Fed up with the Filth

Haze continued and schools were closed on Fri as the outlook for the next 24 hours was expected to be in the very unhealthy range, with the possibility that it may even cross the hazardous 300-point mark, due to unfavourable winds blowing from the south-southeast or south-southwest. And at 7am the haze update did indicate the levels were over 300 psi, in the hazardous level.  Pizza Hut and other delivery services suspended their services due to worsening hazy conditions too. Levels continue to fluctuate between unhealthy and very unhealthy day after day and they are predicting these conditions may stay around until well into November. It is awful! We lock ourselves up in the condo but even that is as stale as can be. To make matters worse I burnt the toast yesterday! 

More and more people are wearing masks as the throat develops a tickle and the eyes smart when you can't avoid going out in it. I can't imagine how people who have asthma triggered by smoke are coping. 






Most of our students turned up for classes in the evening and across the weekend. We avoided eating at the hawker stall and just bought take away. The usual crowds were missing from the tables and the small businesses are all suffering. Only the sale of face masks has spiked.

We met up at Grapevine on Sunday evening, the last chance to see Michael before he returns to Aust and to catch up with Peter who went on an excursion with his class this week dressed up as Sir Stamford Raffles. 

I balked on walking Monday with the group, as did a good number of others. I prefer to go to the gym instead of breathing strenuously outdoors. A few stalwarts including Eric, met in Bishan and did the park and then the Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery, the largest Buddhist temple in Singapore. As a compromise this was more indoors than walking around Lower Peirce Reservoir as we usually do. As well as the impressive 4 storey memorial hall, prayer halls, crematoriums, columbariums the monastery has a fabulous outdoor statue of Buddhist deity Guanyin Bodhisattva, the Goddess of Mercy. She is surrounded by a lawn featuring statues of novice monks.

It is also home to the Pagoda of 10,000 Buddhas and a Bodhi sampling from the tree in India under which Siddhartha attained Buddhahood. All in all a massive complex. We walked over it last year with Chen Guan and Peter. 

Caught up with both Col and Jude who are both helping Mum with her transition. There is so much to do with both her possessions and the paperwork but it is advancing. Mum has called both the places she is interested in the meantime just to confirm she is serious. Once she has her clothing sorted she will need to sew name tags on everything, that will keep her hands busy! 

On Tuesday to avoid going stir crazy being locked indoors we went into Orchard Rd to see Everest at the 3D Imax Shaw cinema. It is based on the real events of the 1996 Mount Everest disaster and the survival attempts of two expedition groups, one led by Rob Hall and the other by Scott Fischer. Eric has read the book 'Into thin Air' about the same tragedy. It was good to recognise so many landmarks the teams passed as they made their way to base camp. We walked those same steps; across the paired suspension bridges behind Eric, around that Hillary Stupa with the view of the summit, through the memorials to climbers who haven't returned (which now include the names of Hall and Fischer). 

The scenery and struggles were very realistic. To me the only thing that didn't ring true was the lack of reference to the Sherpa support every team depends upon. Sadly, during production in April 2014, while the second unit crew was shooting scenes of the film at Camp II on Everest, an avalanche struck, killing 16 more Sherpa guides. The Sherpas were carrying equipment and supplies to camps for climbers in advance of the start of the summer climbing season at the time. I think Sherpas should have at least been mentioned in the credits. If you haven't already done so, go and see it. Fabulous scenery even if some was filmed in the Italian Alps and Iceland or film studio backlots.

So Wednesday we returned to work and it was announced that I will be the Curriculum Coordinator next year. This is a new position developed in part to replace the role that Renee used to do while Assistant Principal. We no longer have that position and she has been trying to do it along with everything else. The job description is still being fine tuned but I do know that I will be released from classes on Wednesday afternoons to spend those 7 hrs managing curriculum matters. I am looking forward to a new challenge next year. 

Into the home straight for our 4th year

We received the good news early in the week that the house in Yarra Glen has been sold at the listed price. Actually it never got advertised, our agent already knew someone who was looking for just this sort of home in that location and it has now been signed off. The good thing is Mum also knows them through her networks and she is happy they are keen gardeners. Now just the paperwork to be completed and Mum's financial position to be assessed by Centrelink to complete the process for accepting a place in an Aged Care Facility. 

