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GIS celebrates annual International Day
GIS has students and teachers
from an amazing 38 countries.
Janette Oracion
Students, parents and teachers enjoyed an activity-filled
International Day at Garden International School (GIS) Rayong on Friday,
February 3.
GIS has students and teachers from an amazing 38
countries. The day began with HM the King’s anthem, followed by the flags of
each nation being paraded in a special ceremony. Students then came to the
stage to stand for their respective national anthems.
The morning continued with a quiz in the main hall for
Years 6-10 and various ‘international’ activities, including Thai cookery,
‘World Cup’ football and British pub games.
Foundation held their own activities to celebrate
different nationalities and cultures, while primary undertook a ‘passport’
activity.
In the evening, a range of international dishes was
offered as parents, students and teachers joined to celebrate the day. A
special show was held in the main hall which featured performances from all
over the world, from Spanish dancing to Russian singing. The main hall was
packed with parents and teachers who enjoyed another amazing show from the
GIS students.
Filipinos standing proud as
they sing their national anthem.
One of the spectacular
performances during the evening show.
In the morning activity, Mr.
Andrew Gordon teaches Scottish dance to the students.
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Marco Luly workshop on Commedia Dell’arte at Regent’s School
Fern Maxwell
Commedia dell’Arte, “comedy of craft”, is a form of
theatre originating in Italy in the 16th century, consisting of performances
based on the improvisation of sketches or scenarios where the actor wears a
mask and performs a scene. The characters of the commedia usually represent
stereotypical characters such as servants, masters and lovers.
Showing emotions through
movement.
In early February, Marco Lully, an actor, director and
theatre teacher, visited the Regent’s School in order to present a workshop
on Commedia dell’Arte. He taught year 10 and 11 drama GCSE groups as well as
ten students from the International School of the Eastern Seaboard (ISE) the
basic techniques needed to perform physical theatre in the Commedia style.
Marco Lully stated that in order to portray a character,
we must become the character. We do this by changing our physicality. Each
person will have a different offstage posture. However, once onstage we must
alter this in order to become a different character. We can do this by
changing the way we walk, by using a different leading point in our body as
well as the pace, and the status of the character. During the workshop,
Marco Lully teaches us how to stand neutrally by balancing our weight
between our left and right leg. By adopting the neutral standing position,
we are able to shift our weight across our body to walk in a particular way.
Commedia dell’Arte employs masks, but this does not
necessarily mean that just wearing a mask makes the actor automatically
become a different character. Mr Lully demonstrated this to the group by
teaching us the stereotypical stances of a servant and a master. For a
master, the character walks slowly with big strides and poise with their
chin up and their chest out, whereas for a servant, the posture would be
more withdrawn. They would take smaller steps and scamper after their master
while bowing their heads and hunching their backs.
Mr. Lully shares his
expertise with drama students.
In Commedia dell’Arte, it is important to make sure the
audience understands what is happening in the scene. Mr Lully showed this
through the use of exaggeration and miming. Gibberish is also used, because
speech is less meaningful than movement. Through exaggerated movements, the
audience can clearly fathom what the actor is trying to portray in the
scene. Commedia’ dell’ Arte relies on the audience reaction; it is comedic
physical theatre in which the actor interacts with the audience.
These were some of the things we learnt in the Mr Lully’s
fascinating workshop. We also learnt about the masks used in commedia
dell’arte, which are mostly half-masks with a neutral expression, so the
actor has to portray the feelings of the characters themselves though their
physicality and facial expressions such as mockery, sadness, gaiety,
confusion and so forth. Everyone in the workshop had a go at becoming a
servant or a master and wearing the masks, allowing us to explore the
differences between these two roles.
The workshop was very educational, but it was also a lot
of fun!
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It’s time again for Bikes 4 Tykes
with Germany
Rick Bevington spends about 6 months of the year in
Pattaya away from his native Canada, giving his time freely to help
various charities like Hand to Hand, Mercy Centre and many others.
But, as we all know, December is a busy time for
Santa Claus, for this is the time Rick assumes his well known role of
the ageless Father Christmas. During this period there are hundreds of
children to meet and countless photographs to be taken.
But Rick gets confused about this time of the year,
for although he discards his red cloak and the beard has disappeared, he
is still in giving mode for this is the time for Bikes 4 Tykes.
It was 2004 that Rick started his scheme donating
just 4 bicycles to deserving children. Pattaya Sports Club came on board
a year or two later, and the numbers have increased. This year 31 bikes
will be presented to students at School #7 and School #4.
With the teachers’ help, a number of students are
selected to receive a bicycle based on the child coming from a poor
family, is unable to afford a motorcycle and may, therefore, have many
kilometres to walk to and from school every day. The other requirement
is that the cycles are awarded for achievements in their school work,
again decided by the teachers.
Before they are presented, Rick virtually takes them
apart and makes sure that everything is working as it should and is safe
to ride. In addition, they receive a helmet and padlock and are urged to
be very careful and observe the rules of the road.
Pattaya Sports Club is delighted to help Rick
continue with this scheme for we are aware that he is looking for the
right models well before Christmas. In addition, PSC’s contribution does
not cover the entire cost of these machines. Rick’s contribution
monetarily and physically is astonishing.
Well done Rick.
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Nigel and Pattaya Sports Club visit Rak Puan
The new bunk bed arrives.
Occasionally, something out of the ordinary happens
which brings a big smile to your face. In December, Pattaya Sports Club
donated supplies to Ban Pak Rak Puan, an event that was reported in the
Pattaya Mail. I was on my way to have lunch with some friends
when I had a call from Nigel. I didn’t know him but he had seen the
articles in the newspaper and was so impressed that he made the decision
to help with a 10,000 baht donation for whatever was needed.
Nigel comes from Manchester and has been visiting
Pattaya for 12 years. Like many of us, after 6 years he realised the
benefits of living in Pattaya and stayed here.
Not being one to miss an opportunity to help those in
need, the funds were quickly spent on items that would make life a
little more comfortable for the residents of Rak Puan: soap, shampoo,
skin cream, fans. Everyday items that most of us take for granted.
Nigel and friends deliver
much needed supplies.
Our visit was warmly welcomed but it was pointed out
to us that the residents sleep on the floor thereby taking up valuable
floor space. They do have a bunk bed in the second house, which is
broken and cannot be used, so Nigel agreed to buy another and have the
existing one repaired if possible. The first step has been taken and the
new bunk bed was delivered and put together, not without the usual
problems, but these were solved with the help of large hammer.
As you can imagine, they were delighted with the gift
and at least two of them look forward to a good night’s sleep..
It would be remiss of me not to mention at this point
that if any reader has a bunk bed that is no longer being used, don’t
throw it away, let us relieve you of that responsibility. It will serve
a useful purpose in any number of places.
The funds are spent on
soap, shampoo, skin cream, fans - everyday items that most of us take
for granted.
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