Tuesday, August 18, 2009
►Journal Entry (Week 7, Term 3)
Dear Integrity 4,
Here's the long-awaited journal entry for this week. In conjunction with the National Day Celebrations, you are to write on the following:
'What does it mean to be a Singaporean.'
You may wish to follow the guidelines on this topic:
(a) What does being a Singaporean mean in general?
(b) What does being a Singaporean mean to me?
(c) What can or has Singapore do/done for me?
(d) What can I do for Singapore?
(e) If given the opportunity, would I leave the shores of Singapore in the hope of a better future? Why or why not?
As usual, the word count will be between 200 to 300 words. Please finish this journal entry by 21 August 2009. Thank you.
Regards,
Ms Chin
/4:52 AM
►Totto-Chan Book Review
Dear Integrity 4,
Here's a book review done by a primary school student from Raffles Girls' Primary School. Please do take the time to read it.
Stella Loong of Class 3A2 (2001) (YES! SHE'S ONLY IN PRIMARY 3!)
Totto-Chan ~ The Little Girl at the Window
Author: Tetsuko Kuroyanagi
Translator: Dorothy Britton
Illustrator: Chihiro Iwasaki
Publisher: Kodansha International
This is a delightful tale of a young girl's childhood recollections. Spun by the well renowned Tetsuko Kuroyanagi -voted Japan's most popular television personality for five years running, she speaks of how as a young girl she was expelled from the first grade and as a last resort, sent to a very special school.
Tomoe Gakuen, by far, is no ordinary school! Its classes are held in individual train carriages and the Principal and Teachers are very extraordinary people. The Headmaster, or rather, in TottoChan's own words, "stationmaster" - being the proud owner of all those lovely train carriages, is a amiable character. He uses quirky and innovative ideas to teach his pupils. For example, music lessons are a load of fun as the students scribble furiously on the floor in a bid to work out what music notes the Headmaster is belting out on his piano. Lunchtime becomes another enjoyable lesson as the Headmaster and his wife walk around inspecting everyone's food and making sure that everyone has "something from the ocean and something from the hills". This shows the caring nature of the Headmaster and through this, he teaches the children about the importance of a balanced diet and the various food groups. His emphasis on sensory stimuli, experimentation and activity is responsible not only for little Totto-chan's robust development, but also that of the narrative.
Through all the experiences that Tetsuko has depicted in the book, we see how Totto-chan has indeed grown into a fine young woman. From a playful young child expelled in the first grade, she embarks onto a journey of life and education in her years at Tomoe. As a young girl, she experiences much and you can't help but smile as you read about the way she perceives death and her innocent behaviour when she encounters people with physical disability. At the same time, you wouldn't pity her but rather, be enchanted with her perceptions. The innocent and clear language that the author uses is very understandable and readable. The novel is very much like a set of Haiku in its simplicity of style, its exquisite detail, and its ability to capture a moment. Yet, it maintains a firm grip on its unifying thread, which is the protagonist's discovery of Life and her environment.
I am captured by her stories with the brilliant usage of the English language. Though it is but a translation, I sincerely appreciate Dorothy Britton's fine choice of words as she demonstrates the same consistent child-like innocence throughout the book. Though many a time I find myself getting bored as her stories begin to sound more and more alike the more you read them, I can't seem to put the book down. It is easy to understand and I feel like I am actually learning something about myself as I go along. I am brought back to my "childhood" way of thinking and you really start to appreciate the innocence that you once had as a child. Some moments in the book actually stick with you for life. Times like when Totto-chan was expelled and her disillusionment that followed - she didn't realize this until she was much older and her mother finally revealed the reason why she transferred. We begin to wonder what would happen to her if she didn't arrive at Tomoe? Would she turn out to be a delinquent if she hadn't been showered with the same amount of attention she received at Tomoe? Then again, I begin to ponder, what about children here in Singapore? With parents busy at work, are there parents out there just like Totto-chan's mother who care enough to find her a suitable school? You see, the reason why she was expelled was merely because of what we come to know today as "ADD" (attention deficit disorder). The way the perplexed teacher describes the scenario is indeed fascinating!
I wouldn't hesitate recommending this book to my friends as I feel people can really learn a lot if they read deep into the child-like features of this book. Unfortunately, this book also has its fair share of bad points. After a while, it becomes tiresome to read as some of the longer stories become "draggy" as you get used to them being short and sweet. You would also miss out the finer points that the author makes if you're not paying attention. Furthermore, this is the sort of book that one cannot read for long stretches of time. Once in a while, one really has to pause to take time out and reflect on what the author has tried to express. The language is captivating and humorous as it brings forth the darker periods of her life. I suppose it holds true that the saddest moments of life are best expressed through laughter.
I have picked up from another book review the following comments, which I strongly feel are very true in the course of this book -
While the reader is instantly drawn to the charm and innocence of Totto-chan's responses, thoughts and emotions so acutely evocative of his own childhood, he will nevertheless perceive the underlying criticism of the rigidity of an educational system that conforms to adult notions of law and order rather than a child's spontaneity and natural curiosity.
My comments on some portions of the book:
"...For instance, say we are going to write the alphabet, your daughter opens her desk, takes out her notebook, and bangs the top down. Then she opens her desk again, puts her head inside, gets out a pencil, quickly shuts the desk, and writes an 'A.' If she's written it badly or made a mistake she opens the desk again, gets out an eraser, shuts the desk, erases the letter, then opens and shuts the desk again to put away the eraser - all at top speed. When she's written the 'A' over again, she puts every single item back into the desk, one by one. She puts away the pencil, shuts the desk, then opens it again to put away the notebook. Then, when she gets to the next letter, she goes through it all again - first the notebook, then the pencil, then the eraser - opening and shutting her desk every single time. It makes my head spin. And I can't scold her because she opens and shuts it each time for a reason."
It suddenly dawned on Mother why Totto-chan opened and shut her desk so often. She remembered how excited Totto-chan had been when she came home from her first day at school. She had said, "School's wonderful! My desk at home has drawers you pull out, but the one at school has a top you lift up. It's like a box, and you can keep all sorts of things inside. It's super!"
I enjoyed this part of the book tremendously. I love the teacher's vivid, or rather, livid, description of Totto-chan's behaviour. I find it hilarious as the teacher's tone of voice is filled with angst, despair, and my favourite, desperation. This is an extremely comical scene, especially with the presence of her distraught mother! I also love the way whatever the teacher says always complements/contradicts Totto-chan's side of the story. I have highlighted the bits where I find Totto-chan's character very amusing but I hope you will read the whole passage through. Trust me, you will not regret it!
/4:45 AM
