Social studies

For a while now I've been looking for good Social Studies videos for us to watch together as a family.  The idea is that we watch 15 minutes or so every day (typically while eating lunch), stopping and starting the videos and chatting together about the topics raised.

But the problem is that either they are "talking head" style, more suitable for teens/adults, or they try to be too "cool", with speedy graphics, silly jokes and fast talkers.  We want something somewhere in between, and that's not easy to find.

A year or so ago we got into Geography Now, which has a country-by-country approach where each 10-ish minute video looks at the main features of a single country (physical environment, people, flag, politics, history, etc).  And while it was both informative and fun (and Mulan and Miya enjoyed watching it), it was still a little too "cool/fast", meaning that I felt that a bit too much of it went over the heads of the kids.  So, I made an executive decision and looked elsewhere (for now).

Next we tried Khan Academy's history series, again watching it daily for several weeks.  We watched the ancient history stuff, and all learnt a lot from it.  But unfortunately, this was too much the other way -- too talking head-ish, and the kids grew to not like it so much.  This time it was Mulan and Miya who informed us that we should try something else.

Our latest find is Crash Course, which so far seems to be just right (though maybe slightly towards the "too fast" side).  Yesterday, we completed watching their World Mythology series, which we all greatly enjoyed and learnt a lot from.  (We chose this topic by a family vote, and we all think we chose well!)

We have also just started Crash Course's Games series (voted for by Mulan and Miya), and while interesting, it doesn't seem quite so good as the Mythology series.  Mostly, we are disappointed at the narrowness of topic.  One with a broad sense of history might expect it to be an examination of games in different societies throughout history, with maybe one or two videos on modern video/computer games.  But actually it is the other way around -- that is, it's mostly about modern video gaming, with just a few videos on the broader history.  Oh well, we are still continuing to watch it (I'm having fun reminiscing about the old games/machines, with plenty of stories of when Daddy was a little boy!).

Coromandel holiday

We've just got back from a six-day car trip to and around the Coromandel/Rotorua area.

Our car was fully loaded with seven people, as joining the four of us on the trip were Sanmei (Mama's cousin), her hubby and two-year-old son.  (Sanmei and family were here in New Zealand for a quick nine-day holiday.)

Day 1:
We left home on the morning of Friday the 12th of January, heading south.  Exiting the motorway at Takanini, we followed the coast road around the Firth of Thames, before stopping for lunch at Thames.

While at Thames, we had a quick look at the Thames School of Mines and Mineralogical Museum, though we didn't pay for the tour.  The gift shop had an interesting collection of rocks and fossils, which Mulan, Miya and I wandered through.

The coastal road from Thames to Coromandel town had been battered by the recent storm, and parts had either been washed away or covered with debris, meaning a slower than usual journey.  But at least the road was open by the time we went through, even if we did have to occasionally do stop-start convoys on single-lane stretches of road.  And while we didn't see any dead fish, some areas we passed through were strongly fishy smelly.

Our accommodation for the night was cabins at Oamaru Bay Tourist Park, and we arrived there just in time to check in and dump our bags before heading out again.

We were in a rush as we had booked tickets on the Driving Creek Railway, riding up the hill to the "Eyefull Tower" lookout for dinner.  The train journey and the sunset dinner were totally amazing, and very much worth it.

On the train ride down we even saw a few glowworms, though unfortunately just as we were travelling through the glowworm section Mulan discovered a giant stick insect in her hair and I was gently finding it in the dark without squashing it.

(There must be lots of big stick insects in the area as Mama also got one in her hair at the Tower, which we successfully repatriated to a nearby tree.)

We arrived back at our cabin to discover it like a furnace inside -- not pleasant to try to sleep in, and no fans supplied to cool things down.  But other than that the cabin was good.

Day 2:
Next morning after breakfast, Mulan, Miya and I walked several metres from our cabin to the beach for a quick swim before departing.

Our destination for the day was Whitianga, and we took the scenic (unsealed) 309 Road through the forest.  We had a couple of planned stops along the way, first at the Waiau Falls and then at the Waiau Kauri Grove, where we had lunch.  Both places were pleasant short walks.  We also had an unplanned stop at a wild pig herd, which the local farmers apparently feed.

Our accommodation for the night was On the Beach Backpackers Lodge, and it was probably the least good place we stayed at.  Sanmei's family stayed in a private room, but our family stayed in a four-bed dorm room, which, while livable, was uncomfortably small.

