Announcement: NT to become a state

Now if that isn't just a smoke screen to draw attention away from more pressing headlines like destroying prime farming areas for fossil fuel mines, climate change and illegal immigrants. We did hear these good ideas for name changes during the week though to keep us entertained:
Call it Wonderland with Alice Springs as the capital and then we can have Alice in Wonderland.
Territoria, so we can still be Territorians.
Crocotopia, NT News is always featuring them on the front cover.
Barrafornia, but fishy.

While returning from Penang just on lunchtime last Wednesday, and getting ourselves off to work was quite reasonable in terms of time to manage it, we were a bit warn out that evening when we had dinner after work. The sleep-in of Thursday was really appreciated and our batteries were recharged, though we didn't get much else done but the evening shift. Then we met up with Peter at our regular Thursday night grill with our favourite Tiger girl and she presented us with the latest Tiger free gift offering; 3x Sg50 ceramic Tiger Beer steins. I have been saving the caps for weeks but was never going to collect enough for all three of us. She is a beautiful girl from Vietnam with very little English but terrific to us.








On Friday we walked through Bidadari and climbed to the top of the columbarium at Mount Vernon Crematorium. The views from the top were interesting to us as we have watched the new developments progress. Top right is a view of the original Bidadari Gates as seen from the top, in the middle is the view across to Marina Bay Sands and the Eye, at the bottom you can see the destruction of the cemetery as development gets underway in the southern section. The whole hill has been bulldozed away. 

Since burials stopped in 1973, Bidadari had become a welcoming habitat for animals and humans. Local residents like ourselves took regular walks there, it was popular with birders and others frequently went jogging, sometimes side by side with the nearby Gurkhas in training. We hadn't understood that they were gurkhas and were often surprised by the rigorous training regimes we watched. Now we understand! As the developments progress and the available public (and wildlife) area dwindles, we appreciate the efforts these military men put in to keep the tracks clear of fallen branches. After showing Eric the Memorial garden that I recently discovered we headed for home and that's when we came too close to some wildlife - a big black snake, probably the spitting cobra. 

On Sunday evening we were joined at Joe's by Richard who I had worked with for 3 years at Kovan Branch. He went home to Yamba at the end of last year but has come back for a visit and to escape the cold and too frequent shark sightings in his neck of the woods. 

The Monday walkers met up at Beauty World Plaza at Bukit Timah, somewhere we haven't ventured since they closed the trails on the hill for track renovation last year while we were trying to develop our fitness for the assault on Everest Base Camp. Since it was Peter's last free Monday before beginning work at one of the International Schools. At my instigation, we all wore Hawaiian outfits to match that shirt he wears so often. It was a bit of fun and certainly colourful. Many of the other walkers we met along the way smiled and commented though the local on the right below took little interest, as if he had seen it all before. 

Access to the summit is still blocked so instead we walked to McRitchie and finished 13 kms later at Thompson Plaza.  

In the afternoon Richard came over and in no time he and Eric were discussing the merits of the latest Blues releases and the performers at the Byron Blues Fest that Richard was able to attend earlier this year. Then we all joined other MAE socialites at Senor Taco in Clarke Quay for a night of salsa. They served Mexican-style street food like tacos and quesadillas, all very reasonably priced for that down town area. They also serve Sangria, Corona, Margaritas and Tequila but we were very sensible. It was a great night as the band, led by Martin Elias Reyes, kept your feet tapping. Now I'm keen to join Salsa Classes! 

An, for old times sake, we finished the night at the Crazy Elephant Blues Bar and guess who turned up, but not in that Hawaiian shirt at least.