I had a blast last Saturday at the second MyJuniors event which was a collaboration between #MyJuniors and #steem-cartoon. The theme "Come and Draw With Me" was first mooted to teach children on the basics of drawing and it was conducted by none other than @sireh who has been actively championing #steem-cartoon from Day One.

A total of 14 children from the ages of 4 years old and above attended the event together with their Steemian parents. Compared to the first MyJuniors event, the number of children this time around was much smaller in size which turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as keeping an eye out on these kids is no mean feat.

I was greeted by the noise of children's chatterings and laughter the moment I exited from the lift. It didn't take me long before I settled down and assist @elizacheng to man the registration counter. By then, I saw @karpaediem, @perennial, @orangila, @bitrocker2020 and @kokuryo and his wife were already there. Before I could say anything, @halleyleow gave me the sweetest smile and help me to select and apply a beautiful semi-permanent tattoo on my right arm.

Aww..so nice of her...

^{My semi permanent tattooed arm}

The event started with @sireh explaining the basics of drawing using lines, shapes, circles,etc before combining all these elements into cartoons and caricatures. The children were given an A4 size drawing paper together with a pencil each to produce their work of art. They wasted no time to turn their blank canvas into a masterpiece. While they were busy drawing, @sireh drew @elizacheng on the spot much to the cheering and laughter from the children. As it was a small, closed knit event, parents and volunteers were on hand to keep an eye out on the young ones.

^{@sireh drawing @elizacheng}

^{@sireh and @elizacheng posing with the finished masterpiece}

While the children were drawing, I managed to sit down for a nice chat with @macchiata who was in town for a visit.

^{@karinzdailygrind, @elizacheng, @bitrocker2020, @macchiata and @joannewong}

Thanks to @aaronleang and @joannewong who graciously hosted her and assumed the role as her tour guide, she was able to join us at the MyJuniors event. As this was her first such Steemian event, she was naturally delighted with the enthusiasm shown by the children and the volunteers.

Meanwhile, the older kids were treated to a hands-on coaching session by @sireh himself as he taught them how to shade and sketch effectively. He even encouraged them to be brave and to keep pushing the boundaries of their creativity. It was certainly good advice from someone who had spent his entire lifetime in the industry with a heart to give back to the community.

@rambai and @aurah arrived much later in the evening. @rambai took over the reigns and drew a caricature much to the delight and squeals from the children.

^{@aurah and @rambai}

@asyrafahamed and his wife @rizqiah dropped by shortly after, together with their cute little boy.

^{@rizqiah with her cute boy}

^{@tracyt and her adorable daughter}

^{Showcasing some masterpieces by talented MyJuniors}

^{@notimetospace posing with her own caricature}

^{Hmm....wondering who is @davidke20 doodling ya?}

By now most of the children were already hungry and thirsty, so the volunteers handed out a bag of snacks and box drinks for them. The finished artwork by the children were placed on a table and @halleyleow's artwork was chosen as the winner. She received a handdrawn caricature of herself, courtesy of @sireh!

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^{Children gathering around @sireh to admire the finished masterpiece}

The event ended at about 4pm with all the children happily holding up their masterpieces for a photography session.

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^{The children and the organising team behind #MyJuniors}

Thank You To All Committee Members

@elizacheng - Project Lead for #MyJuniors
@bitrocker2020 - Witness for #TeamMalaysia
@sireh - Cartoonist and Project Lead from #Steem-Cartoon
@rambai - Cartoonist from #Steem-Cartoon
@perennial
@karinzdailygrind
@aaronleang
@orangila
@joannewong
@notimetospace
@johnathanchong

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My Key Takeaways from the second #MyJuniors event:

1 | Create A Safe Space For Children To Explore

Children are indeed God's gift to the world. They are young, innocent and full of curiosity. If we as adults are able to create a safe space for them to explore, it will allow them to unleash their creativity and tap into their hidden potential. Just like MyJuniors, give them a piece of blank canvas and they are able to turn it into their own masterpiece.

2 | Demonstrate Love, Care and Attention

When children grow up in a loving and caring environment, it not only allows them to thrive, it also boost their self esteem and confidence. This will ultimately shape who they will grow up to become someday. Hence, it is critical that we constantly shower them with our love, care and attention and assure them at every stage of their growth. The children at MyJuniors were all applauded when they completed their artwork and it was showcase on the table for all to see.

3 | Correction Without Invalidation

It is important to correct the children whenever they have over step their boundaries as they need to be aware that their actions can either bring harm to themselves or others. However, by correcting them it does not mean we invalidate them by humiliating or caning them in public. We can correct them by sharing with them why that particular act is wrong and then subsequently suggest a corrective action. For example, when some of the children started playing around with glitter, we advised them to be careful and not to put the substance in their mouth as it it can be harmful for them and to quickly washed their hands instead to prevent any accidents.

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Up Next...

^{DurianSS2, here we come!}

As it was just slightly after 4pm and it was too early for dinner, we decided to adjourn for some ....durians! with @macchiata. A visit to Malaysia is never complete without having a taste of the King of Fruits. So I bundled up @elizacheng and her 3 daughters in my car and off we went to the famous Durian SS2 to meet up with the rest of the Steemians including @howtostartablog and @nomadicsoul who was in town. Although I have passed by this place numerous times, I have never dropped by nor ate here before. So it was definitely great to find out they have many varieties of durians. From my favourite Musang King durian to Red Prawn to D24, you named it. They have it all.

Durian SS2 also have many different concoctions of durians including durian cendol (yumz!), durian mochi, durian pancakes, durian coffee, etc. I immediately ordered a bowl of durian cendol the moment I spotted it only to find out much later that it costs RM23 per bowl! (Yikes!)

I had a great time catching up and chilling with fellow Steemians. Witnessing their reaction while eating those durians...it was simply priceless!

^{Durian cendol}

^{Durian mochi}

^{The apple of @elizacheng's eye - @halleyleow, @ryenneleow and @vinnieleow}

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^{The must have group photo with our guests and the King of Fruits}

After the durian feast, the rest of the Steemians headed to some place for for Bah Kut Teh (a pork rib dish cooked in broth). As I had an annual dinner gathering to attend, I bade them farewell and excused myself. It wasn't until an hour and a half later before I reached my destination.

By the time I walked in, the party was in full swing. The host who is also one of my mentor, greeted me and ushered me to a table where I sat next to some of the movers and shakers of the business world. Every year without fail, my mentor would host a dinner gathering where he would gather all his business associates and students to do a quick round of sharing of our past year's achievements and our goals for the current year. I always looked forward to his sharing and his views on life, investment, health and entrepreneurship.

The party ended at around midnight.

Just before I left, I managed to snap a shot of this magnificent view of the KL skyline with KL Twin towers flickering in the distance.

^{A perfect end to my busy Saturday}

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KarinzDailyGrind is on a mission to crush her 2018 goals and make this year her best year yet. When she is not powering up her day with a Steeming cuppa black coffee, she blogs about life, productivity, marketing, psychology and entrepreneurship on Steemit.

If you resonate with any of her posts, do Upvote | Follow | Comment | Resteem. Or DM her on Discord. She promised not to whack you with the thorny fruit, only if you say the magic words "I Loved Durians!"