Birthday on Bintan

It was great to welcome Michael after work on Saturday with dinner at Firenze by the river. He got to have a sleep in on Sunday morning before catching up with some of the crew at Grapevine on Sunday night. As usual Michael and Peter had a small head start on the rest of us. Because Monday morning was requiring an early start it was not a late night.
Everyone arrived at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal in time for the 8.10 ferry although we had thought we were catching a 9.10 ferry. A Public Holiday in Singapore meant a slightly different timetable! After a much smoother crossing than last time we I met the first hiccup to the weekend...villa not available until 3...and this at about 9am. We retired to the coffee lounge for a reviver then headed to the resort pool to cool down. Michael was able to prove that he has not lost the ability to fall asleep anywhere, anytime.

We were finally able to get in to our villa around 12. Everyone seemed to be pretty happy with it and after a light lunch it was in to our own private pool for a bit more splashing about. Outside the kitchen window we were able to see the results of the labours of a sunbird. Before dinner some us went for a stroll around one of the 2 magnificent golf courses to work up an appetite and we managed a bit of bird spotting as well.

The BBQ dinner to celebrate my birthday was amazing. It was cooked at our villa by a resort staff member and there was enough food to cover lunch on Tuesday as well, all at a very reasonable cost. My Singapore "family" gave me another pair of binoculars as a gift...this pair have a zoom function so they are great for looking at the tree opposite Rio Vista from the living room. My first pair will be used when I go walking and this pair will be more for less active birding.

We were introduced to a new bird species, the Ornum bird which has quite colourful breeding plumage and and a very distinctive mating call!

Some of the girls had teed up a surprise with Michael and we all know how he loves to dress up...I wonder where Duncan gets it from. It was a complete surprise to me...and most of the other guests as well.

After a slow start on Tuesday morning we welcomed Peter to the fray. Due to other commitments he was only able to join us for the day on Tuesday. He introduced the gathered throng to a few new items that HMmmm stood for finishing up with what I thought was a very appropriate "Her Majesty". The afternoon called for a bit more splashing about in the pool before another walk, with birds, around the second of the golf courses. The evening was topped off by the rising full moon.
After an uneventful return crossing, Wednesday seemed like quite a long day before I crawled in to bed.

We had lunch with Robert and Maria at Marche on Thursday to quietly celebrate Maria's upcoming birthday. Peter had decided that he would like to share a special whisky with Michael while he was here so after work on Thursday night we had dinner at the Smith's local before adjourning to their place for a nightcap or two. Consequently not much happened on Friday before noon.

After such an indulgent few days we felt we should take a walk to clear the cobwebs. We did a short walk from home along the Park connector and through Punggol Park. On the way back home we passed the recently opened HDB towers and found an interesting historical panel about the area. It would also appear that we will have another lot of food stalls to try close to home soon.

It was a quiet night at home on Friday night so Michael didn't end up with DVT again. After work on Saturday night we had a quick hawkers meal in Hougang before he headed to the airport for the journey home.

Post Great Race

My working week ended with dinner at Bliss in Ang Mo Kio with a reasonable sized group from nearby MAE branches. We were mistaken for a Humanist group, apparently made up of agnostics, atheists etc who were having a gathering at the same restaurant.
On Monday morning the usual group met at Bishan for a walk to Stadium. The stadium was a hive of activity as workers were preparing it for the South East Asian Games which start on June 5th. There are 11 countries participating in 36 sports. The organizing committee is obviously trying to whip up enthusiasm in this generally non-sporting nation, with lots of red banners flying from HDB flats, posters exhorting people to wear red for Singapore and decorations on the MRT. Obviously not too many of the runners in the photo are eligible to run for Singapore...or any one else for that matter!

Singapore loves rules, even at sporting events.

After forgetting on Friday that I was supposed to be meeting up with my cousin Lyn and her son David, I managed to catch up with them for dinner on Monday night, with Robert and Maria. We had drinks in Telok Ayer passing some very interesting sculptures on the way...ideas for next years Great Race organisers! 

We ate at  Lau Pa Sat or Telok Ayer Market which has long dominated the local landscape with its striking presence. A true Singapore landmark, it was gazetted as a national monument in 1973.

