Welcome to my Kitchen

Welcome to my kitchen.

The coffee is on and brewing. It is almost 8:30..... yes the start of another day in Singapore. I am lucky because unlike most hard working people I only have to set my alarm on two days of the week. Saturday and Sunday, the rest of the time I get up when I wake up. Some days I sleep until after 9:00.... It sounds like I am lazy but the reality is that Wednesday through to Friday I don't arrive home from work until after 10:00 pm. On Saturday and Sunday I am in at work around 8:00 am and don't get home until around 7:30 pm. So those mornings have become precious times to rest and lately things have begun to change at my place.....

This morning at 8:30 I put on the coffee as usual and looked out the backdoor to survey my world. Here you can see the world through the eyes of my brand new Fuji Finepix JX200, 12 megapixels,5x Optical Zoom, Wide angle lense that I was fortunate to win at the MAE Annual Dinner on Monday night.

8:30 and the work has already begun.

The trucks are lined up. Coming and going frequently.

The frogs have left the field.

As they leave the wheels are washed clean. This is a law.

I guess I am lucky they are only digging and not pile driving.......yet!

Morris Allen Annual Dinner 2010

This year our Annual Dinner took place,October 25, at the Peninsula Hotel Excelsior. It was a very good night and I am sure everyone enjoyed themselves. This year masks were the order of the night as we were told it was a masquerade......

Anne, you did an excellent job!

A successful night being recognised.

Ayesha listens and enjoys an evening of fun and interesting speeches

Carol receives her long serving employee award from CEO Mr. Cheng

Carolyn and her cover, Cindy.

Carolyn and Joy, resplendent decked out in their fabulous masks.

Claudia and Molly, lovely people and great company at dinner.

There were games, they provided lots of laughs for both participants and spectators.

Graeme, you did an awesome job of MC for the night.

Graeme, Coleen and Bob, enjoying a moment early in the evening.

Joan and Greg, all masked up and ready for action.

My favourite EA, Molly. My good lady who helps Ruth keep me in check.

Top EAs from Orchard. Fine food and Fine Company. What more could one want?

Molly and Ric, all masked up and ready for action.

Peter, early in the evening looking relaxed and ready for action.

Ruth, my lovely DAD with Ric. Thanks for straitening things out, Ric.

Tim and Ric, hanging out together early in the evening.

  A big thanks to Anne and her team. Also to the directors of Morris Allen English as it has been yet another good year for us in Singapore.

I managed to get around a couple of tables and take a shot. Not all of my big group shots passed the grade so there are only four tables here.

Bev and  Steve's table. Great teachers having a great time.

The Director's Table. Thanks for making the evening possible.

Judi's table. Settling in for a great night.

Thomas' table. A great team with figures.

Game Time. Teams demonstrate break time activities in MAE Learning Centres. Drinks!

Snacks!

Having fun together!

Don't forget to wear a tie!

Peter, making his point during the Principal's Speech. Something about trains. I believe!

Over the last four years Ruth and I have enjoyed the MAE Annual Dinners. Each year they have their own particular flavour. This year, I think would rate as one of the best. Everyone seemed to have a good time. There was something to entertain everyone. A good night out and the highlight of the year on the MAE Social calendar.

For many the dinner is the closing of their chapter at MAE. For others it marks the end of that passage as they prepare to continue on to the next adventure. For those closing the chapter and moving on. All the best for whatever the future brings. For those continuing on for the next passage in MAE 2011 there is so much to be excited about.

We have all been privileged to have had the opportunity to work and play in Singapore 2010.

An Evening at Marina Bay

Recently Ruth and I took a late night stroll along the Marina Bay Area. At the moment there are a number of lit up sculptures there. Very interesting and providing some opportunities to play with our cameras. Here are the results with some reflections from the night.

These cubes make a stunning display, lit up at night.

Another view across Marina Bay towards the Stamford Hotel.

One of the more unusual views of the Fullerton.

Green and circular kind of like the Koru Pattern.

 

Here is the rest of it.

As you can see they look like pots of tall plants.

The sculptures with the Marina Bay as a back drop. Stunning.

This tree of lights was kind of exciting.

I played for a while with these panels and the changing lights.

When you take a step back you get to see the whole picture.

