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Getting Creative with Kids

Your kids don’t need to be child prodigies to have fun making art, says Skye Wellington.


Do you ever find yourself in an art gallery thinking ‘I could do that’, or ‘actually, my son/daughter (who is currently making the most of all this space by tearing through the gallery, narrowly avoiding pricey sculptures while I pretend not to be their parent – who brings kids to a gallery anyway?) could do that’?
We do. But then we’re not massively educated when it comes to fine art. But this got me thinking – surely we’re not the only ones who have these thoughts?
We decide to have an experiment. Out come the tubes of paint, large swathes of butcher paper and all manner of brushes, sponges and rollers while we all get our gear off (no, that’s not how we roll, but even if we’re wearing Cotton On we don’t fancy dipping into the holiday fund to buy more clothes because of an art disaster). Then the serious business of having fun, getting messy and letting our imagination run wild begins.
Will our free-flow, abstract enthusiasm yield anything beyond a good time? Will our kids become the next Aelita Andre, whose seven-year-old hands are responsible for creating paintings that sell for more than five-figure sums in New York? And is it wrong to even consider that possibility? (Probably.)
Once the paint has dried (and we’ve got our clothes back on), we frame up our results with the help of a little IKEA ‘Ribba’, hang our modest masterpieces and invite our friends over to admire our work.
Can they tell? Do they know these are the efforts of a bunch of novices, or will our attempt at the Jackson Pollock splatter technique fool them all?
In the end, we think, who cares – we had a ball. And like every good exhibition opening, our little gathering is celebrated with bubbles: the detergent-and-wand type for the little ones and champagne for the big kids. Fabulous, darling!
If you want to explore art in a fun environment with your kids outside of the house, try some of the suggestions below.

ARTARY KIDS 
With ‘Art Jam’ workshops, camps and parties which involve more than just painting, Artary Kids even has an online gallery dedicated to works produced by children.
artary.sg/kids

MY ART SPACE
Managed by a group of artists for almost 10 years, My Art Space is held in the Istana Park and is designed to be a bonding opportunity for parents and kids. 
myartspace.com.sg

ARThaus
Classes are very relaxed at ARThaus, but participants have the option to progress to more formal classes if interested.
arthaus.com.sg

ARTEASTIQ
Enjoy tea and cake while you paint and play.
arteastiq.com

Skye Wellington is the editor of HoneyKids Asia.honeykidsasia.com

The Melbourne Cup Hat Hunt

Hats aren’t a common accessory in Singapore; with locals preferring an umbrella to ward off the sun and no tradition of wearing hats to weddings, they can be a little hard to find. Read on for the ANZA roundup of where to hunt for the perfect Melbourne Cup accessory.

Hats Off

ANZA Executive Committee member, Kathy Campbell, creates bespoke headpieces for her label Hats Off. Kathy created the gorgeous headpieces featured in our Melbourne Cup photoshoot this year. Hats Off will also be featured at the ANZA Spring Style Soiree.

Visit their Facebook Page to view current pieces

Eskpade

Eskpade stocks handcrafted, vintage-inspired hats and fascinators. Eskpade features the work of designer Kristine Hakim who fuses traditional techniques with contemporary art to create unique pieces.

Mandarin Gallery Shop #03-20
Visit their Website
Visit their Facebook Page

The Hattitude

The Hattitude selects and customises sophisticated female hat creations from dedicated Ecuadorian weavers. Available from the Ritz Carlton Hotel Gift Shop, The Hattitude offers ANZA members a discount on hat purchases.

View the Member Benefit
Visit their Website

Far East Plaza

Favoured by Singapore’s fashion bloggers, the upper floors of Far East Plaza are a hat haven. Bargain accessory shop Talisman’s has a large range of hats that stand alone or can be customised by the crafty.

Far East Plaza
14 Scotts Road
Visit Tailsman’s Page

ANZA Classifieds

See the ANZA Classifieds Facebook group for a collection of headpieces for sale from one of our members.

Visit the ANZA Classifieds Group

Q&A with Neil Smith, Head of Elementary, Australian International School

 

 

What makes AIS unique from other schools?
Where do I begin? AIS is unlike any other international school I have worked in or visited. First and foremost the School has embraced the new Australian Curriculum, which is then delivered through the pedagogy of the International Baccalaureate’s Primary Years Programme. The PYP encourages students to learn through inquiry, and the School’s greatest challenge is to ensure that every student is included, motivated, challenged and above all else successful.
The School appears to be extremely progressive and is blessed with a highly talented faculty who embrace innovation in teaching and learning. Nevertheless the School retains a distinctly Australian feel. AIS’s commitment to providing a holistic education for every student is overwhelming. The value the School places on team and individual sports, community service, the visual and performing arts; alongside the traditional academic subjects of Mathematics, English, Sciences and the Humanities is what makes it so special.

