Safe Face Painting

At many birthday parties and most other community events where children are involved these days, some manner of performance entertainment is commonly included, if not expected. This ranges from clowns and princesses to bounce houses and pony rides. Generally performers bring with them props of some sort with which they entertain our kids. Among the most popular of activities at children's events is face painting.

Children and parents alike typically enjoy the colorful flourish that face painting brings to parties and events. Face painting has become such a common staple at gatherings that self styled face painting artists abound. Therefore, most party organizers can find "talent" from among their office staff, neighbors or those who run in a familiar networking circle willing to face paint either for hire or as a volunteer. It is important to verify that the products all face painters use are safe as well as colorful.

As professional party entertainers and face painters we can say with confidence that all of our products contain ingredients that are cosmetic grade and FDA approved. However, not all products are created equal. Unfortunately, not everyone realizes that products too frequently assumed to be safe (including those labeled "non-toxic") are neither ideal nor particularly safe for use on skin, especially on our children's faces.

Just because a product is labeled "non-toxic", it shouldn't be assumed that it's appropriate for face painting. Non-toxic may not mean that it has been specifically tested for use on skin. Research has shown that the skin is very active in metabolizing (biologically altering) chemicals and that these metabolic processes affect the way the body absorbs (or does not absorb) a particular chemical. Sweat glands, sebaceous glands (which produce oils), and hair follicles can all contribute to the way chemicals are absorbed through the skin.

In addition, the skin of babies and small children may allow more chemicals to pass through than the skin of adults. Check the Summary of Color Additives on the FDA's website. There's a section especially on colors for cosmetics. If there's a color in your makeup that isn't on this list, the company that made it is not compliant to relevant law. Don't use it. Even if it's on the list, check to see if it has FDA's OK for use near the eyes. If it doesn't, it's best kept it away from your children's eyes.

Products that makeup artists and better face painters use are specifically designed for use on skin. The same can be said for glitter, which should be cosmetic grade-made of polyester, for this particular application. Again, uninformed (if well intentioned) entertainers sometimes use craft glitter made of metal shavings for application to skin and this is not ideal or optimally safe as it could get in and scratch a child's eye.

With lead tainted paint in toys and the many other recalls on the news regularly, we have enough to watch out for as parents. Granted. However, parents should be informed in order to be able to make the best choices for their children.

The easy solution is simply asking whoever is doing the face painting at your event about the products they use. Is your face paint designed for this purpose? Have you researched the products and evaluated the ingredients to be certain that it is appropriate for this application?
Volunteers at events (and sometimes professionals we've seen at events) often have simply not done due diligence in covering their bases and checking into product design to assure that it is the right stuff. We've been at one event where an artistically talented and well intentioned physician was using acrylic craft paint to paint faces, unaware of the questionable contents of the product. In this instance, when informed, he was surprised and welcomed the advice regarding switching to safe products.

That said many more face painting artists that we have seen at events our children have attended have used the very best and safest products. Clearly the message here is to check to confirm what you are getting. It is also recommended that your party or event entertainers are licensed and insured as a further measure of protection for you and your family or for your company if face painters are involved at your company events realizing that liability may also be assumed by whoever hosts or sponsors parties or events where face painters work. This may increase exposure to hosts where face painters are not properly insured and licensed.

It is often assumed that your entertainers and face painters are using the most suitable products and that they are insured. Everyone knows the old adage about assuming. Children should both have fun and be assured of their safety at celebrations and where face paints are involved this happy ending is best assured through verification.

Different Types of Body Art

These are the different types of body art:

Jewelry is the most common type. This is a temporary type which almost everybody wears (sometimes) like a ring or necklace.

Tattoos are a type of body art which is permanent. Tattoos are created by colored materials inserted beneath the skins surface. The most common reasons to get tattooed are:

• Wanting to show your individuality and uniqueness
• Belonging to a group that has tattoos
• Pleasing your partner
• Identifying with a (known for tattoos) subculture

Piercings are a temporary type (which may leave a scar when removed). Body piercing is the creation of an opening in the human body in which jewelry can be worn and the word piercing refers to this opening. The most common piercing is an earring, but you can get a piercing in almost everybody part of your body.

