The MAE Great Race

On Friday we walked from home to Punggol Park along the park connectors with Peter and Heather. It was a very pleasant stroll but we got home just as the heavens opened. I had a quick shower and went out to lunch then, with Bev at Singapura Plaza atin Dhoby Ghaut. Of course that included a trip to Spotlight, the only shop of its kind in the country. 

After work on Saturday we caught a taxi to Lau Pa Sat to meet up with friends to celebtrate Jo's birthday. After dinner, where we all wore silly hats in honour of her passion for dressing-up, we moved on to 1-Altitude, the world's highest al fresco bar, also in Raffles Place. 1-Altitude Gallery & Bar is on the 63rd floor and boasts a spectacular 360-degree view of Singapore. 

The final week of Parent Teacher Interviews finished on Sunday and we made it through the week despite a number of other staff coming down with the flu and having to have time off. We had a quick dinner at Saturday House and caught the bus home even though it is only 2 stops from home, that's how tired we were. 

We have been looking forward to this year's Great Race for a few weeks, pumping Heather and June (who were on the committee organizing it) for clues, and adding finer details to our outfits. At last the day arrived on Tuesday. Again the skies opened and it absolutely bucketed down at about midday, but by the time we met up at Dhoby Ghaut Green it was just fizzling out to a drizzle. The funny thing was, hardly anyone took any notice of the pair of us on the train going in, wearing our team attire. I think that must have been because so many people in Asia wear His and Hers 'Couples Gear'. I felt much more comfortable when we met up with Melisa, then we were a team. Our team was missing two members, both home in bed with the flu. Perhaps that made it easier to make decisions. They swear they wore their shirts and hats all day in support. The t-shirts we had printed with the crossword puzzle, especially for the occasion, were appreciated by the others although we didn't win the best dressed award. Well, you cant win everything! And some of the other teams went to a lot of trouble.

We entered with no intention of winning but once we got started we just kept going. Melisa, our team captain, excelled at the task and used Google to get any answers we were struggling with, as we walked on. I'm impressed at how well this younger generation can multi-task. If I walk and look at my phone I'm bound to fall over, walk straight into something or into the path of an oncoming vehicle. The legs took us to Marina Bay Sands and out through Gardens by the Bay, back to Dhoby Ghaut we went up and over Fort Canning to Clarke Quay, from City Hall through Raffles Hotel and Chijmes, then Esplanade to Bras Basah where we finished at Wine Bos. The one leg we didn't do was the statues of Raffles Place, we just ran out of time. On each leg we discovered something we hadn't seen before which is what it's all about. 

The walking group started out a bit later on the Tuesday since Monday was such a big day. Eric led the walk from Aljuneid to Geylang and Joo Chiat. Everyone enjoyed the cultural diversity that wandering these streets explores. In Geylang, Singapore’s red light district, you find churches, temples and mosques side by side with its streetwalkers, brothels, Karaoke lounges and by-the-hour hotels. 
Right next door to Geylang is the Joo Chiat/Katong region, which traditionally has been the preserve of the Peranakans, middle class locals and the wealthy merchant class. The olden day opulence and charm of the place remains intact with traditionally Peranakan houses and shops. 
There's the homes.....

The places of worship......

The quirky ideas .....

In the evening Eric went to watch the latest Mad Max movie at Bishan while I stayed home. I did venture down to the shops below the HDB in search of a foot reflexology session but they were busy. After that full weekend it was back to work for a rest.