A distress lecture...

Today's lecture was about DEATH AND DYING: SUPPORTING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.
What's the first thing you think about when you read this?
As an early childhood professional, I have a variety of topics and issues to learn about in order to work and support the children and families well.
Honestly, it was a very good and valuable lecture... However, it is always very distress when it comes to this kind of topic...
The lecture included the grieving process, how children at different ages react with the death, how different may the boys and girls react, some risk and protective factors that help children in coping the death...
I was quite surprise with the different reactions that children may have towards the death...
Like what we always thought...babies may be too young to understand the loss of someone...Actually, they do! Not understand as in death is blah blah blah but they sense of the absence of that person... Lets say, if a baby lost one of his parents, he could actually feel or see the absence of the parent. It may causing disruption in his sleeping and eating patterns.

The early age children react differently. We may still say that they do not have the same feelings as we do. They may think that death is just sleeping and assume that the dead person will come back one day. They will also think that the dead person will continue doing something like eating, sleeping or toileting. Like my lecturer said, she had one child who lost her grandma asked her "it's going to rain, will the rain wet grandma?"... Some children also may think that heaven is just another city that we can go! Again, a child told her mum "Can we drive to visit grandpa in the heaven?"...

School age children begin to understand that death is permanent that the dead person will never return and that death is universal and inevitable which happens everywhere, every second and to everyone.

I found it very distress cause I feel the same way... Although I'm a grown-up, I can still find myself in some of the categories described throughout the lecture... I wonder how am I going to support a child and family when I can't even control my own feelings... I know it's so much better to comfort and support a child who lost his/ her loved one when you experienced this yourself... Still...

I used to think that adults have no feelings...they don't cry easily...I was wrong. I'm as an adult now, I can finally understand it's not that the adults do not have feelings or cold-blooded... They are just learnt to hide their sadness and cotrol their feelings... Absolutely...Myself, don't usually tell people about my feelings... I have my own way to release my sadness secretly...

I still have so much to learn... Maybe it's the time to pick them up and really think of how to become a really professional early childhood teacher or a real grown-up...
I don't know how much have I taken away from this lecture... All I've learnt was that Life can't be permanent, our lives even plants or animals' lives will fade away one day... We can't change anything when someone has passed... The most important thing is that the live ones carry on with their lives... Earth will never stop rotating without anyone... And do appreciate and cherish every seconds with your loved ones... Don't ever leave any regrets...

Perth Trip

Uni starts again... Again, the busy days and assignments and PRACTICAL are saying hi to me!!! *sob sob*

Been to Perth during the break... primarily to attend my cousin, Amanda's graduation!
Thanks to her, I had the chance to go Perth and played around! My friend said I've promoted Perth to the public very well in the photos~
This is gonna be very pictorial post...

27.9.09
Taking morning flight tomorrow on 6am... Went to the domestic airport tonight and thought of sleeping there... But... I fell asleep that night...A guard woke me up and said "Miss, you can't sleep here..." I was like... What the! How embarrassing... XP

This is the domestic airport I slept in...

28.9.09
Got Perth finally after 5 hours flight... So tired! Didn't actually sleep... (I was told to sleep in McDonald which is 15minutes walking distance from the domestic airport...Imagine how I walked all the way from airport to McD when it was freaking cold outside... :' )

Perth's Domestic Airport... Kok Yang told me that Perth Domestic Airport is larger than the Internation Airport...Unbelievable ok!

Amanda and sis went and fetch me in the airport. The Villa Amanda booked was really good! Homey and comfy! Amanda planned to bring her family and friends to Royal Show...Well, I didn't really feel like to go (went once in Sydney and I supposed it's just the same thing!). We did go eventually... Erm, it was quite different actually except for the animals thing...lol

Taking train to Perth station to Showground station where the Royal Show held...

Me, my sis (Kim), cousin (Amanda), Uncle, Auntie, Amanda's boyfriend (Jerry)

Perth station...

Me and my sis being abit dramatic. Haha!

So many people in the Royal Show!!!

There's this cake or maybe dessert expo... This cake is really so lovely!

Some sweet cupcakes and chocolates...

Look out! The snake is going to swallow my sis! lol


My uncle and I... He looks like my dad (quite)! :D


Everyone seemed to enjoy eating the sweet corns!

My sis was trying to touch the sheep... She looked scared... lol


Wow! So colourful! So pity ler... Who dyed them with these colours...

29.9.09
It's Amanda's graduation! Let's explore Curtin University and attend the very touching graduation!

Look great! I like her graduation gown! So nice, pinkish with Curtin logo on it~

Let's have a family photo~

I'm so looking forward for my graduation (which is 1.5 years later...) haha!


