Monthly Archives

September 2012

Sep 26

Woman inspires by teaching with toes

By Compassion
Mary Gannon teaches with her feet (ninemsn photo)

Mary Gannon teaches with her feet (ninemsn photo)

LAKEWOOD, Ohio — A Lakewood teacher is inspiring students and staff by teaching in a unique way.

Mary Gannon, a Lakewood math tutor at Harding Middle School, was born with no arms and she has a great outlook on life.

One thing Gannon doesn’t like is being called handicapped.

“It’s not a bad thing.  I’m different, but I try not to use that word because it has a negative bias.  I’m not able to do certain things,” said Gannon.

Last year Gannon was a substitute teacher at Harding, but now she tutors 6th, 7th and 8th graders full-time.

Before class you can catch Gannon using her feet to get her lesson plans together for the next period.

Some of her students say watching Ms. Gannon at work lets them know they can overcome almost any obstacle.

“She inspires me because she helps me get focused on my work, how good I can get at some math problems cause I’m not really that good at math,” said Jaden Johnson, a 6th grader at Harding.

And some of the staff at Harding Middle School agreed that Gannon is a shining example of what you can do once you apply yourself.

“I think people are gonna say, ‘if she can do it, I certainly can do it,’” said Assistant Principal Joe Tackacs.

Gannon grew up in an orphanage in Mexico and was adopted by an Ohio family at age 7.

The math tutor said she always wants to help people and teaching is a great way to do it.

“If it’s gonna inspire or help people for them to be or do better in their lives then I’m okay with that and I hope that people gain something from me,” said Gannon.

Gannon can even drive.  Her license plate says it all… “Happy Feet.”

[source : http://fox8.com/2012/09/19/woman-inspires-by-teaching-with-toes/]
Sep 22

Melaka Art & Performance Festival 2012 (21st Sept)

By Beautiful Melaka, Photography
Melaka Arts and Performance Festival 2012

Melaka Arts and Performance Festival 2012

I guess this will be the top priority to do a post up so that people are not going to miss this great festival happening in Melaka this weekend (21, 22 and 23 September 2012). This will be the quick introduction from the event website.

Melaka Arts and Performance Festival (MAPFest) is an innovative contemporary festival, featuring dance, performance art, visual art, film and music. In a short space of time since its inception in 2009, MAPFest has gained a high national, and increasingly international profile, being recognised for its program of exciting independent arts, collaborations and its use of alternative sites for performance.

The festival draws from Melaka’s foundation myth, its famous heritage sites, and Melaka’s collective ancestral heritage to create a space where contemporary culture and artistic practice comes into focus and is shared across cultural and socio-economic divides in a three day celebration which remains free to all.

‘Turning Around’ – transformation through the creative drive – remains the central inspiration for the festival, connecting both to the foundation myth for Melaka, and the festival’s objective of assisting contemporary arts to play a role in Melaka’s revival alongside its heritage-driven tourist industry. This year the specific focus within that broad theme is the traces of transformation.

We are also pleased to have a new stage to showcase the richness of traditional Malaysian and international performance. In the future we hope to initiate crosspollination of contemporary and traditional practice.

MAPFest remains free and accessible for all. Continuing Melaka’s rich history as a centre for meetings and exchange between cultures, it will create opportunities for artists and art lovers to share in each others’ work and perspectives.

We hope you enjoy the festival!

Today marks the first day of the event. I went to the first program in the schedule which was Afro-contemporary dance by Appiah Annan of Asanti Dance Theatre. Held at St Paul’s Hill of Melaka, the dance workshop was best to start off as it was really cool and you could feel the energy when listening to the rhythm of djembe drum.

During the dance workshop I met an old friend, Sister Bi-Ching and she is an art and culture lover. She loves to take photos too. After telling me the schedule of the event which I didn’t know the program initially, we decided to visit other venues.

So there are other four venues besides St Paul’s Hill, for film screening and installations for these three days:

  • Baboon House (86 Heeren Street a.k.a. Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock)
  • No. 8 Heeren Street Heritage Centre (8 Heeren Street a.k.a. Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock)
  • Riverine Restaurant (108 Lorong Hang Jebat)
  • Film Screening (24 Jalan Kg Kuli)

We continued to visit other venues for other programs such as the Melaka River – video projection by Noelene Lucas at Riverine Restaurant, short films at Jalan Kg Kuli, Corner – video installation by Khaled Sabsabi at No. 8 Heeren Street Heritage Centre, and installations at Baboon House. And Baboon House was the last stop we went. Feeling exhausted, we headed back to rest and recharge so that we could continue the program at night on the hill again.

Melaka River – video projection by Noelene Lucas at Riverine Restaurant

Melaka River – video projection by Noelene Lucas at Riverine Restaurant

short films at Jalan Kg Kuli

short films at Jalan Kg Kuli

short films at Jalan Kg Kuli

short films at Jalan Kg Kuli

Corner – video installation by Khaled Sabsabi at No. 8 Heeren Street Heritage Centre

Corner – video installation by Khaled Sabsabi at No. 8 Heeren Street Heritage Centre

Corner – video installation by Khaled Sabsabi at No. 8 Heeren Street Heritage Centre

Corner – video installation by Khaled Sabsabi at No. 8 Heeren Street Heritage Centre

installations in Baboon House

installations in Baboon House

installations in Baboon House

installations in Baboon House

angel fish of Baboon House

angel fish of Baboon House

Sister Bi-Qing (in the mirror) and friend at Baboon House

Sister Bi-Qing (in the mirror) and friend at Baboon House

Immediately after I reached home, I did a quick edit of the photos and posted on Facebook so that more people especially the locals, will know about this event and could participate. After posting, I rushed to St Paul’s Hill. Though I missed the first performance, I was still glad I made it as soon as I could.

