We have just enjoyed a long weekend so decided to head to the zoo. Rach was keen to see the animals and I was keen to try out my new birthday present camera.
The Zoo is a very polished tourist experience and rather humane for a Zoo. Lots of the animals are wandering or climbing around without fences. The monkeys were all free to roam around, with I guess some well thought out strategies to keep them from straying too far. The orang-utans where handing out on this island where you could walk through on board walk.
Its taken us nearly a year and think we have finally done most of the local attractions. We need some more long weekends to explore a little further towards Indonesia or Malaysia. Lots of friends headed off to resorts over the weekend, and to nice beaches a couple of hours north in Malaysia.
It is now exactly a year since we moved out of our place in Claremont Grove and began our shift. How a year flies by.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Teaching with laptops
Since moving to Singapore, Rach and I have both been teaching in a full laptop environment. Each kid in our Grade 9 and Grade 11 classes have laptops which are linked to the wireless network. The laptops have sure altered the way we both teach. Rachel is now a convert to you tube and enjoys finding geeky videos for Geography. I now use a variety of blogs and school ICT stuff to make the learning a bit more interesting.
For both of us it has been an excellent opportunity for developing our craft as teachers and will be a nice string to our CV's when we eventually move on. I have recently presented a bit of research on the effectiveness of laptops. The conference was for all of the Singapore schools and it was a great chance to network, and to also begin the path towards maybe beginning my masters.
For both of us it has been an excellent opportunity for developing our craft as teachers and will be a nice string to our CV's when we eventually move on. I have recently presented a bit of research on the effectiveness of laptops. The conference was for all of the Singapore schools and it was a great chance to network, and to also begin the path towards maybe beginning my masters.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Cross Country racing
I took my gaggle of cross country runners to the Singapore International Champs this week. It was held at the American School of Singapore which was a bit too urban for a cross country race. Nevertheless heaps of kids from the other schools competed. The race was dominated by the kids from the American School. The school has about 3,000 students and a very modern and bling campus. Wouldn't mind having a full athletics track, Olympic size pool and artificial turf at our school. We didn't have many kids running. Our school has about 550 students, which is tiny compared to the seven big schools here with between 2000 and 3500 students.
Our Under 14 girls team with their 3rd place medals (plus random Curtis sneaking into the pic)
Our Under 14 girls team with their 3rd place medals (plus random Curtis sneaking into the pic)A weekend workshop in Bangkok
A few week ago we headed to Bangkok for a weekend of curriculum training for the International Baccalaureate. Both Rachel and I are now teaching a middle years class ( Grade 6 - 10) so spent three days in a workshop learning about Humanities / Social Studies, assessments and or sorts of other dull teaching material. This is about as close as we will ever get to a business trip so we made the most of it.
Our workshop classroom at the New International School of Thailand, boring.
We stayed in a great hotel in central Bangkok in the district of Sukhumvit, about a 10 min walk from the school where the course was run. The hotel was amazing value compared to the some of the hotels that was stayed in whilst in Europe.
Our hotel suite, huge lounge, kitchen and the king size bedroom.
We enjoyed the chance to network with some other teachers from around Asia. We met teachers who work in Beijing at a rather prestigious international school, the Western Academy of Beijing. http://www.wab.edu/ We also befriended people from Laos, Thailand and Indonesia. The growth of international schools in Asia is exponential at the moment especially in India and China with more multinational companies setting up in those parts of the world.
Lumpini market and food courts, the girls are out shopping.
We didn't get a huge chance to tour the city but did escape on Saturday night to the night markets in Lumpini. On the same afternoon, 30,000 red shirt anti government protestors where heading into central Bangkok a year after the riots when the airport was closed for week. We managed to get across town on the subway system which is brand new and very efficient. From what we heard Bangkok is not quite the wild west of Asia that it used to be. Still plently of interesting stuff that contrast against sterile Singapore. Think we might head back for a long weekend soon to do some shopping and check out the temples and attractions.
Our workshop classroom at the New International School of Thailand, boring.We stayed in a great hotel in central Bangkok in the district of Sukhumvit, about a 10 min walk from the school where the course was run. The hotel was amazing value compared to the some of the hotels that was stayed in whilst in Europe.
Our hotel suite, huge lounge, kitchen and the king size bedroom.We enjoyed the chance to network with some other teachers from around Asia. We met teachers who work in Beijing at a rather prestigious international school, the Western Academy of Beijing. http://www.wab.edu/ We also befriended people from Laos, Thailand and Indonesia. The growth of international schools in Asia is exponential at the moment especially in India and China with more multinational companies setting up in those parts of the world.
Lumpini market and food courts, the girls are out shopping.Saturday, September 26, 2009
Formula One Night Race
Along with a mate from school, I headed along to the Formula One last night. Friday was the cheapest of the three nights so we grabbed tickets. At $38 for a walk-about ticket it was a bargain. For the same privilege, a walkabout ticket on race night is $128. A seat in a stand begins at $300 up to $1,200 per seat along pit lane.
The atmosphere was electric and the city spectacular under lights. The 5km night circuit loops around an area called Marina Bay which contains numerous attractions such as the Esplanade theaters, the Singapore Flyer and the grandiose Fullerton Hotel. We happily walked around during the first practise session and found plenty of good spots to watch the cars rush past. The bridge across the harbour was a good place to see the cars hit 300km/hour and then brake for a 90 degree corner. In between practise sessions everyone congregated in the central Padang cricket ground for live music and waited for the late session to begin.
The highlight of the late session was a crash by a Renault driver in the same spot as the now infamous accident when Nelson Piquet Jr crashed on team orders to help Fernando Alonso, another Renualt driver win the 2008 race. An unexpected part of the race for me was the live music running throughout the weekend. Friday night was headlined by Katy Perry, who incidentally didn't turn up to the stage. We could figure if this was a good thing or a bad thing. Perhaps she was stuck in a bar kissing a girl or trying to find a F1 boyfriend. On Saturday night, Travis is playing.
I didn't have my camera, as Rachel took it back to NZ, so have borrowed a few pics from Flikr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimiraikkonen/
The atmosphere was electric and the city spectacular under lights. The 5km night circuit loops around an area called Marina Bay which contains numerous attractions such as the Esplanade theaters, the Singapore Flyer and the grandiose Fullerton Hotel. We happily walked around during the first practise session and found plenty of good spots to watch the cars rush past. The bridge across the harbour was a good place to see the cars hit 300km/hour and then brake for a 90 degree corner. In between practise sessions everyone congregated in the central Padang cricket ground for live music and waited for the late session to begin.
The highlight of the late session was a crash by a Renault driver in the same spot as the now infamous accident when Nelson Piquet Jr crashed on team orders to help Fernando Alonso, another Renualt driver win the 2008 race. An unexpected part of the race for me was the live music running throughout the weekend. Friday night was headlined by Katy Perry, who incidentally didn't turn up to the stage. We could figure if this was a good thing or a bad thing. Perhaps she was stuck in a bar kissing a girl or trying to find a F1 boyfriend. On Saturday night, Travis is playing.