This photo is abit like...Amanda's wedding...lol (just have this kind of feeling. Maybe it feels the same when Amanda gets married!)

I like this photo so much! So bright and very good contrast! Thanks to my new camera and of course my skill!

Too bad Amanda's siblings were unable to go to her graduation or this will be perfect family photo!

This one would be perfect if Jerry opened his eyes! haha!



The flowers at the back really looked nothing with three of us there! Haha!

Wow! Dad graduated the same day with the daughter! Uncle looked like a Professor!

Being dramatic again! Directed by Director Mandy Tan!

I didn't direct this ok! Amanda asked Jerry to kneel der wor! Like proposing to her lor (yea, very soon...lol)!

She can finally throw her hat!

How lovely is this!



Graduation ended...
Congrats Amanda~

30.9.09
Today's destinations are the wildlife park and winery! Well, I've been to wildlife park and winery in Sydney...The rest of them haven't seen a koala and kangaroo before so...Just be considerate!
I thought I can pay the entry fee with concession price... You know what the cashier said? She said I'm not Perth student so I can't pay with concession price *sweat* What der! I'm Australia student wor! Isn't Perth part of Australia!?

Caversham Wildlife Park


First touch with the kangaroo... Look how she reacted! The kangaroo won't bite la!

I know Tanya is gonna say "Feeding animal again!"! Haha!

The kangaroo was like my uncle's pet!



Uncle smiled like some Fortunate God! haha!

Below are the demonstration of HOW TO CATCH A DUCK!
Step 1: Squat down and approach the duck very quietly...

Step 2: Hold the duck!

There you go!

Show it to everyone!
Don't ever try this with all ducks! Some ducks are not as tame as this one! I'll show you the ducks which you can't catch!



Amanda, are you trying to kill your husband!?

We used to play together from very young age... Time flies... We are all big now!

The following are photos of some stupid poses with the wildlife park's directory post...
This is still quite normal...

Jerry looked ait stupid with his leg and arm hanging on the post and a "peace" pose...

Amanda looked like some sexy steel tube dancer... haha!

I don't know what is this! -.-"

Next destination.... Lancaster winery


Sorry la, I know I'm very dark standing next to my sis...

My professional skill again! I told her to pose and look to the other direction... Nice ler? Like some kind of rich women! lol

I really have to admit that Perth has very nice scenery!

1.10.09
Where are we going today? ===> Rottnest Island! Have to take ferry...

This is the ticket counter. It's not cheap wor! Even concession price also AUD50+ !!!

Waiting for the ferry to come. That's the ferry we're gonna take!


Drama queens! This is really really really stupid! Act like some charitarian... Giving the cheque and shaking hands... -.-"

Ta dah~ This is Rottnest Island!




Sis & Aboriginal animal, quokka... (gigantic rat!?)







Cycling to explore the Island... It takes 3-5hours to explore the whole Island!

Ducks AGAIN! Don't worry, these are still the tame ducks! The not very tame one coming soon~ be patient!

2.10.09
Last second day staying in Perth... Some of them stayed in the villa, too tired maybe. I'm so long to have a visit to University of Western Australia!

This is the main entrance...

I've only seen this in the UWA's handbook... I'm finally come to the actual one! WOW!!!

I'm sorry Jerry but the statue is much more cooler than you! lol


Jerry, Amanda and Kok Yang

NAH!!!!! These ducks are the wildest one!!!!!! Know why? They chased people if you go near them!!! Amanda got chased when she approached them! The scene was so funny! Amanda ran so fast and shouted so loud when one of the ducks chased her! Wakakaka!

I took their wedding photo in advance! Haha!


There are so many peacocks in the campus... I wonder why... Also many ducks...Sounds like bird park lar!
I got similar photo like this one when I was 5 taken in Singapore Zoo! Same pose chasing the peacock! What a coincidence!




Can you see the flowers actually forming a heart shape?

Again... Wedding photo in advance! Haha~!

3.10.09
My sis and the rest took the morning flight back to Singapore... Leaving me alone in Perth (my flight was in the afternoon). Anyway, Amanda had asked her friend, Kok Yang to take care of me geh! Also, thanks Kok Yang to bring me around the Perth city, DFO and lastly to the airport!

The Perth city is not like Sydney... Very crowded in Sydney and feel more like city in Sydney!

The DFO!

Bringing back the Perth's very famous Apple Strudel~

Honestly, this is really really really FANTASTIC!!!

Got a nice trip in Perth! Although Perth is not like Sydney, very city-like, it has very nice scenery and of course the very nice apple strudel!!! Haha!

p/s: go to facebook for more photos~