Box Check Week

After going straight to work from the Changi-Bintan ferry terminal we were ready for 'Box Check' week.  For all 15 class you have in a week you have a green box in which you must have a current roll and test results, yearly outcomes, emergency exit plan and lesson plans for the next 2 weeks. Then for each student in the class you  must have copies of all the worksheets for those next 2 lessons, an exercise book with name and class details carefully completed on the front cover and book pockets which have the cards from 3 books that indicate they were borrowed from the very specific shelf for each level.  These all have a very specific position in the box, they can't be just in any order! You can nominate 1 box for the check and then the 'checker' gets to select 2 more at random. All incredibly pedantic (especially as we don't actually use the exercise books these days) and goes to show we are run by a business not an education facility, but not that hard to comply with really.  That's right isn't it Jim?  We feel pretty confident we both passed the test, but the feedback session is at our meeting on Wed so I guess that's when we really find out.  Not loosing any sleep over it.  The real branch audit comes next term and is a lot more rigorous would you believe? Other than that, the week flew by and now there are only 2 to the end of term. this week the Academic director at the branch will be visiting classes just to see what is actually going on in our rooms and that we are following the lesson plans. Why wouldn't you, that's the easy part?  Also, that the student folders that go home each week are up to date with corrections, comments and signature (always in green pen) on every single page. Phew! Enough of work, this is my weekend.
The weekend started with Workmates' Drinks at Prime Cut in Kovan which is alfresco rather than air-con but OK at that time of the evening. Although a sleep-in was very tempting on Monday we caught the train to Kent Ridge and joined the walking club on a tour of this lovely area.  Nowhere near as steep or high as Bukit Timah, it also includes a canopy walk good for bird watching so we will have to return with binoculars and do it at a slower pace on our own.

One of the last battles against the Japanese was fought in this area so there are a number of information boards along the trails.

 Local wildlife species we have seen in Feb

Afterwards we had lunch together at the National University Hospital makan and then on the train home I shared music with our local walker Chun Jiao . Almost everyone on the trains is attached to their phone or mp3 player and they very often fall asleep. I woke her up to do this and ended up listening to Jackie Chan singing a love song would you believe?

In the afternoon I visited the local Traditional Chinese Therapist in our little local shops for a neck massage.  Fortunately they have good English so I didn't need  to play charades. Massage was wonderful and he is keen to treat it with acupuncture but I'll let it settle down from this treatment first. Tuesday we had the air con serviceman in to fix our bedroom air con at last so all should be good now and then we went to the new Marina Sands Complex to see 'Wicked' with the Australian cast.  It was a wonderful theatre and performance but nothing compares to 'Les Mis' still for me. Afterwards we wandered out onto the Marina Bay promenade and had a late night drink at one of the cafes with some friends until someone suddenly noticed the time and we all scurried for the MRT.  Last trains are at about 11pm and we didn't want to start looking for a taxi at that hour.

Last week I also caught up with Bianca from TEGS who was on her way home after 2 months volunteering in Cambodia.  Pity she arrived the one time we were away since we got here but we managed lunch together at Clarke Quay on the river and it was great to see her so inspired and with so much to look forward to in the next 12 months.  She will be back through here on her way to Europe in about 6 weeks so I expect we will have more time then and she can stay over at our place.  Our next visitor is Sandy at Easter and the Crisps are also dropping by on their next trip, so April is looking quite hectic with us going to Darwin too.

Good news, bad news

Title is same as a good children's book I recognized on the shelves at work last week. I've put it aside for the teacher topic week coming up where we need to create our own lessons. I remember using this with Yr3 students over the VHF radio some yrs ago in Katherine. Funny, the things you remember, and how much we appreciate all the opportunities working in education continues to bring us.
The GOOD NEWS is our first rent is due so we have coped with living in an apartment without a garden, even a pot plant, for a month and we're very comfortable. BAD NEWS is we have suddenly discovered we don't have enough details to pay it and the agent is not returning calls or emails. It was due Tuesday and eventually gets sorted on Friday much to our horror but the owner was unperturbed it seems.
The GOOD NEWS is we have at last had an air-con serviceman in to check the faulty unit in our bedroom. The BAD NEWS is he has quoted over $400 and the owner now wants a second opinion before taking action. We will continue to wait patiently and be thankful the nights have mostly been cool enough, so far, to sleep with just a fan.
The GOOD NEWS is BritishIndia is having a storewide sale. This is a chain that sells western sized clothing, ie the legs of trousers actually cover my ankles and for Eric the sleeves of his shirts actually meet his wrists. Maybe we can look for something suitable for the big event in April without feeling like Amazons in the changerooms. There is a store in Raffles Place so on Saturday after work we took the MRT City Hall. The BAD NEWS is I really don't feel like shopping after a full day of work and can't find a thing. But Eric got a lovely new shirt.
The GOOD NEWS is the 'weekend' on Bintan is here at last. The BAD NEWS is we had to sacrifice our Monday morning sleep-in to meet up with the rest of the MAE socialites. The GOOD NEWS is we make it to the departure point in plenty of time. The BAD NEWS is the venue is a ferry terminal and you all know how lousy I am on a boat. The crossing leaves me feeling very seedy. Can you believe the name of the cafe on board is BRF Cafe?

