OH! Open House at Tiong Bahru: My experience today

Being a resident in Tiong Bahru since 1972, I thought I should know a lot about the estate, yet, I realised there are a lot more for me to explore today!


Joining the "OH! Open House at Tiong Bahru" this afternoon allows me to visit 6 homes, 1 temple, walk through many back lanes and view the works of 15 local and overseas artists.


For the official website of "Oh! Open House at Tiong Bahru, visit:
http://artitute.com/2012/02/17/oh-open-house-at-tiong-bahru/


For photos of the artists' works, view them via:
http://flickriver.com/photos/artituteart/sets/72157629302663309/


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OH! Open House at Tiong Bahru: My experience today
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Today is the last day of the Open House "Occupy" Tiong Bahru.  The event started last Saturday, only run for 2 weekends (on Saturday and Sunday, 18-19 and 25-26).


It is curiosity that drive me to sign up.  I like to see art works in general, and being a resident here, it is interesting for me to see how the interior of the my neighbours' apartment look likes.  Most of the people prefer to keep their home private, so it is hard to have the opportunity to enter other people's house nowadays.


Since I miss the event in Marine Parade last year, this time, the event is so near and so convenient, I have no excuse to miss it. 


Entering strangers' house and look at the interior, their personal items and art collections, is something new for me to look forwards to.  As I do not like to walk under the hot sun and have to rush home for dinner around 7pm, the 4-5pm tour I booked in advance is the best slot for me!


Though the tour I signed up was scheduled to start between 4-5pm, it was delayed.  I think the reason could be that the response is so good that all tours are full booked. Hence, the groups took longer to visit all the sites as there are bigger in size. 


We have 18 participants in our group and we started at around 5.15pm, about one hours and 15 mins later than the actual schedule slot.  Fortunately, the waiting area this week is moved from ground floor to the air-con hall on the second floor of Tiong Bahru Community Centre.  Most of us have a good nap or good rest while waiting. When it is our turn to do the tour, the heavy rain just stop and we have a refreshing afternoon to start our walk!


As I saw a lot of tour leaders over last weekends were full of passion, I was looking forward to have an exciting tour with lots of anecdotes. I should not have this mind set to start with...


The volunteer guide who guided us is not a Tiong Bahru residents, the information she acquired is from her research, we are not able to hear personal experience and the main focus is on the artists and the history of some street name etc.  As the group is too big to hear her clearing, I wish I could have a copy of the written notes for future reference and hope that the feedback to the co-ordinator at the end of tour at 7.05pm would benefit both parties.


Even an old timer like me, looking at the neighbourhood from many front and back balcony of the six apartments is an eye-opening experience. With the unique art deco architecture and tastefully done interior of the apartment owners, it makes one yielding to stay in the apartment and admire the owner who own them.


Many visitors in our group feel that Tiong Bahru housing is rather unique: it is Singapore’s most eclectic neighbourhood! In the 1.5 to 2 hour tour, we learnt the name and the origin of Seng Poh Road, Eng Watt Street, Tiong Poh Road and other interesting facts and history of the estate!


The laid back rustic atmosphere of the pre-war and post-war housing, blended the contemporary art of the 15 artist, make it even more artistic for viewers like us to appreciate.  Art enhance the estate, and the estate make the art pieces more appealling to viewers!


For me and many of the tour participants, the welcoming owners or artists who are there at the door or inside the apartment during the arts walkabout are warm imprints that we will never forget.  I remembered Jason, the banker, offering us chocolates and Steven Black, the multi-talent artist,  giving us Ang Ku Kueh. Their kind gestures warmed both our stomachs and our hearts!  Many are humble and do not disclose their names and their smiling face made us feel comfortable and welcoming!


Some of the things I learnt in the walking tour include:


* the Swan sculpture placed in the centre of Tiong Bahru Garden, was sculpted by Mr Lim Nang Seng, the same artist of Merlion (the Singapore Icon now). 


* the Teochew Noodle stall inside the coffee shop next to the car park exit in Moh Guan Terrace was the Mee Po Man filming site.


Many participants do not know the different types of Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) and Post-war housing in Tiong Bahru. This visit to the 6 artistic homes may lead them to see Tiong Bahru apartment as their dream home.


Viewing the artistic interior design of the six apartments done by the owners or designers may create "Fairy Tale" images of the estate, and lead them to dream and have high expectation on Tiong Bahru Estate!  I know from my own experience that most of the apartments in Tiong Bahru are not the same as the six homes we experienced today!

Of all the artworks I view, the first whimsical mobile hanged by the window, made from plush and felt, in the shapes of traditional Singapore food is the one that I like most!

For more photos of the artists' works, please view them via:
http://flickriver.com/photos/artituteart/sets/72157629302663309/

The mobile is created by Tye Sok Kuan who is a well-known freelance illustrator known for her alter-ego, Sophie Black.

In this hanging mobile, Sophie Black is also the centrepiece.  I think most viewers would like all the yummy objects stringed around the smiling Nyonya, such as Ang Ku Kueh, Butterfly Kueh, Nine layers cake, Small Bao, Sue Mai, Kueh To To and many yummy and delicious local treats.