That afternoon we had our second swim of the day, at the beach across the road from the Lodge.

Day 3:
This was the busiest day for our family.

We (us four) had booked a dawn guided kayak tour to Cathedral Cove, but unfortunately they phoned us the day before to say it was cancelled due to strong winds.  Instead, they suggested a later time and alternate course closer into the bay, where it would be more sheltered.  Same price, and not nearly as scenic, nonetheless, with mixed feelings, we agreed to it.

At 8:30 am, we met our guide at the far end of Cooks Beach, where, after some initial instruction we were soon away into the water.  We had two double sea kayaks (plus our guide in a single kayak) -- Miya was with me and Mulan was with Mama.

From Cooks Beach we paddled towards Lonely Bay.  It started to rain a little as we got to the other end of Cooks Beach, but not too much and it soon cleared up again.  Just before Lonely Bay, we took a small detour into a blowhole in the cliffs.

Stopping at Lonely Bay for about 30 min, our guide prepared us hot drinks while the girls had a swim in the sea.  Then it was back in the kayaks for the final leg of our paddle, around the cliffs and into Flaxmill Cove.  From there, we jumped into the waiting ute where they drove us back to our car at Cooks Beach, arriving just before midday.  All in all a pleasant little paddle, and a nice intro to sea kayaking for the girls, but quite overpriced for what it was in the end.

Once back at our car, we immediately drove to the Ferry Landing, where we picked up Sanmei and family, who had caught the ferry across from Whitianga.  And then it was quickly on to Hot Water Beach to catch the hot water before the tide came in.

Sanmei and family decided that the Hot Water Beach was too hot (sunny), staying instead in the car while us four ate lunch at the beach and had a swim.

At 2:30 pm we had to move on, as Sanmei's family had booked a boat tour to Cathedral Cove, which departed from Cooks Beach.

Then, while Sanmei's family were boating to Cathedral Cove, we drove to Hahei Village where we picked up a shuttle bus to the start of the Cathedral Cove walk.  While it was a pleasant walk, we (and especially Mulan) were beginning to feel it was all a bit rushed.  We also felt that the track and beach were too crowded, making it overall, on balance, not quite as good as many other, less popular, bush/beach walks in New Zealand.

Then it was back to Cooks Beach to pick up Sanmei's family, before finally driving to our accommodation at Waihi, which we got to about 8 pm.  (Our accommodation for the night was an Airbnb four-bedroom house.)

Day 4:
From Waihi we drove via Tauranga to Mount Maunganui, where we had lunch in Mount Drury Reserve.  The kids had a pleasant play at the excellent playground, before having a quick look at the beach.

Driving via Papamoa, we headed towards Rotorua, for the final part of our holiday.

Our accommodation for the final two nights was at Jack and Di's Lodge, right on Lake Rotorua in Ngongotaha.  (This place was very close to where we stayed during our campervan trip during the winter of 2015.)   The owners of the Lodge were very friendly, and their little boy quickly made friends with Mulan and Miya.

That evening, Sanmei's family did the Maori Experience and dinner.

Day 5:
First up, in the morning we visited Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland.  Mama had visited this in 2004, when she first holidayed in New Zealand.  But I had never been there (usually we go to Whakarewarewa).

At Wai-O-Tapu, they induce the Lady Knox geyser to erupt every morning at 10:15 am, by dropping some chemicals down the hole.  And while it was good to see, somehow it loses something by not being quite so "natural".

After the geyser show we walked around the geothermal park, doing the "red" and "orange" walks, but not the "yellow" one as we had to leave at 12:30 pm.  The weather wasn't great during the walk, with it drizzly-raining most of the time.

I still feel that I prefer Whakarewarewa over Wai-O-Tapu, though Mama disagrees with me.  I think the difference is that Mama likes the wider, flat, open geothermal areas with the different colours, whereas I liked that Whakarewarewa is also a living village.

After Wai-O-Tapu, us four has the afternoon to rest around the Lodge, while Sanmei's family went to a Farm Show.  They were also going to go up the Rotorua Skyline and have dinner at the top, though changed their minds when Sanmei's jandals were rejected by the strict dress code at the restaurant.

Day 6:
Leaving Rotorua just before 9 am, we arrived in Matamata in time for the 10 am Hobbiton tour, which Sanmei's family had booked.