What kind of a foundation do you think AIS Elementary School provides for later learning?
Like most Schools AIS has a clear set of Vision, Mission and Values statements; what is particularly heartening, however, is to see how these underpin every action the School, its students and its staff make. The School’s values of Respect, Opportunity and Achievement are unquestionably values that will stand our students in good stead for their future lives.
The Elementary School provides a multiplicity of experiences and opportunities which our students are encouraged to engage in. The introduction of Individual Learning Plans or ILPs for every student ensures that each students particular needs are addressed, that they are challenged and that they (and their families) are fully aware of their next steps.
The Elementary School does a wonderful job of making learning challenging, authentic and of course fun!

How is digital technology a part of the learning process at Elementary level?
It is staggering to see students as young as three years old in our Pre School engaging with technologies which not only support their learning but truly redefine it. The School has invested a huge amount of resources into developing new technologies with 1:1 iPads in the Elementary School. The School will introduce a new Virtual Learning Environment connect.ais.com.sg in the new year, which will not only allow students to remain permanently connected with their learning but will also give our parents the opportunity to review and support their child’s learning in real time.
Like most parents I am conscious of the need to keep the use of technology in balance and to ensure our children use technology responsibly and safely. Clearly we have a huge collective responsibility as a School and as parents to work together to this end.
I genuinely believe however, that ‘Individualised Learning’ simply would not be possible without the connectedness that learning technologies facilitate.

What do you believe are the benefits of a child attending an international school like AIS?
There is no doubt that attending an international school such as AIS is a tremendous privilege with many benefits. Clearly the academic results at AIS are exceptional, however it is the depth of opportunities offered that allow for development of the knowledge, skills and understanding required to be a globally focused citizen in the 21st Century.
It is our hope that each and every student at AIS will not only take full advantage of the opportunities they are offered, but they will in turn look to offer back to the global community when the time comes.

ais.com.sg

One Giant Playground

 

There are plenty of ways to entertain the kids in Singapore, says Skye Wellington of HoneyKids Asia. For a small place, Singapore fits lots of fun. Packed within it are tonnes of options bursting to bring a smile to your dial. The problem is not what to do, but what to do first. 

For A Bit of Culture
Malay Heritage Centre
Check out traditional Malay culture at this Kampong Glam district institution.
malayheritage.org.sg
Asian Civilisations Museum
This is the first museum in the region dedicated to pan-Asian cultures and civilisations.
acm.org.sg
Peranakan Museum
This intimate museum possesses one of the finest and most comprehensive collections of Straits Chinese heritage objects and visual artworks.
peranakanmuseum.org.sg

Old-School Style
Civil Defence Heritage Gallery
Every Saturday morning the kids can sit in a real fire truck, operate a real fire hose and chat to some real fire men.
scdf.gov.sg
SuperBowl
Lacing up some Ronald McDonald school is a great equalizer. With everyone looking silly, you’re off to a good start in a quest for laughs.
superbowl.com.sg
Trishaw Tour
This quaint mode of transport is the vintage version of a taxi. Trishaw Uncles run 30 to 45-minute tours daily. A night tour through Chinatown is the business.
trishawuncle.com.sg

Water Works
Port of Lost Wonder
Aargh, this watery pirate ship is buckets full of fun.
polw.com.sg
Jurong East Swimming Complex
With water slides, a wave pool and a kid’s pool for around $1, you’re on to a winner.

The Great Outdooors
Labrador Park
The promenade and paths of Labrador Park provide some quality scootering options for little and big kids. 
Gardens by the Bay
Singapore’s garden in the city is lovely to explore and there’s a great Children’s Garden for water play, sand play, climbing and exploration.
gardensbythebay.com.sg
Hort Park
Themed gardens, play areas, greenhouses and wide meandering footpaths, makes a visit to the ‘gardening hub’ feel like an escape.  Add on a tranquil one-kilometre walk from Kent Ridge Park via the Canopy Walk.
nparks.gov.sg

When It Rains

Amped Trampoline Park

Trampolining at Amped will have the kids bouncing off the walls. But you will need to book in advance.
ampedsingapore.com
Central Public Library
The NLB book-banning fiasco notwithstanding, My Tree House in the basement of the Central Public Library is a great place to take the kids and lend some literature. 
nlb.gov.sg
The City
This immersive playground for kids where they can pretend to shop, visit the doctor or be a policeman is more fun than a normal indoor playground.
thecity.com.sg

