However, I shall start with the lovely few days which we spent in/on Pulau Bintan. What a place, aside from gushing about the fireflies, the place itself was lovely. Two separate villas split by a swimming pool down the middle. Jacuzzi baths and a hot tub. It just about did the trick.
Sufficed to say, the kids loved the swimming pool and must've spent 75% of their waking hours in there or one of the resort pools. This of course meant that the adults did too which was not exactly a hardship. Especially when there was beer and more importantly VODKA on offer. Yes, first time we leave the island and duty free hones in to view. S$20 for a litre of Red Smirnoff. Well, what's not to like? Considering the same bottle in Singapore would set you back around $60-$70. Which is why we hadn't bought any spirits since we've been here. Anyway, I digress. Kids in the pool, us supping a beverage of our choice and the world was good. The view from the pool was somewhat spectacular as those of you who have ventured over to my Flickr feed will know. Most of the entertainment seemed to centre around wildlife one way and another especially monkeys. From our balcony I spotted my first water monitor lizard (about 4-5 feet long, is that big?). He spent every evening, patrolling his patch of beach, munching on the thousands of tiny crabs hiding from the low tide vulnerability. Swimming effortlessly through the rock pools to his next destination. Fascinating to watch and certainly Lord of the Manor. Monkeys. Well, this was really the family's first close encounter of monkey kind since we've been here. We sat outside at the restaurant for breakfast every morning. D had taken a liking to the buffet style arrangement which meant he pretty much got to eat whatever he wanted. This also meant, as it transpired, that a hungry naughty monkey also got to eat pretty much whatever he wanted. The culprit was spotted in the trees but we didn't pay too much attention to it. But, before we knew it, he had swooped down and pinched D's chocolate doughnut (I told you he was getting what he wanted!) almost out of his fingers. And then, after a pause to see what else was on offer, his apple too. And then legged it back from whence he came. D took a moment and promptly burst into tears, not from being scared but from seeing his beloved doughnut heading treeward. That was easily solved with doughnut reinforcements. Then the monkey police turned up with their slings and we moved to a table slightly further away from the trees. |
| The Offender |
Later that day after T had gone home while the rest of us went for a walk on the beach, another monkey came flying through the open area of our villa. A minute later a knock on the door revealed two of the monkey police politely enquiring whether a monkey had passed through could they come in. After a quick check over the balcony into the trees below a couple of speculative shots from their slings their retired. Just another day on the resort for them. The same monkey returned to harass T and I while we ate later that afternoon. guess that's what happens when you plonk humans in their habitat. They make the best of what they can. Then of course there were the fireflies, but you can read that slightly gushy episode here!
Anyway, we returned over a week ago and yet I'm only just getting pixel to paper. I returned to find myself faced with, what for me, was a busy week. On Tuesday I met with representative's of Contact Singapore website. They were introduced to me by Prakash the Director of Yolk, a company involved in what I could best describe as a PR site for the social and digital age. Anyway, for reasons best known to them they were slightly taken by my blogging (yes, this one) and invited me to lunch. Well, never knowingly having turned down a free lunch, I agreed. A very interesting little meeting, all three of them being Singaporean, just discussing the differences I've found between Singapore and the UK (where do you start?), how easy it was to set up here, the food, the people, how I use Facebook, LinkedIn etc. Discovering how differently social media is used in the UK as compared to Singapore. As to what they want from me in the future, I guess only they know. It was an interesting meeting nonetheless and nice to meet new, interesting people.
Anyway, we returned over a week ago and yet I'm only just getting pixel to paper. I returned to find myself faced with, what for me, was a busy week. On Tuesday I met with representative's of Contact Singapore website. They were introduced to me by Prakash the Director of Yolk, a company involved in what I could best describe as a PR site for the social and digital age. Anyway, for reasons best known to them they were slightly taken by my blogging (yes, this one) and invited me to lunch. Well, never knowingly having turned down a free lunch, I agreed. A very interesting little meeting, all three of them being Singaporean, just discussing the differences I've found between Singapore and the UK (where do you start?), how easy it was to set up here, the food, the people, how I use Facebook, LinkedIn etc. Discovering how differently social media is used in the UK as compared to Singapore. As to what they want from me in the future, I guess only they know. It was an interesting meeting nonetheless and nice to meet new, interesting people.
Speaking of new and interesting people, the next day I was involved with photographing a charity event. The charity in question was Breast Cancer Foundation. Those of you who know me will know I lost my sister-in-law to the disease just over a year ago. So an apposite charity to be supporting. And as this was the Breast Cancer Foundation Golf Day, you can see how I was attracted to volunteer! So it was that I found myself at 10am on Wednesday morning with four other photographers hanging around in the lobby of a golf club. Two other volunteers and two professionals, one of whom owns the eponymous photographic company that was kind enough to invite me, Zurina Bryant. A beautiful, sunny day awaited us that even the locals thought was a scorcher (although experience has already taught me that they're not too keen on the hot weather! Go figure). However, score one for perfect photographic conditions. There were even funky clouds to go with the sunshine. As I said, perfect. I arrived with some trepidation as my little camera and I aren't exactly professional material but my fears were quickly allayed by the warm reception and soon I was snapping away. It soon became apparent that this event was a big deal. Especially when I discovered that the Guest of Honour was the wife of the Prime Minister (although I stand to be corrected as I'm still not quite sure because I know. But she was very eminent).
Indeed, it turned out to be the charity's premier fundraising event of the year. She arrived with little fuss and was greeted by the pom-pom girls made up of survivors and giving it plenty, a very friendly bunch. Soon enough, with all 144 golf players resplendent in their Pink Ribbon polos, the PM's wife (let's stick with that, it sounds good) tee'd off and got the event under way. Two unlucky soles had the unenviable task of photographing all the foursomes before they each tee'd off. I on the other hand, along with one of the other volunteers, got to ride shotgun with one of the charity's bods and photograph the days events around the course. And what a course is was. Tanah Merah Country Club, set in the east of the Island close to Changi airport, as some of the photos will reveal. Perfectly maintained fairways and greens (although some were artificial I noticed), with constant watering and mowing. Must've cost them a fortune to run. Fortune or not, the philanthropic country club had given the green fees a miss to support the event (one which cost the participants $1000 each to enter). And a lovely day it turned out to be. I was gently chided/openly laughed at for the amount of factor I was applying, but man did I need it. There were some very tired faces coming off that course and most of them were a darn site more used to five hours in the Sing sun than me. Having said that I discovered that my Indian counterpart who was also shooting round the course was used to a max of 20C in his home town (somewhere near the Himalaya). Funny how you assume just because they're from what one deems a hot country that they must be used to it. I think he suffered more than I did. So then on to the evening event which involved some very tired looking business persons (yes, they even let women onto the course. These are enlightened times!), spending the first hour of the evening with their respective mobile devices glued their ears/fingers trying to catch up with the day they had missed at work. Not easy to shoot when they're supposed to be enjoying themselves. However, a few beers and some food and singing later and they started to relax somewhat which made it a whole lot easier. Most were more than happy to pose for shots. Some I couldn't keep out of shot, you know the type. By the time I left they had managed to raise around $350,000 on the day. Not bad going and I'm sure there was more to come as the karaoke came to life with people bidding silly money to hear people sing who quite obviously shouldn't have been allowed near a mic. A good time was had by all I'm sure.
God bless you Pink Ladies!
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