Our first Banjar Saraswati Product

Note in post card selling at Ganesha bookstore:

Om Swatiastu!

First and foremost, I thank you for buying this card. In doing so, you are contributing to the fund used to help build a village school library here in Bali.

My name is Miyuki Hama, and I have specially designed this card for the purpose of raising funds. Myself, with some friends, are from Banjar Saraswati. We are a group of individuals with the objective of raising literacy standards in Bali.

We raise funds on our own and use the money to build simple and cost effective libraries by converting existing vacant rooms in the school into one. The money goes into paying for whatever is needed to refurbish the room, and of course, the books.

You may visit our blog for updates on what we are doing. Please look us up at:

http://riandaquelle.blogspot.com/

Or you may email us at: banjarsaraswati@gmail.com


Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om

Miyuki Hama



These cards (See pic- left: Saraswati, right: Ganesha) by Miyuki are sold at Ganesha bookstore for our cause. If you like the cards, or simply just because you want to support us, please buy them! They are sold at S$3.50 (SINGAPORE DOLLAR) per piece, it’s a card and it comes with an envelope.

As mentioned in the note above, this is an actual painting done by Miyuki for Banjar Saraswati, which is then scanned and printed into a card. Whatever is paid for the card first goes back to paying for the materials to create the card, the rest goes to the fund. The artist does not pocket anything.

Whatever is paid for the card first goes back to paying for the materials to create the card, the rest goes to the fund. The artist does not pocket anything.

Do let your friends know about this. Also, if you would like to buy the cards, please email us your mobile number in Singapore and the amount of cards you wish to purchase at- banjarsaraswati@gmail.com

It’s not safe for us to mail it back so we’ll have to personally bring it back to Singapore…and that will be in July. That also means you pay only when the goods arrive ☺

Once again in summary:
Price of card is S$3.50, email us-
1. Which card you wish to buy (Ganesha, Saraswati, or both?)
2. How many of each you wish to buy (buy 1 only also can)
3. Your name and HP no in Singapore

For those who don’t live in Singapore…how ah? Email us and we’ll try to figure it out ya?

We’re also sourcing for more inexpensive local stuff to sell on the blog to get more funds, stay tuned and support!

Graduation at Singapadu

Last week, there was was a mass graduation ceremony for the kelas 6 kids at Singapadu. I say “mass” because in this village, there are 5 elementary schools- Sekolah Dasar no. 1 to no. 5, and in the schools, they have kids from kelas 1 till 6. So kelas 6 is like the primary 6 level in Singapore, the system’s just about the same, except minus all the nonsense that stresses out kids that age.


All of us at Banjar Saraswati were invited to go because the library we’re building (ya ya...it’s almost finished...) is in one of the schools, that’s SD 2 Samu, and the other is the one we’re conducting the reading program, that's at SD 4 Belang.

Er. What? Where? Too many names? Well, Singapadu is the name of the village, Samu and Belang is the name of the banjar, sort of like the sub unit of the village. Each of the banjars here have a school. Get the picture?

The graduation ceremony was true blue Balinese, with each school putting up a dance and music item.

P

Some of the kids attending our reading program got prizes! Top 3 in their level! Let me explain this- They’re not getting the prizes cos they’ve attending the program...but, it so happens that these already smart kids destined for the prize are attending our program! Get it?


Unfortunately though, the adults had to go spoil it all...by talking too much! Remember how we had to sit through those loooong and boooooring talks in the school hall? To maintain our sanity, we’d be forced into waging rubber band propelled paper bullet wars...only to be singled out and punished...wonder, who’s fault??? Oh, but what matyrs we were then...hehe...

Why adults have to talk so much in events like this, I don’t know...some more talk about the most uninteresting topics. Then thank this VIP for gracing the event, thank that big shot for something else...like the kids care! Maybe it’s just an adult thing to do, talk much and talk like you know better. Well, now most of us are adults, hope we all know better than that.

At this graduation, there WAS one saving factor. Though the adults talked a lot, the kids were allowed to talk also! So everyone talked, nobody listened, but when the chap on the stage ended his talk with “Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om”...all the kids yelled back in reply “OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI OM” too! Funneee...!

After this stage, those who have graduated will go to SMP- Sekolah Menengah Pertama, the lower secondary level. (After SMP is SMA- Sekolah Menengah Atas, the upper secondary level) It’s holidays for them now, and new term starts in July. In the new term, the library at Samu will be fully functional ☺ finally…

We are complete!...for a week and a 2 days

2 members of Banjar Saraswati, Singapore extension, landed in Bali on 29 May 2008, Thursday at 9.30pm. Eswandy and Antoinette, Banjar Saraswati’s 2 elite executives, brought along with them the fruits of their labour- a pool of donated books for a certain village school library.




