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Hokkaido Izakaya

The brighter version of your usual Japanese restaurants – there’s the typical bright wood furnishing – this after-work izakaya has rock music playing at lunch. The compact kitchen to the left has three chefs managing to deal with the lunch rush in their small workspace. The smell of the soup from other tables during the wait stoked the flames of hunger.

The suggested choice on the small menu is the Kikiage Tempura Soba ($12) –freshly made soba noodles (buckwheat flour) and naturally derived soup stock, with a rectangular slab of fried tempura made with chives, baby shrimp and carrot. Served in a gigantic bowl, the almost disintegrating tempura on top melts into the hot broth, giving a mix of a crispy crunch and a slippery slurp with each bite. The amount of noodles is up to each individual, with a choice of 100, 200 or 300g of noodles – free of charge for any choice. I should’ve went for 300g.

Dinner’s menu includes a larger menu of sashimi, sushi, grilled seafood and salad.

Hokkaido Izakaya
95 Tanjong Pagar Road
Tel 6221 7118
hokkaidoizakaya.sg

IMAGE COURTESY: HOKKAIDO IZAKAYA

Tips for the Finding the Right Dress

Choosing the right dress can be overwhelming, but it’s doesn’t need to be. Rent A Dress is on hand to help take all the second guessing out of finding the perfect dress. Just think of them as your own fairy godmother!

Take time to think about what you want:
First ask yourself questions to define your own personal style. What kind of dresses do I like: strapless, short-sleeved, or low cut dresses?

Do your homework:
Look at a magazine or the internet for dresses you really like, and save them on your phone – or print them on a piece of paper – to take with you when you’re shopping.

Get the perfect size and fit:
Make sure you feel comfortable in the dress, the size and silhouette that compliments your body type – and probably something great for dancing in too!

Find a colour that looks good on you:
We all have different complexions; find a colour that looks great on you.Feel beautiful: There’s a saying: ‘If you don’t absolutely love it at first, you won’t wear it’. Make sure the dress is the one. It should define your personality and bring out the best in you. If you do not feel ‘Glitz & Glamour’ in the dress, try another one on until you do feel like a million dollars.

Take advantage of the exclusive ANZA Discount:
Save 10{d2c05350095ed942d62ca1635aad234a702e9575e5f9632e6c89e76dec25dfbf} on your booking for the 2016 ANZA Ball. The price charged for the dress includes delivery and dry cleaning, personalised fittings of gown and refreshment. Individual appointments or group parties welcome – for up to 4 ladies. Appointments for fittings from 12pm – 7pm by appointment. Contact: 9059 4209, [email protected], www.rentadress.com.sg.

No calm at the Commonwealth Cup

A match with the British Club had many close calls, Rohan Wilson says.

  

With the 2016 League season about to kick off, the ANZA Dream Team led the way taking on our friends at the British Club in the Commonwealth Cup.

While the strings of the old country may have held sway in years gone by, the youngsters of this side flexed their independence and one – possibly a Kiwi – was heard mentioning the removal of the Union Jack from the flag!

Led by fearless republican Mike Tsesmelis – himself a reformed Pom – who was skippering ANZA as part of his farewell tour of Singapore, ANZA elected to bat.

Progress was steady, as was the fall of wickets. In the intense cauldron, controversy abounded with Mark Ward caught out – possibly off the floppy white brim. Drew Norris caught off the back of the leg – in confirmation he later claimed he could not see it much less hit it. If only the British Club had allowed DRS (Decision Review System)! It should be noted however that it was our own umpiring.

Clive seemed unimpressed to be told ‘it was a mighty good catch’ on returning to the ‘dressing room’, having just failed to clear long off! Paul Stewart and Skipper Mike steadied the ship until Mike fell just short of retirement.

Paul made it back to the sheds 30 not out, ready to return if needed. A small rally into the close got us to 179 with veteran Brad Timbrell giving Paul and Vikrant great support, before running himself out having started a run after the keeper got the ball.

The British Club were quietly confident they would overcome the upstart colonials and square the ledger from last year. Mark Ward and Jeff Bye thought a few whistling past their ears might change that however.