Ok, Ok, enough of the news theme. I'm over it too.

We stayed the 2 nights at the Nirwana Beach Club Cabanas. Our room wasn't ready when we arrived so I wasted no time and booked straight in for a neck and shoulder massage. The afternoon was spent mostly at the glorious resort pool. In the evening the whole group got together for sunset drinks and dinner at the Kelong Seafood Restaurant (wooden platform built on stilts above the water and bound together with rattan rather than using nails).

This is a resort kelong.

The next day we took a half day north island tour to see a local town, vegetable gardens, kelong fishing village etc to get away from the resort. The resort area is very secluded and security gates separate you from the real Indonesia. The ferry from Singapore drops you within the Bintan resorts boundary and if you wanted to, you could believe the whole island was beautifully manicured and everyone smiles all the time. In fact it looks a lot more like Malaysia did about 30 yrs ago.  Once our driver discovered we were teachers we apparently needed to have a look in at the local school.

This is a real kelong.

Other than that trip, the rest of the day was much the same as the first - lots of reading, swimming and sleeping interspersed with food. We did manage just a few bird sightings. That evening we all went to the Indian Restaurant then some moved on to karaoke, but not us.

Some of you will recognize the chap in the background here. 

Today we caught the ferry back and still got to work on time for the 2pm meeting. Fortunately the crossing was also quite calm so I coped much better. tomorrow we get to meet up with Bianca from TEGS who is on her way home from volunteering in Cambodia so we are looking forward to that.

Another week towards holidays

Last Tue night we met up with some colleagues at the Blu Jazz Cafe on Bali Lane in Bugis.  The lane is lined with graffiti-painted and quirky shop-houses with interesting art designs which is rather unusual for Singapore.  The cafe apparently boasts being a vibrant nightlife scene with live bands playing pop-rock and jazz. Not on a Tue night though we discovered, just recorded.  Liked the mosaic bar though.

The working week seemed to be progressing as normal until Saturday morning when I had a new student enrol in K1 (the level up from nursery).  He just couldn't manage the 'mother child separation'  thing so started crying, it moved on to tantrum and finally full blown hysteria.  The toys and music made no positive impression so about half an hour in I found myself positioned on the chair barricading the door and trying to read a story to the class of 10 other students sitting on the floor. He had positioned himself in the corner, and I was kept busy making sure that as the class edged ever forward (as little kids always do when you read a story) they stayed far enough away from this little chap's feet so they were not being kicked.  Desperately trying to come up with a new plan for the next hour and a half, or an escape route, I was rescued by the Deputy Academic Director who offered to remove him.  Her class couldn't work with all the noise going on anyway. Thank goodness the mother was able to take him off our hands.  I'm not expecting him back this week, they probably think I'm the devil incarnate, but who knows.  That gave me a crushing headache for the rest of Saturday and all I could think as I worked through the next 2 sessions was that he was probably home having a lovely sleep.  I was looking forward to a vodka but ended up falling asleep on the couch before that.  

On Sunday most of our branch made it to after work drinks, see below how they serve beer to a bunch of thirst Aussies and Kiwis.  

On Monday I enjoyed a massive sleep-in and we spent most of the day reading papers and generally relaxing at home.  Haven't done a lot of that since we've been here.  Then I got motivated to look at the online classifieds for second hand furniture.  Found very few sofa beds and what I could find were very narrow.  Then I found one that was worth sending an inquiry.  Turns out the company this Ignacius works for is moving him to Jakarta and he has to hand in the keys for his apartment this very afternoon!  I can have it for half the advertised price if I can arrange to have it picked up in the next hr or so.  To cut a long story short Eric found himself being hustled out the door, soon to be collected by Bala, our courier man that moved us here a few weeks ago. Between them they got this fabulous, as-new, Ikea  sofa bed in the back of the Hiace and installed in our place about 90 mins later.  Can't believe how lucky we are to pick up this bargain (and you will all benefit when you come for a sleep over) although the color is probably not my first choice!

As you can see the tones for the rest of the place are pretty neutral.

This 'weekend' we've also managed to nut out the travel dates and accommodation bookings for the end of term trip to Laos. We'll have 8 days to visit Vientiane, Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang.  We are both looking forward to that. Next weekend we are off to Bintan with MAE colleagues who are feeling like a few social days away.  It's an Indonesian Is, just a short ferry trip off shore.  We leave on the Monday morning and return Wednesday in time to get to work for the 2 o'clock mtg. Bianca (from TEGS) will be here when we get back, so looking forward to catching up with her next Thursday.  

