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.