Apart from an unplayable off cutter from Jeff uprooting the stumps, the British Club held firm. Ever watchful of Clive’s tempting swingers ‘they go both ways you know!’, the British Club forged on towards victory.

At the point when all may have been lost, Captain and ex-Pom Mike hit upon a stroke of genius by offering the ball to fellow ex-Pom Drew Norris, who then produced a legendary spell to take 4 wickets for just 2 runs – the last being a massive skied slog over Clive’s left shoulder…no make that his right…no back to the left, and then on 10 more meters!

As we held our breath Clive dived full length, caught it, hit the ground and dropped it…then caught it again. His Fitbit fitness tracker had him running 110 steps just in that one catch, it just couldn’t work out a direction! Victory to ANZA by a whisker.

Many thanks to the British Club for a great day and their continuing hospitality back at the BC. We look forward to the next encounter, the way cricket should be played!

Tee it up on Thursdays

Anyone is welcome to join in and play a few rounds, Louise Ferreira says.

ANZA Ladies Golf Christmas Day

If you play golf and want to enjoy a friendly 18 holes with keen golfers, then look no further! ANZA Ladies Golf group was formed in 1999 by three keen golfers, and since has grown strong with 24 members – and usually around 12 players each week.

Our group includes ladies from countries other than Australia and New Zealand. Members also hail from England, Ireland, Switzerland, USA, Slovakia, Hungary, Philippines, Holland and South Africa.

You only need to be a paid up member of ANZA and to have, or have had, a handicap to join us. The current members have a range of handicaps from single figures to 38.

We play 18 holes every Thursday morning at various courses in Singapore such as Orchid Country Club, Sembawang CC, Raffles CC, Jurong CC and Warren CC. We occasionally play at Tanah Merah Country Club and Sentosa CC.

A couple of times a year we venture further to play over the border in Malaysia at either Horizon Hills or Palm Resort. We also play beautiful Ria Bintan on Bintan Island. If you are concerned about the heat, be assured that all games are played with golf carts – which are compulsory – and we also recommend consuming about 2-3 litres of water per round! The average cost of a game including cart hire is around $130 SGD.

We try to keep the format relaxed and fun, typically playing Stableford with a twist – like ‘Better Nine’, Hidden Holes or a team game. We play in the morning, followed by lunch at the club where the winners for the day are announced and all important prizes handed out – usually a golf ball!

We currently don’t have a beginners group, but are happy to provide advice on how to go about learning golf in Singapore. We can also advise how to get a local handicap with the Singapore Golf Association (SGA).

On days like Australia Day and Waitangi Day, we dress in the respective countries colours and make a competition out of it. Nothing like a bit of Aussie and Kiwi sporting rivalry to create some good-natured banter and competitive spirit.

Our two coordinators, Hazel Tebbutt and Paula Chepelsky, do a fantastic job of organising our games every week, and we all thank them for their efforts liaising with the clubs and with all the comings and goings of the group – Hazel is leaving us soon to return to England and her warm and friendly nature and keen golfing spirit will be missed. Tanya Richardson is stepping in to assist Paula.

Paula had a recent moment of glory by achieving a hole-in-one in December at Orchid Country Club. The second hole on the Vanda course is a 126-metre Par 3 and Paula hit a fantastic tee shot, perfectly directed towards the hole.

The ball bounced a couple of times on the green and went straight in, causing much excitement and hugging amongst the four ladies on the tee box.

Incredibly, Paula has played golf since she was a child and plays off a single-figure handicap, but has never had a hole-in-one, so this was a very special day for her. Hopefully the flood gates have opened now.

If anyone is interested in more information on ANZA Ladies Golf, please email Paula or Tanya at [email protected].

Why I Travel

There’s much to reflect on when asked about why we travel, Kimberley Williams says.

  

I remember clearly my first travel experiences: hot trips in smelly cars punctuated by stops at diners to fill up on gas and hotdogs – today’s equivalent being organic penne with olive oil and fresh parmesan. Long stints on bitumen were managed with entertainment invented by iPod-deficient kids: making forts out of whatever could be found, playing ‘eye spy’ – admittedly a hard game in a moving vehicle – and, immediately following a pit-stop at the diner, spit ball fights.