Situated in the heart of the financial district, the market’s distinctive octagonal shape and ornamental columns were first conceived by British architect George Coleman. When the market had to be moved from its original waterfront location and rebuilt in 1894, Municipal Engineer of Singapore and Scotsman James MacRitchie retained its essential shape, but added a graceful clock tower and a new cast-iron supporting structure. The frames were cast in Glasgow before being shipped to and assembled in Singapore.Today, after several facelifts and restorations (its most recent was in June 2014), what you see is still in line with MacRitchie’s original vision. It is a marvel to observe how the soaring arches, fretted eaves and slender Victorian columns topped with intricate filigree work – wrought from the most solid iron – have achieved an airy, delicate lace-like effect.The market has long been converted into a hawker centre offering the best of local cuisine. 

Lau Pa Sat Hawkers Centre

The rest of the week went by catching up on domestics that had been overlooked for the last few weeks, returning to the swimming pool and getting this blog up-to-date.
On Friday I joined with June,Libby and Eric for a walk around Bukit Brown Cemetery, also known to the local community as Kopi Sua or Coffee Hill. It was a public Chinese cemetery that had been established in the early 20th Century. It was the biggest Chinese graveyard outside China.

 In the 1970s, the cemetery faced the threat of being cleared for redevelopment, but it was eventually granted reprieve. Now, the cemetery is home to many bird species and wild life, and has as such become popular again–this time, with nature lovers. Unfortunately a large number of the graves have been removed to make way for a 4-lane road which is under construction. Some of the graves are amazing, there are many beautiful shady trees and despite the heavy machinery we still managed to see a number of birds, some for the first time.

banded woodpecker, pink-necked green pigeon

The Great Race has arrived

With the Great Race happening tomorrow Sunday night called for a quiet night so I joined Libby and Eric at Saturdays for dinner. After returning home it was a quick check to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything before retiring for the night.
Monday morning dawned rather overcast and by the time I arrived at the starting point at Dhoby Ghaut it was bucketing down. Luckily there had been some sort of event in the area over the weekend and the marquee was still in place so we took advantage of it to stay dry. By the time teams had arrived in all their splendour, photos taken and tasks handed out the rain had stopped. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves although there had been a couple of changes in Gardens by the Bay in the last 2 weeks which caused some minor hiccups.
Despite Libby assuring me that Keep Calm Until Fifty (red) were not planning to win they couldn't help themselves and managed to beat Fifty Shades of Great (black) by 1.5 points. The costume award went to Jubilee, (white) who were channeling Greek gods/godesses.

Because the Great Race took up Monday this week our usual walk was moved to Tuesday...no rest for the wicked! Fortunately it wasn't such an early start as many of the places/activities we wanted to see don't get started early. We began with a walk around Geylang where the shophouses along Geylang Road are protected from redevelopment.

It is also a red-light district of Singapore. The houses in Geylang operating in sex practices are easily identifiable; their house numbers are large and bright red. There are many temples, churches and mosques in the area often side by side, all with interesting individual touches and architectural details.

After a short break for a reviver, we moved in to the Joo Chiat area. In 1993, Joo Chiat was gazetted as a conservation district. As a result, shophouses and bungalows reflecting the typical architectural styles of the turn of the twentieth century have been preserved, as well as many unique and straits eclectic style Chinese shophouses which give the area its true flavour. The area is also known for eateries specialising in Peranakan delicacies.

In 2011, Joo Chiat was declared Singapore's first Heritage Town. It was chosen, in part, because of strong efforts to promote its Peranakan culture.
We finished off with a very tasty chicken rice lunch at Kalang plaza before an early night after 2 rather tiring days.

On Wednesday I had to go back to TTS to make my colonoscopy Appointment after signing the permission papers. They do love their queues in Singapore...you take a number to register, then join the queue to wait to be seen. One and a half hours later I had signed a permission slip, bought the mixture for the colonoscopy and made an appointment!

On Friday Libby and I travelled out to Sembawang to check some of the finer details of the start/finish points as it is going to be on the walk list for term 3. 

Aptly named Canon ball tree, locals playing Pentaque, a real beach

The Beaulieu House is a house built in the 1910s, as a seaside house for the David family. When the Sembawang Naval Base construction began in 1923, the British took over the house. It served as a residence for the senior engineers during construction, and during operation of the Naval Base, the senior officers resided at the Beaulieu House. Now, the house is gazetted as a Conservation Area by the Urban Redevelopment Authority. It houses a seaside restaurant and venue for weddings and parties.

At one point we thought we were in the middle of The Amazing Race but it turned out to be a school children's version. Of course Libby couldn't resist reading the clue!

Beaulieu House, The Amazing Race (not), one of the many black and whites.

As we made our made our way back to the MRT we passed through a large area of black and white houses which are still used by military personnel from Australia, NZ and America.