Nail art is another temporary type which is applied on your nails. It is really nice and affordable. It exists of (colourful) decorations on your (natural or fake) nails. It can be anything from stones and sparkles to tiny feathers.

Body paint is also a temporary type. It is painted on to the skin, and only lasts for several hours.
Nowadays body painting is becoming very popular in the use of TV an film projects, advertising, media, sporting, modeling events, runway, and much more.

Airbrush is a temporary type as well. Ink is sprayed on to the skin by an artist (sometimes through a stencil). The resulting design usually mirrors the look of a real tattoo, without any pain. If you use the best inks, the tattoo can last up to at least two weeks.

Henna is another temporary type. Henna the paste of a flowering plant which is used for body (and fingernails) paint and hair dye, especially in various festivals and celebrations. The paste is left on the skin for a few hours to overnight and the stain lasts a few days to a month. How long it will last depends on how long it is allowed to stay on the skin, the quality and the individual skin type.

Tooth Art is also a type of body art. The are different types of tooth art, some are permanent, some are temporary:

• you can replace your tooth (or teeth) with (a) gold one(s)
• you can get a (removable) cap for one tooth
• you can get a (removable) grill for all of you (upper)teeth
• you can get a diamond into one tooth (or in more teeth)

Scalpelling is a type of body art, which procedure is similar to piercing and it is also for the creation of decorative perforations through the skin and other body tissue. It is most commonly used as a replacement for or enhancement of ear piercings.

Implants are a temporary type (which may leave a scar when removed). Implants are devices placed under the skin for decorative purposes. You can get them in different shapes through an incision.

Branding is a permanent type of body art in which a mark (usually a symbol or pattern), is burned into the skin, with the intention of creating a scar. This is performed using a hot or very cold branding iron.

Another permanent type is Scarification. This involves etching, scratching, or some sort of superficial incision or cutting as a permanent body modification, etching pictures, words or designs into the skin. During this process, scars are formed by cutting the skin.

Body Painting - A Look at the Top 6 Festivals in the World

Dragonmen, Alien Mermaids, Fantastic Fire Dancers, Barebacked Santas, and even a Painted Labrador Retriever; you can see all these and more at the fantastic body painting festivals now occurring annually around the world.

There is a wide range of body painting festivals today. All include painted bodies, of course, and all include some kind of competitions; however there is a quite a range of skills and size among the different festivals, and some are more 'family friendly' than others.

Here's a quick look at the top 6 body painting festivals, where they happen and what you can expect to find there:

1. The World Body Painting Festival
This festival includes some of the most stunning professional body painting to be seen in the world today. A 3 day program includes dance, music and fireworks displays, as well as many competitions. Many of the body paintings here should fall under the category of 'fine art' with some of the dancers body paintings simply defying belief. A very large event and certainly worth traveling for.

Where: Seeboden, Austria
Duration: Three days
Events Include: World Championships in 3 categories; night contest for UV effects, Special Effects awards; classes and workshops; BodyCircus (fantasy ball); music and dance performances; an international photo contest; and a huge fireworks show.
Artistic Range: One of the very best, with stunning range of styles and surprising themes.
Family Friendliness: Not clear, but it is in Europe, so not likely to ban under 18. However this body painting festival does not advertise itself as family friendly, as some others do.

2. The Canadian Body Painting Festival
This is another body painting festival that showcases simply stunning artists and finished work. The quality of the art here is similar to that seen at the World Body Painting Festival. The Festival is themed from year to year, with the recent theme being "It's A Jungle Out There." Also includes the Canadian Body Painting Championships.

Where: Nanaimo, British Columbia
Duration: Two days
Events Include: Competitions in overall body painting, brush and sponge, and airbrush; includes the Canadian body painting Championships
Artistic Range: Most stunning, and one of the best overall. Very life-like and fantastic double-take images.
Family Friendliness: Not stated - would be worth making a call first.

3. The International Body Painting Festival
This festival takes place in Mainz, a city with over two thousand years of history. It is located on the river Rhine, has strong Celtic roots and may have been founded by the Romans as early as 13 BC. One can imagine that body painting has a long history here, if you remember the Celtic tradition of painting their bodies before going into battle. Once again, the artistic ability and range is stunning at this International festival.

