Great Race 2014

Did I mention I bought a robo vacuum cleaner a few weeks ago? On Fri I had it going and was arbitrarily monitoring it as I shifted furniture and did the other chores. Returning to the lounge from the laundry the robo was no where to be found! I searched everywhere, even got down on hands and knees to search under lounges I really knew it couldn't get under, but it was nowhere to be found. How could I lose the bloody thing in such a small apartment?  The remote control was useless. I decided it would turn up as soon as I stopped looking for it and, true to form, it dawned on me that the front door (which I had previously propped open with a rod that the robo couldn't cross) had slammed shut in the wind. I can only surmise that the robo nudged the rod which allowed the door to shut, sweeping the robo along with it. I found it in the entrance which measures about 1m X 0.6m. still zig-zagging back and forth. The entrance is now spotlessly clean and I haven't stopped giggling about it! 

There has been so much talk around the staff rooms lately about the Great Race, an annual event we helped to resurrect last year. This year, as just the supporting members who organized it, we have been much more relaxed and on Monday we enjoyed fun. One innovation was asking participants to offer up suggestions for the sound track at the after party. It has introduced Eric to some new artists as his ipod was loaded up with the playlist. He will also do some deletions now that it is all over.

We intended to have an early night after work on Sunday, in preparation for the race, but after dinner at Wild Oats in Punggol Park, 5 of us went on to Heather and Michael's and we talked long into the night. From memory we listened to some all time favourite music tracks and debated the title of the best song ever written. Think I've heard it all before, you probably have too! 

On Monday we made our way to the starting point at Dhoby Ghaut. Some teams went to a lot of trouble to put their outfits together. In all there were 9 teams so we had created enough different legs to send them all to different starting points and then a final leg that they all completed at the end. 

Our final destination was a wine bar in Outram Park called Wine Mansion, which by amazing coincidence our friend Ann in Auckland put us onto. She just happened to send through a positive review of the place while we were trying to find a suitable venue that wasn't going to cost too much. What's more the Operations Manager turned out to be from Nepal so I think it was just meant to be. Having a Year of the Horse theme turned out to be a terrific link for the whole event and Eric capped off the fun with one of his 'Cup Form Guides' and a second race using dice and toy horses from the toy-box at Kovan. Once again we have received lots of positive feedback so it would seem everyone enjoyed the whole event. 

We were all very weary as we headed for the meeting point Peter had arranged for the walking group on Tuesday. He never lets an opportunity for a walk go by! 

This walk began at Kent Ridge and included a visit to 'Reflections at Bukit Chandu' which is a World War II interpretative centre housed in a beautifully restored colonial bungalow, close to the battle site of Pasir Panjang. 1,400 soldiers from the Malay Regiment heroically defended the last stand here against a 13,000-strong Japanese army just 2 days before the British surrendered Singapore to the Japanese on 15 February 1942. 

The building was originally one of the black and white bungalows built to house European expatriate or colonial families in tropical colonies of the British Empire in the nineteenth century through to World War II. The design incorporated elements of Art Deco movements as well as the need for airy and spacious family homes in lush gardens. 'Black-and-Whites', as they became known, were built by wealthy families, the leading commercial firms and the British Armed Forces. This one was built to house senior British Officers and was restored in 2002 to preserve its original structure and design, retaining the original style of arches and windows but altering the colour scheme. It houses a small but interesting museum which showcases the details of how the Malay Regiment defended Bukit Chandu against the Japanese invasion. 

After the visit we continued on to VivoCity at HarbourFront for lunch. I have become a fan of Thunder Tea Rice which is a signature dish for Hakka families dating back to the Qin Dynasty in China (221-207AD). According to legend, an old herbal medicine practitioner taught the troops of the day to collect herbs and brew them into a concoction which was mixed with some nuts, grains, pulverized tea, and ginger. It was then served with rice and apparently this concoction did wonders to ward off the plague, enabling them to fight the war to victory. Thunder Tea Rice claims to be low fat, low cholesterol, ideal for body detoxification and weight management. Many types of herbs are used in the making so it has high therapeutic and curative value. It is especially effective for cold, flu, cough, treating joint pains and in removing stomach wind and gas. I'm not sure that it promotes good health or improves vitality but I do like the taste. 

 After lunch we returned home where both of us had a well earned siesta. I bet all the other walkers did too.

