Newsletter No. 432

2 No. 432, 19.2.2014 在 緬甸北部山區城市臘戌有一個神奇的新地方，那 裏不是玩具店，卻有滿滿玩不完的玩具；也不是 圖書館，卻也有整理齊全的目錄讓你任意瀏覽。那是玩 具圖書館，裝滿了所有孩子的期待，以及十二位聯合書 院同學為山區孩子創造快樂童年的心願。 聯合書院「邁進地球村系列─薪火服務學習：愛心玩 具傳緬北義工計劃」於2013年12月27日至2014年1月 4日，連同台灣玩具圖書館協會遠赴緬北，以色彩鮮艷的 油漆、貼紙及簡單物料，粉飾破舊課室，設立玩具圖書 館。玩具對香港小朋友而言唾手可得，但對貧困學童卻 是奢侈品。建立玩具圖書館，是令缺乏資源的貧困地區 兒童快樂成長的重要途徑。 圓孩子的玩具夢 出發前，學生特於校園設置收集箱及攤位，鼓勵中大人 共襄善舉，捐贈玩具。法律學院 陳榕翠 形容，「捐贈情況 踴躍，最終收集二十八袋玩具，花了兩天才完成篩選及 清潔，又參考台灣玩具圖書館的做法，將玩具分智力、拼 圖、體藝及樂器等類。」 九天之行，小組花盡心思，以童話、海陸空為題，為當地 孤兒院恩慈之家及黑猛龍學校設計玩具圖書館。那打 素護理學院 蕭佩瑚 笑言：「從零到有，從陌生到熟悉，拿 起油掃，填上牆畫，有種筆墨難以形容的滿足感。快樂 其實很簡單，簡單其實很快樂。」陳榕翠對當地孩子的 獨特視角印象深刻：「緬甸的孩子提醒我們，要看重擁 有而非缺欠。我們眼中看到的是牆上有瑕疵，他們卻看 我們每個都是大畫家。我們看到的是物資不夠，他們卻 是看到我們的心意……或許是有了比較，令我們忘記快 樂，忘記單純的欣賞、單純的快樂。」 T here is a magical place in Lashio, Northern Myanmar that sells no toys but has all kinds to play with, and that lends no books but has its own library catalogue. It is a toy library, the apple of any child’s eye, and a mark of the ambition of 12 students of United College to create a happy childhood for the young lives in Myanmar. Participants of the College’s ‘GOAL Programme— Bringing Toys to Northern Myanmar’ service programme visited Lashio of Myanmar from 27 December 2013 to 4 January 2014 together with representatives from the Taiwan Toy Library Association. Using paints and stickers, the team transformed old classrooms into toy libraries. For children in Hong Kong, toys are almost a given. But many children in Myanmar aren’t that privileged. Having a toy library that lets you borrow playthings is especially important when it comes to growing up happy in deprived areas. Sharing the Joy of Toys Before the trip, students set up collection boxes and booths on the campus to encourage CUHK members to donate toys. ‘We received 28 bags of toys and spent two days to clean and categorize them. Adopting the practices of Taiwan toy libraries, we divided toys into games, jigsaws, activity, arts, and music,’ said law student Phyllissa Chan . To raise the appeal of the libraries, the team decorated them using the fairy tale theme for an orphanage, and the sea and air theme for a Chinese school. ‘Starting from scratch, we took up brushes and began to paint a mural. It was gratifying beyond words. Happiness is simple. Simplicity is happiness,’ said Agnes Siu , a student of nursing. As for Phyllissa, she was inspired by the local children. ‘They reminded us to look at what we have instead of what we lack. When we saw flaws on the wall, they saw painters in every one of us. When we saw a shortage of supplies, they saw our good intentions…. It is comparison with those who seem to have more that makes us forget about happiness, about sheer appreciation, simple joys.’ Child’s Play According to Ms. Tsai Yen-chih , founder of Taiwan Toy Library Association, ‘play leads to positive experience in childhood, and play allows kids to learn and develop skills.’ To a child, playing is part of life. Toys and kids 讓孩子玩得更開心 are made for each other. When the team finished setting up the libraries, they could feel the children’s joy. Playing requires children’s minds and bodies, gets them thinking and imparts creativity. Through interactions with others, children learn to regulate their emotions, like when they should give in, and how to express ideas and accept ideas. ‘The library is very new to our children. They were thrilled to decorate classrooms with university students from Hong Kong. I hope the kids can have a new way to learn through playing with toys,’ said Mr. Yang Ronggen , vice- principal of the school. Mr. Tony Chan , assistant college secretary of United College, first learned about the Taiwan Toy Library Association during his previous service trip to Taiwan. ‘I found the idea of the toy library truly meaningful, so I organized this trip to Myanmar with students of United College to put the idea into action. It has been amazing to see the students’ hard work and commitment. Even the frailest girls were picking up hardware tools, with just one thought in their minds: creating a happy childhood for Myanmar children.’ 玩具孩子天生一對 台灣玩具圖書館協會創辦人 蔡延治 在該會網站說： 「『玩』是孩子邁向成功經驗的過程，『玩具』是孩子 的探索學習的媒介。」對孩子來說，玩具就是生活一部 分，玩具跟孩子是天生一對的。聯合的學生在建館後體 會到小朋友那種玩樂的喜悅。玩的時候，孩子的腦筋不 斷思考，手、眼及肢體不斷協調，更能發揮想像力和創 意。在館內共玩，更可培養孩子的情緒管理，例如學習 互相忍讓，洞悉別人的情緒反應，發生衝突時學習表達 意見及接納意見。黑猛龍學校副校長 楊榮根 表示：「玩 具圖書館這個概念對同學來說十分新鮮，他們對能夠與 中文大學同學一起參與布置教室，感到十分雀躍。期望 他們能通過玩具學習新事物。」 領隊 陳文軒 是聯合書院助理院務主任，前年率領另一隊 學生到台灣參與義工服務，因而認識了台灣玩具圖書館 協會。「覺得玩具圖書館這個概念十分有意義，便組織 聯合書院的同學一同到緬甸，為當地孤兒院及中學設立 玩具圖書館。同學們的認真、投入，令我十分感動，就連 平日嬌滴滴的女同學，也拿起裝修工具，一起用愛心及 毅力，希望為當地兒童帶來快樂的童年。」 Let’s Play it Up Toy Libraries Bring Joy to Myanmar Children 助建緬北玩具圖書館 邊註邊讀 Marginalia 玩具，顧名思義是可供遊戲玩弄的東西。聯合國《兒童權 利公約》第三十一條申明遊玩是兒童眾多權利之一。香港 社會物質充裕，很多孩子不乏玩具，卻只缺遊玩的時間，因 為每天的時間表都已被上學、做功課、補習和各式各樣能令 小人兒的履歷表更亮麗的「課外活動」所填滿。然而，對某 些孩子而言，玩具可不是生活上必備的物品。一群聯合書 院學生早前特地帶着玩具到緬北走了一趟，給當地的孩子 增添快樂，自己也重新認識快樂。 讀寫是兒童行使另一項權利—教育—的重要媒介，怎 樣幫助孩子建構閱讀方塊字的能力，心理學系的 Catherine McBride 教授在本期「洞明集」給我們簡介。在「……如是 說」一欄，校園發展處處長 馮少文 則談到配合教育使命來 建構校園的心得。 新亞書院的櫻花才開，又遇上了接近二十年最冷的二月天。 寒流來襲，熱食是最實在的欣慰，逸夫書院教職員餐廳剛 就推出了高溫一百二十度的新猷，可有興趣試試？ The United Nations ‘Declaration of the Rights of the Child’ states adequate recreation as one of the rights of children. Hong Kong’s affluence means that most children have enough toys; what they lack, however, is the time to play them, with school, homework, private tuition, and extracurricular activities vying for what little time they have. Yet in some parts of the world, toys are not a given—far from it. It was for this reason that a group of United College students recently travelled to Myanmar Santa Claus-style, i.e., with toys, to enrich the lives of the local children, and perhaps their own as well. Education is another of the child’s right. In ‘In Plain View’, Prof. Catherine McBride of the Department of Psychology explains how to help young ones build the ability to read Chinese characters. Construction of a different kind is the topic of ‘Thus Spake…’ where Mr. Fung Siu-man , director of the Campus Development Office, tells us how to sculpt the campus in ways befitting its education mission. The cherry blossoms of New Asia College had just begun to bloom when they were assailed by the coldest winds to be brought by February in some 20 years. How does one keep warm in such weather? Perhaps a meal that literally sizzles at 120°C? Why don’t you give this new dish at the Shaw College Staff Canteen a try? ———————■■■——————— 目錄 Contents 讓孩子玩得更開心 Let’s Play it Up 2 洞明集 In Plain View 3 校園消息 Campus News 4 人事動態 Ins and Outs 6 宣布事項 Announcements 7 博文貫珍 The Galleria 9 舌尖上的中大 CUHK f+b 9 馮少文如是說 Thus Spake S.M. Fung 10