Upon arrival, we discovered that Miya would be free and Mulan would be $39.50, so the girls went on the tour as well.  And that meant that Mama and I got a few hours of couple-time together, walking in a park and up the main street, before they arrived back from Hobbiton.

Our final stop before Auckland and home was a property inspection at our Huntly investment property (which was all good).

---

In all, the costs for the seven of us were:
Accommodation:
   Coromandel: $310
   Whitianga: $300
   Waihi: $237.90
   Rotorua (2 nights): $623.30
Driving Creek Rail: $213
Kayak (4 people): $340
Boat Trip (3 people): $190
Cathedral Cove bus (4 people): $10
Maori Experience (3 people): $234
Wai-O-Tapu: $150
Farm Show (3 people): $57.60
Hobbiton (5 people): $197.50
Petrol: $150 (approx)
TOTAL: $3013.30

End of year overview

It's the end of the year, so time for a quick overview of what Mulan and Miya have been doing.

Ballet:
We changed to a new ballet teacher (Rowe Dance) at the beginning of the year, as the teacher we had been with for two years stopped.  Both Mulan and Miya are loving their classes, and, with exams in September and a show in December, ballet has become a big part of their lives.  For the past few months, in their free times at home, both girls have often been discussing and practicing dances together.

With the change of teacher also came a change in exam system, from Cecchetti to RAD.  Both girls were awarded Merit (Mulan Grade 4 and Miya Grade 1).  Mulan's score was at the high end of Merit, and she got the third highest exam score in the school.

It seems like Mulan will be starting Intermediate Foundation next year (as well as doing Grade 5), so we may be even more ballet-busy!  Miya will be in Grade 2.

Music:
This year, both girls have been learning three musical instruments each -- Mulan has recorder, flute and ukulele, while Miya has recorder, violin and ukulele (ukulele is with Yeye at home, while the other instruments are at Belmont Music Centre).

Mulan has been very lucky to have motivated classmates, as well as excellent teachers, at Belmont, and the music they play together is sounding really beautiful.  Miya has been less lucky with respect to motivated classmates, and classes have sometimes been a little frustratingly slow.

At the end of year concert last weekend, Mulan was awarded two Senior Prize medals for the recorder and flute.

Next year, both girls will continue with these same three instruments, and Mulan plans to also start a new instrument -- probably cello.

Swimming:
Both girls are continuing to make good improvements with their swimming at Swim Lovers' Swim School.  Mulan is doing well in all four strokes, and has learnt tumble turns this term.  Miya has become much steadier and stronger with her freestyle.  Both girls are trying out water polo, and this may turn out to be yet another sport for us next year.

Athletics:
The girls and I all join Takapuna Athletics Club over summer.  Both girls continue to make amazing improvements in their times and distances, often getting new PBs (personal bests) each week.

I am especially impressed by the girls' achievements in their field events.  Running is, to some extent, genetic luck with respect to how speedy one's muscles are.  But with the field events (at least at the local club level) a big part of it is whether the kids take the time to practice and learn good technique.  Three years ago, Mulan started out amongst the weakest throwers in her age -- now she comes a clear second each week in both shot put and discus.  This is entirely because she has worked at it.  She is also doing well in the jumps.  Miya is similarly doing extremely well.  At grade 7, this is her first year doing competitive field events, and most weeks she is winning both throws, thanks to her regular practice.

Gymnastics:
Both girls started gymnastics at the beginning of the year at the YMCA.  They have both made huge improvements in terms of strength, coordination and movement skills, and plan to continue next year.

Netball:
Mulan played netball over winter (terms 2 and 3) with the homeschoolers (HASCA), though unfortunately we couldn't find enough players to get a team together for Miya.  Both girls love playing, and are very competitive and active.

We'll probably contact the local schools next year, to see about playing for them instead of HASCA, as there are too many problems with getting together homeschooler teams, with a decent amount of time for practices.

Basketball:
Mulan attends a weekly basketball skills class at the YMCA, and in the first half of the year was in the homeschoolers (HASCA) basketball team.  We decided to stop the games (too busy!), but the classes are good and we will continue with them next year.

Mathematics:
Both girls continue to do a little maths every day (7 days a week, all year round), using Khan Academy.  They are both making steady improvements, at a level that is challenging but doable.  Mulan is about three quarters of the way through US 7th Grade, while Miya is just starting US 4th Grade, meaning they continue to be a couple of years ahead of their ages.