Something Different
Buddha Tooth Relic Temple
This majestic temple, located in the heart of Chinatown, is both a feast for the eyes and a rich cultural symbol.  Head inside to check out the Sacred Buddha Tooth Relic in a stupa weighing 3.5 tonnes and composed of 320 kg of gold donated by devotees.
btrts.org.sg
Haw Par Villa
Explore the amazing, and incredibly mind-boggling, world of Chinese folklore, legends, and history at this kooky national attraction.
Jurong Frog Farm
Listen to an American Bullfrog Choir, and get the chance to pet, feed and take a photo with a frog. Book ahead if you’re visiting during the week.
jurongfrogfarm.com.sg

Skye Wellington is the editor of HoneyKids Asia
www.honeykidsasia.com

Come Along for the Ride

 

ANZA Cycling welcomes many new members in September. Megan Kinder summarises everything new members need to know about ANZA Cycling.

It’s around this time of year that we receive an upsurge in enquiries about coming along for a ride with ANZA Cycling. Whether from people recently arrived in Singapore (in time for the new August/September school year) who want to get out for a ride and meet people, or from those who may have arrived earlier in the year but have taken a while to get settled, or even those who have been happily ‘pootling’ their way around the Little Red Dot by themselves (yet who may wish to start training for the increasingly popular ‘Tour de Bintan’ or a similar event) – no matter the reason, we are always happy to welcome new members and share our passion for cycling!
While there’s a wealth of information available on the ANZA website about rides, routes, starting points, kit, etiquette and more, here are some answers to some of the more basic questions.

What kind of bike do I need?
To join our road rides, you really need a road bike. Some club members ride TT bikes (Time Trial/triathlon bikes) which are also fine – as long as hands are kept on brakes when in the bunch, i.e. not in aero position.  
Hybrid/commuter/MTB bikes don’t cut it in the bunch. If you would like to try a group ride without splashing out, consider renting/borrowing or buying a second-hand road bike to try it out first.  
To join our MTB rides, either full suspension or hardtail MTB is fine.

What gear do I need?
1. Helmet
2. Front (white) and rear (red) lights
3. Drinks (minimum one bottle per hour)
4. Saddle bag with ID, emergency contact info, a credit card, enough cash for a taxi home and tyre changing gear.

How experienced do I need to be?
We cater to all levels of experience, from ‘racers’ to designated ‘no-drop’ rides for those at the slower end of the spectrum. We recommend everyone starts out with our ‘newcomers’ ride, held on the first Saturday of each month.

Can I just come along?
Sure but it’s always nice to have a heads up! Contact cyclingmembership@anza.org.sg to signal your interest. You needn’t sign up as a club member before your first ride but we expect you to join after a couple of rides.

Is it safe?
The road presence established with a group generally gives a greater degree of safety than that of a solo rider. While cycling has its risks, we try to minimise these as much as possible by establishing well-disciplined groups and promoting road sharing. We expect all club members to observe the road rules and practise good road etiquette, while looking out for each other. 

Check out the ANZA website for more information, or join our ANZA Cycling Facebook group (facebook.com/AnzaCycling) for the latest route info, ride info and other updates.

A Wombats Welcome

Looking for somewhere to play footy? Look no further than the ANZA Wombats, who have already had a jam-packed year, says Guy Keating.

Well it’s now September and, as usual, we have had a busy year.
After a successful season launch in April at The Roundhouse we followed up with a variety of social events, which have been well received.
The Family Night at Mambo’s on Sentosa was a well attended event, with many of the players and their families coming along, helped by the bus transport arranged to get everyone back on the mainland.

Looking ahead on the social front, we have the AGM on November 8 and the Royal Wombat Ball on 22 November. If you’d like to keep up-to-date with details, stay in touch by emailing

info@singaporewombats.com to be added to the mailing list.

On the footy front, for those who don’t know, we now have an ex-AFL player, Ed Clarke coaching the team. Fear not, though – he trains us with a focus on fun, and getting the most out of our time in Singapore. Training is an opportunity to develop skills, lose weight, and increase fitness. There are plenty of quality Sherrins, and good times each Thursday and Saturday. Training is located at NUS Evans Road, Farrer Park, and Turf City. If you can’t make Saturdays at Turf City, then you have the option of Thursdays at NUS Evans Road. Farrer Park has a great pitch and we train there instead of Turf City sometimes during the year.