We resumed work and exercise schedules but the haze lingered for the week so we chose mostly to stay indoors as much as we could. On Thursday we did venture over to Toa Payoh to confirm the route for the walk on Monday with the group. It was a pleasant surprise to discover the Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery, Singapore's oldest Buddhist monastery, is one of the sites chosen to display the colourful lanterns for the Mid Autumn Festival, a traditional Chinese festival on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, which this year falls on Sunday. It was originally an autumn harvest festival celebrated by farmers in ancient China and is now considered a time for reunion and renewal of friendship and kinship as well. It is being widely celebrated here now with multiple sites (not just Chinatown), making it the second-largest Chinese festival here, after the Chinese New Year. These structures are all constructed of silk and the finishing touches were being put to them on Thursday.

On the loop walk we also visited the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall, also known as Wan Qing Yuan, in Balastier. He was the revolutionary who helped to overthrow the last imperial dynasty of China and is regarded as the founding father of the modern People’s Republic of China. In the early 1900's he spent time in Singapore (then known as Nanyang) raising funds and working for the revolutionary cause and stayed at this beautiful two-storey, colonial-style villa a number of times. It is set in beautiful grounds and opposite a park named after him that opened at the end of 2013. A highlight of the villa's grounds is the 2m tall bronze wall mural which spans 60m along the fence line.  It depicts Singapore's history from the 1840s as a fishing village to the 1940s and the Sook Ching Massacre in 1942, the  "purging of Chinese" by the Japanese after the British colony surrendered. 

Unfortunately the museum and grounds are closed on Mondays so the walking group were unable to see the astonishing wall. Everyone enjoyed the rest of the walk though which wasn't physically challenging but includes a lot of history and cultural icons. There is the Dragon Playground, one of Singapore's most loved landmarks, first built in 1979. It is part of the HDB's series of playground designs with an animal theme. This dragon playground is one of only two remaining playgrounds in Singapore with this design, the other being in Ang Mo Kio. Only the dragon playground in Toa Payoh has retained its sand surface. The Lam Yeo ("Nanyang" in Hokkien) Coffee Powder shop in Balestier road has been in operation since 1959, opened by the current owner's father. Visiting the shop is like stepping back in time as it has not changed much since it was first founded, and the owner feels that there is no need for renovation as long as the place is kept clean. The strong aroma of their signature blends drew much interest from the group and there was a rush on his supply of traditional kopitiam cups and saucers. The unmistakable smell of freshly baked bread was the next sensory experience as we stepped into the Sing Hon Loong old-style bakery in Whampoa, it is one of the few remaining traditional bakeries in Singapore. They produce at least 1,400 loaves of traditional brown and white crustless breads which are then distributed fresh to coffee shops and local minimarts daily. We watched as the loaves were tossed out of their tins then stripped of their crusts before slicing and packaging. 

Balestier Road was named after Joseph Balestier, the first American Consul to Singapore in 1837. He developed a large sugar plantation, which he called Balestier Plain, around what is now known as Toa Payoh Estate. In this part of town the road is home to rows of shophouses (most of which  seem to be devoted to selling light fixtures and other interior decoration items) budget hotels, low-rise apartments and commercial buildings. There are plenty of interesting old buildings worthy of conservation. 

Then there is also the Burmese Buddhist Temple, Maha Sasana Ramsi, the oldest Theravada institution and the only Burmese Buddhist temple of its kind in Singapore. It houses the largest pure white marble statue of the Buddha outside of Myanmar, and has become a religious landmark for Burmese and Singaporean devotees. Like we discovered in Myanmar, the Buddha images have a halo of colourful flashing LED lights. Striking the bell 3 times should bring you luck.  

On Tuesday a number of us met up at Plonk in Serangoon Gardens for an opportunity to share holiday snippets and complain about the continuing haze. It is by far the worst we have experienced here. and it further deteriorated over Wednesday night. As of 1pm on Thursday, the 3-hour PSI was 260, while the 24-hour PSI was 179-219, in the Unhealthy range. These conditions are expected to persist for the rest of the day, and there could be further deterioration in the air quality as the prevailing winds are forecast to blow from the south-southeast or south-southwest. Warnings in the news - Given the air quality forecast for the next 24 hours, healthy people should reduce prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion, said the NEA. The elderly, pregnant women and children should minimise outdoor activity, while those with chronic lung or heart disease should avoid it altogether.   