Rail Trail further explored

We finished the last of the Parent Teacher Interviews on Sunday. It wasn't as hectic this week with the bulk of them done the week before. Eric had to have the Wednesday off to get over the cold and returned to work Thursday just in time for the Senior Staff mtg. Heather and I went shopping for Great Race trophies and both of us came home with a new pair of shoes, as you do. 'The Great Singapore Sale' has already begun so there are bargains galore for the next two months. 
That's it for the Great Race preparation. We have the legs completed, the instructions and questions printed and by this time next week it will all be over. The teams are all in their stables and will be under starters orders from Saturday night when we tell them where the starting line is. It has an equine theme since it is the Year of the Horse. There have been weekly pre-race competitions which included cryptic clues for staff names, name the movie or book title featuring a horse etc. which has encouraged a lot of interbranch discussion once again. Competition brings out both the best and worst in people doesn't it?
On Friday I had my hair cut while Eric had his branch audit interview. When they audit they inspect teachers' boxes to see that class preparation is in place and recording is up to date. The leader interview is all about knowledge of the handbook of procedures and being able to locate things like first aid kits and registers. Tiresome trivia but it has to be done. 
Heather and Michael have friends over from Lismore so they joined us at Joe's on Sunday night and again on Monday for the walk up Bukit Timah. It was no trouble for them, in fact they did it more easily than some of our regulars. Must have forgotten to mention that we do it at Nepali Pace! 

Bev spent the afternoon with us sorting out some issues on her laptop and then Peter, who has been away visiting the KL Branches, joined us for dinner. We started with plans to go into town or at least somewhere along the green line so Bev could get home easily to Jurong but in the end we just ate at the local stalls across the road then came back to the couches for more chat and refreshments. Peter returns from KL with liqueur chocolates each trip!
We needed to walk all that off, so on Tuesday morning he joined us for a walk along the rail trail that I had had just a brief taste of last week.  We took the train and bus all the way back to Bukit Timah and got off at the Rail Mall. The line only closed on 1 July 2011 following aan agreement between the Singapore and Malaysian governments. There was no community consultation. We walked for 2 hrs along the original rail track to where Alexander Rd crossed overhead. We had considered taking binoculars, but as Peter was with us we figured we would just enjoy the exercise this time. Won't leave them behind next time! There was plenty of interesting birdlife including our first blue breasted quail, munia, kingfishers, parrots, doves, crested laughing thrush, coucals and other 'unidentifiables'. It was so nice to walk on surfaces other than tar and cement and when you weren't beside a construction site or road it was lovely and quiet. 

We came across the original Bukit Timah Railway Station, built in . The entire line originated at Tanjong Pagar Railway Station at the southern end of Singapore island and crossed to Woodlands Train Checkpoint at the northern end. This station was a freight interchange for the Jurong Branch Line and signalling control house. Seeing the manually operated signal controls reminded me of visits to the Yarra Glen station as a child, where we used to collect parcels delivered by rail to the farm. 

The pole in the photo above intrigued us and I have only understood its purpose since coming home and searching Google. Eric wasn't too far off the money when he suggested it was for mail exchange but it turns out it was more of a safety net to avoid collisions. A token was dropped off by the driver of a train after passing through a section, it would then be taken by the station master and handed over to an awaiting train. That second train could then proceed into the sector previously passed through by the first train. 

This photo shows the old trail with a train travelling on the newer green line above. For most of the way it was overcast and not too hot considering you are very exposed for much of the walk with trees and thick undergrowth thick on either side but not overhead. The only downside was that unfortunately the track was quite wet most of the way, downright sloshy in some places. Occasionally it even had a smell that reminded me of days herding the cows up to the milking shed. We've never been so dirty in Singapore, our shoes soaked and with mud flicked up to our knees. We got some disapproving looks as we got on the train at Labrador MRT after a half hour walk along Alexander Rd, past Hort Park and the Interlace Complex which has 31 interconnected six-storey blocks stacked around communal gardens, containing 1,040 apartments.

So long as we chose a week that hasn't had rain each day, we figure we have found an interesting new walk for the Monday group beginning at Buona Vista MRT and walking in the reverse direction to the Rail Mall for lunch. We also want to explore the track north from the Rail Mall to Woodlands, just before the causeway to Johore Bahru, it looks like a similar distance.  We'll wait until the track dries up. Another option would be to cycle the whole length.............
In the evening we joined Heather and Michael and their Lismore friends back at Plonk in Serangoon Gardens. They had spent the day hoofing it on foot all over down town Singapore so all of us were a little weary and it wasn't a particularly late night. Very clever of us really, since one couple had an early taxi booked for the airport. They are off to Vietnam in the morning while we return to work. 

Well done Luke!