We keep being amazed and excited by the way that there is always something new and interesting to visit and enjoy in Singapore. The area where we took these photos is nearby to the Marina Sands Casino. When we arrived in Singapore nearly four years ago this was just starting to be developed. Now it has become a show piece which will continue to form a focal point for many events in the years to come. Well done Singapore!

Another Year Wiser.

October is always a busy month for us at Orchard Annex of MAE. Of course the most important event of the year is celebrated on the 13 October. Greg and I happen to share this day for our birthday. So it is a great opportunity for a small party. This year cake and pizza at staff briefing to start the week. 

Actually we are very lucky because we work with a great team of people who are all fun to work with and who all work very hard. The whole branch team got togehter for this shot. Such a fine bunch of people.

Thanks team, for your kind wishes,  a great day and yet another year of added wisdom.

The Bros came to Town

We have just completed an amazing month of travel and entertainment with the highlight being a visit from David, Ian and Bridgid and Katie. It has been a long time coming but it was so good when it finally arrived. We met them on the Sunday night Changi Airport. None of them had been to Singapore before so it was all a new and exciting adventure.

We expected that they would be ready for action on the Monday which was great because Monday is our weekend. We started off Monday with down at the local coffee shop and with a couple of lessons on using the local transport system.

Ian had left his phone in the taxi the previous evening and as luck would have it a kind person had picked it up. We managed to locate the person and made a time for Ian to pick it up. Day 1 we got the phone back and spent some time exploring Vivo City then having dinner in China Town.

Day 2 we sent the girls shopping on Orchard Road while the guys went across to Pulau Ubin. The girls bought bargins and us guys had a fun time in the jungle. I managed to break the rear derailer on bike out the back by Chek Jwa and retired earlier than expected. Scotting and some pushing from behind by Ian saw us arrive back at the jetty early afternoon. We enjoyed a late lunch in Changi Village and a couple of beers before returning home to cool off in the pool and freshen up for dinner. We met the girls in at Bugis where we had a steamboat dinner.

Wednesday we got them out and about on our way in to work. It was Katies last day so she had arranged a day of sightseeing for them. Including the Flyer and the night safari. We almost beat them home after work. Thursday Katie flew out to Perth a short stay but great to have her here for a few days. We spent some time together in the morning and they spent the day at Sentosa before coming and having dinner with Ruth and I in the restaurant next dorr to work. By now they were slowing a little and were keen to head home and relax.

Friday and Saturday they kept themselves amused seeing vvarious sights and experiencing some of the corners in Singapore that not all tourists see. They seemed to find their way around quite easily. Saturday night we took them down to the river to Iguanas for a mexican dinner and margaritas beside the river.

Sunday arrived and because our great company provides us with 1 days leave for long service after 3 years we got to take this day off. So we headed to BIntan for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. It was a great way to spend the last few days of their holiday. Relaxing in the resort, swimming in the South China Sea and the pool. Most of all enjoying each others company. We also got to watch a sunset at the Calypso and share a dinner at the Kelong. Two of the special spots on Bintan.

Sadly Wednesday came around too quickly and it was time for them to fly back to New Zealand. They were leaving late so managed to get out to the Bird Park, and David got down to the Kite place and bought himself one of the remote control kites to take home. (for the grand kids he told us) But we know better.

A sunset, but not as spectacular as the good company we had.

These kingfishers have teased us for a long time in Bintan. Finally this one got close enough for me to snap. They are bigger than their NZ cousins with very pronounced stabbers.

We had a shower of rain each day. This one came just as we left the sea after snorkelling on the reef, I had a shower by the time I stepped out of the shower there were torrents of water racing by down the pathways.

Over the last 4 years there have been lots of additions to the Nirwana Gardens resort this area, the resource centre,  is looking good.

A big local grasshopper. Bright colours and about the size of a small horse. By the ways he can fly and has red wings.

Local Iguanas. This guy had a bright display of colours. He was real close. He lives in a cage in the resort along with 3 others. They are bigger than any lizard you find in NZ.

He looks as though he likes his own company.

It was a great time enjoying each others company and catching up over a few drinks each evening. Let's hope they wait so long next time. We are looking forward to catching up again in NZ, in December. Its great to have the best family in the world.