Before leaving London!

 Happy Monday ka! Back home from England laew ka!

Let me share with you the following ka:

- A happy and peaceful visit to Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in Hampstead…. to southeast England ka. This is a place of practice in the forest tradition.It offers opportunities for guests and visitors to stay and develop mindfulness. Arm, our TPop Plus (our little team to conduct assigned workshops), who's studying at King's College was there once and so it was even better for him to show us around. We saw quite a few visitors from Sri Lanka and other locals. Some went there to help cook or offer food to monks and nuns as well as visitors ka. We also learned how generous some people were to buy a house in the area (almost 3 million pounds)  and donate it  for the temple use! The monastery was founded by Luang Por Sumedho (American) and the current Abbot is Ajarn Amaro (British).

It was a special visit as we had an opportunity to meditate briefly and walk around the area in the best weather!

- A chance to go to Folyes, one huge bookstore in London ka! With Arm's suggestion, I bought a few. He led me to the sections I like which were on leadership, future, and cross culture ka. I finished reading 'Inclusion' which is an easy read booklet, comprising 9 articles from Harvard Business Review ka...... will summarize for our egroup soon.

As for other books bought, here they are ka:

The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman, The Culture Map by Erin Meyer, Future Cultures by Scott Smith and Susan Cox-Smith,The Excellence Book by Kevnin Duncan and Rosie Duncan,  and The Diary of a CEO by Steven  Bartlett ...... and two free booklets from the temple on, 'Who will feed the mice?' and 'Clarity and Calm for Busy People' kaa!

Which should I read next dee ka? I'm asking to make sure I'll have the urge to read sooner than later ka!

- Life outdoors and frequent exercises are a must when possible! More time was spent with my niece’s family and the kids as the latter had their one-week mid term break. We followed them and their father to a venue with a few football pitches. Too bad I didn't get to ask how much the rent was but I saw how people of all ages love playing football ka. It was amazing to see real seniors playing there with their peers and it went for like half an hour with a coach. The people there were very friendly to kids as they allowed the kids to play in their pitches until the full team reached the place. This was so encouraging and the boys couldn't be happier.

On other days, my niece asked the boys' nanny to take them out to parks or museums. This helped the boys not to stay in their flat all the time and more importantly these days, I think, to stay away from the games and ipad ka.

That's all for my trip to London ka. Now I'm hoping to get over the jet lag still but harder to stop thinking of and missing our two boys there ka!

Delightful moments

Hello all! My third week in London was full of impressive and delightful first-time experiences ka.

First of all, my sister and I went with our niece to her boys' school again. This round, it was to observe a liturgy, a form of religious worship in which the school asked their students to voluntarily read out several statements about love and caring, to sing several religious songs, and to share a little stories about their families and trips.

It was such a great way for kids to choose to be publicly present, practicing not only about what to read (with a book to read out the assigned sentences) and their turns to perform, but also ways to express caring toward one another. They were asked to write a card, picking out what they liked best to share with their parents. They could give it to anyone if their parents couldn't make it then ka. 

Leo, my first grandnephew, got to read twice and it was loud and clear so we were very proud of him. The school requested parents' consent for picture taking with kids too ka.

Secondly, I attended a book launch by one Fulbright alum who got his doctorate from Cambridge ka. His book entitled,'The Culture Trap' by Derron Wallace, was an in-depth investigation into histories and contexts influencing  thinking, behaviors, expectations of Black Jamaicans in New York and London. It was my first time too to attend this kind of event and it ignited lots of amazement how academics could lead us to see some different dimensions from their lens and research. 

Thirdly, it was our very first experience to dine in a 3-Michelin-Stars restaurant, Helene Darroze where my niece and her husband have been working for about 12 years ka. What could be similar to other 3-star restaurants would be a delicious lunch with the right ambience and services. But this one made us lost in words as there was a series of surprises after surprises!

For us, it all started from our first step to the restaurant area with welcoming smiles and gestures! Then, we were happily curious to see personalized written names and a specially crafted menu, our initials on the napkins, special news about us, and ‘our own tea blends’……couldn’t count the number of ‘wows’ we expressed! The food was delicately presented and tasted delicious with the amazing touch of fine choices of ingredients from local and other regions. We learned how each dish was created and tasted it carefully. You wouldn't believe that our lunch took us 4 hours to complete (and we couldn't even finish the desserts ka!) I think the best was the hearts of the team ka!            

Because of mom, an immediate member's visit, we were able to stay in an upgraded suite with a super comfy living room and bedroom with a butler. We're very proud of our girl and her husband who are well-loved and have been offered many wonderful treats for us ka.    

For this past week, the experiences have turned into lovely moments we'll always remember!

London that I see!

Hello all! Time flies especially when thinking that next Friday, we'll be going back home ka...haven't really done much, seen much, nor stayed around with our younger ones as much yet!  

Wish to share about several things na ka:

- Matilda the Musical we went to see was fun and thank goodness that I watched the movie earlier, making it helpful to understand better and to think further ka. There were lots of school kids who talked so cheerfully. Yet, once it started, they were very disciplined to be quiet and enjoy the Musical ka. Really loved their giggles and laughs!

- We had a one-day visit to Cambridge, led by Arm, one of our TPop-Plus team members who is a Cambridge alum. With his alum card, we were allowed to go into the colleges there....grand  ancient buildings and structures with the feeling of wealth and wisdom ka! 

