Tapping our grey matter for Word Power 2.0
Published on: Sunday, February 02, 2020
By: Sylvia Howe
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I have been thinking about that word ‘banter’, of which I have always felt a healthy mistrust. It is so often used as an excuse for bullying, and if people are challenged, the challenger is made to feel that they don’t have a sense of humour and can’t take a joke. Sometimes this might be true but so often it is absolutely not. It is in fact a sort of cowardly meanness, to hide behind, without acknowledging what is really going on. Like not being allowed to be in a group of friends at school, or being teased for having spots or being a slow runner on sports day… As we grow older, we need to be kinder. Kindness, I think, is one of the most important qualities, and makes everything else so much more bearable.
Something that follows on from the above is so many people’s lack of courage to say what they think, if they disagree with something. It can be said gently and respectfully – in fact, what is more respectful than treating people as intelligent enough to accept comment without falling apart? You don’t have to be rude when you are being truthful, but so often people smile and say ‘oh it’s great’ to one’s face, and then winge behind your back. It’s what people do on Facebook, Twitter and similar, because it is so much easier to be horrid or contradictory when the person aint there. I have stopped reading many a conversation because of the torrent of abuse, none of which the authors would have the nerve to say out loud. My husband’s teacher told him: ‘If it’s nice, write it, but if it’s horrid, say it’ and this something we should all live by, I think.
Yesterday I had lunch at TooJou, a hotel, café and co-working space in Bandaran Berjaya which I thought was great!! Clean and fresh with good food (and real salads – very hard to find in KK). There is a working level on the first floor with coffee and snacks on tap and fast internet connection – you pay RM 30 a day. Well worth it – a really comfortable place to work, meet and relax.
Re working, I am a little concerned that there will be too much noise as people gather for lunch and/or supper etc, and I learn there are events and parties in the evenings, so that kyboshes silent thought. Bring on the noise cancelling earphones.
The bar on the top floor is open in the evenings – we will try that another time. Mostly young (ish – I brought up the average age quite considerably) people, so I fear that as the hour grows later it too will challenge my tolerance for noise, but in the daytime, it’s a good place to be constructive. There are plenty of these in Europe and they work very well. Good luck in KK – I hope it is a real success and I shall definitely go again.
Susan (my co-director, which I am sure you all know by now) and I have been thinking hard about WordPower this year. It has such scope, and we have decided that instead of having it over a set three days we will spread out the events and seek various venues to hold a number of sessions about drama, poetry, creative writing, presentation skills and business, and music, all under the banner of storytelling.
Everything is storytelling, let’s face it. Tony Fernandez’s Air Asia story is pretty compelling, as are indigenous tales from Sabah, and indeed so is business branding, aimed at giving life to a product and making it appealingly recognisable. Are you there, Tony? Would you like to come and be a guest of honour at WPS 2020, and tell your success story to keen participants. Aw, go on!!
In the meantime - we are making lists of ideas, subjects, people and places – if you would like to be involved please let us know on [email protected]. If what you offer fits our (pretty wide) vision,you would be welcome.
It feels like the start of a new movement in Sabah, one that encompasses the creative arts and links them to business and both to people. Watch out for updates of our website (in progress: www. wordpowersabah.com) and social media. Work with us to keep up the momentum – and have fun!
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