Unfortunately Thursday is a public holiday for Hari Raya Haji but not many people will be enjoying the outdoors. We had planned to revisit the monastery in the evening to see the lanterns at their best, but we have cancelled and are presently ensconsed in the apartment with the air-con running. 

Last Week in Yarra Glen

Before we left I got the seams sorted and the sewing project finished in a rush before leaving on a midnight flight to Melbourne after work on Sunday. End of term 3 already.

Melbourne was cold and grey, but not bleak, and Col was at the airport to collect us so we were soon on our way. Arriving in Yarra Glen it was hard to fathom that this is likely to be the last time I walk around the garden, soak in the views of the Healesville and Dandenong Ranges from this particular viewpoint or sleep in this bed. Even a week later both Mum and I kept having to remind ourselves that this chapter is closing. We are expecting the property sale to be signed any day now. 

I enjoyed spending time with Mum and going through all her belongings, many of which pulled up fond memories of family life from childhood. One of the most poignant was discovering she still had the rainbow striped, woolen Onkaparinga blankets from the beds my sister and I slept in as kids. We shared the front bedroom at Lindenmere for many years and the beds each had one of these blankets then a paisley eiderdown under a mauve candlewick bedspread. I'll never forget how flash I felt when we were given a pair of second hand matching Queen Anne bedheads to replace the simple bookshelf style. Style indeed!

Through the week we offloaded boot-loads and ute-loads to the garden club, the stitches club, the local library and many of her friends. The local opp shop didn't miss out and will get plenty of what is still left. There is an old washstand in one of the bedrooms that Mum has been keeping for me. It was my grandmother Elsie's, from Port Fairy. It already had some things in it of ours including the favourite books we used to read to the boys, a few of my favourite outfits they wore as toddlers and now I have added some paintings the kids each did for Grandma, probably at Kinder in Cobram, and she has kept them all these years. 

I also put aside one English bone china 'high tea' cup and saucer set for each of them. There were quite a few individual sets so all the grandkids got one. I don't know how we will ever get to access them but Col has promised to keep them safe at his place in the meantime. 
We saw Col's daughter Anna, who is now looking very pregnant, and her mother on Thursday then on Saturday Judy's Jason and Bec came out for a few hours. Bec is just home from her 6 month trip and by now is with her Mum and Dad in Noosa. So nice to see them all looking so fit and happy and they each selected something from the home to keep. We put aside others for Liz and Col will hopefully find something for James and Nat. 
Jude and Rog return from Noosa next weekend so they will go out there no doubt and help Col sort through the rest with Mum on day trips. There is still plenty to do! Mum is reluctantly resigned to the fact that she has to leave and is happy that the people who are interested in buying the property are keen gardeners from Steele's Creek so she knows them well. Colin and Roger are handling all the financial side. I took Mum out on daily visits to Aged Care Facilities within a reasonable geographical area from Yarra Glen and we checked out what they have and how they are set up. She really wants to stay in the Lilydale zone so she is within reach of her friends and active community groups. That really limits it down to a choice of 2 and of course they both have waiting lists as many others in the Valley feel the same way. So we have her name down and now wait while we get the financial paperwork finalised. It seems that Dad's will was not as straightforward as we all initially thought, but I am sure we will find a solution that everyone is happy with. Hopefully that will coincide nicely with a vacancy as someone graduates to the next level. 
We had constant, but very welcome, interruptions from our sorting tasks as neighbours and friends dropped in at the house, caught us down the street at the cafes or rang to see if she was coming to this or that next gathering of the many organisations she belongs to. It will be great if we can settle her somewhere not too far from these activities and she can continue to participate.
On Friday Eric hired a car and drove to Maryborough in Central Victoria to visit his brothers. Here they are at the Maryborough bowls club. They don't get together too often and as you might imagine there were lots of laughs and a lot of stirring. Matthew, son of Laurie, (standing next to Eric) won the league best and fairest for the local footy this season. Laurie did the same thing 40 yrs ago, the first father and son combination to ever do it. Then on Saturday he drove to Bunniyong to see Leonie and Peter Evenden. They were work colleagues here last year but Peter has had a setback to his health this year and is on a long, slow road to recovery. We are expecting them to visit us next year and look forward to walking together again as we often did on a Monday. Eric was inspired by Peter's progress and plans a game of golf with him next time we meet in Aust. 

