Keeping low

We've had a very quiet week really. Both of us have been feeling particularly lethargic. Eric was getting over a cold and then as the week progressed, so did my sore throat. We did both walk the Bukit Brown Cemetry on Monday, a very leisurely stroll in the shade of the trees. Our numbers swelled to 14 this week. It was fortunate June had invited Jessica, one of her local friends along, who could help explain some of the features on the headstones. For example, I've learnt the unusual shape of the tomb represents the womb. Pictures painted on tiles embedded in the tombstones don,t try to depict the homeland many would have left behind in China, but instead represent heaven. They always have mountains and water incorporated. A number of the tombs are the resting places for a husband and his several wives.  She explained how the tombs are positioned with the hill behind them and the water toward the feet as per Feng Shui practice. The higher up the hill the more expensive the plot. 

Many more graves have been tended recently than on previous visits, this is probably because of recent family attention over Chinese New Year. According to our Florist friend Bernard, they will do the same again for Qingming Festival or All Souls Day on 5th April.  Its name denotes a time for people to go outside and enjoy the greenery of springtime and tend to the graves of departed ones.

Having enjoyed the movies last outing when we saw 'The Book Thief' we went back again Monday evening to see 'The Monuments Men'. While it was a good story to be told, I wasn't at all impressed with the overacting and directing. America saves the world again with strong resemblance to 'Hogan's Heroes'. 

Another weekend away

The much anticipated Annual MAE Social Weekend on Bintan has come and gone again. Of course the old adage "what happens on the trip stays on the trip" applies to all except readers of this blog. Bev was very organized having booked a bed at our place on the Sunday night so she didn't have to traverse the length of the whole island to catch the ferry on the Monday morning. I was well prepared having downed the Ginger Travel Sickness pills before leaving. When the Captain addressed the passengers before departure, suggesting that people move to the centre of the craft, I had a fair idea we were in for a rough crossing. And I was right. And I didn't make it without having to resort to a number of those ubiquitous plastic bags found in the pocket of every seat and swearing I would never be doing this again! So, while the rest of the group enjoyed a 10 pin bowling session I went to sleep. Thank goodness our cabin was available so early in the day. The package also included a bang up lunch at the Beach Club Cafe and I had recovered sufficiently by then to enjoy that. Punggol Branch won the Inaugural Bowling Champions Trophy and you can see how seriously everyone was taking on the challenge.

It wasn't long before everyone adjourned to the pool and then we convened later our cabin balcony for pre-dinner drinks to make the big decision about which outfit to wear to the Kelong Restaurant's Calypso Bar for sunset drinks. Most followed on to the Thai Restaurant for dinner and then a few regrouped to discuss the most important decisions facing the world on the balcony. (It was getting pretty late). 

We awoke at some ungodly hour during the night, both sweating and finding it very stuffy only to discover the power in our cabin was out. Opening a few windows helped but it took some time to get back to sleep and we were up early to catch a breeze on the balcony. Turns out Carolyn and Nicole in the adjoining cabin had suffered the same, as we shared the same fuse box. Management moved us to new cabins, ours with an extended balcony (how fortunate) and we treated ourselves to a wonderful breakfast buffet. Heather and Michael joined us for a walk out to the front gate via a jungle trail. Unfortunately there has been no rain here for some time, like Singapore, so it was all very dry and there was little wildlife to be seen. The gardens around the cabins are also not looking as good as in previous visits but they will recover. The lotus pond was ablaze with beautiful blooms. 

We finished up back at the Activities Centre where Eric did a gym session and the rest of us booked in for an afternoon massage then returned poolside.  Most of the others were also there, doing it tough. 

After the massage there seemed hardly any time before we were joined on the extended balcony for pre-dinner drinks again. Eric had managed to fit in a game of pool with a few others. Where does the day go? I thought we came here to relax! Without exception, the Indian Restaurant was chosen for dinner and it turned out to be a good decision. Guess where everyone reconvened after dinner?
It was good to sleep the night through uninterrupted and before we knew it Wednesday had arrived. After breakfast we checked out, caught the bus back to the ferry terminal and were back on the water though thankfully this crossing was much smoother. We had just enough time to drop our bags at Cherry Hill Condo, change and grab a bite for lunch, before the 2pm meeting at work. Perfect. 

Black Bazzas are Back

 Stunning Black Baza

 Chinese Pond Heron

The highlight of our walk this morning was finding the family of Black Bazas in Bidadari. This most unusual looking bird migrates here annually to escape the northern winter. We also saw a lone migrant Chinese Pond Heron, Kingfishers, Orioles and the usual Doves and Mynas. It was a lovely morning for a walk, cleared out the head after a night on the town celebrating Peter's birthday. We first went to Wine Bos near Kampong Glam and finished at Divine Bar in Park View Square where the three piece band was in full swing. This time the images of the fairy were hardly any better than last time. My camera just doesn't respond well in those conditions.

Monday's walk was Bukit Batok to Bukit Gombak, locally known as Little Guilin, because of the rock structures and water for which this region of Southern China is famously known. We haven't walked this trail for more than 12 months. It takes you to the peak where once a Japanese monument was built by the POWs and via old quarries which are peaceful and the bird life prolific. It was frustrating to hear all the calls but not be able to identify much without binoculars. Next time. Once again we found the cheeky White Crested Laughing Thrushes which we have only ever found in this park. There was also a Grey Headed Fish Eagle, a Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo and a flock of Philippine Glossy Starlings feasting on the fruit of a fig tree. 

