Public Address | Cafe | Random Play: About blooming time . . .

Islander

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:31:30 +1200

My mother & myself have tried twice to get to the Orkneys Jackie, and each time we were thwarted by the weather...not for the gathering, just to be in Kirkwall, where there are apparently still relations.

There are several marvellous archaeological sites that I would also've liked to have seen. Aue,…

Jackie Clark

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 06:49:10 +1200

I read an article not too long ago about the yearly gathering of Orkney originated people from all over the world. It sounds fascinating. Have you never done it, Islander? Just your bag, I think.

Islander

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 23:28:30 +1200

Excellent- thanks Kyle!

It was that whole swash of migrants – Hebrideans, Shetlanders Orcadians – from about the 1860s onwards to here- that was part of our history I am enamoured of-

Kyle Matthews

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 22:46:58 +1200

On that note, Islander, do you know of any books on Orkney or Shetland immigration to NZ? It seems like North Otago and Otago more generally was quite a popular destination for immigration from those islands.

There's a thesis been or being written on this topic at the University of…

Kumara Republic

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 09:37:40 +1200

We seem to be moving towards what the Japanese education system is moving away from. What next, cram schools?

Ross Mason

Sun, 04 Jul 2010 21:20:16 +1200

Late bloomers may not be able to hit University so easily in the future if the gummint has its way...

Islander

Sat, 03 Jul 2010 13:06:45 +1200

Ben Austin – I dont know of any books, but there are quite a few chapters and articles on Orkney & Shetand migration to Otago. I'm headed south next week – I'll do some checking. I have some Matches cousins who are immersed in their histories & genealogy-

almost all the street…

Jackie Clark

Sat, 03 Jul 2010 09:29:50 +1200

My mother likes to tell the story of how when I was 3, she started using those flashcards (yes, apparently they had them, even in the mid 60's) with me. They lasted about 10 mins according to her. I wasn't having any of it. And I went on to become…

Ben Austin

Sat, 03 Jul 2010 06:04:05 +1200

On that note, Islander, do you know of any books on Orkney or Shetland immigration to NZ? It seems like North Otago and Otago more generally was quite a popular destination for immigration from those islands.

Islander

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 20:51:27 +1200

My Nanna, born in ANZ but Orkney in origin, had a pithy wee saying: "You stop learning and you start dying."
She left school at 12 (she was eldest and there were 6 siblings.)
She and her husband, a most lovely & lovesome Kai Tahu man, revered books. And practical knowledge.…

Grace Dalley

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 20:33:54 +1200

The Creative Hub sounds fantastic — I hope it's a roaring success.

I've always found it odd that most people consider their learning to be over when they leave high school/uni/polytech. As if there was nothing further they needed to know.

BenWilson

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 21:18:03 +1200

Col Sanders didn't even start KFC until he was 70!

Islander

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 20:00:58 +1200

I went to primary school knowing how to read & write & draw in a non-toddler fashion – but I was extremely shortsighted, which wasnt picked until I was 7.

The damage was done – I hated teachers who didnt understand, thought I was cheating (somehow-?) and – especially -those who derided…

Ian MacKay

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 17:45:47 +1200

My eldest son wrote nothing right through Primary School yet he was passionate about books. As a late bloomer he would have been classed as Fail Fail Fail. He has now completed an Honours Degree at Canterbury and is now onto Law in Auckland.
The political belief when interfering in…

BenWilson

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 15:40:22 +1200

Fairly sure Leo was a Tiger. It was my son's favorite library book earlier this year, and I distinctly remember it from my own childhood. Nice message, and something I constantly see happening in reality.

The thing I think is always worth remembering about any standards system is that there…

Millycent

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 15:34:45 +1200

Hey Graham,

I haven't thought of Leo the Late Bloomer for years and years, it was one of my faves. I must have a dig around in some boxes to see if I still have my copy. This was always the one book that had to be in the mix…

Robyn Gallagher

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 15:30:27 +1200

I had Leo the Late Bloomer as a child! Mum had bought it at the enthusiastic recommendation of an aunt, but later realised that the book had been more beneficial to the aunt than to my allegedly "late blooming" cousin, or me and my bro.

I just thought it was…

giovanni tiso

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 13:43:59 +1200

I'd add that early bloomers are hardly guaranteed to do well either. I taught myself to read and write at four, was considered some sort of frigging genius through primary school, then almost crashed out of intermediate school, did averagely in high school and ended up graduating at 30.

Joanna

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 13:41:21 +1200

ASIJ... pfft. You should have gone to ISSH.

Wasn't that a boys' school? Mum always threatened that if I ever called her "Mom" she'd stick me into Catholic school, but that was never going to happen. My parents are more atheist than me!

JackElder

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 13:39:27 +1200

American School in Japan

ASIJ... pfft. You should have gone to ISSH.

Joanna

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 13:34:30 +1200

A vaguely related story about so-called late blooming:

I was always considered smart in the NZ schooling system, so it was somewhat of a shock when I got to the American School in Japan, and firstly was told I needed to go into Fourth Grade at age 10 (when I…

Cecelia

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 13:23:53 +1200

That's a lovely post, Graham and just goes to show how flawed the 'national standards' model is. We all grow at different rates ...

Public Address

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 13:23:53 +1200

Discussion from blog post.