Over the week there were some teary moments but also lots of laughs and it was very valuable time spent, which I could not replace so I am so glad we were able to do it. Eric says he felt like an accessory on the visit, since it wasn't his place to make decisions, but I really valued his role as chief cook. If it hadn't been for him we would not have eaten well as each evening I was too tired and too disinterested to prepare a meal. He was also a huge emotional rock for me throughout. Just the same, I'm really glad he got some time in with his family and our friends Peter and Leonie.

On Sunday morning in glorious sunshine Eric, Mum and I went to the 'Hop for Hope' charity art exhibition just down the road at the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie, a fundraising event for the Alannah and Madeline Foundation to help keep children safe from violence. It showcases 40 larger than life-size kangaroos decorated by acclaimed Australian artists and identities. But how do you decide which one to vote for, let alone include a photo of here?

They were truely fabulous and Mum did really well to manage to walk the distance. You can vote for your favourite by gold coin donation, but I found that a very difficult decision and spent quite a bit of money. Never mind, a good cause. 

We flew back at midnight again on Sunday night after a final dinner with Col, Beth and Mum at Bickleighvale in Mooroolbark. Mum is settled back in there and I really believe they are comfortable with her staying with them for as long as it takes. He is arranging to move the Mecaps personal alarm system there and has applied for a carer's allowance. Arriving home we both crashed in bed for a few hours and then I went back again in the afternoon too. Only now, in the evening am I feeling refreshed. It was during the afternoon we realized how bad the haze was. Singapore has been experiencing hazy conditions for some time now.

 Air quality on Monday was alarming, having been affected by severe smoke haze due to the common practice of open burning to clear forested land for agricultural uses in Sumatra, and borne by the prevailing winds of the current Southwest Monsoon Season. Air quality is measured by the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) with 6 parameters integrated. Today it ranged from 118-146 to 4pm. 

We live in the Central region and it is disgusting here but at least we aren't out west as you can see from this graph we (the purple line) are in the best place. Thundery showers on Tuesday might provide some temporary relief but the 4 day outlook is not good. Oh for those clear blue skies of the Yarra Valley. 


While we were away the Singapore public voted in their new government, well not really new, they are the same party that have been in power since independence. They have just won again with a majority of 83-6. Such stability! On the other hand Australia will have their 6th prime ministerial change since 2007. What must the rest of the world be thinking? Whatever, it has got to be better than Tony. 

Big Cats and a Jazzy Jam

We visited the Singapore Pinacotheque de Paris, a local offshoot of the renowned private art museum in Paris, which opened at the end of May in the newly-refurbished Fort Canning Arts Centre.  This former barracks of the British Army is a building we have admired many times as we have wandered past. It has been under renovation for years but now holds more than 40 rare masterpieces from artists like Rembrandt, Picasso and Monet on permanent show in the Collections gallery. 

The larger Features Gallery is currently showcasing 'The Myth of Cleopatra' which had almost 200 artefacts and artworks including frescos from Pompeii, an Egyptian sarcophagus and resplendent costumes from the Cleopatra movies.

We met for dinner with a few other friends at Glutton's Corner, right on the waterfront of Marina Bay and indulged in a variety of local street food such as kway teow, chicken rice, spring rolls and murtabak. Then we all went to see Steve Winter's 'My Nine Lives' at the Esplanade Concert Hall. It is the first time I have actually been to see a performance at this venue which many of you would recognise as there are few buildings in Singapore as eye-catching as the two domes that make up the complex. They are fondly referred to as 'the big durians'  by locals as they resemble the spiky tropical fruit that is unique to this part of the world. 

Steve is an extraordinary wildlife photographer who has developed a passion for the big cats. His images were amazing, but just as interesting was to learn what it takes to get those amazing shots of (clockwise from top left) tigers in northern India, lions in South Africa, snow leopards at high altitude in India and a curious tiger with a camera mounted on a robotic car. The shots below are all courtesy of National Geographic.