What I fall in love with is the bright and colourful hanging mobile theme with Paranaka ideas and the details stitches which is hard to match. To me it is like 3D painting using colourful treads as paint brush and felt as canvas!

I learn from this visit and meet some hosts of the homes. They were a nice mix of Singaporeans and expats and art is the one that transcends cultural borders. 

Tiong Bahru is not a big estate and the distance between each homes which host the exhibitions are not very far apart.  Nevertheless, all the apartment are without lift and walking up and down take time and energy. 

After the 2 hours sweaty walking tour, our thigh muscles were tire. The expected workout for me allow me to make excuses for not having much physical exercises next week!

How do I feel about the tour at the end of the day?  Well, like my tour mates, we feel intrusive, and on the other hand, was thankful to hosts who are so kind and so generous in giving us a change to peek, share and enjoy their way of living for a moment! 

Maybe it is a learning journey for us to be humble about what we received and learn to share the joys by being kind and generous to others in the future!

Dexterine Ho Soo Miang

Advanced Certification in Library & Information Services (ACLIS)

By now, many of our LAS WSQ Level 2 course participants had completed the 5 modules required and received the Higher Certification in Library & Information Services (HCLIS).  Most of them are interested to pursue the next level courses.

National Library Board Academy (NLBA) delivers WSQ Level 3 courses that help people in library services further their skills - and careers and the details can be found on NLBA web page at http://www.nlba.sg/library-professionals/view/aclis

The key areas are grouped into the following 8 units:

Competency Code	Competency Unit (CU)	Credit Value
CI-LI-336C-0	Administer Library Operations	2
CI-LI-341S-0	Support General Reference and Information Enquiries	2
CI-LI-346S-0	Support the Management of Promotion and Outreach Activities	3
CI-LI-340S-0	Support the Management of Bibliographic Control Work	3
CI-LI-344S-0	Support the Management of Circulation and Membership Services	3
CI-LI-343S-0	Support the Management of Acquisitions and Serials Work	3
SV-PP-301G-0	Coach Service Teams and Individuals	3
CI-LI-345S-0	Support the Management of Collection Maintenance Work	2

To understand the course structure and coverage of each unit, just visit
http://www.nlba.sg/library-professionals/view/aclis

Dexterine Ho Soo Miang

Finding and creating yourself

Life isn't about finding yourself.  Life is about creating yourself.

-- George Bernard Shaw

I think most of us are searching the path to find ourselves and the meaning of life in this earthy journey. Along the way, we created something different to call "self" and life fulfilment!

It is not possible and sometime a bit hard for most of us not to create something along the path we travel. We live a normal life, yet, it is normal not to repeat the way other did with their lives!

I find my creative incentive in my daily life, in library work, in learning and reading or in training new or old subjects!
It is the joys of having or experiencing something new from the world I lived, the people and events I experienced that make my days!

Sometime it is creation from my own explorations or with my hand works, sometime it is conversation with the like-minded and new works that give me great thrills in life and keep me going!

Personally, I think "creating" works for me! I find it easier to create something new than to follow something in existing practice. 

It is "be" and "through the creation process", some self discovery is found and done. 

I think to teach or train someone to do something is easy if we allow creation to happen naturally in the learning journey!

That is why I enjoy teaching and training as no session is the same. The learners, trainees and participants are creative souls that enrich the sessions.

Teaching is the way I share my experience and with the little light I hold, I can light up many candles that make the room illuminated. 

When you are in the room with bright hearts that are shining and mirroring one another, learning is joyful and training is contentment!


Dexterine Ho Soo Miang

Publishing professional books: LexisNexis

The Academic Publishing talk – Publishing professional books: When your audience are busy practitioners, by Norainni Rahman, Director of Publishing, Lexis-Nexis, Southeast Asia was originally scheduled from:

12:00 PM to 02:00 PM
10 Feb 2012
Venue : LT22
Venue : http://maps.ntu.edu.sg/maps#q:LT22

It was jointly organised by NTU Libraries and LexisNexis.  As the NTU Career Fair was on at the same time, the speaker was late, so do I as all nearby car parks are full and waiting in queue do not have any chance in getting a paid covered slot after 30 mins at the south spine car park!

I finally give up waiting and park my car at Heritage Centre and walk to LT 22!
                                             

If you were unable to attend the talk, you did not miss much as the slides can be accessed here!

 

The short session last less than 40 mins and it was an informal conversation with Q and A. 

As I had travelled all the way from town and miss the other session at SMU, I was a bit disappointed at my own choice.

Sometime, you cannot judge the talk by the title! Being a Librarian, I should know judging a book by its cover is not the right way of book selection!  Yet, I have to learn it by experience!  I am a person without much wisdom, after all!

Never mind, it is a good lesson and I learn to exercise my choice better next time!

Dexterine Ho Soo Miang

Have made some difference ...

I think the purpose of life is to be useful,
to be responsible,
to be honorable,
to be compassionate. 

It is, after all, to matter:
to count,
to stand for something,
to have made some difference that you lived at all.