I didn't have my camera, as Rachel took it back to NZ, so have borrowed a few pics from Flikr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimiraikkonen/
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Reminiscing about summer holidays
We have been travelling heaps lately, think Rachel is on first name terms with the taxi drivers at the airport. Our summer holiday in Europe was still pretty amazing and a great break. Can't think of anything better than driving around, camping and eating far too much food. Here are some favourite pics of our June/July trip around France then the UK.
Exploring the walled city of St Malo on the northwestern coast of France. The city was destroyed by allied bombing in the Second World War but has been put back to its original form and style, piece by piece.
The American war cemetery at Ohama Beach. A place that is famous for just one day in history, when the allies captured the beach on D Day and fought to break the German's hold on France.
Out walking in the French Alps with Mt Blanc forming a backdrop. Fairytale forest and majestic mountains.
The late evening summer sun playing on the buildings in central Edinburgh .
Rach at Euro Disney outside of Paris... who would have guessed?
Back to the coalface
Holidays seem like a long forgotten memory now. We have been back in Singapore for nearly two months, and are well back into the swing of teaching and living on the equator.
Our local MRT/Subway station, about 5min walk.
The school year runs from August to June in most international schools, so August represents a fresh start with a new group of student to remember. This year it took me about four weeks until I could confidently remember all of the students names. I still have trouble remembered the names such as Jong In, Sang Hoon, Sang Mo, Hye Jin, Hoang Duy. After a while, I can put a face to a name but my brain is still in a western mindset. Give me a list of Jessica, Emma, Jane and Emily and it would take a week. I am teaching Economics, Humanities and Business Management this year. Humanities is my first junior class overseas. They are about 5th form, the remainder of my classes are 6th or 7th form NZ equilvients.
Other than school we have caught up with lots of people. An orienteering mate Darren was in town running a competition called the Hillary Challenge for Singapore schools. Was great to catch up and see a bit of outdoors stuff. The Minstry of Education in Singapore contracts the NZ Outdoor Pursuits Centre and Darren to run the competion. It is limited to local schools, otherwise the international schools would have a large presence.
I also competing in my first race in Singapore. It was a 5km race around the Formula One circuit which was closed to traffic. I managed a cheeky win, from a field of 4000 people. Pity none of them could really run, as it was a great course andfully closed to all traffic. I ran 16.45 which is slow by NZ standards but somehow fast by Singapore standards. I am always looking for a few more races to enter. I keep missing the cut offs for the big races. The Standard and Chartered Marathon/Half Marathon has closed entries at their limit of 50,000 competiors. Need to plan ahead when the races are so popular and not scheduled until Dec ! guttered
Our local MRT/Subway station, about 5min walk.The school year runs from August to June in most international schools, so August represents a fresh start with a new group of student to remember. This year it took me about four weeks until I could confidently remember all of the students names. I still have trouble remembered the names such as Jong In, Sang Hoon, Sang Mo, Hye Jin, Hoang Duy. After a while, I can put a face to a name but my brain is still in a western mindset. Give me a list of Jessica, Emma, Jane and Emily and it would take a week. I am teaching Economics, Humanities and Business Management this year. Humanities is my first junior class overseas. They are about 5th form, the remainder of my classes are 6th or 7th form NZ equilvients.
Other than school we have caught up with lots of people. An orienteering mate Darren was in town running a competition called the Hillary Challenge for Singapore schools. Was great to catch up and see a bit of outdoors stuff. The Minstry of Education in Singapore contracts the NZ Outdoor Pursuits Centre and Darren to run the competion. It is limited to local schools, otherwise the international schools would have a large presence.
I also competing in my first race in Singapore. It was a 5km race around the Formula One circuit which was closed to traffic. I managed a cheeky win, from a field of 4000 people. Pity none of them could really run, as it was a great course andfully closed to all traffic. I ran 16.45 which is slow by NZ standards but somehow fast by Singapore standards. I am always looking for a few more races to enter. I keep missing the cut offs for the big races. The Standard and Chartered Marathon/Half Marathon has closed entries at their limit of 50,000 competiors. Need to plan ahead when the races are so popular and not scheduled until Dec ! guttered
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
From France to Scotland
After living the high life camping in France we skipped across the channel to the UK courtesy of a cheap Ryanair flight. We thought the flight left from "Paris" but turns out the airport is a good hours drive north in some little village. Anyway we arrived in Scotland fine, struggling to find enough warm clothes and then grabbing a new rental for our few weeks in the UK.
We spent a week driving around Scotland with Rachel's long lost brother and girlfriend Nina. It was good to see Rodney after about 4 years. We left Glasgow after one brief night and headed around the usual western and northern tourist circuit. We visited Loch Lomond drove to stay in Oban for the night on the coast. Then we did a long misson in the rain to the Isle of Skye which reminded me of the remote parts of the south Island scoured with large glacial valleys.
We continued the circuit north checking out Lochness and then eventually to a very grey town of Inverness. From here we drove diagonally south back towards Edinburgh so we could drop off Rodney and Nina at a huge music festival 'T in the Park'. We enjoyed chilling in Edinburgh, literally and metaphorically. It had a nice feel with lots of students, a few tourists and heads of pubs and good food.
Since then we have leapfrogged south to York for a night. I ran around the town for a while trying to avoid what seemed like half of England out for a Saturday afternoon walk. From there we are visiting lots of friends for a week. We are currently in south Manchester visiting one of Rachel's close friends Kat, this afternoon we will head to Sheffield to see Bryn and Piret, orienteering friends and flatmates and do some fell race. Then we will visit Leicester to see friends who we meet in South America before spending out penultimate week in London and Paris before flying back to Singapore.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Exploring Chamonix
With our friends from Singapore we have been exploring the hills around the ski resort town of Chamonix. The town to nestled in a huge glacial valley at the base of Mt Blanc which at 4800m is the highest moutain in Europe. Just to the north is the Swiss border and Geneva and through the tunnel to the east is Italy.
Yesterday after the half marathon we walked up to Lac Blanc which is perched above the valley looking out towards Mt Blanc on the opposite side of the valley. The climb began with a hillside of tight zigzigs and ascended 800m onto a balcony looking over Chamonix. Amongst the throngs of walkers we spotted heaps of wildlife and local deer.
The lake was in a small valley with remanents of last winters snow covering the mountains on all sides. The view from the turqouise lake across the valley was surreal. We ended the walk with another haul accoss an escarpment of rock to a ski station at about 2800m. A good day of climbing.
Today we did the big tourist thing here and caught the chairlift up to a point high above the valley called Angille di Midi. This peak is 3800m and the highest cable car in the world. The views were out of this world and an amazing view into the mountaineering landscape. From this point we caught another cable car across about 4km of glaciers to the Italian side of the Mt Blanc massif. The views down were a little scary as you spoted climbers dodging the glaciers far below. We took heaps of photos before returning back to Chamonix to grab some lunch.