Where: Mainz, Germany
Duration: Weekend festival
Events Include: Competitions include special effects and face painting
Artistic Range: Very stunning; high artistic skill.
Family Friendliness: Not known but again, it's in Europe. I would call ahead.

4. Welsh International Body Painting Festival
This festival is a bit younger and less established than the top 3, although it has some impressive artwork considering that they are just getting started. Also the atmosphere is more 'fun' orinted, less 'high art' and family participation is strongly encouraged. A good festival to consider if you want to make it a family outing and see some amazing work in the process.

Where: Wales (of course)
Duration: Two days
Events Include: Hands on demonstrations; horror specialists and flower specialists
Artistic Range: High, and impressive for a smaller sized event; not as subtle or creative as some of the others
Family Friendliness: Very good; in fact they encourage families and camping, with an 'all ages' atmosphere and events designed for younger participants

5. The UK Body Painting Festival
This festival showcases some of the least impressive - although most amusing - body painting, although it should be said that it is not presented as a stuffy 'high art' affair, but more a circus or county fair type outing for the entire family. Fun, relaxed and un-selfconscious atmosphere allows for some of the more surprising and purely 'fun' body art to be seen. If you're not a supermodel and would like to get your body painted without worrying about snide comments, this might be a good option for you.

Where: Ashford, UK
Duration: Two days
Events Include: Family-oriented face painting, body painting competitions for professional and amateur categories, craft fair, children's activities, workshops, and a 'bouncy castle.'
Artistic Range: Fair; more of a family outing with a lots to do than a showcase of spectacular art.
Family Friendliness: Very high; advertised as family event. Lowest cost of all the body painting festivals - comparable to a movie ticket.

6. The US Bodypainting Festival (or New Mexico Body Painting Festival/US Bodypainting Competition)
There is definitely some impressive body painting to be seen at this festival, and a lot of creative innovation with hair and unusual designs that you won't see anywhere else. One example that springs to mind is a model dressed in racecar theme with red, white and blue hair sprayed out behind her as though flying in the wind. Also, if you're in the US this festival obviously doesn't require a plane ticket. However this is not a family outing, as it explicitly bans anyone under 18.

Where: Alberquerque, New Mexico
Duration: Three days
Events Include: Demonstrations, workshops, competitions in body painting
Artistic Range: Good to poor - there is a mix of very impressive artistic works and things better left unpainted here; although it's all 'interesting.'

Family Friendliness: Not at all. We are in the US remember; no one under 18 allowed.
So that's my brief overview of the top 6 body painting festivals in the world. Would you like to take a vacation this year that's not your ordinary 'hum-drum' trip? Pick one of these festivals and you can pack light (you know, you could just bring a can of paint and a paintbrush for evening wear)!

Otak Otak: placing students in high-quality internships

I can tell you from personal experience that getting a good internship in Malaysia is hard. There is no easy way to discern the good from the bad, and very few companies even have actual internship programmes. Those few that do tend to offer mixed results, with interns often feeling they are an afterthought and an adjunct to the organisation's work. (When I talk with friends who intern at local banks, they often have more stories to tell about running the photocopiers and buying kuih than they do about actual finance-related work.)

Of course, where there's a problem, there's an opportunity. Some friends have set up Otak Otak, a project to match qualified interns with good companies, and provide structure to the internship programmes. They are currently looking for companies interested in hiring competent interns for a month or two, as well as interested students looking for internship opportunities in Malaysia. The website is otak2.com; more details after the jump.

Otak-Otak : An Elite Internship Program for Future Malaysian Leaders

What is it : Otak-Otak is a highly selective leadership program for interns to be held during the June - July 2011 period. We are looking to accept 50 top students and place them in leading organisations across 4 sectors in Malaysia - the corporate sector, small businesses, goverment, and the non profit realm. All interns will have access to events most evenings after work (networking, site visits, training from corporates), and also share common accomodation - with regular sharing and development sessions planned.

