Media Tour to Dialogue in the Dark @ Petrosains

February 28, 2014

Last week, Petrosains Sdn Bhd and Tourism Malaysia Kuala Lumpur hosted a media engagement session to introduce and promote Petrosains, The Discovery Centre and Petronas Twin Towers to the media fraternity.

上周，Petrosains私人有限公司和马来西亚旅游部举办了媒体参与会议，目的是向媒体同伙介绍和推广科学馆，探索中心和双子塔。

Petrosains Sdn Bhd which manages Petrosains, The Discovery Centre and the visit operations of Petronas Twin Towers forged a collaboration with Tourism Malaysia Kuala Lumpur in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2014.

2014是马来西亚旅游年，管理Petrosains，探索中心以及双峰塔的Petrosains私人有限公司，已与马来西亚旅游部达成协议推广该景点。

Located in the Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Petrosains, The discovery Centre and Petronas Twin Towers are two distinctive institutions under Petronas which play a significant role in providing the world with a unique view of the progress of the nation through the vantage point of tourism and informal learning.

坐落在吉隆坡市中心的Petrosains, 探索中心以及双峰塔是马来西亚国家石油公司旗下两个让世界各地通过旅游与非正式学习，那独特的视角让他们看到我国民族进步的主要机构。

Tengku Nasariah Tengku Syed Ibrahim, CEO of Petrosains Sdn Bhd said, "We are very proud and grateful to be part of this partnership with Tourism Malaysia Kuala Lumpur and we will do our part to support them in their efforts to promote Malaysia during Visit Malaysia Year 2014.

Tengku Nasariah Tengku Syed Ibrahim,Petrosains私人有限公司的总裁表示，“我们很荣幸和感激能够与马来西亚旅游部合作以及我们将尽我们所能来支持他们的计划以在马来西亚旅游年2014推广马来西亚。

After the speech, members of the media were taken for a guided tour to Petrosains, The Discovery Centre, Petronas Twin Towers and Petrosains current visiting exhibition-Dialogue in The Dark during this media engagement session.

演讲结束后，工作人员便带媒体朋友们去参观Petrosains，探索中心，双峰塔和与黑暗对话的展览。

I hope you recognize Braille - the writing system used by the blind in above picture!

我希望你可以认得图片里的Braille- 是盲人书写的系统！

The first station we head was Dialogue in The Dark. I had no idea about what kind of exhibition was that before I went inside. I did not do any research until my friend told me that we were going to purchase and eating food inside in complete darkness. I was like "Huh??" We were told not to bring anything inside like bag, handphone, spectacles and camera but money (for purchasing food). So no photo inside was taken and shared here. All these belongings were kept and locked in the locker.

我们去的第一站是与黑暗对话。还未进去前，我是对这展览毫无头绪的说。我没有做什么事先查询直到朋友告诉我说我们即将在内，完全黑暗中购买食物和用餐。我的反应是:哈？我们被告知不可以带任何东西进去如书包，手机，眼镜和照相机但是钱是必要的（拿来买食物）。所以没能在这分享在会场内的照片因为不能拍照。所有的随身物都被锁进箱子内。

That was the only part they allowed us to take photo- the entrance to the exhibition. At this point, we were separated into a few groups, each with 9 members. Everyone of us was given a long stick and was taught how to use it.

就只有这个地方可以让我们拍照-展览厅的入口处。在这里我们被分成几组-每一组有9人。每一个人赋予一支长棍并学习如何使用它。

After the short brief, I was quite anxious and scared as I peeked through the curtain and nothing seen, all in complete darkness. That was quite different from what I imagined to see the glowing art and some sort like that.

一个简短的交代后，我是蛮紧张和害怕的因为我偷窥帘子后面，黑黑暗暗的，看不到东西。这与我所想象的截然不同。

They asked us to line up and I walked behind a Malay girl with my hand put on her shoulder. A few steps walk behind the curtain, I was so much funked as I could not see the Malay girl in front of me and even my own fingers！But one thing to relief was that there was a tour guide in front of us. She told us to keep right while moving as there was a wall at our right hand side. I touched the wall while walking and my left hand still put on her shoulder. Then till a certain point, I was terrified as there was no more wall at my right!

工作人员要我们排队，我就站在一个马来婆后面，左手搭在他的肩旁上。离帘子后面后面几步，我很害怕因为我跟本看不见前面的马来婆甚至是我的手指！不过有一样东西可以让我纾解当时的心情是前方是有人导航的。开始时，他叫我们一直靠右因为右手有一面墙。我摸着墙壁行走，但左后不离她肩旁。然后抵达一个点的时候，我感觉极度恐惧，因为我右手已经没有墙壁触摸了！

I was helpless and did not know what to do. Then, the tour guide told us to touch the handrail at my right. I was relief at that moment when I managed to grab the handrail and walked. Next, the tour guide told us that we already arrived at ‘jungle’. I heard bird chirping sound and the floor was no more carpet but I felt leaves and soft land when I stepped on it.