Tomorrow we are off towards Switzerland and then back towards Paris before next weekend.
Yesterday after the half marathon we walked up to Lac Blanc which is perched above the valley looking out towards Mt Blanc on the opposite side of the valley. The climb began with a hillside of tight zigzigs and ascended 800m onto a balcony looking over Chamonix. Amongst the throngs of walkers we spotted heaps of wildlife and local deer.
The lake was in a small valley with remanents of last winters snow covering the mountains on all sides. The view from the turqouise lake across the valley was surreal. We ended the walk with another haul accoss an escarpment of rock to a ski station at about 2800m. A good day of climbing.
Today we did the big tourist thing here and caught the chairlift up to a point high above the valley called Angille di Midi. This peak is 3800m and the highest cable car in the world. The views were out of this world and an amazing view into the mountaineering landscape. From this point we caught another cable car across about 4km of glaciers to the Italian side of the Mt Blanc massif. The views down were a little scary as you spoted climbers dodging the glaciers far below. We took heaps of photos before returning back to Chamonix to grab some lunch.
Tomorrow we are off towards Switzerland and then back towards Paris before next weekend.
Running up a mountain
I fortunalty or unfortunalty took up an offer to run an off-road half marathon in the French Alps. The timing was ok. At least I had some holidays in which to get fit and try to develop some hill running strength. I managed ok and trained for a solid two weeks in France before arriving in Chamonix.
The race was a rugged 23km with about 1400m of total ascent, the majority of which was covered in the last 8km's of the course. The race started in the main village with 1,500 other idiots, a large bunch took off from me at under 4 mins per km so I eased off, sensing I should leave a little strength in the legs for the final uphill. I survived the first 13km fine, but began to suffer on the ascent to the ski station at 2300m. My lack of hill running (Singapore's highest is 100m) began to surface but most other runners were down to a shuffle as well. The track was undulating and contouring up along the side of this huge glacial valley. It peeked out to a ski station at 17km after climbing 500m in 2 kilometres. and I scoffed down a couple of cokes and energy drinks. This kept me chugging till the beginning of the next climb which was in the open, along to the finish line perched at another ski run. After a few anguishing moments of cramp I crept across the finish line. 2hrs 37mins was heaps slower than I thought I would manage. The winners did 2hrs but in the end of was glad too survive.
The race was very well organised and relatively cheap. Included was a post race buffer, nice running top and chairlift back down the hill. It was good do a race in another country and will start training again for a 10km race in Singapore in August.
The race was a rugged 23km with about 1400m of total ascent, the majority of which was covered in the last 8km's of the course. The race started in the main village with 1,500 other idiots, a large bunch took off from me at under 4 mins per km so I eased off, sensing I should leave a little strength in the legs for the final uphill. I survived the first 13km fine, but began to suffer on the ascent to the ski station at 2300m. My lack of hill running (Singapore's highest is 100m) began to surface but most other runners were down to a shuffle as well. The track was undulating and contouring up along the side of this huge glacial valley. It peeked out to a ski station at 17km after climbing 500m in 2 kilometres. and I scoffed down a couple of cokes and energy drinks. This kept me chugging till the beginning of the next climb which was in the open, along to the finish line perched at another ski run. After a few anguishing moments of cramp I crept across the finish line. 2hrs 37mins was heaps slower than I thought I would manage. The winners did 2hrs but in the end of was glad too survive.
The race was very well organised and relatively cheap. Included was a post race buffer, nice running top and chairlift back down the hill. It was good do a race in another country and will start training again for a 10km race in Singapore in August.
The South of France
Last week we left the middle of France and the Loire Valley to head futher south. The Loire Valley is an old hangout for French Royalty who built a variety of grand chateaux's in the 1700's- 1900's. Today it is a mecca for bus loads of tourists, we just managed to explore a few and stay at a sleepy campsite near the town of Blois on the banks of the Seine.
From here we were a little undecided on where to travel to. We wanted to get south for a bit to check out the Riveria. We stayed a night near some grey looking city of Clarmont - Ferrand very near to Lyon. I enjoyed a big run in the forests and around some volcanoes but we soon headed further south.
We found a campsite between Nice and Cannes on the coast for $15 Euro a night so planned to stay for three days. We checked out some of the resort towns like St Tropez but were turned back by the manic traffic. We spent a good day in Nice and enjoyed wandering around the backstreets, having coffee and checking out the markets. Nice had a great feel with heaps of tourists lying on the average gravel beach.
From Nice we drove via Italy all the way north to the French Alps and the resort town on Chamonix at the foot of Mt Blanc. We are lucky enough to be staying with a friend from work in their holiday house before we head back to Paris by next Saturday.
From here we were a little undecided on where to travel to. We wanted to get south for a bit to check out the Riveria. We stayed a night near some grey looking city of Clarmont - Ferrand very near to Lyon. I enjoyed a big run in the forests and around some volcanoes but we soon headed further south.
We found a campsite between Nice and Cannes on the coast for $15 Euro a night so planned to stay for three days. We checked out some of the resort towns like St Tropez but were turned back by the manic traffic. We spent a good day in Nice and enjoyed wandering around the backstreets, having coffee and checking out the markets. Nice had a great feel with heaps of tourists lying on the average gravel beach.
From Nice we drove via Italy all the way north to the French Alps and the resort town on Chamonix at the foot of Mt Blanc. We are lucky enough to be staying with a friend from work in their holiday house before we head back to Paris by next Saturday.
Friday, June 19, 2009
French Adventures
Armed with our trusty Ford Fiesta we have been meandering our way around the northern parts of France.
The itinery for the first week was wonderfully planned as is always the case, the next three weeks are a little more vague. So far we have visited Monet's house in the quaint village of Giverny, toured the D Day Landing beaches on the north coast and headed west to see an ancient abbey Mont St. Michel perched on a rock in the middle of a tidal bay. Yesterday and today we have toured around an array of huge Chateaux's spread along the Loire Valley in central France.
The best contrast from Singapore is the nice fresh food. We have been cooking up a storm most nights beside our tent, aiming to avoid the expensive touristy resturants. We have been hanging out in campsites and checking out the British and German tourists with their camper vans, satelitte dishes and plug in fridges. Some of the places are a bit deserted, apparently due to the depreciation of the pound in the last 12 months against the Euro.
Rachel loved Monet's house with the gardens and seeing copies of all his paintings in the original house. I enjoyed walking around the surreal American War Cemetary perched above the imposing cliffs of Omaha Beach. Most days I have been out running and Rachel has been writting postcards and reading up in the Lonely Planet on places to visit. All in all, it has been a pretty chilled out trip so far and a great contrast from the bustle of Singapore.