After the show we walked to Clarke Quay to collect a package for Richard from John Chee at the Crazy Elephant. On the train coming home I discovered Adrian had been trying to get in touch. He gave up and left this short video for us instead. I trust he doesn't mind me sharing

The Hungry Ghost Festival passed the halfway point on Wednesday night and there was a big concert at the HDB across the street for all the residents to enjoy and help to entertain the wandering spirits. 

On Thursday morning we met up with June to explore a new walk from Marsiling MRTvia the Woodlands Town Park East to Woodlands Town Garden and on to the new Woodlands Waterfront overlooking the Strait of Johor. From there we walked through Admiralty Park and on to Woodlands MRT. It mostly worked as I had planned but sometimes it was guess and go, then backtrack. We were happy with the loop and will include it in next term's walking schedule for the Monday walkers.  We saw a number of birds including kingfishers, orioles and the less common pied triller. Below you can see the Woodlands Checkpoint at immigration through which everyone must pass to cross between Johore and Woodlands and the traffic jam it causes. the waterfront looking to Johore Barhru and bottom left the more tranquil Woodlands Town Garden.

The rest of the week disappeared in a daze, they are flying through now. 
We met some of the other MAE staff for end of term drinks at Wala Wala in Holland Village on Sunday night as next weekend most will be flying off to all points of the compass again. The good thing was not having to get up early for a walk as this week it was scheduled for the evening. After a lovely sleep-in, I got the sewing machine out and got started on a new project and Eric went off to have his ears syringed. Thank goodness he can hear again after complaining ever since we flew home that he felt he had a bubble in his left ear. We joined the walkers at Sengkang and walked out to Punggol Point in the cool of the evening which everyone enjoyed. It finished with dinner at Georges By the Bay and then we caught a bus back to Punggol then train home. 

On Tuesday I decided I was disappointed with the state of the sewing project so it was back to Spotlight and also to Kinakunya, the best bookstore in the country in Orchard Rd as Eric was after a new release for friend Peter (who he will be visiting next week in Ballarat). After several purchases I no longer need the sewing project! What do you know! But I will anyway. Then we walked on by ION Orchard and the colourful, larger-than-life  "Urban People" sculptures, created by Swiss sculptor Kurt Laurenz Metzleron to Jamie's Italian (Jamie Oliver) at the Forum. The decor is rustic and cozy and the service spot on. It was so good to both be served our meals at the same time! Such simple pleasures we crave here! We both enjoyed our meals and I think Eric may be planning to purchase yet another recipe book. Apparently you can never have too many. 

So now its back to the sewing project and unpicking those puckered seams. 

Night Festival

MAE held the annual Trivia Afternoon on Tuesday. Syd, Kim and Kathy organised it all and did a terrific job. For the first time there hadn't been a sports tipping lead-up but the afternoon was well attended. I found myself on a team with Heather and Neil from Punggol branch and Pip from Bishan. We didn't bring home any prizes. At the end of the event I deputized for Eric, who had felt too sick to attend, and thanked the organisers (yes I know I talk with my hands) after which we had dinner at Wild Oats.

On Thursday Eric had his blocked ears candled and feeling better, we then walked to Serangoon Gardens and bought some treats from the French deli which we shared with Heather for lunch. She and I have been working on a revised Whales unit for P4. The food was fabulous; baguette, pate, soft cheese. All such rarities on menus here. In the evening we had a quick meal with Peter at Kovan again.
Friday morning was overcast so we walked around Eco Green out at Tampines. We saw lots of different birds but the skies were so overcast we didn't get a lot of good shots. More woodpeckers and weaver bird nests than we have ever seen in one spot before though. 

After work on Saturday we met up with Bev, Kris, Heather and June at Molly Roffeys Irish Pub in Bras Basah for a quick dinner then joined the crowds on the streets enjoying the Night Festival. Our highlight was the stunning light installation on the National Museum featuring Anooki (the world's smallest inuits apparently, I thought of the android logo as I was watching them). The designer is from France but they paid a special birthday tribute to Singapore as part of their shenanigans. 

Spark were a perfectly choreographed LED-lit drumming group who entertained with both their fabulous music as well as their marching antics. 

