Hidden In The City, Yet In Clear View

Assignment 6: Hidden In The City, Yet In Clear View

My group members consist of Yi Jun, Pei Yu and I. The foreign workers who are working with us are Shahin, Soriful and Alal Miah. In this final project, we worked on creating our very own designed notebooks and conducted a Chinese-Bengali language exchange session with the foreign workers at HealthServe. 

 

Let’s begin by watching the video!

1. Write a narrative of how your idea developed. (Begin by giving some response to the 1st dance and games night)

From the first dance and games night, we have fun with the foreign workers. Some of the foreign workers are very good dancers. We talked, danced and played with the foreign workers. When we first stepped the HealthServe, we noticed that there is a small whiteboard outside the room. “English class” is written on the whiteboard. We believe that they have attended the English class before our first night there. We are able to communicate using English language with them. Hence, we thought of teaching them some basic Chinese characters, which we think it might be useful for them in a daily basis. Since they are working here in Singapore, learning and speaking a bit of Mandarin would be an advantageous to them. This is how our idea of a language exchange session begins and thus, our idea for this final project is developed.

 

2. What about our meet-ups and the conversations you had created the interest in the area you ended up researching? Use your documentation photos etc.. to explain this process.

At first, we were not very certain on whether a language exchange session would be a good approach for us to work on. But after the second meet-up where we all go for dinner together, when we were eating, we chatted about all sorts of things from families to food and their cultures. Somehow, we find it a little difficult to understand what they are saying, hence from there, we want to learn their language to understand them and their world better. This will enable them to communicate with their fellow Chinese friends.

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3. Discuss your exchange with the foreign workers.

The foreign workers were enthusiastic in learning Chinese. In the beginning, they were a little shocked when we asked them whether they are interested in learning Chinese. We persuaded them and they agreed eventually. We started our Chinese-Bengali language exchange class. In that one hour class, we learned basic words in both Chinese and Bengali language. We started with asking them to design their own notebook and explain what they are drawing. They were able to think of something to draw very quickly. Without any discussion between the foreign workers, all of them happened to draw their Bangladesh’s national flag. This is one thing that I am quite surprised about them. I can tell that they missed their home very much. As for me, I did not leave my home alone before so I cannot really know how difficult is it to leave home all by yourself and work in a complete unknown country with nobody you know. After this exchange session and all the meeting-ups with the foreign workers, I understand that home is really a precious place for everyone. We should not take things for granted, be it respectful to parents, maintaining our areas clean and many others.

 

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4. How did you initially see the foreign workers? Did you even consider their experience before our meet-ups?

I would say I do not really know much about the foreign workers at first. I only know they are here to work and earn a living. Before this meet up, I have never thought of getting a chance to know more about them although they are working so hard to build a better Singapore. I knew their life here would be tough but before knowing them, I never knew that their living condition and accommodation would be so bad such as having 200 people to share 5 cubicles every single day, yet they are able to maintain the cleanliness of the toilets.

 

5. Along your journey what to, and when did you change your ideas/plans in response to what you learned/experienced or observed from contact with the foreign workers? Describe your response.

During our process of making the notebook for them, we discuss on whether we should make a blank notebook or simply just bring in the materials so that we, together with the foreign workers, would create our own notebook. In the end, in order to maximize the time, we make our own blank notebooks for them. We asked them to design the cover page of their notebooks. It can be their hobbies and any other things. We wanted to see what are the things they like, so that we can better communicate and interact with them. Each of them created their very own notebooks and were designed very beautifully. All of them, without discussing, draw their national flag on the cover page of the notebook. This shows how much they missed their home. When looking at the expression of the foreign workers drawing, they are very focused, I can tell that they enjoyed drawing very much. When we proceed to learning the Chinese words, they expressed their interest in learning. In that short one hour lesson, they are able to write and understand what are the words they are writing. I am pretty touched about this.

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6. What new knowledge did you gain from the interaction with the foreign workers and the action you took executing your project?

