Osaka Day 3 Updates

It just gets better !

We started off the day by attending an interesting talk by Researchers in Koc University, Turkey on how the education system in the country has become politicized by people in the decision making body. In the name of westernization, the authority began to implement a slew of meaures which tried to mimic a more westernized style of education in Turkey. For instance, the researchers shared that there was a time when the Education Ministry banned students from learning Turkish music so that students could learn western music. One of the negative outcomes of such an action was that overtime, the researchers found that students' moral values began to go downhill. From his sharing, we gained insight on how bad political involvement in decision making relating to Education would possibly degrade an education system.



We also attended another interesting talk by an academic, Dr Retno Muljani, from Sanata  Dharama University, Indonesia .Her interesting sharing touched on how students could be trained as effective museum guides through a set of structured approach which includes integrating what they have learnt with real life participation, a term called ,"Participatory Approach".

                                                         Dr Retno Muljani, Sanata  Dharama University, Indonesia

The most memorable highlight of today's programme was a visit to Miho Museum, reputed to be one of the best museums in the whole of Japan. Located high in the pristine Shigaraki mountains of central Japan, the Miho Museum expresses both the vision of the Japanese Shumei spiritual community and the talent of renowned Chinese-American architect, I.M. Pei (http://www.pcf-p.com/a/f/fme/imp/b/b.html) , whose works include the glass pyramid of the Louvre Museum in Paris , the East Wing of the National Gallery in Washington D.C as well as the 52 storey OCBC centre in Singapore. The museum is a perfect balance of art, architecture and the natural world, sound, spirit, and space.

For the two uninitiated boys who knew nuts about history , we were in for a treat as Mr Chua personally brought us through the various artefacts and collections found in the galleries. We gained much knowledge from his introduction and explanation of the Museum's collections ranging from Buddhist art, ceremonial art, ceramics and the art of the ancient world. Both Spencer and myself were deeply inspired by the trip and we are begining to acquire an appreciation for the Arts and the Museum.

The Osakan Boys present ," In tune with Nature", Miho Museum, Kyoto

                                     Miho Museum is located high in the pristine Shigaraki mountains
                                                                                  of central Japan,Kyoto

                  In the main hall, we saw this captivating scene where the concept of "Shakkei" or "borrowed landscape" is used to incorporate views of a pine tree and the distant mountains into the building that provides the scenic framework to reach peace and spirituality. Not that Spencer and I are experts, but Mr Chua gave us a lesson on this.

        We also learnt what a Fresco painting is about (Any of several related mural painting types

executed on plaster on walls or ceilings (Seen here: Garden Fresco)

We learnt that this is called a Mosaic , whereby small fragments of stone or glass are arranged to create a picture. One of the primary forms of architectural decoration in ancient Rome, mosaics were used on the walls and ceilings of palaces and aristocratic homes.