But the place was so crowded. I soon felt very weary after a full day at work and we headed back on a train from Dhoby Ghaut. Needed a good night's sleep as a full day on Sunday was to follow. We finished that day and the working week with dinner at Grapevine. We were a bit disappointed to learn that the management are finishing up at the end of the month. Hopefully there wont be a lot of changes. 

A bike ride at East Coast Park was scheduled for Monday but to be honest we were both wishing it would be washed out or the bike shop announce it was closed. Neither of those events took place so we dragged ourselves out the back gate to the bus stop. Turned out we were the only ones to turn up! June was doing her best to make the deadline but caught a bus that took her via Bedok so was very, very late and we rode off without her. Once we got riding we were both happy we had made the effort as it was pleasantly cool and we were rewarded with a great sight - a pair of pied hornbills, once thought to be extinct in Singapore, but now breeding again on a recovery program. Now that makes it all worthwhile. 

We rode east along the coast for about 50 mins and were at least halfway back when we came across June. She joined us for the last leg then took off on the rest of her 2 hr bike hire period while we walked back to Parkway Parade, a shopping centre that caters for a lot of expats and where I was hoping I might find trousers for our annual dinner this year. No luck so then we took a bus to Dhoby Ghaut. This turned out to be a very interesting ride which swung over the Kallang River, by the Fountain of Wealth at Suntec City, the F1 track which is currently being prepared for the next race and Marina Bay Sands to name a few landmarks. 

At Dhoby Ghaut I went to Spotlight and bought a pattern and material so now have a new sewing project about to get underway. I was standing in the queue at the cutting counter when Judy rang to update me on news of Mum who has now gone to Col's place until we get back, and that there are locals interested in purchasing her home. Some things can move faster than you expect? I thought we would find her a new home first.

A huge incinerator was being filled with stacks of hell money and paper offerings at the HDB across the road when we returned. Later in the afternoon it was burned by relatives to appease their deceased family members – taking care of their material needs even in the afterlife in accordance with the rituals of the Hungry Ghost Festival. Meanwhile a truck full of more offerings was being unloaded at the store. 

Back to work and warmth

We returned to work on Thursday where I found my colleagues had been very thoughtful, providing great support while we were away and it continued through the week. Most of my lessons for the rest of the term are already printed off for me. I would never have been so organised. We have a great team at Kovan.
Met up with Peter on Thursday night and heard all about his new class at the Overseas Family School which uses the International Bacculaureate curriculum. He is still getting to know his little class of Year 2 EFL students and has a parent information night this week to get to know some of the parents. 
It was the opening night of the Hungry Ghost Festival, when the souls of the dead are believed to roam the earth. After closing time, some of the locals set up an alter, laid out offerings and lit candles. Besides “money”, people have been known to burn paper replicas of anything they believe their deceased relatives might be craving in the afterlife – watches, jewelry, cars, luxury villas, sports cars, servants – even condoms and Viagra. We will need to watch our step in the next few weeks to avoid trampling on food left out in the open. Although many observers place their food offerings (oranges, rice, cake or even suckling pig) and joss sticks on proper altars, others tuck them at the side of footpaths or beside tree trunks. 

On Friday I walked through Bidadari on my own as Eric has come down with a cold. I met a local playing frisbee golf or disc golf as it is known here. Apparently there has been an 18 hole course there since 2009 but only recently the holes were marked with proper posts rather than tree branches. The course is on the grounds of the Muslim and Hindu section of the cemetery, exhumed in 2001. It is the first and only semi-permanent course in Singapore. The layout follows the natural rise and fall of the landscape, utilizing materials found on the grounds (broken tiles and stones etc) and taking advantage of the shady, sprawling trees. Tees are marked with sticks or stones (often remnants of tombs) and targets are now white PVC pipes. Like the walkers, birdwatchers and training Gurkhas who enjoy this area, the disc throwers urge everyone to maintain the pristine and sacred beauty of this space as they try to establish a foothold for disc golf in Singapore. At left is the narrow fairway between obstacles to the 5th hole. At the bottom you see one of the new holes. 