After work on Saturday night LIbby and Eric generously shared their genuine pasta with bolognaise sauce which Eric had whipped up earlier. We washed it down with some very tasty homemade sangria.

Parent Teacher Meetings week 2

After a slight mix up June joined Libby and I at Joe's for drinks on Sunday night...Eric was not feeling well and Peter was in China. Bev led us on Monday's walk from Boon Lay to Jurong, through the Chinese Gardens. They were built in 1975 and designed by Prof. Yuen-chen Yu, an architect from Taiwan, the Chinese Garden’s concept is based on Chinese gardening art. The main characteristic is the integration of splendid architectural features with the natural environment. The Chinese Garden is modeled along the northern Chinese imperial style of architecture and landscaping. There are a number of different areas within the garden including a Japanese Garden, The Live Turtle & Tortoise Museum and the Twin Pagodas

Watching the watchers, stork billed kingfisher, baby coppersmith barbet waiting to be fed.

Although Eric was unwell Libby decided she would still like to mark their wedding anniversary so it became a girls night out. Bev, Jo and I were happy to oblige so we headed in to Telok Ayer to try an area I had not eaten in before. We were very pleased to find wine for $6/glass and no ++. We then headed to Kasbar for a delicious Middle Eastern meal.

On Tuesday night I went to Serangoon to watch The Water Diviner. Despite some of the scenes being harrowing to watch, I did enjoy the movie. It was very exciting to see places that we had visited in the last 12 months on the big screen and I thought Russel Crow did a very good job both as actor and director. It was good to see a movie offer another point of view, although I did find the ending a bit schmaltzy.

After the movie a few of us adjourned to Grapevine for a reviving drink/meal.

On Wednesday morning it was back to TTS to get the results of last weeks CT scan...all good. After I'd left the premises and was almost at work the Dr. called and said the specialist had reviewed the scan and felt I should have a follow up colonoscopy just to check on last years 'bulge'...Oh Joy!

Thursday was more GR stuff and Friday was a walk from the Smith's back gate to Punggol Park along the PCN. Peter joined us and his very exciting news was that he has a job, at an international school, starting in August.

As Jo was celebrating her birthday on the weekend a group of us travelled in to town after work on Saturday night for dinner at Lau Pasat. Jo is renowned for her unusual headwear, she has a hat for every occasion, so we all honoured her celebration by doing the same. After dinner we took the lift to 1-Altitude, the highest rooftop bar in the world, a spot I had not previously visited. Because it occupies the rooftop of One Raffles Place Building, it has spectacular 360 degree views. 

Parent Teacher Meetings Week 1

After work on Sunday the usual diehards; Libby, Eric, Peter and myself, met up for drinks at Joe's. It was not a late night as I knew I had a big week ahead with lots of Great Race research as well as Parent Teacher Meetings beginning on Wednesday. 
It was a relatively easy walk on Monday from Labrador to Vivo City and as I was continuing with Great Race research after the walk I didn't bother to take my binoculars, so we were very lucky the little purple throated sunbird landed on a branch very close to us.

After another day of GR research on Tuesday I joined Robert, Maria and Elizabeth at Chomp Chomp Food Centre, also known as Serangoon Gardens Food Centre. It is a well known food court in Singapore. This food court is famous for offering a myriad of mouth watering local dishes such as Hokkien mee, satay, carrot cake, bbq chicken wings, grilled stingray, popiah, fried oyster, and prawn mee. Elizabeth was in need of a last taste of Singaporean Hawkers food before she flew out to Hong Kong on Wednesday morning. She is off to start a new job, just as soon as her visa comes through.

Wednesday and Thursday were taken up with a CT scan (following up from last years colonoscopy) and more Great race research/meetings.

The week ended on a positive note with a very positive appraisal from my Annex Head as well as a number of positive feedback comments from parents. For the first time, we were asked to give the parents a feedback form during PTMs. All our responses have been positive and it is very rewarding to be appreciated by name in what was meant to be a general response.  

Neil and Lorraine

Shortly after arriving at work on Sunday, some old friends turned up to collect the key to Rio Vista, as they were having a few days with me on their return journey to Australia. They had been visiting grandchildren in the UK for 4 weeks so spent Sunday resting until I finished work. We ventured down to Punggol Park for dinner as it is so convenient.
Neil and Lorraine decided they would like to join our walking group on Monday morning. Unfortunately for them it was one of our longest walks, and very hot but they coped remarkably well.