As a young adult I hightailed it to Paris for a year to work and study. I remember my good friend pulling me aside in the airport before leaving. Her interrogation had an air of urgency. ‘Why are you going? You don’t have to go, you know – you have nothing to prove’. My only reply was a smile. I knew I didn’t have the words, and she didn’t have the inclination to understand why I should – and why we all should – go.

Fast-forward five years, the travel bug had surely bitten as I worked and travelled through both North and South America, and even Antarctica. As a student of life and an itinerant worker I was too busy to stay disappointed with the dwindling responses to my travelogues. By the time I topped off the last adventure of my single life, old friends were few, and new friends were many.

Fast forward again, and as a family we have worked, lived, and travelled afar in our 12 years as expats. In light of these adventures, I may have finally come up with some possible answers to those friends who wondered why I never stopped travelling, and even to those who wondered why I left in the first place.
First, travelling presents a fantastic opportunity to learn a language. In my 30-some years of attempting to learn a foreign parlance, I can assert that travel is indeed the best way to learn – proven somewhat by the fact that I can still say ‘good morning’, ‘thank you’ and ‘beer’ in five languages without really thinking about it.

Travelling also presents the possibility of regularly doing something new and challenging. Climb a mountain, visit a temple or spend time in a refugee camp. These are things you don’t do at home, either because there is little reason to break out of your routine, or there just isn’t the opportunity.

Travelling also allows me to meet people from other countries and situations that I would never meet otherwise, as well as develop a tolerance for diverse opinions. Having never been to church I find it interesting to note that some of our closest friends are big believers, and still others sit firmly on the opposite side of the political spectrum – but let’s not bring up gun control!

As expected, meeting local folks is really one of the best, if not the best reason to travel. Although language barriers can complicate this, it actually also makes what you can understand in Swahili or Mandarin all the more interesting.

Through speaking basic Mandarin I have spoken with a woman in China whose grandmother, as a young girl and new wife, had her feet bound by her mother in law to purportedly limit her movements. Not speaking a language isn’t an issue either: having a child hold your hand and lead you through a vegetable patch, speaking shyly in Swahili is just as sweet an experience than fully understanding what is being said.

Lastly, and most importantly, travelling changes who you are – and thank goodness, at least in my case, for that. It took a basically self-centred, inexperienced and unworldly monolinguist, and turned her into someone who is less of all those things – which is of course, a wonderful thing.

Top 5 Nature Walks

Bukit Timah Nature Reserve

bukit timah nature reserve

Home to 40{ee938d54fc7876cbf95a9442c2eaa5c46f2412bf7dbba51f9ba3b6b032944fb2} of Singapore’s flora and fauna, this rainforest has spacious quarries and a summit trail to explore. Some parts of the reserve are under construction, however.

sungei buloh wetland reserve

A fantastic spot for bird watchers and trailblazers, Singapore’s first ASEAN Heritage Park is home to a wide range of wildlife like monitor lizards, otters, mudskippers and more.

mount faber

You’ll get one of the highest natural panoramic views of Singapore, as well as the Southern Ridges bridge, an elevated forest walk, and connections to other nearby parks.

macritchie reservoir park

Joggers and nature lovers will love the 12-hectare reserve. There are tons of wildlife to spot, and a free treetop walk. Canoes and kayaks can be hired out if you want to get closer to the water.

pulau ubin

While it’s a quick boat trip away, this is one of the last places in Singapore that shows the kampongs of yesteryear. Rent a bike and cycle along the trails to see a bit of history.

Why is STEM a crucial component of learning for all children?

STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. STEM is about providing interdisciplinary integration of subjects to solve real-world problems. This means students need to access knowledge and skills from two or more disciplines to complete a task. For example, Grade 5 students use Sphero robots to complete a golf-course challenge. Students utilise their mathematical skills by counting shots on each hole and working out averages for their game. They use ICT skills to connect and control the robots and present their work. Their mathematical skills are required again to present data in tables and graphs. All the while, they are further developing their IB Learner Profile attributes, such as being an inquirer, communicator and through reflection. This type of learning is more relevant to real life.