-- Leo C. Rosten (1908-1977) American Writer

How to get published in international journals: Wiley-Blackwell

Just attended the inaugural Academic Publishing talk organized by NTU Library:

How to get published in international journals
by Dr. Carol Bacchus-Wermke, VP & Publishing Director from Wiley-Blackwell.

 

Many of my library counterparts were unable to attend the talk, here is the PPT Dr Caral Bacchus-Wermke used in her presentation today.  If you are interested just click here.

 

Wiley-Blackwell has other resources for authors at http://authorservices.wiley.com/

 

To attend other Academic Publishing talks organized by NTU Library and academic publishers, just visit  http://www3.ntu.edu.sg/lib/publishing/ and do the registration.

The nine Academic Publishing talks are opened to LAS members as well as the general public. 

 

 

Dexterine Ho Soo Miang

What it takes to be a 21st century librarian?

Is there more to the job than stamping due dates for a librarian?  I recalled "Yan Chuin" told me in 1981 that some one did ask her why there is a need to go overseas and do a Post-graduate Diploma in Librarianship since the job of a librarian is that simple.


Well, I think it is hard to unlock that kind of thought as all the library users do not see the full range of works done by librarians at various levels. 


What they see in their daily visits to the library is just the tip of the iceberg.  They harvest the fruits of the labours by librarians and library staff like the way we get rice from supermarket. 


When rice is purchased from the shelf, many kids and adults may not know the hard work of the peasants and workers in planting and milling rice. 


Many library readers borrow books from the library do not really know how books make its way to the library shelf.  When they remove the books from the shelf, they do not need to know how it was returned to the same place in the original order. 


Why library always have some books that they like?  Most readers are of different professions and at different age and continue to grow in their life journey or career path, how could the library facilitates their diverse and changing needs?


Now we have ebooks and Internet, hence, more and more people think that the world may not need a physical library and the service of librarians.


Emma Cragg and Katie Birkwood write "Beyond books: what it takes to be a 21st century librarian" and the article is published in guardian.co.uk, Monday 31 January 2011 12.33 GMT.


Both of them try to clear the mental doubt and explain in details "From connecting with people to keeping up with the latest technologies, there is a whole lot more to the job than stamping due dates"


Full text of the article is available at

http://careers.guardian.co.uk/job-of-21st-century-librarian


Here are some points I extracted to share with the readers here:

* ... many people's experience of librarians is of the frontline, customer service staff. Have you ever considered how the books get on to the shelves and ready for you to borrow? Behind the scenes there are teams of librarians working to make this happen.


* There are librarians who select the books for purchase... process the orders and ... create the bibliographic records that make it possible for you to find the book in the library catalogue and then on the shelves.


* Books are only one aspect... Librarianship is a people profession; a librarian's job is to connect people with the information they are seeking, whatever format that may take.


* ... library jobs have a central purpose: to help people access and use information, for education, for work, or for pleasure.


* ... customer service and communication skills are important. If anyone ever thought they'd become a librarian because they liked books or reading, they would be sorely disappointed if they did not also like people too.


* Libraries of all kinds are keen to demonstrate their value to as wide an audience as possible, and to open up access to culturally significant resources that they hold.


* In the digital age, when information is increasingly becoming available online, there is a propensity to say that libraries and librarians are redundant. This is not the case. Information available online is often of dubious origin and there is still a wealth of information behind paywalls that can only be accessed by those who have paid.


* ... helped many library users ... using search engines for their research ... 


* ... being good communicators with people and active adopters and exploiters of technological developments, librarians need to have detailed specialist subject knowledge to pass on to library users.


* Librarians provide training to show people how to search for information and evaluate what they find.


* These information skills sessions ... include digital literacies ... stay safe online ... social media sites and online collaboration tools.

* There is no standard route into librarianship: librarians have first degrees across the whole spectrum of subjects. To become a professionally qualified librarian you also need a masters qualification in librarianship or information science...

* An introduction to librarianship can be gained through a graduate trainee scheme. These are run by libraries in a variety of sectors... prior to the masters course... 

* More information about the wide range of jobs undertaken by librarians can be found through the Library Day in the Life project...

* If you are interested in finding out about how to embark on a career in librarianship, Ned Potter has summarised the ten things you need to know if you want to work in libraries. Many librarians have also written about their route into the profession through the Library Routes Project.

Some Case studies cited in the article are: 

Kate Smyth, project officer for children and young people, Oldham library and information service

Kate ... run Warhammer, Lego and Yu-Gi-Oh (toy and game) clubs in Oldham's libraries, and also with younger children as the organiser of sessions for young carers and library sleepovers for Scout groups. ... Kate's focus on the personal relationships central to library work continues with her role as administrator for the library's Twitter, Flickr and Facebook accounts, and she is also responsible for the library content on the Go Oldham website.

Emma Cragg, academic support librarian, University of Warwick

Emma acts as the liaison between the university library and the business school at the University of Warwick. Many of the resources used by business students come in digital form, as online journals, databases, or ebooks... She also provides training to help staff and students make the most of the resources available. Her technological skills and interests extend to the use of social media for education and professional development.

