Session with Dato’ Lat – 1 Nov 2009
Thanks to my friend Wai Leng and her hubby KV Soon, we were invited to meet the famous Dato Lat. Dato Lat is such an unpretentious person. So friendly and approachable. We were all so intrigued with his stories about his kampong life and his explanations on his drawings. The Q & A session was enlightening.
Dato Lat made it a point to meet up and talk to all the kids in the hall and gave pointers on their drawings.
My son, FS was very happy to meet up with this famous artist. (We have many Lat books at home). Dato Lat signed 2 of his drawings. A drawing with Lat’s signature as below.
Dato Lat gave lots of encouragement to the kids to draw as much as possible and he also gave tips on how to draw.
This session has ‘opened’ FS’s eyes that one has to practice and practice a lot to be able to draw as fast and as creative as Dato Lat. This can be seen when Dato Lat went around each table and demonstrated his drawing skills with so much ease.
All the kids drew something in a sketch book as a momento for Dato Lat. FS did a sketching of Lat’s cartoon as above – with Sarong the local touch. (Not bad considering the fact that FS had his index finger slammed in his dad’s car door just 2 hours before. Finger already swollen and blue black, so he had to hold the pencil with his 3rd finger) On the right he wrote “Public toilet. Best in Malaysia”. On the left, he wrote “‘First you take a bath and then only you take a photo” ???? There’s a camera in front of Lat’s picture. Camera with a stand if you take a closer look.
FS did his first sketch of a person whilst we were in Laos with friends. He took 10 minutes to complete his sketch. Not bad for a beginner, having witnessed Dato Lat doing caricatures of the kids.
Exposure is so crucial for our kids. If not for the session with Dato Lat, FS would not have considered doing live sketches even though we have asked him to do so a long time ago.
No guesses as to the national of his first human sketch as above. Such well done eyes and eyebrows, not forgetting the moustache and sharp nose.
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About
My name is Suet, a happily married lady with a very supportive husband staying in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. We have 2 school-going children.
We have an Indonesian maid who has been with us for 6 years, 2 dogs, birds, chickens, Koi and goldfishes. No more of the punky guinea pigs anymore (All died of old age). Photo below of maid washing figs (moh fah khor) to be made into fig jam. I planted 3 fig trees outside my garden.
We are surrounded by numerous luscious organic plants and trees. More than 20 fruit trees, vegetables and herbal plants are found in my garden.
Photos of fruits & flowers from my garden
In 1998, I volunteered to write the Minutes for one of CETDEM’s 2 days’ Organic Conference. From that meeting, I was ‘initiated’ into the world of organic farming – meeting and chatting with the farmers, retailers, Ministry and MARDI participants. After this conference, I signed up for CETDEM’s 2 days’ weekend organic course at Rimbun Dahan and never looked back.
I believe I am one of the very few organic kitchen gardeners in the city that does her own composting. I have 2 large compost bins (courtesy from my ever supportive husband – his machine crates from Italy) and all my kitchen waste and leaves from my garden and surroundings are used to make the compost. 
On top of using the chicken dung as fertilisers for my plants, I also make my own liquid fertilisers like fish amino acids and fruit and vegetable peelings.
I am a great supporter of the organic movement and will help Ms Tan(well-known as the mother of Organic Farming here) wherever I can in promoting the organic movement.
In 2001, I found out that my son has a learning disorder. STAR published my article titled “Children with reading problems” in March 2003 .
When my article was published, there were so many phone calls for the following 2 weeks that I had to take my phone off the hook for a few hours each day otherwise I would not have any rest. I am glad that my article has created lots of awareness amongst parents on dyslexia as there were not many articles written by parents then.
My son is presently in the Dyslexia Programme which was launched in June 2004. There are currently 30 schools earmarked with this Dyslexia Programme.
I am also the Secretary for my Residents Association and a Volunteer Librarian at a neighbouring temple.
All these activities keep me busy besides having to take care of hubby and the kids, not forgetting the 3 dogs, the birds, chickens and fishes. Then having to shoo away uninvited guests like the squirrels, iguanas, rats, etc…… not forgetting the humans who will conveniently take the fruits of my labour outside my garden. Sigh! that’s life….
Well, at least I am helping to green the earth and reduce waste through my organic ways.
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Recent
- “Friends” and “foes” in my organic garden
- Session with Dato’ Lat – 1 Nov 2009
- Fruits of my labour
- Pot of herbs and flowers
- bouquet of organic flowers
- line dancing – Bandar Sunway
- herb and flower basket
- Mien Kum – thai appetizer
- Foo Shearn’s drawings
- Bio dynamic farming (Qi farming)- 20 June 2009
- Singing at Brickfields temple- 28June 2009
- New Subang Centre – 15 April 2009
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