Eric struggled through Saturday but stayed home on Sunday so it was a quiet weekend. I caught up with a few social minded colleagues on Sunday night at Joe's then he left it to me to lead the walk on Monday. Negotiating my way through the Botanic Gardens was more difficult than I expected, I usually just follow along and talk and don't take a lot of notice of which path we choose. Anyway, with a few false leads we eventually got to the Tanglin Gate. From there we were heading to Dempsey Hill but June offered to take us to the abandoned Woodneuk House, one of the town residences of an earlier Sultan of Johore that was badly damaged by fire. Eric, Peter and I went looking for it last year but found entry prohibited. Later June found a way in and she tried to lead our group in but.....

We found ourselves struggling through jungle, scrambling up steep slopes and battling our way through long grass all in vain, there was no sign of the mansion. Amazingly a path was obvious, with ropes to assist on the steepest sections but we can't figure out who uses it or for what purpose. I gave up first, knowing my knees were going to suffer, and headed back to the road and everyone followed which was just as well as it soon started to rain. Two of the group quit after that, but the rest of us crossed the road into Dempsey Hill and we found our way to the Museum of Contemporary Art where they are currently hosting a retrospective of Chinese Contemporary Art, featuring a number of artists. I was pleased to find even more of the works of Jiang Shuo and her husband Wu Shaoxiang which I really enjoy. Below you can see the colourful flying Chinese Cats of fortune, the celestial characters in red guard uniform as Mao's People's Liberation Army and in the foreground the lotus flower rider. 

We finished the walk at Casa Verde, the cafe in the middle of the Botanic Gardens which is about to close for renovations. 
Eric was still feeling pretty flat so I cooked dinner. Yes, I heard that gasp of surprise, but I can still do a fine stir fry. Tuesday was spent mostly doing housework in which we had got quite behind. In the afternoon I attended the MAE Trivia Afternoon and without Eric's help my table only came second. It was held in Hougand so a number of us enjoyed dinner at Wild Oats afterwards. 
Jude and Col have been terrific keeping me in the loop with news of Mum and I have spoken to her a few times. She seems to be enjoying the short breaks at each of their places but also looking forward to a few days back out at Yarra Glen if we can manage it when we return at the end of term. Today she has an assessment to determine the level of care she now requires so that will help direct the next round of choices and decisions to be made. 

Melbourne Trip

With Mum deteriorating rather than getting stronger we made the decision on Wednesday to fly to Melbourne to see her. This presented a few problems as we already had flights and hotel bookings in Krabi that had to be cancelled. We're hopeful travel insurance will help defray the costs. That's what you pay those premiums for isn't it? But at the same time we won't be holding our breath. Family is more important than money though.
We got away midday Thursday via Brunei. Hadn't been to Brunei before and on approach it felt a lot like flying into neighbouring Kota Kinabalu or Kuching. 

The airport terminal is very new. So new that as yet there is only one retail outlet in the transfer lounge. We spent 4 hours in Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf or wandering through the vast empty spaces.
I'm so glad I'm not doing this on my own. And from now on, every time I hear "Take my hand/take my whole life too/For I can't help/Falling in love with you" I will be reminded of the Muzak version I sat and listened to on loop for 4 hours there.


And then 3 movies later (Age of Adeline, The Longest Ride and Enough Said) we were in Melbourne, landing at 4:30 am on a brisk morning. Col arrived a short time later to collect us and we were soon in a cozy bed at his place in Mooroolbark. Beth greeted us but was gone when we re-emerged a few hours later having caught up on some sleep, and the kitchen smelt like a bakery with fresh scones and muffins just out of the oven. We met Judy at Maroondah Hospital just before lunch where Mum was waiting to be discharged having been told in the morning that she could go home once she had the all clear. Since she last went home she has had a fall in her own home and collapsed at Col's requiring an ambulance call, not to mention breathlessness and coughing. We had planned that Eric and I would accompany her home, though we all knew she couldn't have done it independently. We all spent a long afternoon waiting for the Dr, the Occupational Therapist and then the Physiotherapist to each do their clearances. Eventually we escaped but it was so late in the day we decided a night at Col's suited everyone better. We lit a fire and with the central heating soon the house was warm, then we had a family dinner together (again provided by Beth who had a commitment in Mitcham) and then Jude went home and the rest of us got an early night. Mum was tired too after all that waiting around, poor thing.

