Sunday Projects - Animation Edition

Inspired by the animation workshop, Lily and I decided to take our camera use to a whole new level. Gabor took Ernest to visit te neighbours while we got to work (Ernest leaving was necessary because he kept squashing our actors).

It's pretty impressive what you can do with a camera blue-tacked to a table and some free software.

Preparations - 365

Today we embraced the common Hungarian and Scottish tradition of Frying Stuff. On the menu was Langos (fried dough fried and served with garlic, sour cream and cheese) and the "traditional" Scottish Deep Fried Mars Bar.  Other also contributed Fried Chicken, Schnitzel, Breaded Mushrooms and more. We still have some ice-cream in the freezer that we didn't get round to doing. At the moment the children are soaking in the bath, tryind to get the smell out of their hair and pores before school tomorrow.

A bad day is a good day for something new.

We got a new camera. We got it for Yule. It arrived yesterday. Yesterday was not Yule. Yesterday was Monday.

I had a New Year Project planned, a 365 day (well 366) photo blog, but it has transformed into a 17th January project which is even better. The 17th January is known as Blue Monday* - well at least it was last year, this year Blue Monday is on the 23rd, but I can't wait that long so I will go with last years date even though it is Tuesday today - anyway, it is said to be the most depressing day of the year (I guess among countries in the Northern Hemisphere that celebrate Christmas) which to me makes it a good day for something new**.

So, I shall start. Introductions are a good start.

This Ernest who doesn't like to have his picture taken.

This is Lily who does.

This is Gábor who tolerates my photographing of him - at least for now (this is only day 1 after all).

These people will likely feature often.

It seems only fair that there should be a picture of me included here in this introduction round so...

This is me.

It's not a big picture because it wasn't taken by me or with my pretty new camera (rather it is of me with my new camera). It is also small because I don't like photos of me, I definetly have a prefered side of the camera. My face will not feature here often.

What a treat you*** have had with this first post. You got 3 (+1) photos today. From now on there will be but one photo each day (unless I change my mind).

Done.

*Blue Monday is not real, I mean it isn't really the most depressing day of the year. It was created by Sky Travel in order to sell holidats to people who believe it when someone tells them their life is crap and that you can make it better with a trip to the Canary Islands.

**Yes, I just completely made up some "just because" justification for starting today when really the reason is just that my camera arrived yesterday.

***I say you as though I am actually a bit full of myself and writing to an audience but this project is more for me but you can view/read along too if you like. You are welcome.

Trippin' - 20th June

Aggtelek to...some lake in Eastern Slovakia that I can't remember the name of right now

We were in no rush to leave Aggtelek, we were only planning on driving a few hours to a lakeside in Slovakia and although the weather had improved it wasn't exactly swimming weather, so we had a relaxed morning and took a walk over the hills (rather than into them like the day before).

I don't know if the trail had a name but surely it should be called "Butterfly walk" (or something more imaginative but butterfly related). I have never seen so many butterflies in their natural habitat before; we had to watch where we stepped - they where everywhere. The photos don't show it so well, like I said yesterday, the zoom was playing up.

The abundance of butterflies probably had something to do with the abundance of wild flowers.

Gábor tends to avoid using the camera, but sensing that it was coming to the end of its life, he took up the challenge and took up the camera (meaning that for once I feature in the pictures...my friend Gail has a fear that if something were to happen to her there would be no pictures of her with her son, as time passes and I have so few pictures of me with my kids I start to understand her fear...maybe I told this before...I have a very bad memory and tend to repeat myself...or ramble; I ramble a lot too, like now for example...sorry).

Frankly I think he did great.

Perhaps he could do with a little praise from people to encourage him to do it more often...well maybe it will take more than praise, a new camera might be necessary since later that day the camera gave up on us.  

Before we set out I made Lily an explorers utility belt, complete with, sketch book, crayon (for rubbing), pencil, magnifying glass, pocket knife, matches (yes, I put a knife and matches in the hand of my 7 year old) and colour scavenger hunt cards (might do a crafty post on the bely and cards at some point).

After our walk it was time to leave Hungary after spending a year there and head to Slovakia, adding a new country to the list of countries I've visited. I will save the tales of Slovakia for tomorrows installment and leave you with one image of the lake there...one of the very last taken with our camera.

