SENIOR SCHOOL
The Rainbow Troops – an Indonesian perspective
My Year 11 English class was fortunate enough to host the visit of
two members of Murdoch University’s Indonesian society to take part
in discussions and hear their perspective on Indonesia’s best-selling
novel, The Rainbow Troops.
As part of the new ATAR English syllabus, students are expected to
understand that there can be different perspectives on various issues
and ideas. They are encouraged to read texts from and about Asia
and to listen and be aware of different viewpoints. They are also
required to understand how their context or someone else’s context
can shape opinions.
The novel follows the childhood journey of the narrator who attends
a run-down school in a remote and poorer area of Indonesia on
Belitong Island. The author, Andrew Hirata, grew up on the island
and we discover that the narrator, Ikal is actually Hirata reminiscing on
his own experiences.
Elisabeth Aryanti and Adhi Praptono were kind enough to come in
and participate in a panel discussion with the boys about the issues
raised in the novel regarding education, equality and poverty but also
hope and opportunity. Discussions ranged from how areas wealthy
in natural resources can provide for communities in a fairer way
and how important it is to have access to good education, which
is something that students in Australia can take for granted. The
discussion also ranged to why the novel was so popular in Indonesia
and comparisons of how education is seen in both Indonesia and
Australia. Students took it in turns to lead the discussions and share
their own ideas but also asked questions of Adhi and Elisabeth to hear
their opinions and make some notes.
Elisabeth and Adhi commented afterwards on the maturity of
students’ responses to the novel and how they had begun to have an
adult level of response to the issues it contained. The boys were also
given a much deeper understanding of the complex and varied nature
of Indonesia. For many students, it was very beneficial to have this
deeper perspective about Indonesia beyond the stereotypical tourist
experience of Bali or the short segments we often see in our news
media.
Thanks again to Elisabeth and Adhi for their time away from work
and postgraduate study. I am very grateful to them both for making
the commitment to come in and talk to the boys to offer their unique
perspective.
Mr Ben Nilsson
Head of English Faculty
Chinese Spring Festival Lion Dance
The most important festive and cultural event in the
entire Chinese festive calendar is the Lunar New Year,
commonly known as the Spring Festival, which is celebrated
for fifteen days. This year, the Chinese Lunar New Year ran
from 19 February until 5 March.
On Wednesday 25 February, the tenth day of Chinese
New Year, both the Preparatory and Senior School
students had the wonderful opportunity to watch the
Pak Mei Yaolin Kong Fu Association Lion Dance troupe
performing the loud and exciting Lion Dance during the
Wednesday school assembly.
The Lion Dance performance is a highly entertaining,
visually stimulating and culturally significant dance in
celebration of Chinese New Year. In a Lion Dance, two
dancers form the body of an ornate cloth lion. To the heavy
beat of gongs and drums, the lion prances, displaying
remarkable acrobatics with eyeballs rolling, tongue
flapping, jaws clacking and bells tinkling. The highlight of
the performance is usually at the end when the voracious
lions shove the “Hong Bao” or red packet with money
down its throat and are pacified.
We thank the Pak Mei Yaolin Kung Fu School for their wonderful
performance, in particular their troupe members Jayden Huynh (9He),
Wei Ngo (8St) and Daniel Huynh (Year 3) who are also Guildford
Grammar School students!
Mr James Cheah
Head of Languages Faculty
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