Serangoon Snippets: Melbourne Cup

Melbourne Cup Day today so we are thinking of everyone back in Springtime Melbourne. Smelling roses and freshly mown grass as I write this. We fondly remember the one time we went to Flemington with Doug, must have been in the early 80s. Anyway, there we were on Derby Day, don't remember what I wore but it was probably cords and dessert boots rather than a fancy dress and fascinator. I was putting my $2 on each race and found Sarfraz at 10:1. Not knowing anything about horses I was amazed that the name was 'ringing bells'. I was so excited when I returned to Eric and Doug only to have them take all the 'wind from my sails'. Sarfraz, they reminded me, was a bowler for the Pakistani Test Cricket Team. None the less, to everyone's surprise, and mine in particular, it won and I think I came out even on the day (at least that's what I told Eric at the time and he still believes me).

We are off to the Singapore Turf Club today to enjoy a Melb Cup Race Day event hosted by ANZA, the Aust and NZ Association (voluntary expat community). This is the first event of theirs we have attended, though we have been aware they exist and it has been suggested we join. They hold a number of functions throughout the year to 'enhance your time in Singapore'. So far, we haven't had time, so much to do! Would be really useful if you were home all day while your partner worked............... Anyway, today should be a lot of fun and if we win any money it can go towards the Gudel School fundraising. Last week at the Annual Dinner the very attractive ticket sellers raised over $600!

And that reminds me to say a big THANK YOU to every one of you who has donated, I believe I have sent you a personal email response but if I haven't then I'm not sure where the money went. Please get in touch! This time next month we will be setting out on our trek. Yesterday the well seasoned walkers made it to the Bukit Timah Summit again. When we woke it was raining and the thought did occur to us that perhaps Peter might call it off, and we could just roll over and sleep in, but the call never came. Bleary-eyed and tired we all assembled at the usual McDonalds outlet for coffee, no one dares to be a piker at this stage of the preparation. Our other walks last week took us back bird watching to Bidadari where we found nesting Tanimbar Corellas. these are sharing the same dead tree where we found sulphur crested cockatoos the week before. Noisy neighbours! Both are feral residents to Singapore. The best new sighting was of a black baza.

The Australian Baza was a favourite of ours in Darwin, a regular visitor to the Casuarina Coastal Reserve near the hospital. He's a raptor that looks like all the left over pieces have been put together. Love that crest.

We have also had the company of Mervyn and Yvonne, Tahlia's Mum and Dad, for one night through the week. They were on their way to Koh Samui, an island off the east coast of Thailand. It was only for one might on the way there, but they will spend a few days with us on the return leg. We enjoyed strolling all through the Gardens by the Bay together on Friday before we headed to work and they went to the airport. No doubt they will come back feeling a lot more refreshed and rejuvenated. The last time we were in Koh Samui Adrian was a crawling baby and there was no airport, you arrived by ferry. It will be interesting to here about the development. Heading to the gardens we visited the Marina Bay Sands shopping complex and I couldn't help taking a photo of this window display. Pretty eye-catching isn't it. The work is done by well known Japanese artist Yayoi Kasuma, perhaps you saw similar in the Melbourne or Sydney stores.

But by far and away the biggest achievement for last week was compiling all our documents for 2012 tax returns. At least I think I have. It is all in the hands of the agent now in Darwin and I hope she has plenty of fresh coffee on hand!

Late Update:
We had a fabulous day at the Races (where the track looked fantastic and not a hoof to chop it up all day). Good job! Meant we didn't have to leave our table all day and the champaign kept flowing. Our welcoming glass of Chandon bubbles was poured at 10am and we were plied with red, white or beer all day. There was a buffet breakfast followed by an a la carte lunch and afternoon nibbles. Meanwhile the ANZA group entertained us with Fashions on the Field and raffles. A fabulous day in the opulent Committee Room of the Turf Club Grandstand. Eric discovered he had worn the wrong shoes as we headed towards the buses that were to take us on into town about 3.30pm. The ones he had chosen were wobbly, so we just caught the MRT home. I backed Gallileo's Choice in the Cup and did my dough but Eric had a win in the sweep so not all was lost. Anything else I won, I swiftly lost again. That's my usual form on Cup days.