Michael Cook, library manager, NHS Bolton library (based at Bolton central library)

The library serves 1,600 local primary care trust (PCT) staff as well as health students, social care staff and the general public. Michael's daily work involves looking after the physical library space and helping readers with the systematic searches of health and medical literature necessary for research and good treatment practice ... and works on collaborative projects with NHS teams and public libraries to improve access to health and mental health resources for the general public.

Katie Birkwood, Hoyle Project associate, St John's College library, University of Cambridge

Kate is cataloguing the papers of 20th-century scientist Sir Fred Hoyle (1915-2001)... focus of her work is organising and running events for the general public. These events open up  the library and display.  It helps to interpret its treasures for people of all educational levels and backgrounds. Kate also works with schools and other special interest groups to supplement and broaden curricula...  her role is like teacher, curator, creative designer and tour guide.

Emma Cragg and Katie Birkwood are academic librarians and participants of the Library Day in the Life project

Please read the full text at

http://careers.guardian.co.uk/job-of-21st-century-librarian

Happy Dragon Year!

衷心祝福大家好！

Best wishes to you and your family,

May all of you have a

Happy and Healthy Dragon Year!

May a Prosperous Lunar New Year be with you!

Smile with Peace of mind all year through, and

Enjoy this Chinese New Year in all the 384 days!

不论在何方，

晚上笑一笑，睡个美满觉。 

早晨笑一笑，全天有情调，

工作之余，笑一笑，满堂欢喜又热闹，

心烦之时，笑一笑，一切烦恼全忘掉！

笑口常开，新年快乐！

何舒敏 谨贺
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Dexterine Ho Soo Miang

welcome to my other blogs:

• Handicrafts Guide
• Inno Hands-on Workshop
• Some Learning Tips
• Tips On Learning Chinese
• Understanding DDC through INNOvative Displays!

email:

smho@e.ntu.edu.sg    

dexterine@yahoo.com

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INNOvative HANDS-ON
             INNOvative minds-on!
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January 16: US federal holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

-- Martin Luther King Jr.
"At the age of thirty-five, Martin Luther King, Jr., was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. When notified of his selection, he announced that he would turn over the prize money of $54,123 to the furtherance of the civil rights movement."

-- Provided by NobelPrize.org

Martin Luther King Jr. Day
"This federal holiday honoring the civil rights leader is observed on the third Monday in January. In 2012, the holiday falls on Jan. 16. Related sites: MLK Day.gov | Wikipedia Article on MLK Day."

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Source of above information: http://www.refdesk.com/ dated 16 Jan 2012

绝句《清明》妙趣横生的版本

晚唐著名诗人杜牧有一首脍炙人口的绝句《清明》，诗云：“清明时节雨纷纷，路上行人欲断魂。借问酒家何处有，牧童遥指杏花村。”杜牧绝对想不到，在他之后，会有许许多多形形色色而妙趣横生的《清明》出现！

有人将《清明》改为三言诗：

“清明节，雨纷纷。路上人，欲断魂。问酒家，何处有？牧童指，杏花村。”

也有人改为四言诗的：

“清明时节，行人断魂。酒家何处？指杏花村。”

清代有位文人，觉得《清明》诗不够精炼，他认为，“雨纷纷”自然在清明时节；“行人”必然在路上；第三句是问句，“借问”就成多余；“牧童”只是被问者，无关大要。因此主张将每句头两个字删除，遂成一首五言绝句：

“时节雨纷纷，行人欲断魂。酒家何处有？遥指杏花村。”

传说，在 1078 年清明这天，大文豪苏轼登云龙山放鹤亭拜见张山人，吟诵了这首诗。恰巧张山人兴致很高，知苏轼才华横溢，便有意一试，要求苏轼将该诗变其形，而不失其意。苏轼欣然答应，便脱口而出：

“清明时节雨，纷纷路上行人，欲断魂。借问酒家何处？有牧童，遥指杏花村。”

仅变几处标点，竟成了一首绝妙小令。

有人改成为《南乡子》：

“清明时节，雨落纷纷。断魂人借问，酒家何处有？牧童遥指，不远杏花村。”也有创新精神。

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《清明》繁体英文版本

Traditional Chinese	Simplified Chinese	pinyin	English translation
清明時節雨紛紛	清明时节雨纷纷	qīng míng shí jié yǔ fēn fēn	Drizzling rain always falls during Qing Ming days.
路上行人欲斷魂	路上行人欲断魂	lù shàng xíng rén yù duàn hún	It's like the mourners' heart tearing sadly on their ways.
借問酒家何處有	借问酒家何处有	jiè wèn jiǔ jiā hé chù yǒu	Where can a winehouse be found to diverse one's deep sorrow?
牧童遙指杏花村	牧童遥指杏花村	mù tóng yáo zhǐ xìng huā cūn	A little cowherd pointed to the Almond Flower (Xing Hua) Village, a distance away!

