What I read
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Bixby and Scanlon's question
- When you were young, do you remember a place that was secret or mysterious, or where you used to hide?
- Where was it?
- What did you do there?
- Did you play games, read, talk with a friend?
Suggestions for writing
You have 20:00 minutes for this communicative writing exercise. It is not an academic writing exercise, but it is still a good idea to follow the writing process for this piece of work.
You want to write a quick paragraph or two, so it will be a good idea to spend at least 3:00 minutes on some quick planning: choose your topic, get ideas about your chosen topic, and organize those ideas.
Then write; that is, turn your ideas into sentences in one or two paragraphs. Spend about 10:00 minutes on this.
And after you have written, you should have about 7:00 minutes left in which to edit your work: review, revise and proofread. A couple of useful check questions for review are:
- Does my piece of work make sense to a reader who has not seen Bixby and Scanlon's questions above? In other words, is it a unified, independent piece of writing?
- Have I given enough details, explanations and examples so that my ideas are clear to readers?
- Do my readers now know why this place was special to me? How well can they imagine it?
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Reference
- Bixby, J. & Scanlon, J. (2013). Skillful Reading & Writing: Student's Book 3. Oxford: Macmillan Education
Although some of the hidden courtyards at Sydney University also came to mind, the place that seemed to me most mysterious and hidden when I was a child (and I wasn't really a child at university) was an enclosed space in some of the native bush that my father had left uncleared on our property in northern New South Wales. The area of bush was about perhaps four acres (two hectares) in size, and it was a wonderful place for my brothers and sisters, and myself.
ReplyDeleteThere were native trees with berries to pick and eat, amazing spider webs to walk into, and the spiders to be careful of. There were lots of birds flashing their colours and calling to each other, perhaps to warn their mates of our approach. There were snakes to avoid, and if you were lucky, you might catch a glimpse of a wombat, echidna, bandicoot or even a possum. These native Australian animals were shy, and didn't like to be seen. Thankfully, the snakes were also not keen on human company, and usually slithered away when they heard us approach.
But the best bit was near the centre of this bush. If you pushed through the trees, vines and undergrowth, you came to an area enclosed by tall trees whose branches met overhead. Because there was no light below, there was no undergrowth, just dead leaves that had fallen to carpet the ground. Even at midday, it was a cool, dark mysterious place. As children, we could imagine all sorts of things hanging around just outside as we were safely hidden away from them and the rest of the world. We used to sit there eating picnics, hidden away from our parents (who I suspect probably did know where we were) and telling stories about the monsters, ghosts and other things outside. Or using it as a base for other games in the jungle: cowboys and Indians, gathering berries, exploring and so on.
That piece of untouched native bush is still there. I wonder if my young nieces and nephews have found our secret place and have as much fun there as their parents did half a century ago?
I experienced a place close to yours as well. It reminds me about my funny childhood. Next to cousin home, there was a much messy forest with a cave. I was 10 years old at that time, and had lots of imagimaton. I watched a fantasy movie about a dragon in cave. Everyone could be a brave man or hero if the guy killed that animal. So, I and my younger brother went to that forest to go through the cave for finding the dragon, and cut its head to show my family how great I and my brother were great. Eventually, I did not get to the cave because I had lost the way. Later, my family came to there and found me while I was crying because of being much afraid. It was an awesome experience of mine, and I have been there every year when I came to visit my cousin.
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DeleteI don't have the experience went to Sydney, but your story and your detail, I can imagine the native tree with berry surrounding courtyards at Sydney University. My courtyards in my university mostly use for jogging and doing exercise. I don't have the experience went to Sydney, but your story and your detail, I can imagine the native tree with berry surrounding courtyards at Sydney University. My courtyards in my university mostly use for jogging and doing exercise. A few children waited their parents doing exercise, at the playground.
DeleteEverybody has an own save, private, and silent place to do some favors or hide youself, and I have as well. Back then to my childhood, close to my home, there was a blind area in a small warehouse belonging to my family. I was there often when I was angry my family members and felt that no one took care of me. Once, I fired a paper because I doubt how it was burn under different level of its. Definitely, I was blamed by my mom severely. At that moment, I only thought that she did not love me anymore, why I was wrong, what I did was a common thing seen everyday. Afterwards, I went to my private and secret place to hide myself. I hoped they would look for me when they knew I was not around them. I spent time there to play toys, keep quiet and fell to sleep. Eventually, I woke up and realized that it was such a fool thing I did.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of when i was in primary school. The fire was what brought to mind the old school buildings. They were wood, and at least 50 years old at the time. My father had gone to school there 30 years earlier. It was a small Catholic school, and under the building was sand, with the school about two feet (50- 60cm) above it. We weren't allowed to play under it, but what kid could resist digging tunnels and making forts in such a situation? But it was dark, so to bring a bit of light, we got some old candles from the church that was next to the school and used them for light. The candle light added to the sense of mystery and naughtiness. Every now and then, the nuns got angry and banned our games again. We probably kept out for about two weeks before being drawn back.
