Blue Skies return

Wednesday and Thursday were glorious sunny days with the psi remaining below 100. We threw open the windows and went walking agian. On the Bidadari_Wooleigh Park trail we found a number of birds were out enjoying the fresh air too. Between September and March every year, thousands of migratory birds fly in and out of Singapore, which is one of the 700 staging sites along the East Asia-Australasian Flyway. The birds rest and refuel here, particularly at wetlands and inter-tidal flats such as Sungei Buloh and Chek Jawa on Pulau Ubin. Of the migrants, we spotted the Asian Brown Flycatcher and Asian Paradise Flycatcher. Others we will be looking for over the coming months include the Barn Swallow, Blue-Winged Pitta, Common Kingfisher, Blue-Tailed Bee-Eater, Japanese Sparrowhawk, Masked Finfoot, Javan Pond Heron, Orange-headed Thrush, Red-legged Crake, brown-chested jungle flycatcher, and then there are all the waders and shorebirds too.

We also saw a pair of Tanimbar Corrella, the smallest and the most common of the four corella species. They are the only ones with a pinkish lore and are endemic to the Tanimbar Islands in Indonesia. They are classified as globally near-threatened by Birdlife International. Apparently large flocks used to congregate around the Changi Jetty area but are now widespread all over the island, though we rarely see them.

On Friday we walked from home to to the National Stadium as Eric was keen to get a new pair of shoes at the sales in the shopping mall there. My neck was giving me trouble so when we returned I had a massage at the 'blue room of pain' under the HDB, the effects of which didn't kick in until Sunday. After work that night I noticed that I could see traffic approaching when I went to cross the road, or perhaps it was the relaxant effects of the alcohol consumed at Saturday House. Either way I'm sure it is safer to be able to turn your head.

But I've jumped ahead. The next highlight of the week was seeing Tommy Emmanuel play a one-night-only concert at the Esplanade Theatre on Saturday night. We took a taxi in from work and easily found Peter in the crowd as he was wearing an Aussie shirt in support of the Wallabies. Tommy played every different style from beautiful melodies like 'Somewhere over the Rainbow' to 'Classical Gas", adding the rhythm section and the bass, all on his own on the one guitar. A one man band, he doesn't use double tracking or synthesized pre-recorded accompaniment. What's more, he adds percussion by playing the drums on his guitar too, sings and entertains in his congenial yet laconic style. His unique playing style — he calls it simply “finger style” — is drawn from the country style made popular by his hero, guitar legend Chet Atkins. Fingerstyle guitar is used by many of today's talented young players, forming a huge fan base around the world. This has also given rise to festivals entitled Tommyfests where the master plays, teaches, jams and inspires a new generation of talented musicians. Not bad for a boy from Gunnedah. He did bring on stage an old friend and keyboard player for a couple of songs. 

Our Monday walk was at Tiong Bahru which we haven't walked for ages. A good thing as we were both feeling a little jaded but the destination enticed us out of bed early. The few who made it this week were distressed to find the coffee shop at the mrt station closed so and we had to walk to Flock Cafe in Moh Guan Terrace for our first caffeine hit of the day. This area, Singapore’s first housing estate (built in the 1930s) has a rich, colorful past. Apparently, it was referred to as Mei Ren Wu (directly translated as “den of beauties”), as many rich men housed their mistresses in this estate. Unlike the Lego Land-like HDB flats found in the newer areas of growth, the Tiong Bahru apartments with their rounded balconies and shuttered windows have a quaint art deco style. 

On previous walks in the area we had found street art but that has all been lost in the latest repaint. Approaching the end of the walk we suggested a lap of the 50th storey skybridge at Pinnacle@Duxton, an HDB of 7 connected towers. This was one of the features of the Great Race we designed in 2013 but some of our group today have never been up there.  

After lunch in Neil Rd we walked to Outram Park and caught the train home for a rest before glamming up for the MAE Annual Dinner. By that time though Eric was feeling lousy with a churning stomach and headaches so he had an early night and I went on my own. Last year we enjoyed an incredibly colourful event with a Bollywood theme. This year it was Shanghai Nite and once again everyone made a great effort. It was held at the Mirrimar Hotel where they served a delicious Chinese banquet.

As if that wasn't enough for one week, we then backed up at the Melbourne Cup function held at Boomerang Cafe by 9:30 on Tuesday morning and I'd already been to the Pools shop to put my bets on. Last year they got me all confused and it happened again. They tell me there is no race 7 and that there are not 24 horses in the field. like last year I put my money on another race but it turned out to be the wrong one. As per last year Jo won in the fashions on the field and so did Eric this year! Winners are grinners.

Have now returned to the Pools Shop to check my tickets and I have worked out what happens. They remove the first 4 races from the program, so if you want to bet on race 7 you actually have to bet on race 3. Do you think I will remember that next year? Anyway I backed No 11 in Race 5 which is actually Race 9. It came nowhere in the Cup but it won the race on my ticket. I just collected $27 for my each way bet, my shout tonight at the Hawker Stall.