After returning home they 'discovered 'our pool so we spent a bit of time cooling off before getting ready for a night out. 
Lorraine and Neil are in a wine club back home and some of the other members had talked about the wine fairy in Singapore so she was on their wish list. After dinner at Blue Jazz, where we were joined by Bev, Libby and Eric, we strolled over to Divine Wine Bar to watch the wine fairy at work.

We spent Tuesday morning exploring Gardens by the Bay, where I was able to fine tune some Great Race questions, while Lorraine and Neil admired the area. In the cloud dome we were impressed with the lego display!

After Neil and Lorraine departed for the airport I dashed over to Robert and Maria's to farewell Elizabeth off on the next phase of her life journey. We were joined by Craig and Melisa a very pleasant young couple who work with Robert and Maria at the Kovan branch of MAE.

After a staff development day at Bishan on Thursday we had Friday off for May Day. Now that I have my own binoculars I was allowed to go back again. Libby, Eric and I managed to see quite a few interesting birds including the very beautiful copper throated sunbird. Searches are made much easier when you see a number of photographers, with long lenses, all pointing in the same direction. We probably would have overlooked the sunbird without this 'pointer'. It seems I am destined not to see a hornbill in Singapore as Libby and Eric sighted one flying overhead as I was answering my phone!

scarlet backed flowerpecker, lineated barbet, pied oriental hornbill, copper-throated sunbird

After returning home for a short rest I joined Libby, Eric and Peter at a new watering hole, called Saturdays. It is conveniently located not too far from their back gate, and even better there is a bus stop at the door at which I can catch a bus almost to home. It could become an occasional alternative for Sunday drinks.

More of the Same!

With Peter away and others otherwise occupied, it was just me and the Smiths for dinner at Wild Oats on Sunday night. I love the proximity to home and the setting by the lake is superb but unfortunately the food does not always meet expectations. Added to they will not give you a glass of water so we always say we wont go back again but I find myself still going there occasionally. 
Monday's walk from Kent Ridge to Vivo City is always a pleasant, if hot, stroll with a great variety of scenery. I did finish the walk although I felt a bit shaky at one point and chose to take the easy option at the end by giving stairs a miss in favour of a gentle slope. 


There was a MAE social outing to Pulau Ubin on Tuesday which involved a 10 min ferry trip from Changi. Pulau Ubin is a small island (10.19 km²) situated in the north east of Singapore. Granite quarrying supported a few thousand settlers on Pulau Ubin in the 1960s, but only about a hundred villagers live there today. It is one of the last rural areas to be found in Singapore, with an abundance of natural flora and fauna. The island forms part of the Ubin–Khatib Important Bird Area (IBA), identified as such by BirdLife International because it supports significant numbers of visiting and resident birds, some of which are threatened.It was pleasant to be near the water although it was a very hot day. Most of the small group chose to hire bikes but Robert and I decided we would take a walk. We meandered in a different direction to the way I had been 2 years ago and managed to see some old favourites like the magpie robin, with its beautiful song  and another new one for me the white rumped shama, which also has a melodious song. Some of the others saw the Hornbills but not me! 
Everyone returned their bikes in one piece (bikes and bodies) before returning to Changi for lunch at the Changi Village Hawkers.

Asian glossy starling, white rumped shama, magpie robin, olive backed sunbird

Peter returned from his trip to Australia in the evening so I met up with him and Libby and Eric at Plonk for their cheap Tuesday Pizza deal. As it turned out the food was cheap, but not so our drinks!
This week's  Great Race Quiz results flowed in on Wednesday night with only one slightly premature response arriving on Sunday night, but being week one we let the team resend on Wednesday. It was a pretty simple quiz, especially if you used the internet, so the majority of teams had 100%.After A Great Race meeting with the other team members on Thursday all seems to be on track. 
On Friday morning Libby and I went for a walk in the Botanic Gardens to give the binoculars a spin. I am very happy with them as you see so much more than with the naked eye. Disappointingly there was not a lot of bird life about but it is a pleasant place for a stroll anyway.

Luckily Friday had been such a pleasant day because I had a lousy day on Saturday. It began with sitting at the bus stop for 30 minutes waiting for my bus meaning I didn't arrive at work until.8.30. This was compounded by the information that a colleague was going to be away all weekend so my Sunday downtime was gone again. All in all I was out of sorts all day, but managed to cheer up enough to share a meal with the Smiths at their local hawkers at the end of the day. The sight of Libby with a couple of bottles of apple cider dispelled my bad mood for the day!