DeleteWe never set fire to the school, although it was the fire in A's story that reminded me of the candles that lit up our secret place under the old school building, which would have burnt extremely well if it had ever caught fire: all that old wood and the books wouldn't have had a chance of surviving.
Your experiment of fired a paper remind me about what I had did when I was young, which I was also blamed by my mom. I played a war game with my older brother which we have our own area and we used blankets to be barrier and we have a long pillow to fight to each other. At the time when we were fighting, we suddenly broke wall lamp, and we did not know what to do and how to tell our parents. We had a long long time to discuss about this, eventually, we went to our mom and tell the truth. Then, my mom punished us, but actually I forgot the way she did. Every time I think about this memory, I always smile and laugh about this thing.
DeleteWhen I were young, I have a silent place to hide myself from my mother too because of I was angry that she didn't take care of me when I had a problem with my friend. I knew that she didn't have time for me, but when I realized it's not a good thing to do that makes she worry about me again and again.
DeleteI was also blamed by my mother when I was young, I same with you that I went to somewhere to hide my mother. I mostly used my grandmother house to sleep while though my mother would look for me, but she did not. I think she know I was in my grandmother house.She wanted me,used that time thinking the situation is it good thing for doing at that time or not. Same as you I also realized that it was such a fool thing. In the morning at that time, I came back home, but my mother told me like usually. I said sorry to my mother and spoke the situation with out temper.
DeleteWhen I was young, the place that I could hind myself from the world was another bedroom in my house. Normally, Thai children do not separate bedroom with their parents including me. However, I also had another bedroom, which is a real bedroom having bed inside, that I can have my own world to do my own things.
ReplyDeleteInside that room, I had television, video games, many boxes of toy, cartoon books which I could enjoy with. When I feel angry with someone, I always go to that room, lock the door, hide myself and stay alone. However, it is not a real hidden place because my mom and my dad usually know where I am. I can remember, every morning, when I work up, I often went to that room to watch cartoon with my brother until the late morning and we had to go down to have a breakfast. That was a wonderful place for me which I really enjoy it and it has a lot of good memory there.
When I was the child, I was not have separate bedroom with my parent too. I think your another bedroom is like the living room for you and your brother to play like a child without the parent seen. My home was not have another room to play like this, so when I jungle with my mother,I hired at the playground in my village or my grandmother house nearly my home. My grandmother house had a lot of my toy more than my house because my mom was so stick. I hired my mom and buy the own toy from their money that give to me.
DeleteYeah, I look like another living room of mine, but actually, there are 2 beds inside, which I can have afternoon nap there also.
DeleteWhen I was young, I haven't had separate bedroom with my parents, too. But I mostly sat in the storage room, I used it as my secret place to hide myself from the world. Sometime when my friend came to my house, I persuade him to played in the room. Nothing serious, just what games we are going to play and were we would go on adventures or play hide and seek in that room.
DeleteWhen I was 7, I have a secret place to play hide and seek with my friends. It's a creepy garden near my neighbor house, there's a little bit scary, it has a dense of grass and no one come's to clean it up. I think it a good place to play hide and seek because my friends afraid of that garden and I knew they would not dare to find me. Eventually, I always won this game. After that my friends will ask where I'm hiding, but I didn't told them, I want to keep it as my secret that I'am the one who used this garden to play hide and seek.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me a little of some of the hidden courtyards at Sydney University, although they weren't really creepy. They were more mysterious and inviting with old bronze statues turning green in contrast with the light brown sandstone. Most them also had seats among the grass the flowering trees. I thought it was a pity that more people did not know about them to enjoy them, but then they wouldn't have been so wonderful for myself and friends when we wanted a quiet place to read and argue.
DeleteThe creepy garden from your story reminds me, the courtyards at near my house. It is really scary because no one cut the grass and very dirty. No one coming here, maybe it have snakes or some kind of wild animals, so I and my friend used another playground to play hide and seek too.
DeleteWhen I was young, I had a place that was mysterious.At that time I was 10 years old, I often jangle with my mother because she want me to do the homework assignment, but I want to play with my friends. I mostly hired my mother after school to play at the playground near the gym in my village, it near my home but it is also in the village. I often play with my neighborhood friends. We like to play a badminton and a game called " hire and seek".Nearly , the playground has the gym and swimmimg pool, so we usually swimming at the weekend.My mother was not know I went there because this playground is not near my home. She celled me to came back home because she think I did not came back the village after school. She would called me more than find me around the village.
ReplyDeleteI used to play hide and seek, too. But I think growing up on a large farm, we had more places to hide. There were several buildings apart from our house, including a milking shed, machinery sheds, and our poultry coops. And then there were the trees and fields. It was very easy to get lost if you didn't want someone to find you, such as a mother with chores to do!
DeleteIn my village it has a playground, too. But it has limited space and most are open areas, so I likely to play hide and seek with friends around my house, there're more hidden places than the playground in my village.
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