Developing Talents #5 ~ Visit an art museum or attend a concert, play, or other cultural event. Share your experience with your family or activity day group.
It is June and we have another Faith in God Activity Day again for our Valiant children in the Puchong branch.
Some families might have planned to be travelled during these holiday seasons, and the children might not be around.
Issac, Annabelle and I woke up early as we need to complete the household chores before we gone out.
I had prepared some finger foods such as nuggets, cocktail sausages and hard boiled eggs for the group. Sister E Chin helped me last evening as we also bought some sushi from Aeon IOI Mall.
We drove to the Four Points Hotel to fetch Sister Jennifer and Miguel. I stopped by the bus stop in front of IOI Mall to meet with Sister Sylvia and she would followed our car from behind. We headed to the National Museum.
We arrived there around 10.00am. Sister Vivian’s family already there, her husband Brother Earnest gave the opening prayer and blessed the food.
Some of us did not manage to have breakfast before we came, and while waiting for Sister Jing Jing’s family to join us, we were having a little feast at the car park. The children were so brilliant! They just makeshift picnic table near the car park area.
I just brought out the sushi rolls, chicken nuggets, cocktail sausages, and the hard boiled eggs. All the children and adults having some food at the car park, before we went to the museums.
We choose the National Museum because it provides a good overview of the nation’s rich historical and cultural heritage. The children can know more about our country rich heritage through this visit.
Besides National Museum, we would be visiting another 2 small museums which are being in the same compound: Malay-World Ethology Museum and Orang Asli Crafts Museum.
Malay Wold Ethology Museum showcase on the traditional arts, clothing and jewellery, traditional games, etc. Orang Asli Crafts Museum showcase their handicrafts, wood carvings and masks.
We hope by this activity, our children would discover ‘gems’ and gain a better appreciation towards arts and culture which heritage from our forefathers and ancestors.
Here were our 2 priesthood whom watched over us during this activity: Brother Earnest and Brother Adrian.
We first visit the Malay-World Ethology Museum. It is located within the grounds of the National Museum and we can see both with the same ticket together with the Orang Asli Crafts Museum which is on the lower ground floor of the Ethology Museum building.
There are 2 types of admission charges – Malaysians and Foreigners, to visit both Malay World Ethology Museum and Orang Asli Crafts Museum with the same ticket: For Malaysians: Adult RM2.00, Seniors and Disabled Persons RM1.00 and Children under 12 is Free. For Foreigners: Adult RM5.00, Children aged 6 – 12 years RM2.00 and Children below 6 years is Free.
The Malay-World Ethology Museum has some interesting exhibits and the children can learn about the Malay world which might new to them. The gallery focuses on the diversity of Malay society and culture in Malaysia through a highly aesthetic collections of artefacts, such as traditional arts, clothing and jewellery, traditional games and weaponry.
The first thing the children saw once they entered the museum was the making of Wau Bulan by a mannequin. It was so kind of Sister Jing Jing to be tour guide of the day in explaining to the children how the process of the making of the kite.
The Wayang-Kulit or Shadow-Play also one of the attractions to the children too. There are wayang-kulit figures and the theatre too. It looks so fascinating to see a real one, not only for the kids the adults too are excited!
The gallery is portrayed by dioramas of a Malay wedding dais. Among the fascinating collections on display are the Cik Siti Wan Kembang dress and the wedding dais of Perak.
Various crafts, cultural activities, games, handicrafts and cottage industries are explained through the exhibits such as Malay clothing, weaponry ranging from Kris and spears to firearms, wood carving, silver and metal work, congkak, gasing and so on.
We were having group photo at the entrance space with the children. After which we visited to the Orang Asli Crafts Museum just at the lower ground floor.
Orang Asli Craft Museum showcases the arts and handicrafts of the Orang Asli people, the aboriginal communities who dwell mostly in rural areas across the Malaysian Peninsula.
The Orang Asli are famed for their handicrafts, particularly the wood carving skills by the Mah Meri and Jah Hut tribes who like to carve masks and figures and these are highly valued by collectors.
The Orang Asli Crafts Museum is an ethology museum featuring the heritage of the Orang Asli craft in Peninsular, particularly those of the Mah Meri tribe.
Most of collected crafts were valued based on the Orang Asli’s way of life; their culture and beliefs; their myths and legends; as well as crafts with carvings and motifs that have intrinsic meaning.
Our children’s favourite carved statues is ‘The Spirit of Mother and Baby’. They are fascinating with the statues, and want to take photos with the famous wood carving.
Suddenly all the children started to ask funny funny questions to their mothers! It made us feeling funny as well!
In addition to statues and masks, there are small Sepili figures used in the traditional medicine system of the Jah Hut.
Blowpipes and ornate bamboo containers for holding blowpipe darts, hunting and fishing traps.
Containers made from screw pine, rattan baskets and trays, palm leaf ornaments and spiritual decorations.
Musical instruments, native clothing and pouches made from leaves and bamboo.
And the coffins which made from bamboo and hang it on the trees too!
There are so many interesting facts to get to know for the children! This basket design is cool! Annabelle and Issac thought the inspirations must be come from the King of fruits - durian!
Finally the children settled down by sitting on the floor and watching a video clip about the life of Orang Asli in their habitats. Everyone were tired.
We roughly spent around 30 minutes for each museum. At last, we completed the Malay-World Ethology Museum and Orang Asli Crafts Museum.
By the time we came to the National Museum, all the children were restless especially the younger children. The ticket price for the National Museum is the same as the prior both museums.
Basically, we just visited the ground floor galleries which are Prehistory Gallery and The Malay Kingdoms Gallery.
The Prehistory Gallery displays the results of historical research and archaeological excavations.
The Malay Kingdoms Gallery traces the development of early settlements, the emergence of Malay kingdoms and sultanates, the coming of Islam and importance of Malacca as a trading centre.
The younger children were getting restless and tired. As it was approaching 12 noon, we decided to end our museum trip by a closing prayer.
I handed out the assignments – journal to both Miguel and Jeneelyn. They just need to write down what are their feelings after this visit in the worksheets, and they can pass up by the following Sunday.
As for the children that did not manage to attend the outing today, we encourage the parents to bring them out for a date. It is not necessary have to visit these museums that we visited today, but anything that relates to art, concert, play or cultural experiences.
It can be happened during their own family trips, whereby they visit other countries’ museums, attend a cultural dance show, go to cultural village and so on.
For example, if going to Malacca, they can visit Baba & Nyonya Heritage house or Straits Chinese Jewellery Museum; if going to Penang, they can visit Penang Peranakan Museum or Khoo Kongsi; if going to Bali, they can watch a Kecak Dance show which it is only can be seen there. Anything about art and culture…They can plan it out with their kids!
We left the National Museum around 12.30pm. All of the parents and children were having fun and quite an educative trip for all of us, including the adults too!
Even we miss some of the children whom did not manage to join this activity, it’s considered a big accomplishment to me because this is the first time I am in charge of such a scale of Primary Activity Day Outing!
