.
There is an artist that both Matt and Fay admire - guess who that is? Their big brother, Jono. Jono loves sketching Japanese cartoon characters. You might get to see them one day in some games he designs.
Other
Fay is top of her class in spelling and received an award for 'spelling queen'. As her teacher puts it, her mind is filled with words! (I thought it was filled with music!) She also received an award for 'The Funniest Moment" at school camp. Matt just can't see how Fay can be funny.
A lot of students from Matt's level are going to Melbourne High next year. There was a rumour at school that he is too. A teacher actually asked Matt if he is leaving for Melbourne High. Matt just laughed, he thinks it's really funny that even the teachers think he is 'that smart' to pass the entrance exam. He didn't even sit for the entrance exam. He won an award again this year. One doesn't find out what the award was for until Presentation Night. In Matt's own words, "I don't really have any talents, I am not that good academically. So I guess it's for music." He is right. He does occasionally get top marks in Maths tests. The key word is 'occasionally'.
Jono was invited to become a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society for achieving average of high distinction in yearly academic result. I actually have to google "Golden Key" to find out what it is. All I can say is "WOW".
At school camp this year, Fay was told by a teacher that Matt is a 'sweetheart'. She just can't believe that. She still have problem accepting this. So I asked how did she respond to the teacher. Being good with words, here is her response, "Hmmm, is that right?" (Fay's godmother Regina would approve of this 'not giving away anything' response.) As a joke, I called Matt "Sweetheat" now and then. Trust me, he does respond to that!
Earlier this year, there was book review and a TV segment (in Australia '60 minute' program) on 'Tiger Mum", a book written by Professor Amy Chua on Asian parenting style. Fay watched the program with me and was horrified. I am no professor, the only advice I can give anyone on parenting is the one I have used for many years. Here is the tip, it is a poem by the Lebanese-American poet and writer, Kahlil Gibran:
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and the daughters of life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you.
And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love, but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls.
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
Let your bending in the archer's hands be for gladness.
I wrote about this in more detail here at hubpages - http://hubpages.com/hub/Tiger-Mum-vs-Kahlil-Gibran
"None are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
I hope to catch up with some of you over the holiday. Till we meet again, may you and your family have a safe and relaxing holiday.
