Out & About In Singapore: Dairy Farm Nature Reserve

By Lynda Sellars / Photos by Moonlake Lee

On March 30, our “Out and About” tour was at The Dairy Farm Nature Reserve.  We met at the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf at the Rail Mall.  This row of converted shophouses on Upper Bukit Timah Road
has a variety of bars and restaurants as well as a Cold Storage grocery store.  Named because of the proximity of the rail line which links Singapore to Malaysia.

The 63 hectare park has walking and biking trails and borders on the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.   It was once Primary Forest, but much of forest is gone now with 400,000 people visiting Reserve each year and housing encroaching from the north.

We followed one of the trails through rolling terrain to view the Dairy Farm Quarry.  Originally the stones were used for building the causeway and betters stones were used for buildings in the city.  This quarry has been filled in after no longer being in use but the nearby Singapore Quarry is developing naturally into wet land rich in diversity.  It is now home to many insects, birds, and fish; some never seen before in this area.

We then continued on our walk to the Wallace Centre.  Wallace was a contemporary of Charles Darwin.  He had also came up with a theory of origin of species by natural selection.  His and Darwin’s theory of evolution were published at same time.  The two men differed over the years in details of their respective theories, but remained on friendly terms.

The Wallace Centre is a converted cow shed building.  We were able to cool off under the fans and read details of Wallace’s life and also information on the flora and fauna in reserve today.  What was originally jungle with tigers and other wild life have become extinct.  There are also videos to view in the beautiful interpretive centre.

On our walk, we enjoyed the serenity and beauty of the reserve with vast plant life, beautiful birds, and even spotted a monitor lizard.  Luckily for our group, we did not encounter the large cobra snake that Dolores and I spotted on a previous walk there.  Although we had a very warm and sunny morning, there was a pleasant breeze and the natural canopy of forest provided us with plenty of shade on our walk.

We returned to the Rail Mall for a lovely Thai lunch at Sweet, Salty & Spicy Restaurant.

Canadian International School Tanjong Katong Campus – PYP Authorized

By: Michelle Sharp, Head of Communications & Marketing

On March 17 and 18, the Canadian International School (CIS) hosted a team from the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) at the Tanjong Katong (TK) campus for a PYP authorization visit. It was an intensive two day schedule where the assessment team visited classrooms and spoke with teachers and students. The visiting team commented that they were impressed by both the quality of instruction and the excitement students exhibited when asked about the TK programme.

The CIS TK campus has now been officially authorized to offer the Primary Years Programme (PYP), thus joining the other two CIS campuses (Toh Tuck and Jurong East) as an authorized IB World School.

A great strength of all IB Programmes is that students are taught how to think about, and analyze, what they are learning rather than simply memorizing facts. In addition, the inquiry based nature of the IB Programmes helps develop students' critical thinking skills, allowing them to apply these skills to a wide range of subject matter. IB Programmes are portable, ensuring expatriate children can move seamlessly from one IB school to another regardless of global location. In addition to an internationally oriented curriculum, IB gives students first-hand experiences whereby they are part of an international community. IB also goes beyond simple test scores and offers a balanced array of assessment methods.

The CIS TK community is looking forward to the exciting future that lies ahead as improvements such as an all Mac computer platform and a comprehensive water sports programme are implemented; ensuring students are presented with new and exciting learning opportunities.

If you are interested in a CIS education for your child, please contact the admissions team at admissions@cis.edu.sg.

Braving the Elements at the MR500

By Samuel Filgate /  Photo by Scott Acker

It was “Paddles Up” beneath the watchful gaze of the Singapore Flyer for our most recent event, and first big race of the season. Along with other Expat and Singaporean teams, we tested the waters of the Marina Bay reservoir, and had a great time doing so.

Despite several storm warnings and a torrential downpour which put things a little off schedule, we had lots of fun out on the water, and posted some good times in our qualifying rounds. This race was also a wonderful chance for some of our newest paddlers to get some first race experience under their lifejackets. We entered three boats into races: the usual mixed boats, and also our newest tradition – the Women’s 10 boat. This edition of the ‘Iron Butterflys’ (not quite sure the connection with dragons there!) included several paddlers in their first season with us. Way to go, girls!

All the races were wonderfully supported by those on shore, and the Canadian tent was a warm and cozy place when the rains came. Let’s just say we know who put on deodorant that day! The weekend was finished off with a team party at our sponsor’s, Harry’s Bar at the Esplanade, where various ‘on-sabbatical-due-to-new-children’ team members popped by for some “oohs” and “aahs” and games of Peek-a-boo.

And now, it’s all hands to the paddles preparing for the big Singapore River Regatta in July. It’s all to play for and our good times at the MR500 show we have a lot to show when the horn sounds and the boats fly.

WAVE OFF THE SMOKE

Contributed by Specialist Dental Group


Smoking has been increasingly linked to a host of health and dental problems. The destructive effects of smoking are especially acute in the mouth because it has direct contact with the harmful substances in the tobacco found in cigarettes.

Smokers usually have chronic bad breath and discolored teeth because the nicotine causes a significant reduction of saliva flow. Saliva is essential for cleaning the mouth and teeth. Saliva also helps to prevent tooth decay.

Smoking promotes the build up of plaque and tartar, increasing the rate at which gum and bone tissue are destroyed. Smokers are highly predisposed to periodontal (gum) disease.   This will eventually lead to tooth loss. Missing teeth can easily be replaced by dental implants in a non-smoker. However, the success rate of this procedure in a smoker is lower.

Smoking is the leading cause of oral cancer. According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, at least 75% of those diagnosed at 50 or older are tobacco users.  The death rate associated with this type of cancer is particularly high because it is difficult to detect, with patients reporting that they feel no pain or discomfort. It is also known to have one of the highest rate of relapse, with patients being at risk for 5 – 10 years after their first encounter with oral cancer.

If you are a smoker, it’s never too late to quit smoking. Gum chewing is a substitute while others use nicotine patches with a decreasing dose of nicotine over time. Professional help is also available.

Specialist Dental Group is a corporate sponsor of the Canadian Association of Singapore (CAS). CAS members enjoy a special rate for dental services. For more information on different types of dental treatments, send an enquiry via www.specialistdentalgroup.com or call 6733 7883.