Dreamy Adventure in Chatango land

I read the email from Alex quite late this afternoon, and he suggested to use Chatango for our chat. I know at that hour, all my group members must be busy with their own work, therefore I came back home early and try to set it up. By the I finished preparing the group chat window, it was 6.15pm, quickly SMS them and asked them to use the link to do the chatting at 8pm.

We should have use the SKYPE to do the chatting, rather than being so adventures and daring to use Chatango, I apologised to those who felt that way. Anyhow, I will try to help Elaine in order to connect to it.

Shaylee started here:

Oh er..r...r.., what a beautiful day...... smell fresh too...
(Like always, I wanted the day to be beautiful and fresh - even I have to attend to a rude doctor today with a smiling face - I wiped that out and put in a beautiful day - why must I put a beutiful day and not a bad/stormy/day?)


Crest - i am scare what it all that smoke......
This happen when Shaylee saw "Shapeshifer" entry, she got a shock to see it in and trying to picture the role coming in a smoke. Scare = still have the feeling of the teacher and the student complex.

I must cling to Crest cape, that will make me comfortable. Fidget: why are you crying, do you want my handky.?
Everytime when in a new surrounding I am always get uneasy, confuse and I need something to hold me to the ground, that is part of me. That is why, automatically Shaylee reached for the cape to give me the shield, protection and the security.

Exodusor : Why are you standing there? I am sure you have some wise thought to help too.
Shaylee felt uncomfortable to know that Exodusor was stand out of the group, like always I like to bring ppl into the group, to make them feel welcome.

Exodusor: Yeah I quite like to day dream, so sorry if I assume that you from then.
Exodusor: Sorry if I am mistaken, beause I saw you angryly mumbling away.
I do not know why Shaylee apologised, maybe in realtime it is my natural, I do not like to offend people or make people get angry, I will feels very bad if I know that I have done something wrong to them. Can anyone help to decode this......?

Despite that we set the protocol, and yet the senerio in the Chatango land was very confusing, every character tries to talk at once, Shaylee was like running round and round to look at people who is talking. Suddenly,she thought that Skysaver was not in and suddenly he was there. Fidget was very fast, Shaylee need to run to keep up with her storyline. Shaylee do not know why that she have to cling on to Crestmaiden.
Shaylee knows that everybody is friendly, except for Exodusor he was so cold, that is why she tries very hard to melt his heart. (I need ppl to help me to look through this reflection. help).... confuse.

1st session into role using 'Shaylee'

After taken the potion prescribed by my doctor for my knee and I encountered the side effect of – dizziness, nausea, sweating – quickly referred the Mims (which is the dictionary of medicine) oh mine, why hah my doctor didn’t tell me....
But mustn’t let down my team mate, must go on to do the chat in our role.
Mary was not well too.

I felt very strange when I was into the role. Firstly, when arrived into the scene, we introduced our selves. I felt uneasy, when we can’t see each other, we do not know who is talking to whom. Who is directing the question to whom? At one time, I was directing the question to Mary and she did not know that, so I need to describe the costume that she is wearing, only that she knows that I am talking to her.

Since there was no script, it was very hard but when we got the hang of it, we just flowed using by. We also have multiple conversation, how erh? We need to find a way to stop to let the person talking to finished then we continue.

Next session will be on Monday 31, May. Time : 8.30pm-9.30pm.

Chapter 1 - Facilitating Play with Non Player (Longer version of my review)

Chapter 1
Facilitating Play with Non-Players
A Developmental Perspective – Eleanor C. Irwin

Dramatherapy = using drama to nurse, serve and cure.

Most of the drama therapist work toward the general goal:
1. Facilitating imaginative play at the highest possible level,
2. Strengthening self control and affect regulation;
3. Helping individuals put feelings and behaviours into words.

Not all children and adults can play – they are called non-players who cannot be spontaneous, symbolise thoughts, feelings, and engage with others in an imaginative way (social).

Inability to play is the result of congenital, environmental or developmental difficulties.

Doing Dramatherapy to children which is non-player will be better understood through an examination of attachment theory, research into the development of object relations and affect regulation.

These will help the drama therapist navigate navigate worrisome therapeutic paths more clearly, comfortably, especially those dangerous areas which may get stuck in transference/counter transference.

Dramatherapy offer s valuable help tin diagnosis and treatment, this is where individuals will tell or pour out their personal or make up stories. They will become their script playwrights, actors, directors, set or scene designers. In it the therapist will see the children’s fantasies, preoccupations and defences unfolding.

Drama therapy stimulates language and cognitive development. In the drama, the child is asked to express, elaborate ideas, sustain attention, focus on themes and sub themes, negotiate with other on their needs and wishes. It also encouraged the child to use language to control and understand his affective life.