3 days later, both conducted a lesson at the Belang elementary school through the story “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein. “The Giving Tree” is a story of giving and mistaken requirements for happiness.



This marks Banjar Saraswati’s first lesson on impressing morality in the young minds of Bali. Educating through emphasis on wisdom and compassion over the oft misused and misled convention through rote learning is a belief Banjar Saraswati holds dear.



On the eve of 8 July 2008, Sunday, Eswandy and Antoinette quietly exchanged Balinese soil for Singaporean toil. Banjar Saraswati dearly misses them. Benar...

The day before Saraswati, 6 June 2008, Friday

The morning before Saraswati day, we all gathered at Made’s home in Singapadu to get the Samu library ready. Over coffee and snacks, the books are sorted out and stamped with our lady symbol of wisdom.



We are, as always, impressed with what Miyuki has in store for us, the finishing touches Miyuki made to the paintings in the library were sublime! And then there's her latest and most thoughtful contribution to the library- a sign!



The last time we were in Singapore, we requested for well wishes from our friends, wondered what became of them?




And now, there are finally books on the shelves!

Saraswati Day, 7 June 2008, Saturday

In Bali, they have days to do tribute to the many things they rely on, for livelihood or the elements that enrich their lives. They have days where they will make offerings to animals (Tumpek Kandang) , to plants (Tumpek Uduh), to instruments used in Wayang Kulit, or the traditional shadow puppet performances (Tumpek Wayang), and to things sharp (Tumpek Landep, for knives, computers cos they…errr… “keep the mind sharp” and even vehicles, don’t know how that came about though)

On this day, it is Saraswati Day! It’s sorta like our day isn’t it? This is the day to make offerings to lontars (traditional ‘books’ made of palm) and books, the stuff of wisdom.



All educational institutions will, on this day, have ceremonies conducted at their premises, to pray, to clear away obstacles and to make offerings.



In completing the ceremony, the pupils of class 6 (they’ll be graduating this month! Graduation ceremony on 13 June, wait for our entry on that ☺) pray on behalf of all the students.


Thus, as of today, the library we have been building is, I would say, spiritually open! We join the school in Samu (where our library is built) for the ceremony. Bantens and canangs (offerings of food or symbols) are offered in the school and the library, and is blessed by Dewi Saraswati.



So now, almost all are in place for the official opening of the library, except that many of the books we’ve ordered have not come in from the factory in Surabaya…in a few days time they’ll be here, we’ve been told, but we know, it’s always…just maybe…

Keeping us going

This entry is all about thanking people, remembering those who supported us and encouraged us when we started, and those who still are.

We thank Adrian’s cousin, who has generously donated but doesn’t want to be named.

We thank Phak, Owen and Emma who have donated so many of their books to the library.

We thank Brian and Fiona for their encouragement through donations.

We thank Yuriko (Miyuki’s best friend!), who brought very nice books all the way from Japan.

We thank Madhu and Iris for the very useful books.

Denise, thank you too though the books got lost ☺

Asma, we received your donations through Es, thanks again!

Es and Ann, though you’re both part of the committee…we still do thank you both, for spreading the word, coordinating the collecting of books, and bringing them over. It is heartwarming to know that all of you back there care for the kids here and what we are doing.

Many of the books had quite an adventure, traveling by land and sea for over 3 weeks. Others traveled more luxuriously, 2 and a half hours flight, with Es and Ann lugging them around. We do hope to find more economical and practical ways to ship things over though…contacts or ideas, anyone?

A lesson under the shade of a tree

This update is about 2 weeks outdated! The previous blog had it that we were all heading out of school for lessons…but we had consulted the village head too late! The bale banjar was to be still occupied for ceremonial preparations… Also, we completely forgot to at least TRY to inform the kids, so they all still came in their “pakaian adat” (ceremonial attire)- sarong and all!


In the end, we had to do it in school…but out of class and under the shade of a tree, it was a lot of fun! Lessons should be conducted so, shouldn’t they?



There were more kids than usual that day, the 4 of us had a rather hectic time, but it was well worth it. We started off singing some English songs that we learnt together previously, then played word games, followed by some light snacks, and finished off with a closing group photo session...we were so inspired, we’re planning for an English day camp during theirs hols in June!