Source of information:

Tomb-sweeping day 2010, Qingming Festival / Ching Ming Festival

http://cq.people.com.cn/cqqs_bbs/201042/201042204916a190.htm

With translation revised by Dexterine Ho Soo Miang

Opening ceremony of “Stories Behind Singapore Streets” Exhibition

I received the following invitation some weeks back and attended the opening event today:

If you visit the webpage at http://www.nlb.gov.sg/Corporate.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=Corporate_portal_page_announcements&newsLocation=NL you will get some information on “Stories Behind Singapore Streets” Exhibition 12 January ­– 29 June 2012, 10.00 am – 9.00 pm Promenades, Levels 7 & 8, National Library Building:


"Street names not only help us navigate our way around Singapore... they also yield interesting information about our country’s history, geography, politics, heritage and culture. Much of Singapore’s history is reflected through the names of places and streets that we see every day. Join us as we take you on a journey through Singapore’s changing landscape and discover the stories behind some of the names of Singapore’s streets. Check out Go Library for more related programmes. "


Channel New Asia at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1176102/1/.html has the following details:


"SINGAPORE: An exhibition showcasing the origins of local street names and Singapore's street naming conventions has been launched.


The "Stories Behind Singapore Streets" at the National Library also highlights stories about people, their lives and achievements, and roles they played in making Singapore what it is today.


The National Library says the exhibition aims to create a greater awareness of Singapore's early history, journey through nation building and unique multicultural heritage.


It also traces the history of Singapore through the street naming conventions from the pre-colonial era to modern day Singapore.


More than 100 street names are featured, such as during the 14th and 15th century, pre-Raffles Singapore, the Raffles Town Plan and the post-colonial period after Singapore's independence in 1965.


The different categories of street names, such as descriptive street names, those dedicated to prominent people, streets named after local personalities and street names reflecting the imprint of British colonialism, are featured.


For instance, the Raffles Town Plan, one of the key exhibits, depicts the urban plan of Singapore according to Sir Stamford Raffles' instructions.


The exhibition displays maps, photographs and old street signs from the National Library's donor collections and materials from supporting partners.


Highlights include the National Library's legal documents and maps from the Koh Seow Chuan collection, PictureSG1's photographs of street scenes of early Singapore from the Lee Kip Lin collection, and a video on ten unusual street names such as Kay Poh Road, Rotan Lane and One Tree Hill.


To reach out to more Singaporeans, three roving exhibitions will be held at the Woodlands Regional Library, Marine Parade Public Library and Jurong West Public Library, from June 30 to September 30, 2012.


In addition, the National Library will also organise a talk on street names, learning journeys, a guided tour of the exhibition and the Curator's Walk which covers Toponymics, the study of street and place names in January and February 2012.


National Library Board's CEO Elaine Ng said: "I hope that Singaporeans will enjoy learning about history and heritage through the evolution of our street names. We are also conducting guided tours of the exhibition for students and community groups, and learning journeys to areas such as Chinatown and the Civic District over the next few months."


Admission to the "Stories Behind Singapore Streets" exhibition is free. It is located at the Promenade, Levels 7 and 8 of the National Library Building and will run for six months from January 11 to June 29, 2012, from 10am to 9pm daily, except on public holidays. - CNA/fa"


Source of information:
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1176102/1/.html


Personally, I am very much impressed by the way this exhibition is designed.  The contents are well-categorised and the use of life-size street name plates allows viewers to navigate and learn about the stories behind them with ease.
Some of the old streets' photograph was displayed side-by-side with the present one showing the changes of the landscape. The group of new photographs of the street scene were retaken at the same spot by Mr Char Lee.  I like his work as it is a great job done with lots of patience!  Many viewers were delighted when they are able to match, recall and retrieve their own memory with the help of these visual aids .

I like the multi-tier layout with the three dimensional and built-in structure used throughout the whole exhibition.  It helps viewers to navigate in and out of their memory lane.  We have the sense of walking around the "Streets" in this small "Town-like" landscape! 


I think this exhibition definitely created an impact in many a viewers' mind!


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Here are some of the photos we took to mark the day: 


*Photo with some of the Singapore memory agents and Mr Lui Tuck Yew, Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs

Standing from left to right:
Mrs Elaine Ng, Ms, Ms S Zahra Aljunied, Ms Belinda Tan, Mr Lui Tuck Yew, Mr James Seah, Mr Philip Chew, Mr T C Lai, Mr Lam Chun See and Mr Yeo Hong Eng.
First row from left to right:
Ms Ngian Lek Choh, Dexterine Ho and Mr Peter Chan


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* Photos taken at the exhibition hall

This article is revised on 16 Jan 2012 with the group photo added from Facebook, courtesy of Belinda Tan.