After the interaction with the foreign workers, I have learned that I should not take things for granted. Learning for the basic even when you are in your worst situation. Only when you start to accept the situation, you may begin to learn new things and eventually, excel in it. As for me, I am quite an introvert person, I may sometimes be seen as an unfriendly person. Communication is one barrier which I always think I am not good in it. I tend to think too much before speaking up my mind. This led to many chances lost in my life. After working and executing this project, I learnt to speak up slightly more to strangers. I realised that when it comes to communication, language is such a minor thing to even think about it. I would start talking to the foreign workers working in my neighourhood.

 

7. What did you gain or what are the strengths/weaknesses/ differences & responses to learning that does not follow the conventional path of lecture/ tutorial and studio practice: learning by creating experiences beyond the classroom? a. how did you feel about creating a project where there was to clear path to follow–where you had to develop a unique path?

There are both advantages and disadvantages of not following the conventional path of lecture/tutorial and studio practice. The advantages are I would get more exposure to the outside world as this is not able to learn or teach in class. Interacting with people and listening to their real life stories and experiences is one thing that cannot be taught in class. There is no way anyone would live the same life as another person. Listening to other’s experiences and stories, can help me reflect back the things I did in the past. It will influence me in wanting and working on a better life in the future. However, as for the disadvantages, it is quite confusing in wanting to know the criteria for doing this project or any other future projects where there is no clear path to follow. I may eventually do something that is irrelevant for the project. When this really do happened, I would be panic and may bring in a not up to standard kind of work. Overall, this is a really interesting project to work on as it really depends on my creative and innovative to come up with different ideas to best suit the theme of this project.

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Nightscapes

Assignment 5: Nightscapes

#1 Photo Taking

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This is a photo of the water ripples taken at the ADM. The lights are reflected into the water and formed this beautiful water ripples, making it looks like there is a dancing performance in the water.

 

#2 Night painting

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I used various different colours such as yellow, green, white and blue to create the reflection of lights at the top of the painting.

 

#2 Paper cut

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In this paper cut, I use some cardboard to bring out the texture of the water ripples, allowing the viewers to look closer at them. I used more of white in the top of this paper cut. Making it looks a bit like the clouds rather than the reflected water ripples. The background can be seen as painted in circles. It may be seen as the winds and thunderstorm. If you are able to relate and see this paper cut this way, the water ripples in the middle of the paper cut will look like it is raining.

Lino Cut

Assignment 4: Lino Cut

#1 Pig is working hard in the field

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In this first lino cut, the pig is alone outside in the field. It is working very hard. Despite the tiredness from working in the field everyday, it still has a wide smile on its’ face.

 

#2 Pig is cooked to make curry

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This is a scene when the pig is being killed and put up on the fire pit waiting to be barbecue and becomes the owner’s dinner. In this second piece of lino cut, I focus more on the fire pit. I want to give it an old and rundown texture of the fire pit. This will give the viewers an impression that the owner really did not care about the pig and he only believe what the dog has said.

 


An owner sent his dog and his pig to his field.

Because of this, the pig was working hard in the field throughout the whole day.

Even though that was the case, the dog (was) sleeping and just relaxing, and at the time of returning to the village, the dog went and repeatedly trampled over all the work that the pig had done.

And then when the pig returned, she said “Today, without working (in) the field”,

“[Dog] just spent the whole day resting.”

And the dog said “That’s a lie!”

“She did nothing.”

“Only I worked”, she said.

And then Grandfather, the owner, said “If that is the case, then tomorrow we will go and look at the footprints together.”

And since the dog had completely trampled over the footprints of the pig, only the dog’s footprints were there.

Because of that, [the owner said] “As for this pig, it will be made the fine” [i.e. used to settle vI’llage court cases].

When people fight, on reaching a judgement, [a pig] would be eaten.

And after it is killed, it is to be eaten up.

When the pig sees the sky, that is the time that it dies [ moral of story: by the time the stupid pig sees the light, ie wakes up to things and what is actually going on, he gets killed]. The explanation was that the pig does not see the sky until it is laid on its side, in preparation to be slaughtered. That is the time at which it comes to appreciate its situation.

And as for the dog, [the owner said] “Ah, only you will be kept in the house.”

And as for the pig, it is used to make curry.

The dog has come to be treated very well.

Thus Dog by her cunning caused the footprints of Pig to be completely trampled.