From this point on all pictures are from Gábor's phone or Lily's mp4 player.

Gábor's blog of the day as always has more pictures, more videos and more languages (his blog is in booth English and Hungarian).

Trippin' - June 18th

 Stop 1 - Budapest Pride

Photos courtesy of Marianna Kiss

Since we were spending our last day in Budapest at the Pride March, we invited each of Gábor’s family members if they wanted to join us and take one last opportunity to spend time with the kids before we leave Hungary. Each politely (well…) offered their excuse and passed; “I don’t like crowds”, “Marches remind me of the old communist days”, “I just don’t think it is the right way to go about things”. Each of them however suggested, indirectly (or even directly), that we best not take the children (“I can look after the kids while you go though”). None of them understand that  the main reasons we go is FOR our children.

In Hungary today racist and homophobic sentiment has become as much a feature in small talk as the weather. Support for Hitler, advocating genocide; it all slips of the tongue as easily as “It’s a lovely day for it”. But what I found even worse than people making these kinds of statements was how rare it is that people stand up and speak out against them. Perhaps it is a legacy of Hungary’s history of dictatorial rule, but it seems that when hate and violence is being promoted you either join in or keep you head down so you can live a comfortable life. For us, Gay Pride is one of the best ways of demonstrating to our children that it is not OK just to keep quiet, rather we should stand up and make ourselves heard. But unlike them we will not shout in anger, hate and aggression, but with joy, love and celebration.

Photos courtesy of ontd-political

The idea of SOLIDARITY is important to Gábor and I and we hope that what ever our children grow up to believe in, I want them see the importance of showing solidarity for our fellow humans. 

There are some who claim that LGBT have equal rights and what they ask for is “special right”. Frankly I find this insulting and clearly untrue. Consider my life:

·         I was able to marry the person I loved,

·         I was could start a family without having to justify my decision to any one,

·         I can raise my children without public scrutiny,

·         I have the security of knowing that if anything were to happen to me my children will be taken care of by my partner,

·         I moved country and got my resident permit on “family ties”,

·         I can contemplate increasing my family some day by adopting or fostering.

There are so many more aspects of my life that would be more difficult or impossible, even in Europe, if Gábor had been a woman.

Some than argue that these are not rights, rather they are “privileges”.  I don’t care what you call them “rights” or “privileges”, if they are granted by  the state then in a fair and democratic society they need to be granted to all. So, until they are, then my children (until they are old enough to make the decision for themselves) and I will march right alongside LGBTA at pride marches wherever we happen to be.

But besides lessons about Justice and Solidarity I want to give them the opportunity to learn about themselves. Our society today offers such a narrow definition of “girl” and “boy”, I would argue that, despite the best efforts of feminists, it is even worse than when I was growing up 25 years ago. Participating in Gay Pride is one that I see we can counter this and give my children a broader concept of “girl” and “boy”. There are so may different types of “men” and “women” that hopefully Ernest and Lily will understand that there is nothing they need to conform to they just need to be themselves and that they will be loved and supported by us no matter who they are.

There was a beautiful scene towards the end of the parade. Ernest started playing with and chasing his balloon down the long rainbow silk; so joyful, so oblivious to the looks or judgement from others (including the mass of photographers who also spotted this perfect photo moment).  

This scene (and the pride march in general) epitomises my greatest wishes for my children’s life:

Be Happy. Be Free. Be Colourful.

 Csanádi Márton - Photo Journalist

Click the link for some more spectaculat pictures of the parade.

I've been busy

I had promised myself that I would spend a bit more time on this blog after having left is for 2 months, while I have never been a diary person I am starting to find the writing a bit therapeutic. I still haven't really figured out who I am writing to, or why, or what I want I want to say, but still; I am enjoying it so it should have some time (although I am still not quite ready yet for a full refection on life in Hungary).

But in the busy-ness of packing to move back to Finland, time is something I have very little of. And that little time gets easily taken up by other things. This last week though, it has mostly been taking up by fun making things.