In the morning we walked through Elizabeth Bridge Reserve enjoying the birds before Col took us out to Yarra Glen. That's the Crimson Rosella, Little corellas, tree dwelling Pacific Black Duck, Magpie and Eastern Rosella. We also lots of water birds around the wetlands so a good variety in a short walk. The next few days were spent with Mum at her home in Yarra Glen. We were happy to do whatever it took to make her comfortable and arrange whatever help might be required to allow her to stay there independently after we left. However it became more and more evident as the days moved on that it wasn't going to be possible. While they seem to have been able to arrest the blood condition her heart is too weak now for her to manage anything more than getting from the bed to her favourite chair in the living room. She sat there each day enjoying the Spring-blooming garden through the window, frequently interrupted by her loyal dog Benji coming by to check on her. Deaf as a post now, he didn't seem to understand why she wasn't out in the garden pulling up weeds in the veggie patch and giving him an occasional pat. From her chair beside the fire she called the shots as I sorted out her pantry and began on her wardrobe. Progress was hampered though by the regular arrival of friends who kept calling in to check on her, everyone impressing on us how inspired they have been by her independence and interest in the local community. The Caddy's moved to 'Lindemere', a dairy farm at Dixon's Creek in the Yarra Valley in November 1960. The 3 kids all grew up there and moved away for tertiary education and onto career pathways. Mum and Dad stayed on until 1988 when they moved into 'town', 5 miles down the road. So many people knew Mum and Dad as they were both involved in so many ways in the community. Mum nursed at the hospital, not only on general wards but also helping bring many babies into the district and providing palliative care for others. Growing up on the farm I remember many times when Mum was first point of call for accidents or for confidential advice in difficult personal circumstances. She volunteered help for the Red Cross, the fire brigade, the RSL, the church, all our sporting teams and was a founding member of the committee that got the Community House up and running. I'm sure I have overlooked others but one community group she was very passionate about was the tree planting program where she planted more than her fair share, and mine and yours. In keeping with this community spirit, local charities were the grateful recipients of boot-loads of donations and Benji has a good home to go to. I emptied and washed countless jars from the pantry which have all gone to an upcoming community lanterns project on the lake. I'll have to get some photos of that, my dishpan hands are still soaking up the moisturiser as I type this. Eric cooked our meals, mowed lawns and cleaned up the garage then helped to warm the bed at night. My goodness it has been chilly at night. We did have some sunny days which were pleasant if you could keep out of the wind. We managed some bird watching together in the late afternoons and it was on one of these walks he announced that if we ever did move back to Vic he would like to live in 'The Glen'. But once the sun dipped below the horizon and the chill began to seep in around the neck and wrists he couldn't remember saying that. Among others we saw the New Holland Honeyeater, Superb Fairy Wren and Red Wattlebird.

On Tuesday I had a heart to heart with Mum, a most difficult conversation where I couldn't hold back the tears from her any longer. Physically she is just not capable of living on her own in the big family home anymore and fortunately she has all her wits about her and didn't try to resist, although this must have been a most difficult admission for her to make. We all would have preferred that she stay in her own home until she passes but her weakened heart just doesn't allow for that. So first Col arrived to help see her off and then Roger collected all three of us and we went to their home in Beaumaris for the night. 

They say owls aren't as wise as their reputations purport, but one visited us, sitting on the boundary fence between the house and the golf course. It wasn't at all perturbed by our wonder and I felt an incredibly strong connection with this bird of the wild. Was it Dad telling us he appreciated that we had Mum's best interests at heart and we were making the right decisions? I'll never know but I want to believe it. Mum will stay with Judy initially and then Col and so on until we can find the best long term solution for her.


Rog dropped us at the airport on the Wed morning. We had to leave early as a teetering crane on a construction project in town has caused major disruption to city traffic flow. We managed to avoid the worst of it but could see he was going to have to be very patient on the way home or take a further detour across the Westgate. On the flight back I watched another movie (Danny Collins) and had another good cry. When is this going to stop? Gotta pull myself together!
It is very difficult to be flying back to Singapore today, eased only by the fact that we have another trip already booked to return in September. I thought typing this up as we flew would be therapeutic but I'm not sure the flight attendants understand why I keep weeping.