 Can you see the Drongo's tail extensions?

 white crested laughing thrush

On Friday we set the first leg of the Great Race with Heather and Michael which meant revisiting Fort Canning. This year they are setting it with our support so we were really just showing them how we set the legs last year. Heather has since typed up the first set of questions and answer sheet so it is really underway now. We are separating to plan 2 more legs this week. On the way home I dropped into Spotlight's haberdashery section for buttons and have since finished my first project on the new machine which was a success. 

Have managed long skype sessions with Mum, my sister Judy, Eric's brother Laurie and friend Sandy this last week so feel in-touch with all the goings on down under. The one I was particularly trying to catch was my brother Col who celebrated a birthday on the weekend but he has proved illusive. Email has had to suffice.

Adrian is looking forward to the Soundwave Concert in Adelaide and has delayed plans to move to Alice Springs. Changes afoot at his work and relocating back to Alawa with mate Nathan are enough to challenge him for the moment. A lovely positive email from him shows he is in a good place at the moment. Luke and Tahlia are both sounding happy, Luke particularly happy and successful at work and Tahlia more challenged by the current Uni subjects. 

Last night we met up a few work colleagues to see 'The Book Thief' at the cinema in Nex, very convenient for us, and then most joined us for dinner at our local hawkers. It's the first time we have been to the movies in ages and I don't know why we don't do it more often. Although Germany in the 1940's wasn't a particularly comfortable place to go, it was good to be completely swept up in the story and taken away to another place and time. There are a number of movies coming soon that we are now keen to see including 'Mandela, Long walk to Freedom' (which I am reading at the moment), Philomena with Judi Dench and Railway Man. How are we going to fit all those in? Keep you posted.

Chinese New Year

Gong xi fa cai to you all. 

Best wishes for the new year

Due to New Year celebrations we only had to work the Wed evening and Sunday. Except for the retail sector, businesses traditionally take a week off and schools much the same so there were lots of absences in our Sunday classes too. Having been away the weekend before we stayed here and enjoyed an afternoon of tennis on Thursday at Heather and Michael's followed by a BBQ at their condo.

 boys at the bbq

 girls tossing the Yu Sheng salad

On Friday we had a lazy, late start. Eric was trying to have a restful sleep-in when the Lion Dancers arrived at our condo to welcome in the New Year. There was much drumming and cymbal clashing before it was all over.  I went down and met Cynthia and Rafael who kindly took it upon themselves to enlighten me. I learnt that when the lions have finished with the offerings they will have arranged them in a particular manner. It is up to you how you read and then analyse the numbers. They showed me how today's arrangement could be read 6188 or 8819. Now I just need to learn how to analyse numbers.

Later we joined H and M to walk around Jalan Besar, finishing at Kampung Glam. We were more or less following a heritage trail which took us to some new areas we haven't chanced upon until now. We walked by the stadium, home of the Singapore Lions Soccer Team, some beautifully restored shophouses and a lovely temple with the largest prayer wheel I have ever seen, right on the street. 

We finished up our walk around the Sultan State Mosque in Kampong Glam, had lunch and then visited the Malay Heritage Museum which is housed in what was originally the Malay Sultan's Palace (what they call the Istana), right beside his mosque. The current one is in Dhoby Ghaut, this one dates back to 1819 but was recently restored and reopened in 2012.

Then we all took the new Blue MRT Line to Chinatown from Bugis. The boys went home while Heather and I scouted Dhoby Ghaut for a suitable starting point for the Great Race and tried for buttons at Spotlight, only to find it was closed. 

On Saturday we met Peter and Chen Guan at Nex then traveled to Ang Mo Kio where June joined us as we followed a trail from the AMK Hub through a hawker centre and the Teck Ghee Court Market (all mostly closed this morning due to CNY) and on to the lovey AMK/Bishan Park. We made our way to the Kong Meng Phor Kark See Monastery, one we have observed from a distance a number of times but not visited. It is the largest temple in Singapore and features two stupas, numerous prayer rooms and many statues and shrines throughout the gardens. It was great to have Chen Guan with us to help explain the different halls, prayer rooms and deities. 

Despite the large number of people visiting at this time, there was still an air of tranquility about the place. Many were making offerings to their ancestors whose ashes have been stored in the columbarium. 

I was most impressed with the Guan Yin (Kuan Yin) statue which represents the Goddess of Mercy (also seen on top of Kek Lok Si Temple on Penang), but here she is settled amid many statues of babies because she is believed to help young couples in their wish to have a family. 

We retraced our steps through the park and had lunch at the Food Park hawker centre before returning home where Eric set to work on a lamb roast. Yes, you read that right (he'd found a discounted small piece). It wasjust enough to feed three, so we shared it with Peter along with a Footbolt and chocolate self saucing pudding. 

And so it became Sunday and we had to return to work. In the evening the recently inaugurated Whiskey Appreciation Club met at Peter's new home in Kovan for a further sampling. That made getting up for the usual walk on Monday a bit difficult but we made it to Bayfront in time to join them for a walk through Gardens by the Bay and out to the Barrage. They have recently opened the children's playground section of the Gardens and there were many families there enjoying it. 

Looking at that amazing building I mentioned that we hadn't ever actually been up to the top deck yet, and very quickly we had volunteers offering to take us up on Tuesday evening. OK, why not? We caught the train back to Chinatown for lunch where we were joined by Peter and Leonie from AMK branch. There were still masses of people there but the street decorations are just amazing. 

In between all those outings he new sewing machine has been put to work on a piece of silk I couldn't resist some time ago and I am very happy with it. The machine and the progress on the new project. Didn't get it finished this weekend though as we were booked in for cocktails at the Ku De Ta Bar on top of Marina Bay Sands Hotel. It is on the pointy bit at the front (I guess you would say the stern).

The sky was disappointingly hazy but even so the views were stunning. I can imagine the hotel guests feeling pretty special staying here and enjoying this pool on the 57th floor.