The itinery for the first week was wonderfully planned as is always the case, the next three weeks are a little more vague. So far we have visited Monet's house in the quaint village of Giverny, toured the D Day Landing beaches on the north coast and headed west to see an ancient abbey Mont St. Michel perched on a rock in the middle of a tidal bay. Yesterday and today we have toured around an array of huge Chateaux's spread along the Loire Valley in central France.
The best contrast from Singapore is the nice fresh food. We have been cooking up a storm most nights beside our tent, aiming to avoid the expensive touristy resturants. We have been hanging out in campsites and checking out the British and German tourists with their camper vans, satelitte dishes and plug in fridges. Some of the places are a bit deserted, apparently due to the depreciation of the pound in the last 12 months against the Euro.
Rachel loved Monet's house with the gardens and seeing copies of all his paintings in the original house. I enjoyed walking around the surreal American War Cemetary perched above the imposing cliffs of Omaha Beach. Most days I have been out running and Rachel has been writting postcards and reading up in the Lonely Planet on places to visit. All in all, it has been a pretty chilled out trip so far and a great contrast from the bustle of Singapore.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
We're all going on a... summer holiday
Going on a summer holiday when you live in a city which straddles the equator does seem a little perverse. I think most places in the world would be slightly cooler than Singapore at the moment so we are escaping Asia for June and July.
We have decided to head to Europe for our long summer break. It was close call. We spent a while juggling up an interpid style trip to China and Tibet or heading to France and the UK to catch up with friends. France and the UK won out and we have nearly organized an itinerary. Nothing like booking and committing to flights to get you motivated.
We are leaving Singapore at the beginning of June and heading to Paris to pick up a little Peugeot rental car. We are packing our tent and a bit of camping gear and intend to drive around France, the top of Italy and Switzerland for about four weeks. In France the plan to is check out Monet's Garden in Giverny just to the north of Paris then to drive out towards Normandy to some of the D-Day landing beaches. After this we hope to head south to a famous abbey called Mont. St Michel near Brittany.
The rest of the plan is vague at the moment. We think we will skirt around the Mediterranean Coast and pop into Italy to maybe spend some time here. Then I want to explore some of the Swiss and French Alps and to do a few missions. We will try to base ourselves somewhere like Chaminox on the French side or Zermett near the Matterhorn but are a cautious about how far our Singapore dollars will stretch.
From here we will drop back the rental and fly from Paris to Glasgow to do some touristy things with Rachel's brother Rodney before heading down through the UK to rendezvous with Rodney and his girlfriend at their apartment in London. Just before we fly back to Singapore we are booked for a little break in Paris with good mates Tom and Kathryn.
Should be a good trip, a little different from the bus journey and empanadas of South America but something I have been wanting to do for a few years. If anyone has any good ideas of places to see in the South and East of France let us know !
We have decided to head to Europe for our long summer break. It was close call. We spent a while juggling up an interpid style trip to China and Tibet or heading to France and the UK to catch up with friends. France and the UK won out and we have nearly organized an itinerary. Nothing like booking and committing to flights to get you motivated.
We are leaving Singapore at the beginning of June and heading to Paris to pick up a little Peugeot rental car. We are packing our tent and a bit of camping gear and intend to drive around France, the top of Italy and Switzerland for about four weeks. In France the plan to is check out Monet's Garden in Giverny just to the north of Paris then to drive out towards Normandy to some of the D-Day landing beaches. After this we hope to head south to a famous abbey called Mont. St Michel near Brittany.
The rest of the plan is vague at the moment. We think we will skirt around the Mediterranean Coast and pop into Italy to maybe spend some time here. Then I want to explore some of the Swiss and French Alps and to do a few missions. We will try to base ourselves somewhere like Chaminox on the French side or Zermett near the Matterhorn but are a cautious about how far our Singapore dollars will stretch.
From here we will drop back the rental and fly from Paris to Glasgow to do some touristy things with Rachel's brother Rodney before heading down through the UK to rendezvous with Rodney and his girlfriend at their apartment in London. Just before we fly back to Singapore we are booked for a little break in Paris with good mates Tom and Kathryn.
Should be a good trip, a little different from the bus journey and empanadas of South America but something I have been wanting to do for a few years. If anyone has any good ideas of places to see in the South and East of France let us know !
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Five favourite pictures from Phuket
This is sunset picture from Kata Beach out towards the Indian Ocean. The sunsets have an amazing intensity and glow in Thailand, not sure of the exact reason but it makes for a great photo.
We left Phuket for the day for a boat cruise around some of the island hear Phuket. This is a picture from Maya Bay which is an on an island called Phi Phi Lay. We entered this bay through a small gap in the rocks. The bay was very touristy as is sort of famous as this is where a movie called The Beach staring Leonardo Di Capro was filmed in the 1990's.
This is a picture of the signs which now litter the Andaman Coast to Thailand. In every low lying area, signs now warn people of the Tsunami risk and guide people to the evacuation routes. Thailand has finally constructed an early warning system for any future Tsunami with buoys floating 1000km out in the ocean.
It was great to do a bit more travelling and to escape Singapore for a week. It was nice to come back to the city and the order of Singapore but it is great to know that within two hours we can visit many cool and different places throughout Asia. Our next plan is to see a bit of Malaysia with my parents in June, and then perhaps try Cambodia sometime in the future.
We left Phuket for the day for a boat cruise around some of the island hear Phuket. This is a picture from Maya Bay which is an on an island called Phi Phi Lay. We entered this bay through a small gap in the rocks. The bay was very touristy as is sort of famous as this is where a movie called The Beach staring Leonardo Di Capro was filmed in the 1990's.
This is a picture of the signs which now litter the Andaman Coast to Thailand. In every low lying area, signs now warn people of the Tsunami risk and guide people to the evacuation routes. Thailand has finally constructed an early warning system for any future Tsunami with buoys floating 1000km out in the ocean.It was great to do a bit more travelling and to escape Singapore for a week. It was nice to come back to the city and the order of Singapore but it is great to know that within two hours we can visit many cool and different places throughout Asia. Our next plan is to see a bit of Malaysia with my parents in June, and then perhaps try Cambodia sometime in the future.
Our honeymoon
We arrived back from Thailand late last night. It felt good coming home. Singapore really is our home now. Our time in Phuket was amazing. How lucky am I that I arrived home from a fieldtrip to Malaysia to be told that I am being whisked away to a beach in Phuket for an entire week!! Life is great!!! Love you Mr McCarthy!!
One thing that Andrew and I love doing is cooking so of course we had to take part in a Thai cooking class. We signed ourselves up for a day long cooking experience. We were picked up at our hotel early in the morning having no idea what to expect. We drove for over an hour in the mini bus with a couple from Estonia of all places. It was well worth the drive. The Thai cooking school was built on a private beach where we were going to be spending the day cooking on the beach front looking out to sea. This place was paradise. The best thing was that there were no other people. Where we were staying in Kata beach it is full of tourists everywhere people, people and more people. Heaps of Australians. The hillbilly type Aussies.