Luke, you certainly know how to share the love!.  Not only did you leave the lousy cold with Tahlia as you left Darwin, but you managed to infect your father with a horrible dose of it too, and you were only here for about 10 hours. Lucky it wasn't longer or I might have caught it too.  He got through the work week but by the time he met me after work on Sunday evening he really didn't look enthused about taking me out for dinner to celebrate our 35th anniversary. He insisted though and we did manage a quick meal over at Serangoon Gardens. As it coincided with Mother's Day there were a lot of people dining out. At Chillax Cafe our food was quite nice, but typical of many places here, the service was lousy and I had finished my meal before Eric had been served.  We didn't linger over dessert or nightcaps but got home early so Eric could get to bed. 
Before Eric started feeling unwell, we had a lovely morning with Doug at our place. He came out to see what the real Singapore is like, not just what you can see from Marina Bay Sands or on Sentosa. We found some old photos from college days and early years of teaching in Melbourne as Eric and Doug shared houses together in Mitcham, Croydon and Mooroolbark before we were married. We were so young then! Here is Eric, Jake and Doug at their Graduation in 1977.

It was the annual MAE Golf Day on Monday, which Eric had organised, but unfortunately he was too unwell to go. 7 of us made the long journey across to Johore Bahru and we had a lot of laughs, hit a few good shots and got some exercise. My first drive was a cracker and I managed to birdie the last though none of the shots were actually what I pictured when I lined up for each shot. Somehow my 30m pitch into the green didn't leave the ground but was drawn into the hole like iron filings to a magnet. No one was more surprised than me but I'll take it.  Good way to finish, I'll return to play another day. 

 Heather and Graeme, my playing partners

On Tuesday a large group (but still excluding Eric) met at Beauty World and we made it up to the summit of Bukit Timah amongst a huge crowd of locals who were out enjoying a public holiday for Vesak Day. The day commemorates the birth, enlightenment and nirvana of Buddha and is celebrated by Buddhists around the world. It was a shorter walk than normal as we then travelled on by bus to the original Ford Factory on Upper Bukit Timah Rd which was the first SE Asian car assembly plant. Today it is most remembered as the site where the British surrendered Singapore to the Japanese on Jan 15, 1942. It is now restored and is a national monument which houses a WW11 exhibition gallery and Singapore archives. In the forecourt I was really impressed with a game of Snakes and Ladders that has been painted onto the ground. Each square represents one of the 44 months (3 yrs and 8 months) of life during the occupation. It seems like a terrific way for children to interact with and learn about a significant period of history. 

We took the opportunity to join a guided tour of the gallery which was very interesting. We learnt things like how the Japanese flag, that every soldier carried in his pack and signed by any friend or relative, was cherished like a physical piece of moral support as the soldiers had no idea how long it would be before they returned to Japanese soil. We also watched footage of the signing of the surrender and it was very interesting to see the different body language and of Lt Gen Percival and Lt Gen Yamashita. Percival didn't once look his opponent in the face and blinked continuously while Yamashita was very forceful, in a terrible rush to get the task completed and with eyes that stared unblinkingly. In fact he was full of bluff, had far fewer men on the ground and was also running out of water and supplies too, but he wasn't sharing that with anyone. Their far superior airpower had put them in the dominant position and he didn't want to lose the advantage if it came down to street fighting, so the quicker he got this signed the better. Renamed Syonan, meaning 'Light of the South', those here were never treated with respect, never treated as Japanese citizens, but rather slave labour. The Chinese were particularly targeted as they were all suspected of sending money home to China to support the motherland in the Sino-Japanese conflict. We saw portrayals of the massacres, atrocious living conditions the internees and POWs suffered and learnt more about the courage and resistance of many individuals and small operations groups. In this gallery there wasn't a lot of space dedicated to reconciliation. 

We then made our way 3 bus stops further along Upper Bukit Timah Rd and crossed over to join the rail trail. This was the original railway line that ran from Tanjong Pagar in the south to Woodlands in the north and over the causeway to Peninsular Malaysia. You can actually join the trail at a bridge that we walk under every week we go to the summit, but it is an exposed walk and by the time we had come back down it was pretty hot. Apparently the old Bukit Timah station is still standing. On the small section we walked we found that in some places the old track is still in place and in others, all that's left is a lovely, wide green path. We ate lunch at the Rail Mall which had plenty of options to choose from. 

Eric spent most of Wednesday morning in a queue at the Drs and came home with the expected diagnosis of a virus, a further 2 days rest recommended. Hope you are all feeling better than he is. 

Another short week

At last the news of the restructure for MAE was announced to all on Wednesday so we no longer have to keep it under our hat. Staff are generally perplexed about how leaders will be able to successfully manage two different worksites and there are lots of questions yet to be answered about the day to day running of the business. The early announcement means those who have contracts expiring have a few weeks to consider their next move. We will apply for 2 more years, with a one year get-out clause. We are not sure that they will approve the proviso though, since Eric is getting a promotion. Will keep you posted.