After realising that my yarn and fabric stash can fill two moving boxes I realised I really should take some time to turn my stash into stuff. I fell off my bike a few weeks ago and tore a hole in my last pair of trousers (warning- jeggings do not make good cut-offs so don’t bother trying) so I decided to whip up a quick skirt. As I said before time is limited so it is very basic; 2 rectangles of fabric, hemmed and a thick elastic waistband. I loved it...until it struck me that the stripy fair-trade fabric and its simple shape made it look a bit like a shepherd costume from a nativity play. What do you think? Does it look like I should be acomanied by someone dressed in a white pillowcase with some tinsle tied around their head?

Gábor and Ernest were away last week so with the toddler out the house there was finally time to give Lily the sewing lessons she had been begging for. I got a few good tips about sewing with children (best one is to put the pedal on the table and have them sew with their hands) and discovered my own top tip (use stripy fabric, having a line to follow makes a world of difference).

We had been taking it easy and enjoying it and agreed to make a goodbye and thank you present for her teacher. We thought we had plenty of time sew it but on Monday Gábor realised that this week (not next week) is the last week of school! (Thanks for that my Love).

FRANTIC SEWING!

I would cur and pin all the pieces in the evening after the kids went to bed, Lily would sew them up after Ernest was asleep right before her bedtime, then I would sewthe more complicated bits and pin the next lot of pieces for her to sew the next day. We managed and Lily did a damn good job for her first sewing project. I can’t think of a better gift for a 1st grade Waldorf teacher. Perfect.

Further frantic making ensued when a party invitation came home with Lily from school the other day. Just the day before I had packed up a bad full of old crayon thinking that once we cet back to Oulu they could be recycled into pretty new crayons. They came right back out of the box, as did my muffin tins. I had to boost it with a pack of new crayons too though, even so what that became was so much better than a bring pack of crayons.

It was another kid’s birthday today, party invitation is imminent. Any suggestions for a last, last, last minute homemade gift that requires so craft supplies (they are all packed)?!

I managed to squeeze in one more little sewing project; Ernest’s car seat is made of some horrible plastic fabric which is hot and uncomfortable to sit in when it’s 30oC so I cut up an old baby towel and cot sheet and made a nice cotton liner so that he can survive a summer road trip in a car with no air conditioning. After seeing me sewing with Lily, Ernest was desperate to join in too. I had a hard time getting him off my lap and he would occupy my seat the instant I stood up. The dials have strawberry juice smears on them because I happened to stands up at one point while he was having a snack. That kid is fast.

We have about 25 boxes packed and only essential items still left out...yes, my sewing machine is essential.
 
Waldorf-Steiner pedagogy is kind of against media technology for young children and we are inline with that as far as computer games (are all these gadgety things still called computer games) and television is concerned - watching TV is passive and constantly bombards us with advertisements and gender role stereotypes (although our lack of TV has more to do with the fact that I am a bit of a TV-addict and having television in our living room would be a bit like a recovering alcoholic having a bottle of vodka in their jacket pocket). However, we diverge from Waldorf when it comes to computers and internet. Lily wants to know everything, her questions are becoming more and more complex and my standard answer is fast becoming “let’s google that”. Of course we also throw in occasionally “let’s see if we can find a book about that at the library” or “let’s cut it open and see” but google invaluable.

There is also the Flat Lily blog which she eagerly watches for updates and loves to check the statistics of who has been reading, where and when. But today she took the next step in the technological world. Today she posted her very first post on her own blog. She was chose the background, the fonts and the colours. She decided what her first post was going to be about, how it was going to be. She took the pictures herself and selected the ones she wanted to use, she chose the post title. This is all her.

Sunday Projects

• (Unsuccessfully) attempt to sleep in – apparently the ability to sleep late into the day is not a genetic trait that passes on to ones children.

• Drink coffee and read the papers – well Gábor read a paper, I don't suppose it is really "reading the paper" when it is online. Anyway this project was just about possible except for the occasional "Muuuuum!" or "Apaaaaa!" yelled from the other room. Lily's desk used to be her sanctuary for her drawings and her small things, unfortunately Ernö has learned to climb but Lily hasn't adapted to this new set up yet.
  
