Showing posts with label herbarium. Show all posts
Showing posts with label herbarium. Show all posts

Monday, June 26, 2017

Those flowers / 那些花兒


我們正式進入炎熱的夏季,高溫的日子裡,我開始懷念春天的清爽和繽紛,和那些花兒。

We have officially ushered in the sweltering summer. On the sultry summer days, I can't help but miss the cool, colorful spring, and those flowers. 



        四月裡,我們帶孩子去採用來裝飾個人花環的花朵。

     In April, we invited the children to pick the flowers they would like to use for their head garlands. 



        孩子們在花園樹叢裡來來回回地跑,我好喜歡他們在陽光下奔跑的樣子。

     The kids enjoyed running back and forth in the gardens, which never failed to fascinate me when I looked at them. 



        撿了好多賞心悅目的葉子和花朵。

     The leaves and flowers were so pleasing to the eye. 



        開始花環DIY,媽媽比孩子們還興奮。

     As we began the DIY lesson, the mothers were actually more excited than their kids. 





        成品超級美麗!

     What beautiful wreaths! 





        孩子們也愛不釋手!

     The kids didn't feel like taking the garlands off their heads at all. 



        戴上花環再去戶外玩灑花的遊戲!多美好的季節和童年! 

     With the garlands on, the children couldn't wait to go outdoors to play the game of tossing petals into the air. They certainly knew how to make best use of the beauty of the spring season!

Sunday, June 18, 2017

If I don't do it, / 不做會怎樣?


六月的植標館週六午後,我們來上豆科植物。傾盆大雨的下午,意外地來了許多孩子和媽媽,兩年前還是個孩子的柏輝這陣子都小學畢業了,這次來感覺像是要和過去說再見了。

On the rainy Saturday afternoon in June, we have a lesson on leguminous plants. It comes as a surprise that there are more children than expected on such a wet day. Our special guest is the 12-year-old Po-huei. When he came two years ago, he was still a child, and now he has graduated from elementary school. I feel he's coming this time to say goodbye not only to us but also to his childhood. 



        平常見沒什麼稀奇的阿勃勒黃花,在拆解之後原來有許多奧秘,今年來的這批孩子頗有學習的熱忱。

     The golden shower trees are in bloom now, and though the yellow flowers are commonly seen, the structure of the flowers is actually amazing. It's nice to see the kids learn with such enthusiasm. 



        雄蕊居然有分三種尺寸,雄雌蕊彎曲的線條也是為了傳宗接代設計!

     There are three sizes for the stamens. Even the curving lines of the filaments and the style are the design of nature to help the plant reproduce. 



        想不到男孩把花插到耳邊! 今天居然還有小朋友想做筆記,我好感動!

     I am amused by how the big boy wears the flower behind his ear. More interestingly, some boys take notes today, which greatly moves me! 



        接著是美麗的鳳凰花,只可惜最近雨下不斷,大美阿姨只能採到幾朵完整的花朵給小朋友們觀察。

      Next we observe the flame flowers. However, because of the continuous torrential rain, Guei-mei finds only three to four intact flowers to show to everybody. 



        雖然這陣子看到阿勃勒和鳳凰花都開了,不這麼近看哪知道花朵果實的奧秘呢?

     I see the golden shower flowers and flame flowers only from far away, but without close observations, I would miss the mysteries of their flowers and fruits. 



        就是看起來普普通通的綠豆黃豆芽也很有趣,黃豆芽還有屁味呢! 

     Even the ordinary-looking mung bean and soy bean sprouts are a lot of fun. The latter smell like farts! 



        我們也玩分組搶答,其實只是想黃豆製品,大家也都好投入! 

     We play the brainstorming game: Each group has to think of as many soy bean products as possible. See how devoted everyone is! 



        最後玩沙包,大家不亦樂乎! 

     We top off the day with the folk beanbag game. The kids enjoy it so much! 

        今年我們把活動頻率減少了,有時候做活動出門的路上也會想,如果不做多好,但每個下午結束的時候,就是會感受到一些溫暖和光亮,促使我繼續,而且在我完全不想界定教育這件事時,週六下午總是向我證明教育可以是有意義的。

     This year we have cut down on the times of the activities. On the Saturdays when there are workshops, I sometimes grumble and wonder how great it would be if there were no such thing on my way to the herbarium. But at the end of these Saturday afternoons, I feel there is always a small flame lit up in my heart, a glow of light that warms me and pushes me to continue. When I don't feel like defining the significance of education, these Saturday afternoons always prove to me that education can be fun and enjoyable. 