We took pix with Newton's apple tree too and were so amused to see several brought apples as their props ka.

We talked with Clyde, a Porter at Trinity College, the richest of all there. I was struck by the authority he has been given since he could decide who's allowed to get in...he owns the entrance! I feel it has raised his work status to be more important, not only for the College, but for himself to feel proud and responsible ka. Possible in the Thai context mai ka? Would we listen or would we look for the higher-ups to get in as wished?

- Yesterday, my sister and I visited our two boys' school with their parents ka. It was, 'Open Afternoon for Parents' when parents could go into their kids' classes to see what they've been doing at school. My grandnephews were very happy to show their work with pride. Their teachers gave very encouraging comments like excellent, good reasons, etc.

After like half an hour, we were asked to leave so they could close the gate for safety sake ka.

The brief afternoon was meaningful ka: from parent participation and family bonds, to teacher-parent shared responsibility for the kids' education and activities (they sure have a few clubs for kids to do after class)!

Happy my grandnephews get this type of learning and environment ka.

First week in London

 Hello again from London ka! Been a week since I came.

Though I haven't been out much yet, we started walking our two boys to school yesterday and went looking around a bit. Here are my observations ka:

1. The school is very strict to have its gate closed at 8.55 ka....after that, parents have to go through its main office to sign their names with reasons for being late. If they're late too often, they'd get warning letters ka. 

My niece was saying that they were late a few times and the teachers were kind and empathetic, saying that they knew it  was hard to manage for the kids to be in school well in time but they hoped not to send any warning letter ka.

I like this approach na ka, teaching both the kids and parents to be punctual and responsible ka.

2. Our two boys used scooters to go to school. Being quite well-trained, they'd wait for their mom when they needed to cross the streets and would do it when their mom told them so ka. Feel safer for them ka.

How could we compete with scooters? No way kraaa even how fast we walked, making me and my sister try to walk faster so it was like this ka...the two boys far ahead, followed quite closely by their mom/my niece, me, and then a little far behind, my sister.

3. Today kids wear yellow to signify 'Mental Health' Day.....happy they give high priority to this aspect since life has been tougher and it's good for kids to learn from their very young age ka.....will have to ask my two boys what they do at school! 

The school has come up with quite a few nice and exciting activities too. This coming Thursday, it's Harry Potter Day ka. Harry Potter costumes and props like wands are ready for them to have fun ka. 

4.. A bit about the area where we're staying ka:

4.1 We see many with pets (in fact dogs only) and it seems that most places are pet friendly too ka.....people are more lonely or less needed for a full human family mai ka?

4.2  Smell cigarette smoke to think that it seems more have become smokers?!?!...my niece said she smelled the mix of cigarettes and pot ka:((!

4.3 It shows a true meaning of diversity as there is a good mix of various races ka.

4.4 The trash is easily separated into 2 categories, namely, paper for recycles and the rest ka. 

4.5 Self check-out at supermarkets and department stores have become part of daily life ka. There are assistants but more booths are for one's own management.

I'm slowly adjusting to the changing ways ka. Will keep observing ka.

Cheers.

Singapore's university transformation

 I'm in a different time zone for quite a while, visiting my niece and her family ka.

My sister and I are staying at an Airbnb not far from my niece's ka....it's quite spacious and in this place, we've got our room with a private restroom. Like many other Airbnbs, we can benefit from its kitchen and living room....here we also get to use one small office which is perfect for me to zoom my several meetings ka. The host isn't home after lunch till late, working as a manager of Tiffany & Co. at Selfridges ka.

In any case, I should have more experiences to share later!

Today, I just skimmed through a booklet on 'Case Studies of University Transformation in Singapore' by Dr. Ora-orn Poocharoen and Qamaruzzaman Amir under the Spearhead Program KhonThai 4.0 ka. In fact, many sectors of Thailand, especially education, have been observing and visiting Singapore very often to learn from this country, yet.......... (for you to fill in the blank kaa!) 

This booklet is synthesized to come up with key findings and lessons dee loei ka, some of which are:

1. Singapore is highly competent in deciding and managing higher education reform. Its government focuses on citizens' demands for practice-based and skills-focused education.  Its vision has led us to see its significant components in its ecosystem like 'Thinking Schools Learning Nation, 1997' ; 'Teach Less, Learn More, 2004'; and 'Skills Future, 2015'. From several selected policies, it's obvious that Singapore's leadership is truly visionary and capable of developing easy-to-understand strategies for its people to confront possible future disruptions and reforms.

2. One key success factor of the government's efforts is to use 'the whole-of-government approach' for university transformation to work. This is Thailand's huge challenge in all sectors loei ka.... as we've been working in silos for far too long, plus too many committees, too many priorities na ka. If top leaders of our country take education most seriously, they'd lead the reform to ensure that most relevant ministries and stakeholders are engaged and synergized for our people to become real learners with proper skills of today and tomorrow.

3.Singapore is open to learning from failures with a drive for improvement. We've heard that some collaboration with foreign universities wasn't a success but they benefited from the experiences earned to learn what could be best for their future decisions. It's easier said than done but Singapore was bold to take a risk ka.

The country understands that its people are its most important asset and so it invests in people strategically and continuously. What about Thailand ka?