A shaky start to the (Chinese) New Year
I have been asked to appear in the buff to a raucous 20-odd strong audience. My buck naked performance is scheduled for tomorrow, from 1pm.
I am an insane kamikaze who's landed myself in an uncomfortable predicament. I have promised to show up, lend my support towards 'the cause', so it's improbable I can back out from it now.
By the way, did I mention my audience is just over a metre tall, and between the ages of 3 & 4?
Yes. I've been asked to speak at Cheek's school. About Chinese New Year! Oh the horror!
Public speaking is not my forte. I don't care how old you are, whether you're male/female, heck, I could be addressing a group of 5 individuals and I'd still feel the heebie-jeebies! (not to mention feel like I'm giving an address in sheer nakedness!)
Exposés aside ...How do I intend to depict Chinese New Year? Let's see. I've prepared:
- A toy broom (to show that we clean the house before the NY, sweep away the bad luck, that sort of thing...)
- 2 mandarin oranges (as is a custom)
- Assorted ang pows (need I elaborate?)
- A pair of chopsticks (they want me to show them how to use it to pick at noodles. Good grief, I don't even hold it right!)
- The Official Map of Singapore (2006 version, in Mandarin. To show the bright lights of Chinatown)
- Chocolate coins in red packets as a sweet treat for each child to take away at Hometime.
- This:
For the past half hour, I have been folding and creasing origami paper. I'm going to show the kids how to make origami fish because '年年有餘', get it? And yes, I am fully aware origami is a Japanese thingamy but hey, if it's listed as a CNY craft activity on a kiddy website, that's all right by me.I recognize my own shortcomings in the creative department so I've no choice but to resort to websites like this over the Internet. But bless 'em all for being life-savers!
Anyhew, wish me luck. I sure do need it this Chinese New Year!
(Oh, and I hope the kids enjoy the session with the jittery 'nudie Mummy'!)
*heart kerplonking wildly*
3 comments:
hahahaa... I'm sure you'll do fine and give a fantastic 'performance'.
Go & break a leg!
:)
Just a few ideas to throw your way.. not sure if they are all together practical or doable.
(1) Show CNY videos from YouTube
(2) Food is a common passion for lots of people - toss some Yu Sheng and teach abt its significance.
http://infopedia.nlb.gov.sg/articles/SIP_177_2004-12-30.html
http://www.todayonline.com/articles/233012.asp
http://www.singaporefoodhistory.com/recipe-yusheng.html
Very cool. How did it go? With your vivacious personality, the kids probably lapped it up! The origami fish is a great idea. In fact, it resembles this art & craft Kae did in school. Haha they might have sourced it from the same webbie. Lol.
Yusheng is a Singaporean/Malaysian dish - they dun toss it in HK or China. I learnt that when I went yusheng hunting in UK. LOL. The Chinese restaurants (and I went to so many) not only did not sell the dish, none of the authentically Chinese people have even heard of it!
But I love Yusheng - haven't eaten any this year during the official CNY period. I had one a week before CNY. I like how you must utter some CNY related cheng yu as you toss in each ingredient to the mix.
Post a Comment