EXPAND YOUR BORDERS

IT is always nice to find a reason to celebrate, to decorate a town and to mingle with the local crowd.
We recently celebrated the Brian Boru festival. Brian Boru (941-1014) was the last High King of Ireland. In memory of what he had done for Ireland, there was a line-up of interesting events for both the young and not so young, from concerts to fire throwing dances to falcon training to art trails.

The festivity and revelry got most of us to the streets, and encouraged by the fine weather, we found every excuse to stay outdoors for as long as possible, enjoying the programmes till the wee hours of the morning.

What was really amazing was that I found out that the people I knew who worked behind cold steely counters during the day exuberated warmth and passion in the arts by night. The dependable post mistress who drives a green van and delivers mail across hill and dale is also a very talented actress on stage. The town news correspondent, who is a familiar face at interesting events, interviewing people and scribbling in her notebook, is also a choir master. The manager of an Arts Centre is also a self taught artist who has put up her work for sale on the art trail.The transition is so fluid and if I had not known who or where they work, I would have thought they were professional artistes! It was surely an out-of-the box experience for me to see the same people I know by day become quite something else by night.

The closest image that I have of such versatility must have been one of the late Tan Sri P. Ramlee's films, Masam Masam Manis, where Sha'ari, the protagonist, is a teacher by day and a night club musician by night.

If I can remember correctly, my mind has been programmed to accept that dentists are dentists and road sweepers are road sweepers with a few exceptions to the rule. Over here, borders delineating what is expected or not expected do not seem to exist.

At poetry readings, I do not only see lecturers and students but the man-on-the-street who just enjoys poetry over a cup of tea. I know of one burly man who reads Helen Steiner Rice's poetry before he falls asleep and he is not an academic. People in suits and people in jeans read on the bus, on the tram and on the underground train.

Maybe it is because of the school system. There is no rigid streaming of the arts or sciences according to public examination results. A student who has done well in her junior certificate (similar to Penilaian Menengah Rendah) can pursue all science subjects, all arts subjects or a mixture of both the sciences and the arts for her next grade. There is no stigma attached to whatever stream of studies and the chosen course does not make one more superior or inferior.

Maybe it is because of the environment. There is certainly no dearth of the arts here. After all, the artistes' exemption scheme, which has been in place for 40 years, marks Ireland out as unique in Europe in its support for its artistes, the rationale behind the legislation was, inter alia, to create an environment in which the arts could flourish, and artistes living on modest incomes can practise their creative skills.

Maybe it is because of the parents' mindsets. Experience, practicality, economic necessity and well-told stories have influenced the parent's mind concerning career guidance. So we tell our children: if you choose profession A, you will succeed and if you choose profession B you will most likely die a pauper. So with good intentions, we navigate our children towards certain routes to success and steer them away from participation in activities that will distract.

As I see the wealth of opportunities and encouragement here and how young people are cheered on to explore their capabilities and talents, I will hold out a candle to the parent, the teacher, the friend or the significant adult who has made a difference in the life of that individual.

Next year, when the celebrations come around again, I think I must muster enough courage to join a stage play or to enquire humbly if my painting is good enough to be put on the art trail.