Fri, Oct 25, 2013 page5

• FEATURE: Fat Uncle soothes your problems

  BARREL OF LAUGHS: A former military press officer, ‘Fat Uncle’ has made his shape his trademark and is now far happier eliciting laughs than positive media

  • By Chen Yi-ching and Jason Pan / Staff reporter, with staff writer
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  Every Wednesday morning, large groups of adults and children pack a classroom at the Kaohsiung Children’s Museum of Art (KCMA) to enjoy an animated presentation by an entertainer and storyteller audiences have dubbed “Fat Uncle” (胖叔叔).

  Children’s faces brighten up with laughter as he leads them in a sing-along.

  “When I see kids are happy and having a good time, it is a proud achievement for me,” said Fat Uncle, whose real name is Chen Ming-hsiang (陳銘驤).

  

  Children’s entertainer and storyteller Chen Ming-hsiang, also known as “Fat Uncle,” poses with elementary-school students in Greater Tainan in an undated photo.

  Photo courtesy of Chen Ming-hsiang

  Initially a career military man, he retired from active service nine years ago.

  At the time, he planned to work as a volunteer guide to conduct cultural and historical tours at museums around Greater Kaohsiung.

  However, life’s unexpected turns steered him to become Fat Uncle, far removed from his past military duties as a press officer for the Ministry of National Defense, and later as a section head of the Naval Beach Group’s political warfare bureau, he said.

  

  “Fat Uncle” Chen Ming-hsiang, also known as “Fat Uncle,” poses with children in a hospital ward in an undated handout photo.

  Photo courtesy of Chen Ming-hsiang

  These days, Fat Uncle’s fame has spread far and wide, making him in demand for more than 300 children’s storytelling sessions each year.

  “Hi kids, this is Fat Uncle. I am round and pudgy,” is his usual opening line.

  Chen’s rotund appearance, changing voices and facial expressions never fail to elicit laughs at his live shows.

  After retirement, his first volunteer work was at the KCMA, where he was responsible for counting and limiting the entrant numbers and giving brief tours of the exhibit area.

  “Often I helped out with the kindergarten visiting groups, but the little kids did not have the patience to listen to my explanation of the displays. Then one day, I had an idea to use puppets to communicate with the kids. So I made two puppets, one for each hand. By changing my voices and tones, I got the puppets to talk, one as a little girl and the other as an old man,” Chen said.

  “It worked, and the kids opened their eyes wide to watch the puppets and listened to the presentation,” he said.

  “It was an electrifying experience for me. I saw them paying attention with expectant expressions and so I injected more fun and humor into my presentation about the exhibit,” he said.

  Building upon enthusiasm for his newfound talent, Chen paid out of his own pocket to attend classes in training adults for children’s storytelling.

  He was hired to do storytelling at Youchang Elementary School in Kaohsiung starting in September 2005.

  Initially with only a few people, and then swelling to several hundred, Chen’s shows have taken place in hospitals, temples and schools, and he has appeared in radio broadcasts and television shows.

  For two years, he was invited to work in Malaysia and was also part of an international team for a children’s storytelling event.

  “Some sick kids wore masks due to their illness and so their reactions were not as obvious, but after seeing happy smiles I am very satisfied,” Chen said of his regular tour of area hospitals and patient residency rooms.

  Fat Uncle’s storytelling has affected grown-ups as well, he said.

  He recalled that a couple who had separated once attended his show together, only because their child wanted to listen to his stories.

  Chen said the mother later left a message on the Web site for him, telling him that the three of them had enjoyed his presentation very much.

  “We were happy to see the smiles on our child’s face. And so we felt maybe it is possible for us to get back together,” she said.

  Chen said that a father also once wrote on his social media page that “after the surgery, my son did not talk a word and did not smile at all. But when he heard your storytelling, he was laughing and really enjoyed it. That really assured me that things were alright.”

  “Storytelling for kids has great therapeutic effects. Listening to stories makes people laugh and everyone jumps around. It seems even difficult problems can become simpler to handle,” Chen said.

  “Treat kids as your friends. When they like you, they will listen to what you say,” he added.
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