Dexterine Ho Soo Miang

清明*古典詩

The following is extracted from 清明 - 维基百科 at http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B8%85%E6%98%8E 

清明
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清明，農曆二十四節氣之一。每年4月5日前后太阳到达黄经15°时开始；《月令七十二候集解》：“三月节……物至此时，皆以洁齐而清明矣。”故清明節總是在公曆4月4日、4月5日、4月6日三天中的一天。

由於清明節是根據節氣而定的，故清明是少數與西曆大致吻合的中國傳統節日。

	二十四节气
春季：立春 雨水 惊蛰 春分 清明 谷雨 夏季：立夏 小满 芒种 夏至 小暑 大暑 秋季：立秋 处暑 白露 秋分 寒露 霜降 冬季：立冬 小雪 大雪 冬至 小寒 大寒

清明節的起源，據傳始於古代帝王將相「墓祭」之禮，後來民間亦相倣傚，於此日祭祖掃墓，歷代沿襲而成為華族一種固定的風俗。

在清明之日進行祭祖、掃墓、郊遊的習俗，逐漸演變為華人以掃墓、祭拜等形式紀念祖先的一個傳統節日，在仲春與暮春之交，一般為冬至之後106天，寒食節的後一天。掃墓活動在節前後可延續十天左右。

新加坡華人至今仍按照傳統儀式掃墓，多半為閩南儀式。每逢清明時節，新加坡華人多會舉家出行，親戚朋友相邀同往，坐滿一、兩輛小貨車浩浩蕩蕩去掃墓，大多先祭祀土地神。然後在親人墓前擺上酒食、果品和鮮花，燃起香燭，壓上墓紙，再將紙錢焚化，磕頭行禮，最後當場將酒食、肉、果喫完回家，一般會准備五牲祭拜祖先，當中少不了蛤、螃蟹、雞、鴨等。祭拜完畢便當場剝蛤吃，然後把蛤殼丟在墳前，表示子孫已來掃過墓。
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清明*古典詩

唐.杜牧《清明》

古典詩晚唐著名诗人杜牧有一首脍炙人口的绝句《清明》

诗云：“清明时节雨纷纷，路上行人欲断魂。借问酒家何处有，牧童谣指杏花村。”

此說始於《千家詩》。但《樊川文集》未見，此詩是否真出於杜牧之手，有待商榷


宋.高菊卿《清明》

南北山頭多墓田，清明祭掃各紛然。紙灰飛作白蝴蝶，淚血染成紅杜鵑。
日落狐狸眠塚上，夜歸兒女笑燈前。人生有酒須當醉，一滴何曾到九泉。

賞析:

高菊卿為宋代詩人。在這首詩中，作者開篇即為我們描繪出了一幅愁雲慘淡的清明祭掃場面：荒郊野外，墓塚累累，紙灰飛揚，泣愁陣陣，草木為之含悲，表現出清明節的特定氛圍。

第三聯寫得非常妙，通過“狐狸眠塚上”與“兒女笑燈前”形象的對比，一掃前面的陰霾之氣，墓地荒塚的孤寂和家庭夜晚的熱鬧景象的反差，讓人心里為之一動，感到清明的祭掃是那樣的虛偽。

正因此，作者在結尾寫道“人生有酒須當醉，一滴何曾到九泉”。作者也正是看到了現實世界人情的淡漠，才發出了及時行樂的感嘆。


北宋.黃庭堅《清明》

佳節清明桃李笑，野田荒塚只生愁。雷驚天地龍蛇蟄，雨足郊原草木柔。
人乞祭余驕妾婦，士甘焚死不公侯。賢愚千載知誰是，滿眼蓬蒿共一坵。

賞析:

這是黃庭堅因得罪權貴蔡京而被貶宜州（今廣西宜山）時所作的一首詩。詩的開頭，描繪出春天萬木萌發，春雷動地，桃李爭豔的熱鬧景象，同時也點出清明時節人們祭掃荒壟，愁雲黯淡的場面。

但接著詩人筆鋒一轉，以“人乞祭餘驕妾婦，士甘焚死不公侯”一句，化用《莊子•齊人有一妻一妾》中的典故和介子推甘願燒死也不願為官的典故，在對兩種不同人的人生追求的對比中，表現出作者雖遭遇挫折而志節不改的高尚人格。

詩中表達了作者高尚的人生追求和價值取向，結尾雖然說無論賢愚，最終還是化為荒塚一丘，歸於虛無，但我們細加推敲，就不難發現，作者在詩中並非是傾吐不平，而是在表明自己不願卑躬屈膝，奴顏媚骨地換取相應地位與富貴的高潔情懷。
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Source of information:
清明 - 维基百科 at http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B8%85%E6%98%8E

LAS New Year Bash 2012

The new LAS Council and the Programmes and Social Committee 2011/2012 organised the New Year Bash 2012 today to celebrate the dawn of the new year!

Many librarians attended the "New Year Bash" following the advised dress code "Anything that says Happy New Year", so it looked very much like a rehearsal for a CNY (Chinese New Year) gathering!

With a low price of  $10, a super special rate just for LAS members, all of us enjoyed a feast that we would not forget with the delicious food and fruits prepared by the Halal Kitchen of Rendezvous Hotel.

Besides the new year festivities that accompany the ushering in of 2012, LAS members who attended this event also witnessed something special, i.e., the LAS awards to fellow librarians in recognition of their commitment to and passion for the profession.

And here is the list:

1. Lifetime Contribution Award – Mr Chan Thye Seng
2. Professional Service Award – Ms Ngian Lek Choh (National Library Board)
3. Outstanding Newcomer Award – Mr Aaron Tay Chee Hsien (NUS Libraries)
4. Library School Scholarship - Mr Cheng Eng Aun (NUS Libraries)
5. Special Librarian Passion Award – Ms Charlotte Gill (Li Ka Shing Library)

I took the opportunity to congratulate them on their dedication to the profession and cheered them on with fellow LAS members!