Lists, lists, lists

I keep saying we are going to have a day without making lists of things to purchase but I don't think it has happened yet.  There are always new hooks, cleaning cloths, power boards etc not to mention this week we went looking for a toaster and came home with a vaccuum as well.  I thought I could manage with just a broom like the amah in Penang did, but the dirty floors are driving me mad.  And that's when Eric reminded me she used to sweep and mop every day; that's not going to happen here.  I can't believe how many long black hairs I still keep finding on the marble floors of the apartment when my hair is so short and Eric's is the wrong colour.  He insists there is no young Asian beauty meeting him here and unfortunately there is no amah. With the vac I'm pretty confident I'm going to see the last of them soon.
Our workouts in the pool and gym continue and now I have managed to pump up the gymball.  That took some doing because the air pump at the service station a km down the road didn't have a connection and I couldn't borrow a bike pump. Fortunately there was a balloon pump at work that did the trick - and I figured I was getting a workout just pumping it up one small puff at a time. See image below of how to improvise when you don't have dumbells. I have since bought a set, another item ticked off the list.

Being week 5 of term it was testing week.  Every student, bar the 3yr old nursery class, completes a test which can take up to 90mins to complete.  For the Nursery kids I just completed a checklist of what they can and can't do yet, while conducting a regular session.  This week it was the letter 't' and we made painted paper-plate tiger masks which was a challenge since we have no running water in the place for cleaning up afterwards. I always swore I would never do a child's painting for them (like the KSA pre-school mums used to) but this week I was  holding the child's hand that was holding the paintbrush for fear of a spill or splash on the fabulous outfits some of them wear.  I've also been told I have a new enrollment for one of my Yr 4 classes who has dyslexia, so more challenges ahead.  
Eric's major challenge for the week has been re-arranging the electronics in the apartment.  Between Aust connections and Singapore connections we have a minefield of plugs and sockets to connect everything at the same time.  I think I mentioned in an earlier post that we purchased an entertainment system that includes dvd player and ipod dock and connects through the tv that was already here.  He also has a speaker system now for the laptop and I have now bought a small printer (another thing on the list).  All that, together with the phone and modem makes for a tangle of cables when you decide to switch the furniture around which we did this morning.  Oh, and I haven't mentioned the phone and ipad rechargers.  My goodness life was simpler without all these gadgets.  The upshot of all this is that we can now fit a sofa bed for visitors under the windows (another big list item).
This week we joined the MAE walkers on their Monday morning walk which was up Bukit Timah, one of the largest tracts of primary forest left on the island.  Singapore really only has one hill and we chose this week to make it to the starting point.  We met for breakfast and then 5 of us managed to scramble up the 163m climb and back down again.  There is a formed road to the top but Peter, our intrepid leader and Principal of MAE, took forest paths when the opportunity was there.  These have the most enormously deep steps so my knee was soon protesting.  I took the easy route up the road instead which was still not that easy.  Beats me how the short-legged  Singaporeans do it. Felt good to get to the top.  

All 3 others in the photo trekked to Everest Base Camp last December.  Peter has been there 3 times now, in all he has trekked in Nepal 10 times and this next Dec the trip is to a village where he is sponsoring a school.  We are keen to join him if he thinks my knee will cope.  It will mean many more trips up and down Bukit Timah in the meantime which I can do so long as I avoid the deep steps.  On the way home we missed the bus stop that connected with our train line but by chance wandered past a secondhand furniture store.  These are few and far between in Singapore.  We are keen to get a sofa bed but don't want to spend a lot of money if we can avoid it since we won't be bringing it home.  They had 2 options but both were so narrow you couldn't sleep 2 people on them so we came home empty handed. 
You would think that was enough for one day, but no, we had a quick shower and went to Orchard Rd.  This is the first time since we have been here that we have ventured to this mega shopping district.  I was after some comfortable work shoes (Ecco, Merrell, Naot etc) which I had been searching an outlet for on the web.  We exhausted ourselves walking first all the way in the wrong direction, and then all the way back.  Why is walking in a shopping zone so much more tiring than walking in the rainforest?  Anyway I came home with 3 pairs of shoes, though in the end not any of those brands.  Hopefully my feet and knee will respond to the investment now I've crossed that off the list.
We took the MRT from Orchard to Harbourfront in the evening to dine at a Food Hall on top of Vivo City.  This is positioned at the beginning of the Sentosa boardwalk which we will do one day, but not this day.  We are weary.  We ate dinner surrounded by walls hung with hundreds of old doors recycled from original Singapore buildings.  We wondered what sights had passed by them all those years ago when traders plied their wares on the streets and up the river.  What conversations they would have overheard!