This chapter as I see it,
Encourage drama therapist to not let go and to continue to work with individuals both players and non-players which were the hardest and time consuming group to give therapy to. But nevertheless, these non-players in fact needed the patient, sensitivity attempts from the therapist to understand and help, using her/his empathic way. Only by this way that the barriers created will be knocked down and trust will be build instead and the healing process will emerge. In order to success in this, a drama therapist also needs to familiarise on the theories of child development and also the attachment patterns.

Chapter 1 - Facilitating Play with Non-Players

Chapter 1 intention is to encourage drama therapist not to let go and to continue to work with individuals both players and non-players which were the hardest and time consuming group to give therapy to. But nevertheless, these non-players in fact needed the patient, sensitivity attempts from the therapist to understand and help, using her/his empathic way. Only by this way that the barriers created will be knocked down and trust will be build instead and the healing process will emerge. In order to success in this, a drama therapist also needs to familiarise on the theories of child development and also the attachment patterns.

My reflection:
This chapter gave me the insight on how to give therapy to non-players, which I have not came across, mind me, I have only began with my 1st client. It also prepared me what to expect if I have this kind, at least I will not be totally drown and lost. I also understand better now on what is mutism, like was present in Timmy case. Mutism does not mean will be a long life sickness, it is a matter of time when he/she will utter the 1st word, like in Timmy case.
I also must arm myself in depth with the theories of child development, so as to be able to help to heal the players.

Online Tutorial Write up - 19 May 2010 (con'd)

Useful learning question from the floor:
Can we un write our script?

Nope, we can only re-construct and create but we can’t un write sometime that is already there.

Will people find us eccentric?
In the role that was given to you, eccentric is part and parcel of who and what we are, because we can be flexible and at the same time we can be silly. We got the role flexibility that can be silly when we chose to be and can be serious when we chose to be that means by self-possession.

(Like at the workshop, Alex asked us to act in the Magical Room, acted out the behaviour which was not us, I acted a swaying movement, talked also different – the above question also popped up in me, will people see me as CRAZY)

Our role do not determine us, we are in procession of the role we play. Wherelse if the role is in possession of us, unaware, then we are the prisoner of the role to that script.

We can’t un write but we can re-create all the time – new roles and new experiences. When re-create the new role we will experience the new roles – means it challenging you. For example, when we are at that time, depressed, the only role to play is to be in depress, so people see us as depressed and label us - Depressed – anticipate us as depressed, therefore we played our role.

Online Tutorial Write up - 19 May 2010 (con'd)

In the process of me into the role:

 How do I take onto the role,
 Make it believable for myself and to other,
 Projecting into the role (Projection happen – one part is conscious and the other part is unconscious = it is me and it is not me, sometimes when it make one feels alien)
 Engage into the role, live with it.

Reflection on creating my avatar:

I set out creating Shaylee, consciously but it does have a heavy element of my unconscious (after heard what Alex said at our), I have created the unconscious social culture – gender, symbols, and etc.

I choose to set it up in the “fairyland”, I can easily follow others by choosing an avatar that is a superhero. Why? Maybe I was exposed in my teen in reading fairies book, it was kept in my unconscious, and when I have the chance it just came out, to experience the fantasy lives, the beauty, to feel the fantasy freedom of roaming in the fairyland. Now, the test will be how far can or willing to go to explore the inner world.

During my schooldays, I envied all my schoolmates who were in the drama society, every now and then there will be a drama showing. Those days, I was not so brave hearted you see to jump into the wagon, drama society was no-no to my group (we are from the last 2 classes) drama society was only for the ‘Good’ classes. There were no teachers who will encourage us to join. I hope this is not the scenario now in the school, drama does helps a lot for the children.

In this Dramatherapy module I am given an opportunity to play different role or to experience what is like to play another role. The challenge is there will be no script given to us.

Online Tutorial Write up 19 May 2010

Cheng: Green Tie
Melinda: Little Girl in Blue
Alex: boy in purple shirt
Ding I Ling: skateboat
Mary Chuah: tongkat
Seok Binn: the mother in red dress
Elaine: the glasses
Phaik Nee: The green doll


I was the little girl. When Alex asked us to generate questions and say a little about the object. It just came to me this pharse, "Hurray, 12345 Once I caught a fish alive, daddy not going to fishing instead we are going Queensbay".

Since I am not in the hot seat, here are some of the questions I would like to ask the little girl.

1. Who is your best friend in this picture?
2. Do you go everywhere with Little Kitty?
3. I see you are wearing a pinafore, is that your school's uniform? Did you just dissmissed from school?
4. Since this looks like an outting, can I know what is the occassion?
5. If you are given a chance, who will you go for comfort when you are sad?

My ritual for de-role.

Ooophs, I am Melinda, mother of 2 and no longer the little girl.

Below is my object similar to what I am using to de-role, it is a pinky japanese lucky cat with a bell attached to it. I will also ring the bell.