我感到很无助，不知道该怎么办。然后，导游说我们去摸右手边有个扶手。当我抓着扶手的时候，心情当下舒缓下来。不久，导游便说我们抵达‘森林’了。我听见非常像森林内的鸟叫声，叶子以及踏在地上是软软的感觉。

After that, we were led to a 'bridge'. Yes, I can felt the 'bridge' was swaying while we walked on it. The tour guide then told us we reached 'house tree'. I seen nothing but I heard the sound assimilated like what we should heard in jungle. Next, we were guided to cross the 'road'. Following this, we arrived at 'Tugu Negara' (National Monument). They asked us to touch. I felt something protruded engraved on that thing but I did not know what was that. My friend who went with me told me afterwards that he knew that's the wording of Tugu Negara as he felt with the fingers. I was amazed with that.

然后，我们被带到一个‘桥’上。是的，我感觉到走过时，‘桥’正在摇晃。导游不久便说我们到达‘树屋’。我看不到任何东西，但是听见森林内都会听到的声音。接下来我们就要学习过‘马路’。走着走着，我们便抵达‘国家纪念碑’。他叫我们去摸。我可以感觉到突出的物体但是不知道是什么。与我同来的朋友然后对我说那是国家纪念碑的字眼，因为他摸到该字。听到这，我觉得不可思议。

Now I knew how the blind experienced and found out our Tugu Negara in a very different way. Hereafter, we were brought to Pasar Malam (night market). There was no one shouting for bargain but we were asked to touch the goods and I knew there was a vegetables stall at my right side. We kept on moving with the wall at our left side. We reached a cafe counter. At here, we were supposed to order and purchase our food and eat it. However, due to technical error as the food supply was not there yet, we missed the chance to dine in the dark. We kept on moving with the aid of wall till the exit point.

现在我知道盲人如何去体验和以不同的方式去‘看’我们的国家纪念碑。随后，我们被带到夜市去。这里没有人讨价还价但是

我摸到右边有一个菜挡。我们靠着左边的墙走就抵达咖啡柜台。在这里我们其实会买东西然后坐下来吃。可惜那天的食物还没有载到，我们也没办法在黑暗里体验吃东西的感觉。我们继续行驶直到出口。

I was happy as I able to see light again. Through this DID exhibition, I learnt a lot. First thing, we need to appreciate what we have especially we have a pair of eyes to see. There are so much things can do with our eyes. Second, I knew the fear of the blind felt when they can't see anything. Always lend them a helping hand when you see them on the road. The world of the blind is different from us! I was told that the guide in the dark was all blind! Look...they are still contributing to society even though they are blind and they can do better in the dark than us who can see. They can worked in total darkness for 8 hours inside to guide the tourists while normal people can't make it. I was so amazed and paid a high respect for them. Above all, we are all same under darkness, no colour difference, no ugly no pretty, no discrimination.

我很开心因为可以重见光明。通过这展览，让我学习良多。第一，我们要珍惜拥有的尤其是我们有一双可以看见东西的眼睛。第二，我体会到当一个盲人看不到东西时的那种恐惧。所以若在马路上看到他们，请伸出援手吧！盲人的世界与我们不同！我们过后才晓得原来里面的导游都是盲的，不过在黑暗中，他们比我们这些能看东西的人更棒。他们可以在黑暗的环境工作8小时去导每一位游客，换作普通人一定无法办到。我很佩服他们哦！在黑暗下，没有颜色，丑或美的区分以及鄙视，大家都是一样的。

If you still no idea about it, let's have a look at this video. That was taken by CNN.

若你对这还毫无概念，那么就看看这短片。这是CNN拍的。

Simple introduction:

The concept of Dialogue in the Dark is simple, visitors are lead by blind guides in groups through specially constructed dark rooms in which scent, sound, wind, temperature and texture convey the characteristics of daily environments – for example a park, a city, a boat cruise or a bar. The daily routines become a new experience. A reversal of roles is created: people who can see are taken out of their familiar environment. Blind people provide them with security and a sense of orientation by transmitting to them a world without pictures. The tour itself lasts 45 minutes but the effects can last a lifetime.

The concept has been proved quite effective. Over the last twenty years Dialogue in the Dark has been presented in more than 30 countries and 130 cities throughout the world since its opening in 1988. More than seven million visitors worldwide have experienced Dialogue in the Dark and thousands of blind guides and trainers have found employment through Dialogue in the Dark.

Malaysia (the blue dot) is now one of the country which houses Dialogue in the Dark exhibition. I definitely recommend you to pay a visit if you haven't. It will be a meaningful and unforgettable experience throughout your life and you will have different insights after all.

马来西亚（蓝点）是其中一个展出‘与黑暗对话’的国家。我非常鼓励你们去看看若你们还没体验过的话。这会是在人生当中一个有意义难忘的经验。相信去了后，你们对人生会有不一样的观点。

Time/时间:

10 am – 6 pm

Venue/地方:

Petrosains, The Discovery Centre,

Level 4, Suria KLCC,

PETRONAS Twin Towers,

50088 Kuala Lumpur.

Ticket Prices/门票价格:

Adult (18 and above) RM25 （USD 7.65)

Youth (13 – 17 years) RM20

Child (7 – 12 years) RM15