All You Need for Christmas...

Contributed by Specialist Dental Group

...are good dental tips (and your two front teeth)! Christmas is around the corner and any celebration during the festive season would not be complete without food.

During the year-end holiday season, your mouth and teeth will need to work harder to do the chewing and talking. It is important to ensure that your teeth are in good shape. If you have not seen a dentist for more than 6 months, make sure you have your teeth checked before the end of the year. This is to avoid unwanted surprises such as broken fillings, chipped teeth or a major toothache.

Holiday dental tips

1.     Choosing the right snacks! Moderate consumption of sticky, acidic, sugary dishes and food that requires more time to chew or suck, such as sweets and hard nuts.

2.     Watch what you drink. Soft drinks, frizzy beverages, or drinks that are too hot or too cold may not be friendly to your teeth. Whenever possible, use a straw to reduce the contact of the drink with your teeth.

3.     Brush after meals or the least gargle with plain water after eating.

4.     Prepare the young ones! You can help to watch your kids’ diets by introducing them to healthier snacks such as; cheese, carrot sticks, or fruits. If you are visiting your dentist before the holiday, bring them along!

5.     Keep the right contacts handy, such as your dentist’s emergency contact number and the hospital’s Accident and Emergency number.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!




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

16 Time Grammy Award Winner David Foster Visits Lakeside!

By Michelle Sharp, Head of Communications and Marketing

CIS was proud to have Canadian singer, songwriter, record producer and 16 time Grammy award winner David Foster perform and converse with high school students at the official opening of the Lakeside Campus theatre. David Foster is a long-time friend of Knowledge Universe and the CIS community was thrilled that he took time out of his busy tour Schedule and perform at the new 500 seat theatre Of the Lakeside Campus.

In addition to being one of the most successful Entertainers and producers in the music industry, David Foster has worked with celebrities such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston, Chicago, Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, Earth Wind & Fire, N’Sync, Natalie Cole, Michael Bolton and Charice to name only a few.

It was a privileged opportunity for CIS students to interact in a personal and very candid way with a global entertainment leader whose impact on the industry over the last few decades has been enormous. Inviting students and staff to join him in impromptu Performances, David Foster wowed the packed theatre with his warm, easy-going wit and of course his world class talent as a Composer/producer.

During the assembly, David Foster took the time to thoughtfully and humorously interact with students about their futures while playing several of his better known numbers with the audience singing and clapping along.     A big thank you to Knowledge Universe for helping make this event with David Foster possible!

Race preparation

By Sally Monteith / Photo by Eric Sinclair

We have seen a lot of dedication and determination these past few weeks by the Canadian dragons as we prepare for the upcoming Singapore river regatta races. We will be defending the title in the international business and club (expat) category. The competition is fierce with about 70 teams competing for this prestigious honour.

There is a slight lull until the New Year when we start preparing for the summer river regatta. This is a prime opportunity for new paddlers to come out, test the waters, and see if this sport is for you. There are many fun races coming up to give you a taste of race day and the intensity that is experienced by the team.      We are extremely diverse and welcome all paddlers, regardless of nationality. If you are interested in joining our fun team, come out for training at Kallang riverside park. We train in the boat on Saturdays from 4:00 – 6:00, and Sundays from 10:00 – 12:00. Please come 30 minutes early to sign in, get kitted out – we have PDF’s and paddles, and to warm up. You can always contact us through our website, http://www.canadiandragons-sg.org/?q=node. Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Singapore City Gallery and Neighbourhood Tour

Text and photos by + Dolores Parker

This is such a rich area of Singapore that our main problem was deciding what to leave out of our tour.  Last Spring’s exploration of Tanjong Pagar focussed on different highlights and there are still at least two more tours worth of interesting sights...

Our first stop this time was the little known Seng Wong Beo Taoist Temple on Peck Seah St.   This is where some traditional Taoists still perform “ghost marriages”.  Paper effigies of deceased family members are married to ensure higher status and the ability to receive offerings in the afterlife.  We watched quietly as an old lady and a priest chanted before an alter with offerings and effigies.

Next, we walked past some lovely shophouses with their spiraling fire escapes.  We also stopped to look at the Samui women sculptures on our way to the Singapore City Gallery in the URA building.  There was an informative display of the plans for the railway corridor lands on the main floor.  The scale models of Singapore were fascinating to look at and we enjoyed the sound and light show.  The recent renovation of the gallery added quite a lot of interactive displays as well.

We ended with a quick look at the Maxwell hawker centre as well as the Jinricksha station.   We were glad we didn’t try to pack any more into this tour because about two minutes after settling down for lunch the skies opened up and the Singapore rain poured down.