• Listening to Gábor reading Folk Tales (from the book from the library which is the same as the one that Lily's Teacher reads) while snuggled up under the duvet.
• Manó cabin construction – A Manó is creature a bit like a gnome but it lives in the forest not by a garden pond. Lily has a little one made of felt who apparently does not have an adequate home at the moment. Not to worry though, Gabor and Lily are taking it upon themselves to give this poor creature the most stunning home a Manó could dream of. So far the have made bricks from clay, built a brick wall with a chimney and started construction of the 3 other wooden walls. Lily has already woven a rug for it and I have promised to do some felt landscaping.
  
• Piroska és a farkas books planning (INCOMPLETE) – We found these lovely little books in the Library. 5 books, all telling the story of Little Red Riding Hood; no words, only picture, each book done by a different artist. Lily has had the wonderful idea of us making our own. This project I am getting a little carried away with (I have been planning stitching little books and making hard back covers for them). I am trying to convince Lily that a project like this needs some planning and that story boards would be a good place to start but she doesn't believe me and is resisting. So far we have only gone as far as telling the story to each other and thinking what are the essential elements of the story and considering what materials we are each going to use. Lily has opted for water colours, Gábor – simple pencil, and I am thinking about some kind of cut paper collage.
  
• Dinner – yes, we have dinner everyday but today it seemed like a bit of a project, unfortunately I had misplaced the camera when all 4 of us were sat round the table tearing the stalks out of an enormous bag of spinach for the lasagne. (I found the camera inside the arm chair – I think I was sitting on it at some point to try to stop Ernö from playing with it. He loves the camera at the moment, he likes to say hello to the little people on the screen)
  
• Apple Chip Experiment - FAILED
  
• Re-watch Doctor Who (11^th Doctor) before the next season starts – Gábor had sudden panic today that we haven't started this project yet and we may be running out of time so we should get started. Ernö had a sudden tantrum, exhauseted himself and went to bed, delaying the commencement of this project.
  
• I have one more project to do before I go to bed. Make the yogurt for the week (although I didn't get round to make the granola today and the apple chips failed so it will just be naked yogurt in the morning) this one gets saved for right before bed. Once the culture is added to the milk it needs to be kept cosy by hugging it all night. It is definitely the simplest and snuggliest yogurt recipe I have found.
  

What is knowledge? ....and what is the point of exams?

This week I made the odd decision to abandon exams. I may seem like a quitter or some nonsense like that but I think I have reason. As a student teacher I have an interest in learning (doing it and in the concept) and don’t take these things lightly.

I went along to an exam the other day for a course I had been doing; The Social Uses of Language. It has been a very interesting and useful course covering topics such as English as a Lingua Franca, Language Planning and Policy and Language and Identity. There has been a lot of reading for the course, sometimes as many a 5 articles for a 90 minute class, but on the whole they have been well selected and thought provoking. The thought provoking part is the key to where I am going here. In Oulu, with our study journals and open book exams, I have become accustomed to the idea that it is not the knowledge in the books that is important when it comes to exams but the knowledge I create from the books; my thoughts, my reflections my connection, my questions, my (attempts at) answers. Bearing this in mind; when I looked at the exam questions which wanted me to reiterate the authors knowledge presented in the articles I was a little (re. hugely) unprepared. Don’t you want to hear my knowledge? Don’t you want to know my thoughts? I have so many. In the end all I wrote was a not saying I will have to sign up for the resit.

I came home utterly disheartened. I don’t take failure well. It didn’t last long though because like I said, I have lots of thoughts so it didn’t take long for me to think about this in a different way.

To pass the exam I would need to reread all 30-something articles again using a different lens; I would need to memorise the authors’ knowledge. But do I need to memorise their knowledge when I already have my own? The answer I cane to is “only if I want to get credits”. However there are other ways to get credits, and I will always have the knowledge that was constructed though participating in the course.

I have a new plan and I am very happy.

So yes, I have abandoned the exams, I am not going to spend the month of exam leave rereading articles and memorising data and (in the case of syntax) trying to understand things that I simply don’t get. Instead I am spending the month doing concentrated work on my thesis, and I am filled with joy. It’s new and exciting and thoughts are rushing around in my head and it hurts because with a/r/tography, even the way of thinking is new and my brain is trying to resist, yet I’m inspired. I have dug out my sketchbooks but still trying to get over my nerves and make he first marks on the pages.