Enlightenment through LUCE: Literary Understanding and Cultural Exposure (1)

The week of September 13-19, 2009 was a memorable one for Luce. In their school, they were celebrating Literary Week, with several activities lined up for the students. Outside the school, we have also other supplementary activities lined up for her.

On Sunday, Luce discovered that ebi tempura is her favorite Japanese food when Owwo treated her and her Tatta and Mommy at Teriyaki Boy Gateway Mall. Our lunch date was to celebrate Luce’s high grades in school for the first quarter. Luce ended up eating all the pieces in the to-share order, prompting Owwo to order another round of batter-wrapped prawns.

Monday for the Prep students saw them bringing their favored books to school, to create their “library” inside the classroom. Luce brought her “A Thirsty Sparrow” from Adarna books and a book adaptation of the movie “Up”. Last summer, she attended a storytelling session at the Filipinas Heritage Library featuring “A Thirsty Sparrow,” and we bought the book there as remembrance of her FHL experience. Earlier this month, we watched “Up.” The book was bought much ahead of the actual movie experience, to further practice her reading skills, and in anticipation of the “Up” movie date with us.

Tuesday, I learned from another Prep mommy that she was to read stories to the kids that afternoon. Storytelling being a craft close to my heart, I volunteered myself for the next day’s storytelling session. Besides, it will be another opportunity for me to show Luce how wonderful books are and how they can be appreciated further through group reading. How happy I was when Luce’s teacher confirmed that I will be their class’ storyteller the next day! I racked my mind for the appropriate book – with big enough pictures for all 20 Prep students to see, and with an interesting storyline to capture their attention! That night, Luce and I chose Eric Carle’s “A Very Hungry Caterpillar” with its added values of basic counting skills and of teaching young readers the significance of eating fruits and vegetables. As a back-up story, we chose “Slowly, slowly, slowly, goes the sloth,” also by Carle. The latter book was my surprise for Luce that night, as a reward for her finishing her Kumon Reading A-I level that afternoon.

Wednesday, Luce and I went to school together. She, with her schoolbag; I, with my bag containing Carle’s two books and Dan Brown’s “The Lost Symbol” - the last book to keep me company while waiting for my time to go to the Prep Pace’s classroom to play storyteller. 5 Minutes to appointed time, I walked to Luce’s classroom, mentally practicing my spiel and introductory speech for each of the two books. The pride I saw in Luce’s eyes when I entered their room and later sat in front confirmed that my decision to volunteer will be a happy reading experience for her. Her wide smile was enough to boost my confidence to face a 20-strong Prep class, with their short attention span and hyperactive bodies and tongues and imagination. The next week, the school gave me a Certificate of Appreciation and a token image of Mary, Mother of Divine Providence. The teachers shouldn’t have bothered, since it was me who gained from the storytelling session. I got to show Luce how fun it is to read aloud and to introduce “Tita Faye” to her classmates.

Enlightenment through LUCE: Literary Understanding and Cultural Exposure (2)

Wednesday evening was another experience for Luce. From school, she changed from school uniform to a dainty dress (thanks, Uncle Keith, for the dress!), and off we went to the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Tatta had to drive carefully to transport us from Marikina to Manila, to rendezvous with Owwo for a night of music with Philippines’ own world-class pianist Cecil Licad and German cellist Alban Gerhard, with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. Her attention would dwindle in between pieces, but overall, Luce was appreciative of the show. During intermission, she got to request Alban to sign her program. He asked if Luce plays an instrument, and we told him she’d learn the piano soon. After the show, I was able to get their picture together. A few moments later, Luce approached Cecil fore autograph, and I only managed a candid shot of them, since Cecil was already deluged with fans and greeters. Earlier, Luce had fun with Cecil’s encore performances. “Ayan, ayan, lalabas ulit. Sabi na nga ba e. I told you!” she’d quip the four times Cecil came back onstage. A couple of years after watching a Snow White ballet and a year after a Cinderella musical, the CCP offered Luce another memorable cultural exposure to a little night of music.

Enlightenment through LUCE: Literary Understanding and Cultural Exposure (3)

Thursday was another exciting day at school. The day before, we learned a nice surprise from her Teacher Karen. Apparently, Luce was among the 5 representatives of Prep Pace for the Spelling Bee. They were to compete with 5 other students from the other Prep section, Gioia. Instead of her usual noon appearance at school, she had to be there in the morning for the contest. Come dismissal time, she shared, “Hindi ako nanalo, eh. Pero may prize ako!” and showed her pencil and eraser, apparently consolation prizes for the non-winners. She misspelled the 4th word, she said – shAwer instead of shOwer. Still, that was a fun experience!

Friday, they had a book picnic in school. Luce borrowed Ate Gaby’s little mermaid mat and brought her Eldar pillow and apple slices for snacks. They watched a video, read the books they brought earlier that week, and had fun fun fun!

Enlightenment through LUCE: Literary Understanding and Cultural Exposure (4)

Saturday, to cap a week of literary fun, Tatta and I brought Luce, with her Ate Gaby and Kuya Basil, to SMX at the SM Mall of Asia for the 2009 Manila International Book Fair. I told them, “You can choose any book that you want, as long as the price is within our budget.” Since we got our free tickets from being a member of OMF Literature’s Kaibigan card, we visited the OMF Lit first. We were just in time for a kiddie activity of drawing, in time for the book launch of Malu Ortiz’ “Spiritual Journey with my Special Child.” Her 22-year-old daughter, Clarissa, was sitting by a table, starting a draft of a new caricature. Apparently, the kids were told to draw portraits, and the author will choose several winners. I thought it was just an activity and not a contest. Nevertheless, the 3 kids joined-in. And what a fun surprise when Luce, and then Basil, eventually won their own free copies of the book, for their respective drawings! Later that afternoon, we went home happy, the kids with their new books and me with the thought that I exposed them further to books, perhaps my most favorite things on earth.

Enlightenment through LUCE: Literary Understanding and Cultural Exposure (5)

As a postscript experience to a week of cultural fun, Luce, with Owwo, Mommy Faye, and Auntie Liv, watched a Japanese English Rakugo last Sept 25. After a week of books and music, we capped the cultural experience with an hour of Japanese sit-down comedy by Rakugo master, Kaishi Katsura. Before typhoon Ondoy flooded Makati and the rest of Metro Manila and its environs, we flooded the lobby of the Ayala Museum with our laughter at the Japanese performing arts Rakugo, where Kaishi portrayed different roles minus the elaborate set and costume changes, dressed only in the Japanese outfit and armed only with a fan and a clothe for props. At the end, Luce had a picture taken with Kaishi, plus his signature on her program. “Parang sa CCP,” Luce remarked after we approached the Rakugo master.

Yes, literature could be understood and appreciated by 6-year-old Prep students. And by providing them cultural exposures, they can widen their horizons beyond the usual Disney cartoon.