St Paul’s Church was so crowded and lively with the lighting tonight. I managed to watch four performance arts (by TonyYap & BrendanO’Connor, Alan Schacher & Wei Zen Ho, Appiah Annan, I Nyoman Sura) before I had to leave for picking up parents. The performances were truly profound and uplifting. The photos speak.

Cerita Pendek (Short Works) program of the first night inside the nicely lighted St Paul's Church

Cerita Pendek (Short Works) program of the first night inside the nicely lighted St Paul’s Church

performance art by TonyYap & Brendan O’Connor

performance art by TonyYap & Brendan O’Connor

performance art by TonyYap & Brendan O’Connor

performance art by TonyYap & Brendan O’Connor

performance art by Alan Schacher & Wei Zen Ho

performance art by Alan Schacher & Wei Zen Ho

performance art by Alan Schacher & Wei Zen Ho

performance art by Alan Schacher & Wei Zen Ho

performance art by Appiah Annan

performance art by Appiah Annan

performance art by Appiah Annan

performance art by Appiah Annan

performance art by Appiah Annan

performance art by Appiah Annan

performance art by I Nyoman Sura

performance art by I Nyoman Sura

performance art by I Nyoman Sura

performance art by I Nyoman Sura

performance art by I Nyoman Sura

performance art by I Nyoman Sura

the crowd in St Paul's Church

the crowd in St Paul’s Church

the crowd in St Paul's Church

the crowd in St Paul’s Church

So dear Malaccans, don’t miss the opportunity to take part in this event and there will be more programs on Saturday (22nd Sept) and Sunday (23rd Sept). All the programs can be found at the official website of MAP Fest.

Hope you enjoy the photos and may all beings bEE happy.

Sep 18

M Nicole outdoor shooting July 2012 at Klebang Beach

By Photography
Make-up artists and models of M Nicole outdoor shooting at Klebang Beach

Make-up artists and models of M Nicole outdoor shooting at Klebang Beach

Finally having some free time to upload some photos and start blogging again.

Remember the M Nicole Make Up at Haha Studio July 2012? This was the session after the studio shooting and supposed to be a two-month back topic.

Anyway, we continued an outdoor shooting at Klebang Beach, Melaka after the studio shooting.

The models got changed to colorful outfits and beautifully done make-up then headed to the beach in Klebang.

This was also another opportunity for us to meet other photo enthusiasts, future make-up artists and models. We learned from each other and had a great time together.

Thanks to M Nicole Make Up organizing such a good outing and we are looking forward for the upcoming ones.

Have a nice day and may all beings bEE happy. Sharing some shots taken on the event:

Sep 17

Loyal dog spends six years at master’s grave

By Compassion
Loyal: Capitan has not left the side of Miguel Guzman's grave since 2006 - and sleeps on top of it every night

Loyal: Capitan has not left the side of Miguel Guzman’s grave since 2006 – and sleeps on top of it every night

A dog is known to be man’s best friend. This is indeed true in the case of a faithful and loyal dog in Villa Carlos Paz in Argentina named Captain who stayed at his master’s grave for six years and counting. The news first came out from Argentinian newspaper La Vos last September 9, 2012.

Capitan was a German Shepherd which was a gift by his master Miguel Guzman to his son Damian Guzman in 2005. Initially, Miguel’s wife Veronica Moreno refused the dog because it will just bring extra work to them. Little did they know that this dog will become a loyal and faithful friend to Miguel even after his death in 2006.

When Miguel suddenly died in 2006, the family found that the dog was missing upon returning home right after the funeral.

“We searched for him but he had vanished. We thought he must have got run over and died. Until one day, when me and my son went to the cemetery, we found him there. Damian started screaming after seeing Capitan, and the dog approached us, and barking as if it was crying,” Veronica, Miguel’s widowed wife told a local newspaper.

Hector Baccega, the cemetery’s director recalled the day when he first saw the dog. “He turned up here one day, all on his own, and started wandering all around the cemetery until he eventually found the tomb of his master. During the day he sometimes has a walk around the cemetery, but always rushes back to the grave. And every day, at six o’clock sharp, he lies down on top of the grave and stays there all night,” he said.

Miguel’s son Damian tried several times to bring the dog back at home but Capitan always goes back to the cemetery. “I think he’s going to be there until he dies too. He’s looking after my dad,” he said.

Currently, staffs at the cemetery feeds and cares for Capitan. Until now, the mystery still lies as to how on earth did Capitan know where the location of his master’s grave where in fact the family never brought him in that place.

This is a true test of love and loyalty. It goes to show that Capitan’s never ending faithfulness to his master Miguel cannot be broken even after death.