So far this year we’ve had some quality tours: Cambodia, Manila, Jakarta, and Bali for the 9s tournament. This month we tour to Malaysia, and also host them, as well as hosting Jakarta before getting ready for attending the AFL Grand Final in the famous last week of September. In between all the touring we have also had some great games against the Navy and the local Sharks squad.

Speaking of the Sharks, we hosted the Audo Cup at Turf City on 2 August, which was held in honour of the late Nick Auden, who played for both the Sharks and Wombats. He lost his battle with cancer late last year and he means a lot to both clubs. We plan to honour him with regular Sharks v Wombats games and social gatherings in the years to come.

For the training and games schedules please sign up to teamsnap.com. Once you have signed up, add yourself to the Wombats group at the following link: singaporewombats.teamsnap.com.

We are always looking for new members, with or without AFL experience. The club is about providing a diversion for the daily grind of work, and if you have been in Singapore for awhile and haven’t yet come down, think about joining in the fun.

In October the annual Asian Football Championships are taking place in Clark, Manila, on the 11th. If you want to get involved, email info@singaporewombats.com for more information.

www.singaporewombats.com

RDA Christmas Cards – Orders Now Open

Each year the RDA produces a unique range of Singapore-themed Christmas Cards. This year the designs feature Santa, Rudolf, the Singapore skyline, shophouses and a melting snowman.

If stocks hold out, you can purchase cards at ANZA’s Casual Coffee (31 October and 28 November) or the Melbourne Cup Race Day. You can also order from the RDA using the Card Order Form.

Last year they sold out early, so get in soon to avoid missing out.

Can a pen change a child’s life?

For the children at Riverkids in Cambodia, a letter can make a bigger difference than you think, says Dale Edmonds.

The letters come in one by one, until there are enough to fill a courier packet to Cambodia, each one with a name and a number carefully written in the corner to make sure they’ll get where they’re needed, translated and hand-delivered to children who don’t have mailboxes or sometimes even homes, children who have never received a letter in their lives until now.
These are the first letters from new mentors: people who are giving a little time and love each month to write to a child they’ve been matched with at Riverkids.
Seeing how much a child concentrates on her letter back to her mentor tells us that every word means a lot to her. For children who are struggling at school and home, our tender words of encouragement will help them go very far in their education journey and succeed in life.
We now have 140 children waiting for a mentor to be matched. Can you be a mentor for one of them?

WILL A SIMPLE LETTER REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
Yes. Our kids keep every letter, read them over and over and are eager to write back. For almost all of them, this is the first piece of mail they’ve ever received. Knowing someone in another country cared about them enough to write a letter and, most of all, that that person wants to know about them is a big deal to our kids, who are used to being ignored by the world.

DON’T YOU HAVE TO BE SUPER PERFECT TO BE A MENTOR?
Nope. You just have to be kind. You don’t have to be a brilliant writer, or know lots about Cambodia or even children. You’ll just need a working pen and a coffee break to write a letter once a month. We’ll send reminders and keep track of letters so you don’t even have to be organised! Just write with kindness.

IS IT LIKE SPONSORING A CHILD?
Close, but with a twist. Because our kids all come from families struggling with really difficult problems, we think very carefully about how we match you to a child. Shared interests like football, a child’s dreams of becoming a nurse, being the youngest in the family – we look for shared elements to build a friendship on. For the child receiving your letter, you’re special because you’ve been chosen just for them.
The $55/month mentorship fee does help a lot, but it doesn’t go directly to your child so that children who don’t have mentors get the same help and support too.

HOW DO I GET STARTED?
Email dale@riverkidsproject.org and we’ll get you sorted out. There’s a short form to fill out and we’ll call you to go over some questions about what your interests are, so we can figure out which child would be the best match to you. Then we’ll send you a welcome pack with their first letter and everything you need to get started.

CAN CHILDREN TAKE PART TOO?
Absolutely! We love matching families – the letters are a wonderful experience to share with children.
We prefer not to do direct age matches, but look for shared interests like football or reading, so the children have lots to share.

WHAT IF THEY WRITE ABOUT SOMETHING SCARY OR SENSITIVE AND I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO?
That’s exactly why we need mentors like you so our children have a safe place to ask for help.
All the letters are read by us to look out for worrying problems like this. We’ll help the child first, then update you with advice on helpful things to say in your next letter.
Often, what they need is simply to be heard: ‘You miss your mum a lot. I’m thinking of you, and I hope she comes home soon too.’
So get in touch, and see what you can do with just a pen and paper to help a child, and how much it will mean to you.

riverkidsproject.org
dale@riverkidsproject.org

 

Foodie Motorbike Tour – Saigon

Combining both elements of wonderfully fresh Vietnamese food and overwhelming traffic, a foodie motorbike tour of the city is a great way of exploring Ho Chi Min City, formerly known as Saigon. Kathy Chamberlain and her party of five paired up with a friendly vibrant all girl group of twenty something year old guides to join the throng of Saigon motorbike traffic.

