Saturday, March 17, 2012

ME AND MY STUDENTS



WHAT A MEETING


Have been meeting my ex-students unexpectedly for the past few days. Just met my 1988 class at Chong Pang. Selina and Hanizam had flown from Seattle and Phnom Penh to meet Kamilah, Lydia and Botak Biadap. It was good to see all of them again and that they still keep in touch with one another.

CAMPING TIME


With student from Yishun Sec Sch and BPK GS Tangerang Jakarta.


Bukit Timah Hike
Attended a camp at Dairy Farm MOE Adventure site with 51 students and one of the programmes was a hike to Bukit Timah Hill. Students were taught how to read the GPS to find their checkpoint and location. The hike took four hours and ended at the former quarry site.

HONOLULU





THE PINK SPRAYS
I grew up with this graceful creeper wrapping and twining its tendrils onto my grandma's fence. The Honolulu was such a delight to watch because it covered the whole line of fence with its beautiful pink flowers of different hues. It is also known as coral vine or Mexican creeper and is a perennial vigorous climber. The plant has large tuberous roots and several ascending branches of 30-40 feet length. It flowers throughout the year except for a short period during monsoon.

The flowers are white or in attractive shades of red and pink. Known for its dense green foliage and small delicate lantern shaped flower in long trailing lovely sprays, the breeze would sway and make the cluster of flowers dance in the air. A captivating sight and simple pleasure for me to just stare at them!

My chilldhood days were relived when I discovered them at the Dairy Farm MOE Adventure Camp. The Honolulu creeper is a rare sight nowadays.