Programme:

Date:    Sat 7 Jan 2012

Venue: Rendezvous Hotel, Level 2, Straits Ballroom

Time:   9.30am-1.00pm

• 09.30 am Registration
• 10.00 am Opening and the LAS Awards
• 11.00 pm Brunch/Networking/New Year Activities
• 12.45 pm End of programme

What left an impression in my mind is Mr Aaron Tay's humorous speech which he delivered after receiving the "Outstanding Newcomer Award". 

The "serious-looking" award winner said he gets frustrated quite easily and when that happens, he likes to read the article "An open letter to new librarians" by Roy Tennant " http://blog.libraryjournal.com/tennantdigitallibraries/2011/02/18/an-open-letter-to-new-librarians/ 

"Deeply committed and visionary people will also tend to be frustrated and impatient. But I’m here to tell you that with dedication and patience you will not only survive, but thrive. Our profession is counting on you to do so. Only the best and the brightest are frustrated. Everyone else is bored, or unengaged, or biding their time for retirement. You are the ones we simply cannot do without."

Hence, remember that the best and most committed librarians get frustrated ... if you're frustrated, you are a good librarian.  If you're not frustrated, then you're bored, unengaged or near retirement.

After hearing that and noting it down, my friend Yvonne Yin related it to me and said, "He quoted Roy Tennant, the name you mentioned to me as a must read author for librarians some time back. Looks like Aaron thought the same!"  I was surprised that Yvonne remembered what I had said long ago.  It was something like a refreshment to my memory. 

We were pleased that Aaron, the award winner, was of "like mind" with us!  Hence, we got hold of him after the lunch and had a photo taken together.  I also invited Gene Tan, the LAS president, who won our hearts with his opening speech this morning to join us to mark the day!

From left to right: Ms Yvonne Yin, Mr Aaron Tay (Winner of Outstanding Newcomer Award), Dexterine Ho and Mr Gene Tan

I was also joyfully surprised to be selected as one of the three "Best new year dress" winners -- the other two were Ms Foo Yan Chuin and Mr Cheng Eng Aun.  We were given book vouchers from Kinokuniya Singapore and I think that is the best gift for librarians!

A big "thank you" to Ms Susan Song (See photo below) who selected me for the award and the event organiser: LAS Council the Programmes and Social Committee 2011/2012!

When we were about to leave the ballroom reception area, both Yvonne and I were excited to see Datin Patricia Lim and Ms Ngian Lek Choh on their way out, and we jumped at the chance of having our photos taken with them!  That made our day really "great" as we highly value their contributions to the world of librarianship in Singapore!  We are so pleased to had the honour of taking a photo with them and capturing the moment and keeping it for life!

From left to right: Ms Yvonne Yin Yee Ying, Dexterine Ho Soo Miang, Ms Ngian Lek Choh and Datin Patricia Lim Pui Huen.

Notes:

*Ms Yvonne Yin Yee Ying: Assistant Manager, Cataloguing, at National Institute of Education

*Mr Aaron Tay Chee Hsien: Senior Librarian at National University of Singapore Libraries

*Mr Gene Tan: Director, National Library. Office and Programme Director of Singapore Memory Project

*Ms Ngian Lek Choh: Deputy Chief Executive of NLB and Director of National Library

*Datin Patricia Lim Pui Huen: Founding Librarian of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, now an independent scholar, writing on local history.

*Ms Dexterine Ho Soo Miang, LAS WSQ Level 2 course Trainer and Assessor; Lecturer and course planner, INNO HANDS-ON. Ex-Librarian: NIE, NTU and Temasek Poly Library; Ex-Lecturer & Adjunct Lecturer: Temasek and Nanyany Poly, NIE.

Notes:
* Professional Development Scheme (PDS) Points

* Eligible for PDS Points: This activity attracts 46 points under the Industry Knowledge Development (ID) category." Participate in library related talks, forums, discussion sessions and business meetings (e.g. AGM, Council & Committee meetings) organized by LAS or other libraries (provided they are open to LAS members or other librarians) "

Edited and revised on 24 Jan 2012 with advice from Ms Yvonne Yin and photos from LAS facebook album!

Dexterine Ho Soo Miang
(Revised on 12 May 2017)

Dream, dealth and how we see things

Anais Nin has the following sayings that I like:

* And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.

* Dreams pass into the reality of action. From the actions stems the dream again; and this interdependence produces the highest form of living.

* People living deeply have no fear of death.

* We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are.

Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/anaisnin131904.html#ixzz1iOkDlZg3

生活智慧8招

1. 長相不令人討厭，如果長得不好，就讓自己有才氣；如果才氣也沒有，那就總是微笑。 

2. 氣質是關鍵。如果時尚學不好，寧願純樸。 

3. 與人握手時，可多握一會兒。真誠是寶。 

4. 自我批評總能讓人相信，自我表揚則不然。 

5. 不要向朋友借錢。 

6. 不要「逼」客人看你的家庭相簿。 

7. 不要期望所有人都喜歡你，那是不可能的，讓大多數人喜歡就是成功的表現。當然，自己要喜歡自己。 

8. 堅持在背後說別人好話，別擔心這好話傳不到當事人耳朵裡。 

Source of information: http://www.facebook.com/LivingKing?sk=app_163925176983279   

2011: my reflection

Rely on the ordinary virtues that intelligent, balanced human beings
have relied on for centuries: common sense, thrift, realistic
expectations, patience, and perseverance.

-- John C. Bogle (1929-) American Investor
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Looking backward for the last 365 days, my reflection of 2011 from today is:

Learn and practise all the common sense you need. Common sense may look common and simple, yet it is not so simple to those who never thought of acquire them.

Learn and practise basic thrifty habit, like spend within your earning power, or, just buy things you need (not things that you want)!  You will never be poor as you know the way to save for raining days!  With that mind set, you will be able to travel a long way with very little!

Learn and be realistic in your expectations of others.

Learn and be realistic in your own expectations of yourself!

Do not expect other to return the same kindness you give, as you give it away without expecting a return, that is why it is called "Kindness!"

Do not expect yourself to do all the good things that you wish to do, as you have limitations and choose to be good all the time, may tear yourself into pieces!  So be realistic even if you want to be good and kind!

Learn to be patience with others!  Learn to be patience with yourself.

Creative things are easy to conceive, yet hard to construct!  Beautiful things are pleasing to the eyes, yet the process needs both time and patience!

Big things in life happen with a lot of input and and perseverance, being patience and continue with your hard work is the key to success!

Cheers!

Happy 2012!

Dexterine Ho Soo Miang

相處

人和人相處, 久了就有些經驗和教訓。

有些人一靠近，就讓你覺得不舒服，而且很容易產生負面情緒，這其實是表示這些人負面能量高过你能承受的。

如果那人常讓你產生負面情緒，爱批評、生氣或情緒低落，這樣的情形一多起來，心裡会有覺悟，如果不能改变，那就不要繼續常靠近。

有些房子，也可以用這樣的方式來理解。

若覺得不舒服，想逃離，沒有平靜安穩的感受，常因芝麻小事大動肝火，相信是某種能量或磁場的引導操縱作用。你如果不能改变，那就不要留在这房子。

能獨立於環境，不受外界環境影響的人並不多。

方法是找到適合安身立命的地方，与合拍的人交往相處，讓自己的生活持有一定的品質与水準。

News from NUS Libraries : Medical Library and Science Library

Just received an email from LAS on News from NUS Libraries : Medical Library and Science Library:

Medical Library

The new Medical Library at MD6, Centre for Translational Medicine is now open.  The library’s collection includes Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy.  The library contacts are :

Acting Head : Ms Ong Hong Kiat

Address:  Centre for Translational Medicine, NUS Medical Library, Block MD6, 14 Medical Drive, #05-01, Singapore 117599 [map]

Info Desk / Loans : 65162046

Email: http://sg.mc367.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=mdlib@nus.edu.sg

Website: http://www.lib.nus.edu.sg/

Science Library

The Science Library has reverted back to its original name.  The library contacts are:

Head : Ms Kan Sok Cheng

Address:  Block S6, Level 4, 10 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117548 [map]

Info Desk : 6516-2454

Loans : 6516-2509

Email: http://sg.mc367.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=sclib@nus.edu.sg

Website: http://www.lib.nus.edu.sg/

Look forward to visiting the library with LAS group if the programme committee could make it happen in 2012!

Registration Open: Support General Reference and Enquiry Work on 10 - 11 Jan 2012

LAS WSQ Level 2 course have 5 modules.  The first run in 2012 is Support General Reference and Enquiry Work and here are the details I received from LAS for those who are interested to register:

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LAS is pleased to organize the sixth run of the WSQ/LAS Level 2 training for Support General Reference and Enquiry Work on 10 - 11 Jan 2012.

This 2 day course will be held at NTU@OneNorth (map).

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN. Register at: https://wis.ntu.edu.sg/pls/webexe/REGISTER_NTU.REGISTER?EVENT_ID=OA11120914274011

This is one of the 5 competency based programmes at entry level which together form the WSQ Higher Certificate in Library and Information Services.

Important Note:

§  Upon successful registration for the training, you will receive a confirmation message & email.

§  The registration page will also display a message when the class is full. You will not be able to key in personal particulars when this happens.

§  The course fees are listed here.

§  On enrolment, you are deemed to have committed to both the training and proposed assessment dates.

§  Participants or institutions who wish to withdraw from an enrolled course must submit reason(s) in writing to http://sg.mc367.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=las.tnd@gmail.com. Where notice of withdrawal is given before the start of the course, an administrative fee of $25 is payable to facilitate the withdrawal from the course.

§  Please view full Terms & Conditions for LAS WSQ Level 2 courses.

For more information on the module, please refer to the training page.

Registration will close with maximum of 17 registrants.

  

Organized by:

LAS Training & Development Committee

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Source of information:

Email from las.honsec@gmail.com dated 13 Dec 2011

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