Surprisingly the evening turned out to be a highlight of our Vietnam trip. We used ‘Saigon Food Tour’ a tour company which has a uniform of bright yellow shirts and helmets and for our tour the guides just happened to be all female. Using their own bikes the pack was an assortment of 100CC motorbikes and step throughs and on friendly introduction we were handed our own pillion yellow helmet . I must admit (sorry guys) that for me, the girl power element removed a certain sense of risk taking associated with the situation.

With motorcycles and scooters the most prevalent means of transport in Vietnam, accounting for 95 per cent of registered vehicles, motorbike traffic is overwhelming. For a tourist pedestrian just crossing the road can be a death defying feat. As a Vietnamese motorbike rider amongst the traffic (surgical) face masks are the norm to protect against breathing difficulties from fumes and sun exposure. In this instance my guide Lee left her mask at home so she could give a commentary and make conversation whilst skillfully negotiating the ‘no road rules in crazy peak hour crush’ traffic environment.

With the 50 kmph speed limit, the peak hour mass generally traverses the city at 30-40 kmph but in the organised chaos there are no road rules except keeping to the right. If as a driver you feel a need to cut several metres off a corner into the oncoming erratic flux or mount the footpath in order to find a quicker route then so be it. Despite a couple of breathtaking moments we all felt that we were in good hands and found it to be an exhilarating experience.

The girls took us past the major city landmarks such as the Independence Palace, HCM City Hall and Post Office, Ben Thanh market, Notre Dame Cathedral and through the cross city tunnel which runs underneath the Saigon River. We made 2 foodie stops nominated beforehand with payment of the tour, the first of which was a café where we assembled our own delicious Vietnamese pancakes. Seated at a long table with our friendly guides interspersed among us, we were given an explanation of the various herbs featured in our dish and our questions regarding Vietnamese everyday life were answered.

Second stop was the BBQ cafe where various protein forms, one of which was ‘goat breast’ (goat udder) were ‘barbequed’ by our guides on a ceramic roof tile on our table. We also sampled a lovely lemongrass cocktail and an assortment of ‘sweet soups’ (dessert).

For the US$50pp spent we were well satisfied with the tour which lasted about four hours. It gave us an opportunity to connect with English speaking local people, was culturally enlightening and very entertaining.

 

www.facebook.com/saigonfoodtour

Five local music acts worth checking out

Want to get your music fix in Singapore but don’t know where to start? Check out five of our favourite local music acts – fresh from the September issue of ANZA Magazine.

 
Pictured: Obedient Wives Club

 

VANDETTA

Once a part of local hip-hop groups Urban Xchange and Parking Lot Pimp, and also making up one half of local electronic duo Octover, Vanessa Fernandez now releases music under the moniker Vandetta, traversing electronic and R&B genres. Check out the track ‘Fly’ from her EP released last year, which was constructed using only her voice (including the backing beat) and even caught the attention of US music website Pitchfork. Some may also know Fernandez as a radio personality from local stations 98.7FM and more recently Lush 99.5FM.

vandettamusic.net

  

 

OBEDIENT WIVES CLUB

Forming in 2011, the provocatively named Obedient Wives Club has been making a name for itself in the Lion City for the last three years. Fans of Best Coast and Dum Dum Girls will enjoy their summery, fuzzy-pop sounds.

obedientwivesclub.bandcamp.com

 


 

MONSTER CAT

Lush-sounding local rock band Monster Cat recently travelled to Sydney to record their latest release, The Violet Hour, with renowned Aussie record producer Tim Carr (known for his work with the likes of Matt Corby, The Cat Empire, Julia Stone and even Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers).

monstercat.net

 


 

FAUXE

Local producer and beatmaker Fauxe is hard to pin down, with his tunes defying genres from each release to the next. He may only have been around for a short time, but that hasn’t stopped this mysterious music-maker from releasing three EPs last year and another in March this year.

soundcloud.com/fauxe

 


 

ATLAS

With its layered, math-rock sound and sweet vocals, experimental indie band Atlas has been growing its following over the last few years. Earlier in the year the band played at Singapore’s biggest indie music festival Baybeats, and has showed no signs of slowing down since. One to watch out for.

atlasbandsg.bandcamp.com

 

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