Why it's important : This is a unique oppurtunity for students to participate in a highly selective program of its kind and share experiences with other students who are going through the same program. It will be the first year (of many to come) for a very innovative program that will allow young Malaysians to work at top companies across KL and at the same time be part of a larger group.

How to Apply : Application details and more program information can be found at www.otak2.com

Studying the brain drain

With the announcement of a Talent Corporation to bring home Malaysians who've gone overseas, this research — Plugging the Brain Drain — seems relevant. The findings are quite accessible to the layperson, but if you have a little statistical background, you'll definitely get a chance to grapple with some of the most extensive publicly-available analysis of our brain drain (that I know of, at any rate).

It has its flaws, especially with regard to data collection (full disclosure: Kian Ming and I helped the author with some of the statistical analysis), but it is of course only an initial foray into studying the reasons behind why Malaysians leave — or come home. If you have any comments, do post them here or contact the author, Evelyn Wong, directly. Also do share if you know of any similar studies, or scholars working on this topic!

Vacation Research Programme for Form 5 Students

We were recently alerted to the existence of a programme called The Vacation Research Programme. All Form 5 students are eligible to apply; those accepted will be placed with medical researchers at various institutions in the country. This looks like an interesting research opportunity for interested secondary school students. The website is http://vacationresearchprogramme.wordpress.com/.

Taking False Pride: Are these accomplishments Malaysian?

Eds.: The following is written by Tee Sui Seng, a Cantabrigian.

The news that a Malaysian has been recognized as the top law student at the University of Cambridge initially filled me with much joy and pride and I wasted no time in letting my friends from all over the world know that we Malaysians are more than able to hold our own academically amongst the best brains in the world.However, this feeling of pride gradually gave way to a more sobering disappointment and eventually, even a little embarrassment as the facts of the story slowly sunk in.

It did not take long to find out that the young man in question has spent his pre-university days in neighbouring Singapore, taking his A-levels on a scholarship there. This then led to the discovery that our dear neighbours very quickly realised his talents and wasted no time in offering him a scholarship to the University of Cambridge. It then came as no surprise why further down the article, it was then stated that our prodigious young talent will be joining the Singapore legal service.

This disappointment was poignant, but however, upon further reflection, should have been expected. The local media can never be accused of lacking patriotism. The newspapers have always been very quick to seize upon stories of successful Malaysians all over the world and credit must definitely be given to them for sourcing them out. Unfortunately, these reporters may have sometimes been a little over-zealous by stretching the Malaysian connection a little too far. A recent example that comes to mind would be the appointment of the Malaysian-born Penny Wong as finance minister in Australia. I dare not assume to know how much the minister would take pride in her Malaysian connection, but I am assuming that becoming a minister of a nation state would definitely require taking up citizenship of that country. It then follows that since Malaysia does not allow dual-citizenships, the good minister's Malaysian connections would be distant at best.

Patriotism is a virtue if we know what to be thankful and grateful for. The accident of being born in a certain nation state is not reason enough to imbue one with a sense of pride for being a citizen - this pride needs to come from appreciating one's achievements in the context of the opportunities that are endowed with being part of that nation. If the achievements of an individual cannot be attributed to the opportunities gained by being part of the nation state, we must then be very careful in sharing the accolades that were showered upon an individual who happens to share our citizenship.

Upon further reflection, the news article was about the achievements of a young man, who did exceedingly well in Law at the University of Cambridge, who clearly impressed his very experienced tutors there and who has also shown tremendous humility when talking about his achievements. It is only mere coincidence that this young man is also Malaysian. When we as a country has shown little effort or foresight to acknowledge or reward his talents before these accolades, we should not be too quick to claim collective pride over his praise.

All is not lost - at the very least, we are heartened by the fact that the country has no lack of talented citizens, although the sceptical among us would very quickly question how long we can retain them. Much has been said about the brain drain from all layers of the society including those in power, so the severity of the problem is nothing new. Now let's hope the next news story would be how we are successful in luring these minds back onto our shores. In the mean time, it would probably be wise to be a little less excited the next time a Malaysian connection arises in the news. We can only share praise if we have invested in it, lest we be too distracted in cheering our neighbours on to mourn our own loss.