        活動結束之前,有個八歲男孩要我看他表演,雖然他一直失敗,我對他說:沒關係,在家練好下次再來!他要離開的時候說:謝謝你鼓勵我!有一天我們也許不再做這個活動,不做也不會少一塊肉,或許有些時候還會慶幸這樣的決定,但我會想念那些可愛純真的孩子和他們的話語。

     Before the end of the day, an eight-year-old boy asks me to watch his specially-prepared show. He keeps failing, so I tell him, "All it takes is practice. I believe you can do much better when you come next time." Before he leaves, he says to me, "Thank you for encouraging me." One day we might not go on with the activity, and it certainly won't kill me. Perhaps I might feel thankful for the decision, but I will certainly, definitely miss those lovely and innocent children and whatever they have said to me. 

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Rainy face / 下雨的臉


週六的植標館活動,來了一位令人印象深刻的陸配媽媽,和女兒們一起玩,也問了我們很多個人的問題。

媽媽:你沒有自己的小孩嗎?
我:沒有,所以來這裡和別人的孩子玩。
媽媽:我剛來的時候,整天在家裡帶孩子,邊帶邊哭。

媽媽說這話的時候,外面的雨下得好大,好像是她全身上下的寂寞,怎麼倒也倒不完。

On Saturday afternoon in the herbarium, a Chinese immigrant mom brings her daughters to the workshop, but she is more enthusiastic about the lesson. She also asks us many questions on the personal level. 

Mom: Do you have your own children? 
I: No, that's why I am here to play with others' kids. 
Mom: When I first came, I had to take care of the girls on my own. I cried all the time. 

When she says these words, it is raining hard outside. It feels like she can never cease discarding her soaking-wet loneliness... 

Monday, October 10, 2016

Power of plants / 植物的力量


雖然這個秋天做什麼都有點懶散,連植標館都去得比平常少,不過每次去之後,總是會獲得清新的力量。三年前開始的每日明信片計畫,原本每天都會畫一種植物,結果寫著寫著,就變成每日的喃喃了,這幾天我又想起了初衷,大自然也用念力對我說:趕快回到植物的懷抱吧! 

I've been rather laid-back for a while. In fact, I don't go to the herbarium as often as before. However, every visit always empowers me no matter how reluctant I am before going. I am reminded of my everyday postcard project started three years ago in which I made it a habit to draw a kind of plant on a daily basis. Now I write only about my trivial daily life. Luckily, mother nature has been sending me the message, "Come back to us. This is where you belong!" 

Sunday, May 08, 2016

Paper butterfly / 紙蝴蝶


只是一隻紙蝴蝶,孩子們卻把它當做卡地爾最新品,那樣當一回事。

It's just a paper butterfly, but kids chase it as if it were the latest design of Cartier, as if nothing is more precious than it in the whole world. 

Saturday, May 07, 2016

Stay passionate / 熱情滿滿


今天的假日兒童博物館裡,湧進了好多小小孩,我們好久沒有這麼多年輕的小貴客,於是我們也出動了七位志工帶小朋友玩不同的活動。

In the children's museum today, the herbarium is filled with little kids. In fact, we haven't had so many young guests for a long time. To show our sincerity, we have a strong cast of seven volunteers to wait on them. 

        小朋友有問必答,好多點不完的手,他們還用稚嫩的歌聲唱「蝴蝶真美麗」,完全透明的心思讓我好感動,雖然場面常常失控,我卻不以為意。

     It's amazing that the children do not hesitate to answer every question we ask. I am also moved by the hands that never put down and the innocent singing of the butterfly song. Though sometimes the situation is quite chaotic, I don't mind at all. 

        中午和朋友聊到,我的熱情隨著年紀有增無減,而我也不知道它會領我到哪裡或找到怎麼樣的挑戰,不過最高興的莫過於遇到有同樣想法的夥伴,我們可以一起把一件事做好,把一個簡單的星期六下午做得多采多姿,這真是目前的我最享受的事情之一。

     I have a talk with a friend at noon about my passion that grows with age. To be honest, I have no clue where it will lead me, but I am sure of one thing: I can't be happier when meeting people who share the same passion with me. We can work together to focus on one task, and for now it is to create a wonderful memory for children on an originally ordinary Saturday afternoon. Such a simple thing can   place me in seventh heaven.