Andrew was very competitive while we were cooking he wanted his dishes to be the very best. This is of course win win for me. “Yes Andrew that looks and tastes fantastic I can’t wait until you cook it for us as home”. (see what I mean) To be totally truthful he was the best in the class, he really did make the best tomato lotus garnish. ( I can hire him out for all of your dinner parties) We made 6 different dishes finishing with sticky rice with fresh mango. Yum!!
It really was a relaxing break away we read books, walked lots, ate out for every meal, swam and we even visited Phi Phi Island on a day boat trip. All this for probably the same amount that we would have spent in Singapore. Travel around Asia is so very cheap, we are trying to do our bit of spending to help the recession. We really are counting our blessings at the moment. We are not taking anything for granted.
On the last day of our dream honeymoon (I called it that because we may never get around to having a ‘real’ honeymoon) I got a head cold that is making my nose run non stop. There is nothing worse that having a cold when it is 35 degrees out. If that is my payment for a great trip then that is cool with me. Thank again Andrew!!!!!!
One thing that Andrew and I love doing is cooking so of course we had to take part in a Thai cooking class. We signed ourselves up for a day long cooking experience. We were picked up at our hotel early in the morning having no idea what to expect. We drove for over an hour in the mini bus with a couple from Estonia of all places. It was well worth the drive. The Thai cooking school was built on a private beach where we were going to be spending the day cooking on the beach front looking out to sea. This place was paradise. The best thing was that there were no other people. Where we were staying in Kata beach it is full of tourists everywhere people, people and more people. Heaps of Australians. The hillbilly type Aussies.
Andrew was very competitive while we were cooking he wanted his dishes to be the very best. This is of course win win for me. “Yes Andrew that looks and tastes fantastic I can’t wait until you cook it for us as home”. (see what I mean) To be totally truthful he was the best in the class, he really did make the best tomato lotus garnish. ( I can hire him out for all of your dinner parties) We made 6 different dishes finishing with sticky rice with fresh mango. Yum!!
It really was a relaxing break away we read books, walked lots, ate out for every meal, swam and we even visited Phi Phi Island on a day boat trip. All this for probably the same amount that we would have spent in Singapore. Travel around Asia is so very cheap, we are trying to do our bit of spending to help the recession. We really are counting our blessings at the moment. We are not taking anything for granted.
On the last day of our dream honeymoon (I called it that because we may never get around to having a ‘real’ honeymoon) I got a head cold that is making my nose run non stop. There is nothing worse that having a cold when it is 35 degrees out. If that is my payment for a great trip then that is cool with me. Thank again Andrew!!!!!!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
International Schools
We have been thinking a lot about the contrast between teaching back home in NZ and our new environment in the ‘international’ schools system.
Our school ISS, (International School of Singapore) tends to be classified like many other schools in Singapore as international, because it offers a curriculum that is foreign to the local Singapore national curriculum and that it draws students from a range of nationalities. Our school offers a curriculum called the International Baccalaureate, which includes a Diploma programme in the last two years. Students study six subjects for two years and sit one final exam in May. This is the largest contrast from the NZ system, which I perceived as too heavily focused and potentially driven by external examinations and assessment specifications. The curriculum is global in nature and prescribed by a group that originated in France in the 1970’s from memory. The benefit of the International Baccalaureate is that students can easily change schools and fit into new classes with ease. This is important for some of the transient students who follow their parent’s careers around the world. One Malaysian student arrived in my class in January. He was born in Malaysia but has since travelled the world, and arrived at our school from Stockholm in Sweden last year. He still had the same Economics textbook I use and slotted into class with ease.
Other bigger schools in Singapore such as United World College of South Asia (UWC) offer the British IGSE and A Levels, the Australian School of Singapore offers the New South Wales Curriculum, and is beginning to introduce the International Baccalaureate over the next couple of years. The size of schools here are far larger than most in NZ and perhaps something more similar to the US system. UWC has around 2700, and the Australian School is about 3000. Tanglin Trust, The American School and Overseas Family School all have over 2000 students, from Grade 1 – Grade 13. Our school has around 700 students and is perhaps slightly smaller than our old schools Queen Margaret and St Mary’s College in Wellington.
Our school is a very multicultural place with students from around forty different countries and staff from nearly every continent. This is a large and significant point of difference from the other, so called international schools in Singapore. The Canadian School is nearly exclusively for Canadian nationals and the American passport holders gain priority but not guaranteed access to the American School. I think most of our student’s parents value the multicultural aspects of our school. If you life in a foreign country, wouldn’t you like your sons or daughters to mix with students from other nations? It seems that many foreigners spend their lives in the expat enclaves of Singapore’s condominiums.
The pressure on quality education here is amazing. All of the big schools, UWC, OFS and the American School have long waiting lists, despite the recession. Maybe the scene will be different in 2010 but at the moment, the Straits Times still publishes articles deploring people who pay the SDG $250,000 for a guaranteed place at any of these schools. For around $80,000 you will get a place on the waiting list.
The education of people, is perhaps Singapore’s most important process. The county has no natural resources and still imports water from Malaysia and yet it can place itself among the top 20 wealthiest nations in the world. The change for Rach and me has been fun so far. We have probably learnt and gleaned more experience than we would have in New Zealand in another 5 years at our old jobs. In a while we will look forward to coming home and working in New Zealand schools but at the moment change is as good as a holiday.
Our school ISS, (International School of Singapore) tends to be classified like many other schools in Singapore as international, because it offers a curriculum that is foreign to the local Singapore national curriculum and that it draws students from a range of nationalities. Our school offers a curriculum called the International Baccalaureate, which includes a Diploma programme in the last two years. Students study six subjects for two years and sit one final exam in May. This is the largest contrast from the NZ system, which I perceived as too heavily focused and potentially driven by external examinations and assessment specifications. The curriculum is global in nature and prescribed by a group that originated in France in the 1970’s from memory. The benefit of the International Baccalaureate is that students can easily change schools and fit into new classes with ease. This is important for some of the transient students who follow their parent’s careers around the world. One Malaysian student arrived in my class in January. He was born in Malaysia but has since travelled the world, and arrived at our school from Stockholm in Sweden last year. He still had the same Economics textbook I use and slotted into class with ease.
Other bigger schools in Singapore such as United World College of South Asia (UWC) offer the British IGSE and A Levels, the Australian School of Singapore offers the New South Wales Curriculum, and is beginning to introduce the International Baccalaureate over the next couple of years. The size of schools here are far larger than most in NZ and perhaps something more similar to the US system. UWC has around 2700, and the Australian School is about 3000. Tanglin Trust, The American School and Overseas Family School all have over 2000 students, from Grade 1 – Grade 13. Our school has around 700 students and is perhaps slightly smaller than our old schools Queen Margaret and St Mary’s College in Wellington.