Rarely outside of schools do we simply calculate averages from a random set of numbers; why would we? However, by using a STEM approach to learning, it provides purpose and context and is more likely to reinforce a concept. It also helps when students say “Why do we need to learn this?”. At GWA (Singapore) these learning experiences are built into all grade levels in the Primary Years curriculum. The Secondary Years classes use STEM as an approach to planning interdisciplinary units, as well as to build upon specific skills in different subject areas.

STEM itself should not be viewed as a new subject in an already crowded curriculum, or purely for those students who need to be extended. It is for ALL students. “To be a good STEM school you must be a good school first and provide opportunities in all subject areas for students to explore and find answers to questions they have about the world around them. Part of the formula for this is having skilled, knowledgeable teachers who address the needs of all students in a supportive, resource-rich environment.” (Mervis, 2011)

At GWA (Singapore), the manner in which we provide the STEM experience to our students in the defining factor. Teachers build upon the learning taking place in classrooms. STEM at GWA (Singapore) is about giving student opportunities to apply the skills and knowledge they have learned in different contexts, enhanced with a STEM focus.

So why is STEM so important for student learning? It allows students to apply skills and knowledge to solve problems in relevant contexts to them.

References
1. Mervis, Jeffrey. “Is There a Special Formula for Successful STEM Schools?” American Association for the Advancement of Science., 12 May 2011. Web. 4 June 2015.
2. “The Very Model of a Modern Major STEM School.” Smithsonian. Smithsonian, 14 Apr. 2013. Web. 4 June 2015.
3. Vasquez, Jo Anne. “STEM beyond the Acronym.” Educational Leadership 72.4 (2014): 10-15. Print.

Appreciating Values with Children

Living in such a wonderful place as Singapore, we can often take things for granted and raising children in this environment can make them unexposed to lives that people in other parts of the world lead.

It can be easy to forget about how lucky our little ones are. White Lodge Kindergarten have recognized that this is an important aspect to encourage children to think about and they include appreciating values as part of their curriculum. While academic learning is important for children, it is also necessary to learn about the world around us and encourage thinking and exploration to develop personal skills. White Lodge’s key values are:
We celebrate differences
We keep it real
We love learning
We encouraging imagination.
We respect our world

Values are difficult to discuss, especially with children, but teaching values consciously starts with considering what our values are and finding ways in daily life to discuss and share them with our children.

Children need to think about the world they are from and to be more thoughtful of others so that they are prepared for the next step in their educational journey. White Lodge like to celebrate differences and consider what is that special thing that each person brings to make the class community complete. Being confident, respectful of each other, understanding that we are all the same inside and how we have similar feelings and reactions to different situations help us celebrate diversity.

Learning is a lifetime pursuit. Teachers at White Lodge love to see the huge impact that sharing the love for learning has on the children. It is important to show our respect and compassion for the world we live in, cherish what we have been given and nurture our resources effectively.

White Lodge offer a truly unique preschool experience and are advocates for learning and exploration. The children are well prepared for the next school placement and have an excellent balance in their personal and academic success.

www.whitelodge.com.sg

Who’s that Blue Man?

Intrigued by The Blue Man that’s been spotted on taxis and posters around Singapore? Those who have caught it in the States have been raving about this show and promising that it is just as much for adults as for children.

The show features three Blue Men beating on drums and generating a kaleidoscopic spray of airborne paint, catching flying gumballs with their mouths and spewing the paint onto canvases, or chomping out a Cap’n Crunch symphony. The characters merge hero and trickster, clown and scientist, innocent and super hero. And the audience responds with unadulterated, uncomplicated, grin-inducing joy; with howls of laughter; with childlike wonder and delight.

Phil Stanton who founded the Group with Chris Wink and Matt Goldman says, “A lot of people think that being bald and blue is putting on a mask of sorts. We consider it the opposite — that we’re taking off the mask. Once you strip away the hair, the skin tone, the gender, the ears, and have no particular style of clothing, what’s left? It’s really the rawest, purest form of what’s essentially human. We’ve found that for the first half of the show, audiences think they’re looking at these very strange, unusual beings. But somewhere in there – and I see this over and over – it suddenly dawns on them that they’re actually watching themselves. And then the question becomes – and I go back and forth on this myself – are we watching three different beings with three different personalities, or are we watching one being that’s been split into three? I like to live in the ambiguity of it.”