Dear all, please welcome Shaylee my avatar

Profile of Shaylee

Name of Character
My name is Shaylee; I was named after the Fairy Princess of the Forest. I am the descended race of the elves and fairy.

Nick Name
Momo short form for Mong-mong cha-cha because when I am day dreaming everything will goes wrong. My friends called me blur-blur.

Age
Our race is ageless. Our branch of race were looked upon as youthful and beautiful, but not me. I have been told by most I am beautiful from inside out.

Gender
Female

Height
5’ 6” in human size, and when in circumstances I can changed into size of insects or into the size of buttercups and daisies so that I can hide under toadstools when there is danger. We can also change into tiny beings that delighted the eye but were impossible to catch.

Weight
70kg in human weight, but when I am tiny it will be weightless.

My History
I am a supernatural creatures with wings, has an extremely long life, known to possess magical powers such as the ability to fly and cast spells (but we are forbidden to use our spells until when we need to and the term used PRN – use when necessary or else our Supreme Council has the power to revoke our spells and this will make one feels despair or like one having toothless)
Our races are known to have connections to the human world, the deadland as well as the heaven. Our old Wisemen have the ability to move freely in and out of the heavens, the earth and the underworld. As for the human world only on occasionally like during celebrations of Christmas, Halloween and Grievance.
I always carried my purple bag fills full with food, fruits and medication in my in case of emergency. I am also very forgetful that is why the Invisible Book of Magical Spells is also in my hand so that I can refer to, it can only be read by me and invisible to others.

Abode (Where do you live)
I live with my family in the mystical forest called the Valley of Forbidden Shadow. We make home in a beautiful big and high tree, where the top almost reaches the heaven.

Likes
Pollen of flowers, morning dews, crunchy green vegetation and fruits that grow int the forest and also beside the spring and river.
Fly with the fireflies at night, makes one feels so magical in the forest. Sit on the eagle back and let it brings me high-high up the sky, let the wind brush pass me with force.

Dislikes
Bullying from the arrogant fairies and unkind fairies. I also dislikes weather like in the thunderstorm, heavy rains, storms and very hot.
Closed dark chamber like in the caves.

My relationships to others
Friendly, concern, helpful, makes other happy. Most of my friends said that I am easy going person.

Abilities
I can cast spells when I need to, enter into others dream. I possess a magical pink/purple crystal which was passed to me by my ancestors, it will help me to change shape and also make me invisible to others. I can also add on body parts like if I wanted to go under the water I can add on gills on to my face and also web leg like the frog.

Weaknesses
I am too kind hearted and I listen to other pouring out their sorrows and this sometimes make me sad and I need a long time to go back to normal. Everybody to me is a good being, but sometimes my personal friends said that I cannot differentiate the good and the bad. That is why everytime I will get hurt after the true comes to the surface.

How can my character be extinguished or killed off?
When laughter, love, kindness, happiness and joys cease.

Therapeutic Use of Dramatic Role Playing - 8th May 2010

Drama therapy – what is drama therapy?
If I have not participated in the earlier Creative Arts Therapy Workshop series, I would expect more from Alex. I would expect him to teach me how to act in a drama, which I think I can see on the faces from some of the participants, my apologies Alex.

A group of kindergartens’ teacher were having their own agenda half way through and they have indeed expected Alex to teach ways to act in a drama. A group of arts teachers were waiting for Alex to give them clue on how to act in a drama and so for. A group of students are nodding away half way through on the theory side. That is my observation and might not be others view point.

I have bought in 4 HELP students into this workshop and after that I was asked by one, why is there no notes or handouts, we actually paid RM150. I told them this is the way Alex have his workshop, it is supposed to be an Action Learning Set, where a group of people brought together to analyze and to develop an action plan. It is a form of learning by doing. (Anyway, since they are not continuing further into this module, Alex would you like to share some notes with them for their further learning? It will be great help for them in future.)

Myself I am enjoying throughout especially during the acting in the magical room. The actions just came out from inside of me, and I just play on. It was fun to play the part of rabbit in The Rabbit and The Lion.

What is Drama therapy? (From Introduction to Drama therapy – Sue Jennings foreword by Clare Higgins)
Drama therapy is the application of theatre art in clinical, remedial and community settings with people who are troubled or unwell. It is necessary in a way as a transformative medium for people who are clinically ill, damaged or vulnerable.
The methods include movement, voice, dance, theatre games, role play, improvisation, text work, puppets and masks. The client groups can use verbal and non-verbal expression and resolution within a dramatic or story structure.

My unanswered questions:
1. Can I use drama therapy in children with no verbal, mutism and autism?
2. Is drama therapy same as group therapy? How?
3. How many session to see result?

Lastly, just wanted to share with you this video from YouTube, and it is very interesting. I thought that drama is supposed to be dull, dialog and etc, but less expected that it can be in the form of latest popular form - GLEE or High school musical. Hehehe.