A Touch of Darwin

Thank goodness that was the last week of the tipping competition.  All the MAE staff were invited to participate in a 10 wk competition and every week it has been my responsibility to fax in the tips for our branch members.  It is a small pressure that I wont have to worry about anymore since, as of this weekend it is over.  The scores for the last two rounds have not been published but the last time we saw them Eric was leading.  Fortunes can change quickly though as some of the questions have nothing to do with sport as we know it. Examples include Canadian Ice Hockey, Fusbal and Women's European Volleyball. There are AFL and NRL questions but they are not so easy to pick anyway. Then there are the questions about weather which are anyone's guess. The function next Monday should be fun.
Denise and Colin, from Darwin, arrived Sunday evening and we loved hearing all about their time spent in Sabah and Sarawak over the last 3 weeks while the schools have been enjoying the 4 week mid semester break. We've been comparing stories and  reliving wonderful memories, especially when we saw their pics of orangutan in the wild and rafflesia flowers in bloom.  Unfortunately Colin was a bit under the weather when he got here but we were still able to talk him into a walk the next morning. This week the walkers took on a lap of Bedok Reservoir. We took the MRT to Tampines and met the rest of the group at Maccas. A short bus ride on the top deck took us to the lake and we set off at a very leisurely pace for about 5 kms enjoying the breeze off the water and some bird spotting. We were surprised to find an exhibition of the Berlin Wall. When the wall was dismantled in November 1989 parts of it were sold worldwide.  Four segments are now permantly exhibited here on the bank of the Bedok Reservoir. These segments feature the painting "The Kings of Freedom". It shows two kings: one is colourful and lively, the other is dull and blindfolded. This graffiti is an apt artistic representation of the former two different societies on each side of the wall. Further on, there was a fabulous high ropes course strung between the Mahogany trees that looked very challenging  and  a highlight for us was finding the brown-capped woodpecker for the first time.

After a lovely lunch at Judy's local restaurant we visited her house.  She rents a room from Anthony, a local Singaporean who owns a unit in a Govt Housing Devt.  He is a very generous host and insisted we try the durian puffs he had bought especially for us. Fortunately Col likes durian, the only westerner I have ever found who does. The rest of us politely declined the third round of offers. To me, durian still tastes like slimy onions that have gone off. It kept repeating on me too until I ate licorice to disguise it. Denise and I enjoyed a spa in the afternoon and then we headed into Little India for dinner.  The sights and scents of this area never disappoint.

Today Col is feeling much better but Denise has no voice. She says she feels well enough to go exploring though, so we all took the train to town to see the sights; Orchard Rd, Raffles Hotel, the Padang, Marina Bay Sands and the Gardens by the Bay.  Having left home by 10:30 we were pretty beat when we walked in the door after 5pm.  I was pleased to have found the promised matching glasses at Tangs for D & C (ignore the medical reference) to take home, and they were pretty impressed with the gardens. It seems there are still enough attractions to entice them back for another weekend - next year perhaps.  Hopefully!  We've loved sharing Singapore with them, just as they enjoyed sharing Cooinda, in the Clare Valley, with us a few years back.  We look forward to their return.

Last week at work was Open Week, where parents and prospective parents are invited to sit in on the lessons and observe what is going on and how their students are responding. It makes you especially caful to have everything you might need for the lesson at your fingertips, but other than that it was no big drama. Not a lot of parents turned up at our centre, just enough to keep you on your toes. Next week is Test Week so that is pretty easy to administer now we know what we are doing.  This time last term we were having a week off to spend in Darwin for the wedding.