After defeating the legendary Michael Phelps and 2 others into equal second place in an amazing finish to the 100m Butterfly Final, Joseph Schooling arrived in Singapore on Monday morning, where he was greeted by hundreds of fans at Changi Airport. The flag waving supporters, clad in Singapore colours, included parliamentarians and his father who does not like to fly. They were welcoming home Singapore's first Olympic gold medalist. Later in the day he was formally congratulated in Parliament and received news that his national service deferment had been extended till after the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Schooling is scheduled to go back to the University of Texas in Austin to continue his studies on Friday, but is hoping to get permission from his school to stay longer so he can attend the National Day Rally on the following Sunday. An open-top bus victory ride took place on Thursday and many of our students got to see him as they had the day off school while the P6 students did their oral exams. The younger students at Morris Allen were pretty excited about the result, less so the older ones. They don't see him as being a hero particularly and don't connect with him as he lives, studies and trains in the US. Not really a Singaporean.
So impressed were we with our new find out at Changi Village last week, that on Sunday after work we invited some colleagues and Peter to join us at the Little Island Brewing Co. to end the week. They too were impressed with the rustic, outdoor feel and to top it off we enjoyed a full moon. Once again, negotiating the best way home proved tricky but we all got there in the end.
We went walking in the Botanic Gardens with the group on Monday.
As always it was beautiful and there were surprises to enjoy as we discovered new blooms or birds. One lot of seedpods we found had us thinking at first they were pie-shaped-wasp nests. We found them to be the fruit of the Monkey Pot Tree (Lecythis sapucaia), a native of South America. The fruit is roundish and woody with a cap that pops off when it’s reached maturity. Inside are the seeds, which then fall or are stolen by the monkeys who reach inside to take them. When these fruit, which are also referred to as "pots" fall, they would make great decorative pieces at home.
I turned back at the Tanglin Gate and returned through the Rain Forest walk to the MRT at the Bukit Timah Gate and came home while the rest continued on through Dempsey Hill. At MoCA they decided we should arrange an evening walk next term and eat at their cafe.
Then they went on to lunch at the Tanglin Mall Food Court. Eric was there when I rang to say I had no keys to get in but unfortunately he missed the calls. It was quite a wait until he got home so instead of icing my knee I got in the pool, fully dressed.
In the afternoon I had a neck and shoulder massage in the HDB across the road where they are gearing up for the annual Hungry Ghosts Festival Raffle held in the middle of the month when the souls of the dead are believed to roam the earth. According to custom, these ghosts can get up to mischief if ignored so all sorts of offerings are made during this period, which is the seventh month in the lunar calendar. Metal incinerators have been put in place around the housing estate and other residential areas to provide for the stacks of hell money and paper offerings, such as cars, watches and jewelry, that are burned by relatives to appease their deceased family members – taking care of their material needs even in the afterlife.
There will be a live stage performance at the end of the month. Bernard tells us it will feature tales of gods and goddesses, stand-up comedy, as well as song and dance numbers.
In the evening we went to Arbite in Serangoon Gardens where the ambience is quite relaxed and casual. Arbite Cafe is just a simple space aboce a chemist with white-washed walls, some tables and chairs. What makes it stand out from all the others we have tried is the thoughtfully put together and delicious food. The main courses are a meal in themselves and have a mix of freshness, flavours and textures. We enjoyed it all.
We went walking in the Botanic Gardens with the group on Monday.
As always it was beautiful and there were surprises to enjoy as we discovered new blooms or birds. One lot of seedpods we found had us thinking at first they were pie-shaped-wasp nests. We found them to be the fruit of the Monkey Pot Tree (Lecythis sapucaia), a native of South America. The fruit is roundish and woody with a cap that pops off when it’s reached maturity. Inside are the seeds, which then fall or are stolen by the monkeys who reach inside to take them. When these fruit, which are also referred to as "pots" fall, they would make great decorative pieces at home.
I turned back at the Tanglin Gate and returned through the Rain Forest walk to the MRT at the Bukit Timah Gate and came home while the rest continued on through Dempsey Hill. At MoCA they decided we should arrange an evening walk next term and eat at their cafe.
Then they went on to lunch at the Tanglin Mall Food Court. Eric was there when I rang to say I had no keys to get in but unfortunately he missed the calls. It was quite a wait until he got home so instead of icing my knee I got in the pool, fully dressed.
In the afternoon I had a neck and shoulder massage in the HDB across the road where they are gearing up for the annual Hungry Ghosts Festival Raffle held in the middle of the month when the souls of the dead are believed to roam the earth. According to custom, these ghosts can get up to mischief if ignored so all sorts of offerings are made during this period, which is the seventh month in the lunar calendar. Metal incinerators have been put in place around the housing estate and other residential areas to provide for the stacks of hell money and paper offerings, such as cars, watches and jewelry, that are burned by relatives to appease their deceased family members – taking care of their material needs even in the afterlife.
Food offerings (oranges, rice, even suckling pig) cover the tables and sometimes are just placed on the ground so you need to watch your step. Joss sticks were alight, and I came across a rare game of mahjong being played. A large tent has been set up between the towers to host the dinner and tonight's auctions. Money raised is used by the committee to fund the events.
There will be a live stage performance at the end of the month. Bernard tells us it will feature tales of gods and goddesses, stand-up comedy, as well as song and dance numbers.
In the evening we went to Arbite in Serangoon Gardens where the ambience is quite relaxed and casual. Arbite Cafe is just a simple space aboce a chemist with white-washed walls, some tables and chairs. What makes it stand out from all the others we have tried is the thoughtfully put together and delicious food. The main courses are a meal in themselves and have a mix of freshness, flavours and textures. We enjoyed it all.
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