The Blue Man uses every facet of his being to engage the audience in situations and ideas and behavior and sights and sounds that intrigue him. And he does so without ever speaking.

“Talking is so limiting,” says Wink. “But we don’t think of the Blue Man as a mute. We think of him as someone whose chosen not to say anything, he chooses to express himself differently.” At first glance, a mess – but looking closer, it’s far from one. It might be child’s play but it’s certainly not childish. Connecting to the audience and creating a community within the walls of the theater is what matters most to Blue Man Group.

“The relationship with the audience is everything,” says Stanton. “Because at the end of the day, the Blue Man is really just trying to connect. He knows, whether intellectually or on a gut level, that in order to get to that ecstatic, heightened moment, he’s got to connect with these strangers. That’s why the Blue Man is so respectful of the audience. That’s why he wants to gain their trust. It’s all about the connection.”

“Yes. It’s all about the connection,” emphasizes Wink. “And we also want to make a statement about how important it is to have that connection live, in person. Though technology has made it so that we don’t have to have be physically together, there’s something about our humanity that will always need to be among other people, among our tribe.”

Catch the Blue Man Group at Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands from 29 March to 17 April 2016. Tickets are available from sistic.

10 Minutes with…Justin Hammond, Head Chef of Neon Pigeon

 

What made you first come over to work in Singapore?
When I was working in Melbourne at Gingerboy, a few people we’d worked with had moved over to Singapore and have had good careers. Chris Donnellan, the head chef at Gingerboy, and his girlfriend moved over here, and they needed a chef last-minute after someone pulled out of a project. Chris’s girlfriend said ‘I know someone, I think he’s worked in Japan.’

I was going on an eating holiday around Auckland when I got the message, then came here to do a cooking session at their house, and they said “Sweet, you’ve got the job”. I’ve been here ever since.

What nudged you away from your hometown to travel?
I’m from a small country town in Victoria, Australia – only about 5,000 people. It’s a big farming community, working on the land and dairy farms. So to start working there, then in the city, then being put on a path to work in Japan and Vancouver… when I was growing up I was quite happy to stay in one place and not travel. Then I got the travelling bug.

What was it that gave you the nudge to go for it?
I think it was my career I wanted to further. I could have done something local and made it better, but I had one of my regular customers when I was Head Chef of a place say to me: ‘My son is Ben Cooper, who now runs Chin Chin in Melbourne. I can get you a trial.’

It was nerve-wracking, because these guys were the elite of the elite. But I was like ‘why not?’ and went for an interview. I unexpectedly got a job at their new concept space…but I never thought it was going to happen.

I’m so glad I did because it’s exposed me to so many new experiences. It would’ve pigeon-holed me a little bit if I had stayed.

When was your first foray outside of Australia?
I got the chance to go to Japan – and to be honest when I first got there I didn’t really like Japanese food – then fell in love with it. I worked there for two years, and really understood the Japanese culture, and how they will take one thing and work at it to perfection.

I worked in a Japanese ramen place in Vancouver as well, which was all about perfecting the broth, the noodles, the egg and so on.

Was there anything in Japan that you took with you knowledge wise with cooking?
Where I hung out in Japan during my time there was Hokkaido, which is very much farmland and felt a little like home. I really love going out and using nature in dishes, which is a little more difficult here in Singapore.

I do have a lot of Japanese chefs that I admire over there. What broadened my eyes was how people can make amazing food in the smallest kitchen environments. They didn’t need to have massive kitchens to pump out this sort of stuff, and didn’t need to have 40 things on the menu. Their concentration to get everything right is pretty astounding.

I think the first moment when I realised I could learn a lot from my time there was when we were at a local barbeque place – it was just one chef and the twenty of us sitting around the bar. One of my very good friends ordered fish. The chef cooked it, and my friend would eat the cheeks, then eat the eyes. He said: ‘This fish died for our nutritional benefit. We need to eat all of it to respect it.’

He would take the bones and ask the chef to grill the bones, then eat them like chips, which I’d never had before, which was amazing to me. And the flavour was amazing. It’s such a beautiful way of using food and nature, and having respect towards what they’re eating.

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