Our school is a very multicultural place with students from around forty different countries and staff from nearly every continent. This is a large and significant point of difference from the other, so called international schools in Singapore. The Canadian School is nearly exclusively for Canadian nationals and the American passport holders gain priority but not guaranteed access to the American School. I think most of our student’s parents value the multicultural aspects of our school. If you life in a foreign country, wouldn’t you like your sons or daughters to mix with students from other nations? It seems that many foreigners spend their lives in the expat enclaves of Singapore’s condominiums.
The pressure on quality education here is amazing. All of the big schools, UWC, OFS and the American School have long waiting lists, despite the recession. Maybe the scene will be different in 2010 but at the moment, the Straits Times still publishes articles deploring people who pay the SDG $250,000 for a guaranteed place at any of these schools. For around $80,000 you will get a place on the waiting list.
The education of people, is perhaps Singapore’s most important process. The county has no natural resources and still imports water from Malaysia and yet it can place itself among the top 20 wealthiest nations in the world. The change for Rach and me has been fun so far. We have probably learnt and gleaned more experience than we would have in New Zealand in another 5 years at our old jobs. In a while we will look forward to coming home and working in New Zealand schools but at the moment change is as good as a holiday.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Finally a nice place to run
We finally ventured out to one of the reserves on the edge of town this morning for a run and walk. MacRitchie Reservoir is a large lake in the centre of the island. It is surrounded by some nice rain forest, plenty of off road trails and the odd family of monkeys. Anything off road is a bit of novelty here, so I was keen to explore.
I managed to loop the lake in about 65 mins, which was about 11km with a few ups and downs. Rachel left at the same time and did a nice out and back walk along the boardwalks and tracks. In hindsight, we should have been a little more organised instead of our leisurely 10.30 departure. We both felt really cooked at the end from the heat and spent the rest of the day recovering. One stretch of about a kilometre in the open sun alongside a golf course knocked a bit out of my legs and once you get hot it seems to take ages to cool the thermometers back down again. A bit like running in winter, when you get progressively colder and cant warm up.
Anyway, it was nice to explore somewhere new and to enjoy a longer run. I am thinking of doing a few more triathlons here as the scene seems pretty competitive. Running is a bit hard with the climate and I can't yet manage the same miles I did back home. Hopefully I can substitute some of the running, for miles on the bike and make good use of the pool downstairs for training.
I managed to loop the lake in about 65 mins, which was about 11km with a few ups and downs. Rachel left at the same time and did a nice out and back walk along the boardwalks and tracks. In hindsight, we should have been a little more organised instead of our leisurely 10.30 departure. We both felt really cooked at the end from the heat and spent the rest of the day recovering. One stretch of about a kilometre in the open sun alongside a golf course knocked a bit out of my legs and once you get hot it seems to take ages to cool the thermometers back down again. A bit like running in winter, when you get progressively colder and cant warm up.
Anyway, it was nice to explore somewhere new and to enjoy a longer run. I am thinking of doing a few more triathlons here as the scene seems pretty competitive. Running is a bit hard with the climate and I can't yet manage the same miles I did back home. Hopefully I can substitute some of the running, for miles on the bike and make good use of the pool downstairs for training.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
When the novetly factor ends
Last weekend I headed back to NZ for the wedding of my two close friends, Chris and Emma. As a groomsman I had long promised be around for the wedding but intervening events such as getting a job in Singapore made a promise a little harder to keep.
Nevertheless I managed to get some cheap flights back to Wellington so I headed off late on a Wednesday night Singapore time and returned five days later on the following Monday. The beauty of Singapore is its close proximity to most things. I arrived in Sydney after seven hours of flying then was back in Wellington after another small three hour flight. I do remember that somewhere on the first flight; probably after a neck cranking sleep, that the novetly of jet setting is not that glamourous. I remember those first few flights when you read every detail of the safety handout and watch the video and animated air hostesses perform the drill. The highlight of this flight was the dinner, a few glasses of red wine and five hours of deep sleep.
I expected coming home to feel a bit weird. In hindsight I hadn't been away very long to actually to realise the change. The roadworks on the motorway out to the Hutt seemed unfinished and the shops still had sales signs up in the windows. I turned up back at work to surprise a few past collegues and to grab a lunch and a nice coffee, plus enjoyed a stunning run around the hills with some orienteering mates.
The wedding was great and a very happy affair. I felt a bit dwanted at all of the details that Chris and Emma had remembered for their wedding and the numerous nice touches. I have made a list of things for our wedding and now Rachel is excitied and thinking about our plans for the day. A quick catch up with friends, and a game of cricket at the staduim made for a cool few days. Sunday was family day and we headed over the hill to Martinborough to see out our wedding venue again. Everything seemed great and we look forward to sorting out our invitations in the next month. It has a nice outdoor area and relaxed feel which fits our plans for the day.
Coming back to Singapore and meeting Rach at the gate felt very good. Singapore after two months no longer seems so foreign and busy. It is still one large concrete jungle, which is the largest contrast from Wellington but we could happily make Sinagpore home for the next few years..... as long as the economy holds up :)
Nevertheless I managed to get some cheap flights back to Wellington so I headed off late on a Wednesday night Singapore time and returned five days later on the following Monday. The beauty of Singapore is its close proximity to most things. I arrived in Sydney after seven hours of flying then was back in Wellington after another small three hour flight. I do remember that somewhere on the first flight; probably after a neck cranking sleep, that the novetly of jet setting is not that glamourous. I remember those first few flights when you read every detail of the safety handout and watch the video and animated air hostesses perform the drill. The highlight of this flight was the dinner, a few glasses of red wine and five hours of deep sleep.
I expected coming home to feel a bit weird. In hindsight I hadn't been away very long to actually to realise the change. The roadworks on the motorway out to the Hutt seemed unfinished and the shops still had sales signs up in the windows. I turned up back at work to surprise a few past collegues and to grab a lunch and a nice coffee, plus enjoyed a stunning run around the hills with some orienteering mates.
The wedding was great and a very happy affair. I felt a bit dwanted at all of the details that Chris and Emma had remembered for their wedding and the numerous nice touches. I have made a list of things for our wedding and now Rachel is excitied and thinking about our plans for the day. A quick catch up with friends, and a game of cricket at the staduim made for a cool few days. Sunday was family day and we headed over the hill to Martinborough to see out our wedding venue again. Everything seemed great and we look forward to sorting out our invitations in the next month. It has a nice outdoor area and relaxed feel which fits our plans for the day.
Coming back to Singapore and meeting Rach at the gate felt very good. Singapore after two months no longer seems so foreign and busy. It is still one large concrete jungle, which is the largest contrast from Wellington but we could happily make Sinagpore home for the next few years..... as long as the economy holds up :)
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Three tourist jaunts
So far we have spent most of our time at work but have made an effort most weekends to head out and do something a bit touristy and the see a bit of the place. So here are three favourites so far in case any one ever visits.
