So many things to get excited about when it comes to storytelling.

There is now a dedicated day for celebrating the art of Kamishibai storytelling - December 7.

Through this art from I’ve made some pretty special friends. With Daniela Bücheler-Scott and Tetsuta Wtanabe, we can talk story making until the cows come home. We live across Melbourne from each other - to the west, south and east, and distance can be a problem, so when we get together its super special.

For World K Day, Tetsuta organised us a space and time at the Springvale Library and for an hour we shared stories from our various stages. We’re having fun exploring bi-lingual storytelling: Dani with German, Tetsuta Japanese and me with my few words of Spanish. Big shout of thanks to Rosh and the team for making us so welcome.

Tetsuta with his stage made from left over wood from a boat building project.

Dani with her gorgeous story about Sally the Sea Turtle. Her stage is made by her husband Scotty and decorated by her friend Frothy Betty. Sally’s story will be out as a picture book soon.

Not sure why I love this photo but I do. My stage was made by my good friend Ted Smith from the Hobsons Bay Men’s Shed

We’re already thinking about next year and what we might do. If the stars align, we’ll be in Eltham Library.

This was my third trip to Singapore and it’s starting to feel like home. So many people I’ve grown close to with so many shared interests and so many spectacular galleries and museums. I leave now anticipating my return.

There were many highlights but meeting up with the outreach team and volunteers at Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve to share ideas for community engagement AND delivering gifts from our patch - the Hobsons Bay Wetlands Centre - was right up there.

It was a blast delivering the gifts from Australia and a double blast returning with gifts from Buloh for Hobsons Bay

So as if my cup wasn’t already overflowing, after Sungei Buloh, my friend Tham Pui San (Chair of the Friends of Sungei Buloh), arranged for a visit to the Seed Bank at the Singapore Botanic Gardens where I had the fun of sharing the story of the Amazing Case of Dr Ward.

Oh it was all a bit fantastic really. I learned a mountain of things, was enriched with conversation, tickled by much fun and hilarity and heart warmed by the energy of people working for the environment.

I have returned home full of stories and warmed by the generosity and hospitality of Singapore.

When my friend and colleague, Anna Manuel of Heads and Tales Story Services and I decided to pitch a couple of workshops to the FEAST conference in Bengaluru, we didn’t expect that both would be accepted.

Passionate kamishibai storytellers, we presented our favourite Kamishibai 101 workshop and equally passionate about language enrichment with oral storytelling enhanced with simple props like paper and string and body percussion, we offered Nearly Naked Storytelling.

The two day conference ticked over like a Swiss watch. The venue was perfect. Taking place in the Chancery Hotel where participants were residing, the staff could not have been more supportive.

To my delight the hotel was also located near Cubbon Park, 300 hectares of green, full of wildlife. Hard to see in the photo but those trees are full of Indian Palm Squirrels chirping incessantly, the sky is thick with circling fork-tailed kites and darting ring-necked parrots. About 100 metres along this path there is a swampy patch thick with butterflies, dragonflies and bees.

My sincere thanks to the FEAST Conference committee for bringing this amazing gathering of storytellers together: India, Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Italy, the UK, USA, Australia - apologies if I’ve left any one out. Absolutely impossible task getting a photo of this riotous group of people - the talking never ceased!

The 2020 conference will be held in Indonesia.