Steve's Work Spaces

Staff Office spaces and a couple of classroom shots.

School Assembly

School Assembly is a very formal occasion and happens every morning at 7.40 am. The pledge is spoken and the National Anthem sung.

Food-poisoning

Singapore is in the middle of its worst-ever food-poisoning outbreak, which claimed a second life yesterday. It is very tragic, and all happened very quickly last weekend. Hundreds have been affected, and one woman also suffered a miscarriage as a consequence of eating at this particular stall.

The papers are now full of the pitfalls of hawker meals (local food stalls), especially hygiene standards in general and the risks of leaving food in the open. The market in question also has a huge issue with RATS! Scary stuff...

Likes and Dislikes

We thought it was time for a reality check, so what is it that we all like and dislike about Singapore - and what do we miss about home?

Likes:

Steve likes seeing new places, meeting new people, and swimming in our apartment's pool. He likes ice-blended drinks, finding new bus routes, and reading the paper after school.

Markelle likes the malls, seeing new kinds of food, the pool, and new adventures. She loves the movies being so accessible, not having to rush out of the house in the morning, and the huge masses on Sunday!

Jess likes the rain storms, the climate, the food and the malls. She likes the clothes, massages, and getting a tan.

Deanie likes the pool, the heat, and the malls. She likes learning about new places, planning trips, and Sentosa Island.

Rhian likes his mates, the independence, and Tioman Island in Malaysia. He likes drum lessons, chicken cutlets from the stall at school, and orange juice cans.

Celia likes the pool, the doll shops, and the drink vending machine! She likes playing with other kids at the playground, letters in the mail, and playing on the computer. She also likes having her friend Chantal over.

Adam likes the loud cars on the motorways, his walker, and his meals!

Dislikes:

Steve doesn't like getting up early or the travel time, crowded buses, and he's getting sick of rice. 

Markelle doesn't like high humidity, loud fans on all night, or meals that include fish heads or bones! And none of us like the ants..... dozens and dozens of ants, always.

Jess doesn't like 5.30 am starts, school, sweating, or having a leg injury.

Deanie doesn't like long netball practices, long journeys on the bus, or thunderstorms.

Rhian doesn't like having so much science homework, maths homework, or LA (english) homework!

Celia doesn't like too much heat, science, or missing her classmates during the day!

Adam doesn't like ...... hmmm.... there's not much that Adam doesn't like.

What we miss:

Steve misses wide open spaces; mountains, lakes and rivers; and New Zealand food.

Markelle misses texting Grandma, a swift breeze through the clothes on a washing line, ventilation in the kitchen, and 'real' chocolate biscuits.

Jess misses her friends, and she misses.... EVERYTHING, except for hoar frosts in winter.

Deanie misses the snow, 9a Netball team, and friends. She also misses Letts Gully.

Rhian misses basketball, cricket and rugby, and his trumpet outings with the Roxburgh Brass Band.

Celia misses her friends, school, fish'n'chips, and biking.

Adam doesn't miss much.

We all miss TIMMY the dog :)

Jessie's mates

Jess had a night out on the town with some mates from school - they are from left: Wen Jia, Jess, Amrit, Gwen and Cara. The first photo is of Jess and Cara.

Palm Sunday

We won't ever forget Palm Sunday 2009.  We headed off to 11 am mass on another very hot humid day heading for 38 degrees again like the past 3 days. Parishioners were asked to take a palm branch, and gather for the procession in. Dozens and dozens of people kept arriving till well after the mass started - the masses here are huge. Once inside, the mass progressed as usual, but half way through it started raining outside. By the time we came out at the end, there was TORRENTIAL rain. This was the Singapore we had always imagined!

Despite it being only a 20-minute walk/bus/walk to home we were very quickly completely and utterly drenched. People came from everywhere to help us with the buggy, the baby, an extra umbrella etc ... 'random acts of kindness' as Steve put it. One lady gave us paper hankies for the children, saying to wipe their chest and back so they didn't get pneumonia!

It turned out to be quite fun, walking/running in the pouring rain, soaked through - and Adam didn't mind it one bit. I really wish I'd had the camera handy.

A memorable Palm Sunday - Happy easter week everyone :)

Note: the photo is of a St. Joseph's mass (our local) taken about 3 weeks ago.

The Straits Times

We endeavour to read the newspaper as often as possible, knowing that there is so much to learn in this vast region of Southeast Asia. This week in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, they started the trial for Kaing Guek Eav, otherwise known as 'Duch' - the first of the Khmer Rouge leaders from the Pol Pot regime to be tried for crimes against humanity. I'm not sure if you have this news at home. It is incredible to think that so much has been kept quiet for so long. Kaing Guek Eav is now 69 years old and has confessed his crimes - so of course this will help the cause of historical accuracy a lot as he now prepares to 'tell all'. There is a lot about it each day in the paper, and much of the trial is being broadcast live in Cambodia on radio and television.

In Cambodia for the first time in the last 30 years school students only now finally have a textbook that actually deals with Pol Pot and that whole era of atrocity.

On a lighter note, yesterday's newspaper also had a photo and article about the latest Water Reservoir about to be completed near here. Did you know that Singapore's water comes from 15 of these massive reservoirs, which convert sea water into salt-free water for the population's use. Jess is annoyed as she recently thought of this as an idea and is gutted that someone has got it first!