Night Safari @ Singapore Zoo
During Chinese New Year break Rachel arranged for us to visit the Night Safari part of the zoo. It is a long way out of town by Singapore standards towards the causeway to Malaysia. The zoo is apparently one of the best in Asia and the night safari shows off the animals at dusk and in the early night. We arrived to the complex which is akin to what I reckon Jurassic Park would look like, lots of themed buildings and cafes. The tour itself involves jumping on a chain of golf cart contraptions and then being driven around by a guide. I was skeptical about the zoo thing to begin with, which is probably a reflection of the fact that my only previous zoo experiences are in Wellington and at Marineland in Napier. Anyway the tour proceeds through different areas such as the Tibetan Highlands, the African Savanna, Jungles of South East Asia and in each region you see a different collection of animals. The anteater was a highlight but perhaps the most exotic were the elephants, hippopotamus, tigers, rhino, flamingos, hyenas that were all out and about. The tour finishes with a night animals show were the otters do tricks. For $23 each it was a good night out.
Biking along East Coast Parkway
Over the same weekend we meet up with some school friends who were doing a bike ride from the centre of town out towards Changi Village which is near the airport. We managed to meet them halfway along their journey with our rented bikes. The ride went along a long coastline of reclaimed land and artificial beaches with a very wide bike path. Its akin to the feeling of running along Mission Bay and St Helleirs in Auckland, We even saw a New Zealand Icecream shop along the way. Its a popular place to be seen in your gears and exercising but we reckon we will be back to ride along it again. The city itself is very hustle and bustle so the low rise East Coast is nice contrast.
Mt Faber Park and Henderson Waves:
Between home and school is a series of interconnected parks which is called the Southern Ridges. This has become a nice place to run, explore and also get lost. From school a new path links up with a few hills and after 10 minutes to new bridge called Henderson Waves. In Singaporean fashion they have a bridge between two previously inaccessible parks which stretches 100 metres above a motorway below. I stumbled across it and will be back to take some photos. The rest of the run home is along concrete paths but it feels a little like Mt Victoria. The final part is a drag through suburbia and big roads back home. Finding home is easy as I can spot the skyscrapers next door from a few kilometres away.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/weesen/3155127947/
There is plenty of other things to do and keep us occupied but the local pastime is still shopping and eating food.
Night Safari @ Singapore Zoo
During Chinese New Year break Rachel arranged for us to visit the Night Safari part of the zoo. It is a long way out of town by Singapore standards towards the causeway to Malaysia. The zoo is apparently one of the best in Asia and the night safari shows off the animals at dusk and in the early night. We arrived to the complex which is akin to what I reckon Jurassic Park would look like, lots of themed buildings and cafes. The tour itself involves jumping on a chain of golf cart contraptions and then being driven around by a guide. I was skeptical about the zoo thing to begin with, which is probably a reflection of the fact that my only previous zoo experiences are in Wellington and at Marineland in Napier. Anyway the tour proceeds through different areas such as the Tibetan Highlands, the African Savanna, Jungles of South East Asia and in each region you see a different collection of animals. The anteater was a highlight but perhaps the most exotic were the elephants, hippopotamus, tigers, rhino, flamingos, hyenas that were all out and about. The tour finishes with a night animals show were the otters do tricks. For $23 each it was a good night out.
Biking along East Coast Parkway
Over the same weekend we meet up with some school friends who were doing a bike ride from the centre of town out towards Changi Village which is near the airport. We managed to meet them halfway along their journey with our rented bikes. The ride went along a long coastline of reclaimed land and artificial beaches with a very wide bike path. Its akin to the feeling of running along Mission Bay and St Helleirs in Auckland, We even saw a New Zealand Icecream shop along the way. Its a popular place to be seen in your gears and exercising but we reckon we will be back to ride along it again. The city itself is very hustle and bustle so the low rise East Coast is nice contrast.
Mt Faber Park and Henderson Waves:
Between home and school is a series of interconnected parks which is called the Southern Ridges. This has become a nice place to run, explore and also get lost. From school a new path links up with a few hills and after 10 minutes to new bridge called Henderson Waves. In Singaporean fashion they have a bridge between two previously inaccessible parks which stretches 100 metres above a motorway below. I stumbled across it and will be back to take some photos. The rest of the run home is along concrete paths but it feels a little like Mt Victoria. The final part is a drag through suburbia and big roads back home. Finding home is easy as I can spot the skyscrapers next door from a few kilometres away.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/weesen/3155127947/
There is plenty of other things to do and keep us occupied but the local pastime is still shopping and eating food.
Friday, February 6, 2009
A day in the life of Rachel in Singapore
Andrew told me that people may find this interesting. I may have to jazz it up a bit to make it so. Here goes.... Every day the alarm goes off at 5.45. We then go and hang in our own bathrooms. How fantastic is it that we have a boy and a girls bathroom. Andrew then makes me my breakfast which is usually pancakes with seasonal fruit or eggs benny with freshly squeezed orange juice. Yeah right! We leave the house at 6.30 then we walk through a big housing complex to catch the bus. The bus is an experience in its self. Most of the people on the bus are asleep. I don't mean resting their eyes, they are full on out to it. We often wonder how they know when to get off??? I love the bus because it has TV. So in the 15 mins it takes us to get to school I am up to date with the worlds news.
The bus drops us right to the bottom gate of the school. Note that I said bottom, we then have to climb the mountain of stairs to get up to school. It is so steep that Andew has decided to give up running because he thinks that that is enough exercise for the day. Ok so I may have exaggerated that a little. But it is fun watching the students climb the stairs everyday. Lets just say there are not many over weight students at ISS. Apart from the ones that Taxi all the way to the top gate of the school. I am in my office by 7. My office is pretty cool because it has like a McDonalds drive through window. Every morning most staff stop by and chat. I guess I am the counsellor so I am just doing my job.
School starts at 8 so that is when Andrew gets really busy teaching and stuff. I just sit waiting in my office waiting for people to come see me. I wish. I am really busy now I am doing all sorts of crazy stuff. In fact this week I signed a 2 year contract to stay with ISS. I am going to be the new Special educational needs teacher. I will start that role in August. Andrew is thrilled because I think that he thought i was serious when I said I was giving up teaching to work in starbucks after my 6 month contract ended. I am currently teaching two classes. The students are really great. I even have a kiwi boy from Napier in my Grade 10 Geography class, so I have at least one student that laughs at my jokes. The next highlight of the day is 3pm when the school day ends. Mon and tues we have staff meetings, Wed I go to Yoga, Thurs I am taking a hip/hop dance class and Fri we go to the Bali Hawker center for a few beers.