With May Day falling on a Thursday this year we've had another short week. We enjoyed a long sleep-in then walked through Bidadari. We were probably a bit late for most of the bird action but it was still beautiful. We came home to put the finishing touches to our corned beef lunch, complete with white sauce, cauliflower, potatoes, carrots and beans. What a treat! I'm sounding more and more like my Dad aren't I? He always mentioned food in his letters and emails. 

In the late afternoon we met up with a number of friends and attended a Shakespeare in the Park Performance of 'Merchant of Venice'. Not sure I've ever been to a Shakespeare play before, maybe when at school. Thought they could have cut the lofty language and just moved through the acts a lot faster, but maybe I am just a 'philistine from the pharm'. The staging and production were fabulous with a modern Singapore influence. If I went again though, I would sit on a chair in the marquee as, after sitting on the sloping ground of Fort Canning, my back and knee were sore and it took almost a week to feel normal again. Luckily there was no rain and others were envious of our our picnic of corned beef sandwiches.

As it happens, on Friday I went to plug the vacuum cleaner in only to discover it was kaput. I've been checking out the different models and prices on robot cleaners for awhile. Seeing one in action while staying in Melbourne over Christmas only further convinced me they are a good idea. I bit the bullet and bought Eric a Congratulations On Your Promotion Gift before work on that same day. Isn't he lucky.

After work on Sunday Eric went to see John Cleese. He has always been a British humour fan, appreciating their ability to be telling a very ordinary story but then drop in a line that you all relate to and laugh at. John didn't let him down, Eric came home singing his praises even though at 76 he has probably seen his best performances. John opened his show with an alimony joke, as you might expect. But then went on to share details of his uni days shared with David Frost, Michael Palin, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Jones to name a few. How amazing that they all shared their student days at Cambridge together! If they hadn't, what might have been? No Monty Python, Faulty Towers, The Frost Report and the film 'A Fish Called Wanda' are just a few of the collaborations. Cleese was very entertaining apparently but when they caught the shuttle bus home the entertainment continued. An American passenger who had just seen the show rang his mate and retold the whole show into his phone but loud enough for everyone to hear. Apparently everyone was giggling but the caller was oblivious. That session was free, so good though, they were wondering if in fact it was a set up. 

Monday we walked from Bukit Timah to Mc Richie Reserve. This is a 12 km trail so took a little longer than usual though not as taxing as the steps on the hill. 

 Some different challenges

 1956 is one a Year of the Monkey

 We made it to the reservoir

We had a quick lunch while a heavy downpour did its thing and then rushed home and out again to meet Doug and Kay, friends from way back. In fact Doug was our Best Man almost 35 yrs ago. Kay gave up full time work last year and is now on call for her sister, Sheryl, as a child-minder. Cheryl is a surgeon and so is her husband Michael. They are attending the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Conference at Marina Bay Sands so Kay and Doug are here too, looking after 8 yr old Will. They have to spend the week on the 47th floor of Marina Bay Sands Hotel. Tough life. 

 view from their balcony

Eric and Doug went out to walk the local Heritage Trail, Kay and I stayed in with Will. He was busy with Minecraft while we had no trouble filling in the time catching up on all the exploits of our children and holidays we have enjoyed. When they returned I joined the boys on the boat (top deck) while they had a swim to cool off. You have to admit the infinity pool is impressive at 57 storeys.

We walked them to the Singapore Flyer where they had promised Will an evening of lights and we went on to Millenia Walk for dinner at Madam Saigon. Loved their fresh salads and delicious flavors. Doug caught the train out to Serangoon on Wed morning and we showed him what life in the 'burbs is like. Not quite the same view out our window as his. 

Tuesday morning while I went for a swim Eric found us a new ironing board. He leant on the last one and it hasn't been the same since. This time we have a full-sized one instead of the Asian sized one we have been putting up with. A big improvement for anyone who has back trouble. I can vouch for that as I used it in the afternoon while Luke had a sleep. We were looking forward to him arriving but to our disappointment he landed on us with a heavy cold and looked lousy. After a quick lunch we dosed him up on Chinese herbal mixture and sent him to bed for a few hours. When he surfaced we put him under the towel for the full inhalation treatment and followed that up with hot lemon, garlic and honey.  We were wondering if he was starting to think it might have been better to bypass our place but in fact he told us he appreciated the treatment. Maybe he was just making sure I wasn't missing out on the Mothers Day experience. By the time he left in the evening after a very pleasant dinner at Plonk he was looking better but still in need of a good rest. Lets hope he gets a comfortable flight on to Istanbul and then Nuremberg. From there he takes a 7 day cruise on the Scenic Jade Barge through to Amsterdam. Tough life these novice Travel Agents have attending PD. I got to go to Kota Kinabalu for a week, after many years of service in the NT, Eric got to go to Adelaide for 3 days!