My
name is Serene and I am a doctoral graduate from the School of Education
at the University of
Michigan. My research interests include children's development of civic and
political literacy, childhood studies, and early childhood education.
Until nine years ago, I had lived in Singapore all my life. Then in
2003, my husband, Jude and I decided to take the plunge, leaving the
tropical warmth of Southeast Asia for graduate school in the
midwest of America. Till today, the first day of snow continues to
fascinate me.
My work allows me to work with children, to talk with and listen to
them. And I believe that their stories are not just child-speak- they
are rich, valuable and most importantly, honest insights into how our
world works. My research seeks to validate children as cognitive and
narrative beings; through the truthful ways in which they construct
both their inner and outer lives, I believe that children have much
more to teach us about ourselves than we sometimes care to acknowledge.
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These
are my "happy" things, elements of my life that continually
sustain, inspire and fulfil me. Most importantly, these are the things
that always make me smile:
- Pumpkins outside Downtown Home & Gardens, Ann
Arbor, MI: Fall is my favorite season- cool, breezy and crazy
beautiful. And then there's my birthday.
- Jude with one of his favorite jazz recordings: My
love.
- Our daughter, Sophie, at one year: Our love.
- Dad & Mom (with Jude), Niagara Falls: Whose
love and support, and utter disregard for the cost of long-distance
phonecalls I cannot do without.
- My hand in Jude's, 27th June 2003: My favorite
picture from our wedding day.
- Sunset, MacRitchie Reservoir, Singapore: No matter
how much I complain about the flight or the humdidity that wrecks havoc
with my hair, being home in Singapore will always be one of my greatest
joys.
- Dinner, Eve the Restaurant, Ann Arbor, MI: I love
food- consuming it, preparing it, sharing it. But food is more than
just about consumption, it is also about nourishment. In the end, I
believe that feeding someone is an act of caring.
- Samantha & Sherri, Christmas Eve, Singapore:
My adorable sisters who are so dear to me despite their misguided love
for carrots.
- Double-heart sculpture outside the Musee Des Beaux-Arts
De Montreal, Canada: In the end, this I believe: that we are
defined by the grace and gratitude with which we live our lives, and by
the ways in which we love the people who have made us who we are.
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serene koh