The bus drops us right to the bottom gate of the school. Note that I said bottom, we then have to climb the mountain of stairs to get up to school. It is so steep that Andew has decided to give up running because he thinks that that is enough exercise for the day. Ok so I may have exaggerated that a little. But it is fun watching the students climb the stairs everyday. Lets just say there are not many over weight students at ISS. Apart from the ones that Taxi all the way to the top gate of the school. I am in my office by 7. My office is pretty cool because it has like a McDonalds drive through window. Every morning most staff stop by and chat. I guess I am the counsellor so I am just doing my job.
School starts at 8 so that is when Andrew gets really busy teaching and stuff. I just sit waiting in my office waiting for people to come see me. I wish. I am really busy now I am doing all sorts of crazy stuff. In fact this week I signed a 2 year contract to stay with ISS. I am going to be the new Special educational needs teacher. I will start that role in August. Andrew is thrilled because I think that he thought i was serious when I said I was giving up teaching to work in starbucks after my 6 month contract ended. I am currently teaching two classes. The students are really great. I even have a kiwi boy from Napier in my Grade 10 Geography class, so I have at least one student that laughs at my jokes. The next highlight of the day is 3pm when the school day ends. Mon and tues we have staff meetings, Wed I go to Yoga, Thurs I am taking a hip/hop dance class and Fri we go to the Bali Hawker center for a few beers.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
When it rains
After a month of living in Singapore it finally decides to rain. The anticipation of a large thunderstorm had been building for weeks. Colleagues from all corners were willing to share their stories about the wicked torrential monsoon rains. We had even seen the umbrella vending machines lying in waiting.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/manuel69/ - CC Commons
The actual rain storm wasn't quite so exciting but it was still interesting watching people behave in the rain. I was half way through running home on an urban bash through the roads and overpasses. It began with a few heavy drops and then eventually rose to a crescendo. The massive metre deep road side ditches, which are a danger for any tired runner were full of gushing water. A mass of umbrellas appear from peoples bags, as some kind of insurance policy. The workers stand beside the road waiting for the buses which unleash a depressing splash as they dive through the roadside puddles to wet a bus stop of innocent bystanders. The rain seems to soak the life away from people wandering the street, heads down, trudging off with wet pants and shirts. I was pretty happy running along at least the rain dropped the temperature a bit.
The rain for Singapore is like the wind of Wellington or the smog of Santiago. Just an element of a city which makes it just a little bit quirky.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/manuel69/ - CC CommonsThe actual rain storm wasn't quite so exciting but it was still interesting watching people behave in the rain. I was half way through running home on an urban bash through the roads and overpasses. It began with a few heavy drops and then eventually rose to a crescendo. The massive metre deep road side ditches, which are a danger for any tired runner were full of gushing water. A mass of umbrellas appear from peoples bags, as some kind of insurance policy. The workers stand beside the road waiting for the buses which unleash a depressing splash as they dive through the roadside puddles to wet a bus stop of innocent bystanders. The rain seems to soak the life away from people wandering the street, heads down, trudging off with wet pants and shirts. I was pretty happy running along at least the rain dropped the temperature a bit.
The rain for Singapore is like the wind of Wellington or the smog of Santiago. Just an element of a city which makes it just a little bit quirky.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Settling into Sinagpore
Two weeks into our overseas sojourn and things are starting to settle down a touch. Back towards something that resembled what our life was like back in Wellington.
We are back living in another apartment which is a lifestyle that we became accustomed to and enjoyed in Wellington; close to the waterfront and Courtney Place. On our first day in Singapore we signed a lease for a brand new 9th floor apartment on the fringe of the CBD proper. We are within walking distance of two MRT stations (Outram and Tangor Pagar) and close to a bus stop which can whisk us off to work. The transport is everything you would imagine, efficient, cheap and always busy.
Work is going well and we are both back at the coal face teaching content which is similar to New Zealand. We both need try hard to make things relevant to the students and stop prattling on about New Zealand. Approx 75% of students are from Asian descent with lots of cool Korean and Japanese students, not too dissimilar to what we expected.
The remainder of Singapore is a hold for a little bit, we have ventured out a few times into the city, Orchard Road, to the new waterfront and into our local mall. So much to explore, but we are glad we have a few years to suss out the island. I have enjoyed running most days late in the afternoon and it is still the best way to explore a new place. Rach has been in the complex gym after work most days enjoying the air conditioning.
It has been funny thinking of what people pointed out before we arrived and I think we should attempt to clear up a two misconceptions from our naive kiwi viewpoint.
Amazing Food - food is ok and very interesting but the price of staples is as high as the sky scrappers. We turned away from buying mince beef at $38 Singapore Dollars a kg. The Hawker Stall experience is interesting but hard. Rach is a bit turned off by the smell and I struggle to find something simple enough for my meat and three vege upbringing.
The Heat - Yip is definitely gets a little hot outside but the only people working without the air con are the armies of Indian construction workers. You can go 10 meters with out seeing an air conditioner attached to the wall. The weather is very mild at the moment according to the locals from school. We will wait to see what June and August brings. I have been running in the afternoons in 27 - 32 degrees with out too much trouble.
Life someone new is a pretty good tonic for both of us at the moment, would be nice to import some friends to share a BBQ and some cheap beer but otherwise life is great.
We are back living in another apartment which is a lifestyle that we became accustomed to and enjoyed in Wellington; close to the waterfront and Courtney Place. On our first day in Singapore we signed a lease for a brand new 9th floor apartment on the fringe of the CBD proper. We are within walking distance of two MRT stations (Outram and Tangor Pagar) and close to a bus stop which can whisk us off to work. The transport is everything you would imagine, efficient, cheap and always busy.
Work is going well and we are both back at the coal face teaching content which is similar to New Zealand. We both need try hard to make things relevant to the students and stop prattling on about New Zealand. Approx 75% of students are from Asian descent with lots of cool Korean and Japanese students, not too dissimilar to what we expected.
The remainder of Singapore is a hold for a little bit, we have ventured out a few times into the city, Orchard Road, to the new waterfront and into our local mall. So much to explore, but we are glad we have a few years to suss out the island. I have enjoyed running most days late in the afternoon and it is still the best way to explore a new place. Rach has been in the complex gym after work most days enjoying the air conditioning.
It has been funny thinking of what people pointed out before we arrived and I think we should attempt to clear up a two misconceptions from our naive kiwi viewpoint.
Amazing Food - food is ok and very interesting but the price of staples is as high as the sky scrappers. We turned away from buying mince beef at $38 Singapore Dollars a kg. The Hawker Stall experience is interesting but hard. Rach is a bit turned off by the smell and I struggle to find something simple enough for my meat and three vege upbringing.
The Heat - Yip is definitely gets a little hot outside but the only people working without the air con are the armies of Indian construction workers. You can go 10 meters with out seeing an air conditioner attached to the wall. The weather is very mild at the moment according to the locals from school. We will wait to see what June and August brings. I have been running in the afternoons in 27 - 32 degrees with out too much trouble.
Life someone new is a pretty good tonic for both of us at the moment, would be nice to import some friends to share a BBQ and some cheap beer but otherwise life is great.
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