Typing:
Both girls are learning touch typing, doing a little most days at typing.com.  Both are now doing around 35 to 40 words per minute (full keyboard).

Coding:
Both girls have started learning coding (aka computer programming) through Khan Academy.  They are learning JavaScript, and are having fun making animations.  Mulan is getting the idea of more complex structures like functions and if statements, while Miya is happier to just work on shapes and text.

Reading:
Both girls find time to silently read during the day, often up to a couple of hours.  Miya is now comfortable reading chapter books (eg she has completed the Secret Seven series), and Mulan reads anything and everything.

I still like to read to the girls each evening before bed.  We are currently reading The Swiss Family Robinson.

History/Geography:
As a family, we irregularly watch YouTube videos on history and geography.  The problem is, we are still trying to find something suitable -- some are too "adult" (or at least teenager), with talking heads and dry information, while others try to be too "fun" and end up being too loud and chaotic.

Gardening:
Over summer, the girls (with the help of Nainai) do the family vegetable garden.  Miya is especially interested in raising the plants.  They have got lots of tomatoes, bok choi, apple cucumber, and kale.  They have also got swan plants and supposedly five metre tall sunflowers, which are about 15 cm tall so far.  They are planning to put in capsicums and courgettes.

Sewing:
Both girls also do weekly sewing lessons with Nainai.  They are learning the basics of repairing clothes, as well as knitting, crocheting, etc, etc.

Chinese:
Both girls are continuing their Chinese studies with Mama, though I have no idea what they are up to.

3-legged cat

Here's a couple of photos of our 3-legged cat, taken today:

Yup, that's Maggie.  (With Kitty in the background.)

Back in April, she was run over in our shared driveway by the neighbour.  It seems that she was sitting in the middle of the driveway, and he backed out too fast, not looking where he was going, and drove right over her.

Her leg was badly damaged, and had to be amputated.  Her hip was also broken.  But after several weeks of rest and recovery, she is now hopping around the home, mostly feeling okay about things.  The main thing she seems to feel frustrated about is not being able to scratch that side of her body; she sits in the scratching position, with her stump wobbling, until we come to give her a scratch.

Is taxation theft?

This is a really clearly written article looking at the various reasons we might think that taxation is the taking of something that is fundamentally yours.

However, after carefully and clearly setting out and analysing the reasons, it concludes:

It’s hard to shake the feeling that the gross income figure on your payslip represents your money, and that the difference from your take-home pay represents how much the state has taken from you. In fact, there is no coherent way of justifying this conviction. Even if the most radical forms of Right-wing libertarianism are true, it remains the case that you have no special moral claim on your gross income.

Introduction to ethics

The TV series Ethics Matters is a really good basic introduction to some of the key issues in Ethics.  I highly recommend it.

It  is currently a series of 12 12-minute videos, each of which introduces a different topic/issue in ethics, such as the environment, nationalism, justice, rights, religion, freedom, etc.

I've decided to start using these videos with my critical thinking / philosophy students (young teens).  We watch the videos together, stopping and starting them and discussing it along the way.  So far it is working well.

Enid Blyton, moral guide

My blog post title is simply following the title of this very interesting article on Enid Blyton.  I highly recommend it.

We have got many dozens of Enid Blyton books here at home.  I loved them as a child.  Mulan and Miya love them.  Blyton's books are among our first chapter books for new readers, and they continue to be loved well into the tween years (or even teen years!).  Whenever we get a new pile of books from a book fair, it is always the Enid Blyton books that get read first.

In other words, there is something about Blyton's books (like Harry Potter, or Roald Dahl) that just seem to appeal.  Her storytelling is simply very, very enjoyable.

But yep, Blyton's morality is sometimes question-raising, and we need to acknowledge those dubious aspects of her moral teaching.  (When I read aloud books to Mulan and Miya, we sometimes discuss together the questionable aspects.)

But nonetheless, the article does a nice job of picking out the morally admirable aspects of Blyton's books -- the bits that make Blyton's books, on the whole, pretty good moral guides for young children.

(There are a few of Blyton's books that I have chosen not to keep, such as the Amelia Jane stories.  Blyton's characters can sometimes be vindictively nasty, but these stories seem to be based entirely around vindictively nasty oneupmanship, and I can't see anything worth keeping in them.)