Chinese Circle Theatre Tea House: 25 April 2012

We were welcomed to the tea house with Chinese tea and delicious dim sum snacks.  Joanna Wong gave us a fascinating glimpse into the world of Chinese Opera.  The Chinese Circle Theatre is government funded to keep this tradition alive since the traditional opera tea houses have long disappeared.

With a small stage and minimal props, Chinese Opera makes use of body articulation.  The sleeves (water sleeves) can show a wide array of emotions with graceful movements.  Like mime, hand movements can give impressions of opening doors and windows, and climbing up and down stairs.  With a simple prop like a paddle, one can envision climbing into a boat and gliding along water. 

Two ladies entered the teahouse in full costume and we learned that the female part takes over two hours to prepare makeup, hair styling, headpiece, and costume.  The male’s time is slightly shorter, but no less impressive when completed.  They performed a short segment of an opera (with English subtitles) which was truly beautiful (although very sad).  At the conclusion, we had an opportunity to take photos of the beautiful performers and also put on robes to pose with them.

We had a short walk to view the beautiful Sri Miriamman Hindu Temple and the Jamae Chulia Mosque.  We then made our way to Club Street for our lunch at Savanah Indochine Restaurant where we enjoyed a delicious lunch to conclude our morning.  The Chinese Circle Theatre offers programs on weekends along with a meal or snack; a wonderful experience for your visiting family and friends.

/ Lynda Sellars
/ Photos: Monica Guevara

DBS Regatta

On May 5th & 6th the Canadian Dragons rallied together – being the strong team that they are, and had a great showing during this regatta. They paddled hard and the effort put forth was amazing. While no medals were won, they certainly were contenders and forced other teams to step up and paddle even harder.

The focus is now on June 30 and July 1, which is the Singapore Dragon Boat Festival, an intense 800 metre paddle. The rigorous training we had prior to the DBS regatta will continue, with Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning paddles. These regular sessions have been complemented by a Thursday evening sunset paddle and Tuesday evening land training. All of which can only help our strength and power for the upcoming race for which we, once again, have hardware to defend.

If you are interested in joining our great team, come out for training at Kallang Riverside Park. We have boat training Saturdays from 4:00 – 6:00, Sundays from 10:00 – 12:00 and Thursdays for sunset from 6:00 – 7:15. Please come 30 minutes early to sign in, get kitted out – we have PDF’s and paddles, and to warm up.  Hope to see you soon.

Canadian International School Officially Opens $140 Million Lakeside Campus at Jurong

On Wednesday, 21 March, 2012 the Canadian International School (CIS) was proud to welcome Mr. S Iswaran (Minister, Prime Minister’s Office & Second Minister for Home Affairs & Trade and Industry) to the official opening of the new CIS Lakeside Campus in Jurong West. The programme included a traditional lion dance and dotting of the eyes of the lion to symbolise new beginnings and musical performances by High School and Middle School students. The finale of the evening was the acrobatic performance in the Atrium.

Angela Butler, a grade 12 student recounted her past 13 years at the Canadian International School and the opportunities it has provided her, and how her CIS educational experience has prepared her for a life of global citizenship and lifelong excellence.

The opening of Lakeside is a momentous occasion for the Canadian International School and for Singapore. CIS now has the state-of-the-art campus that will support a thriving academic and sporting programme, with more students having the opportunity to experience a CIS education in the vibrant, multicultural context of Singapore.

/ Michelle Sharp,
Head of Communications & Marketing

Making Your Pearlie Whites Sparkle

These days, visiting the dentist does not just mean getting your teeth cleaned, having a filling or extracting a tooth. More people are visiting the dentist because they want to improve their appearance and elevate their confidence level.

One of the most popular cosmetic dental procedures today is teeth whitening which brightens discoloured or stained teeth. An initial consultation and examination with the dentist will be done to ensure that you are a good candidate for teeth whitening.

Teeth whitening is a quick method to improve the appearance of your smile. The best part is that it can be completed in about one hour! A take-home whitening kit is usually provided after treatment to enhance the results of treatment and for future touch-ups.  

Before you rush to make your whitening appointment however, here are some factors to consider:

     

•  Those with a cracked tooth, open cavities, leaking fillings, sensitive teeth, ulcers or receding gums are likely to experience sensitivity during the whitening process
•  The results vary, depending on the type of tooth discoloration, so it is important to have realistic expectations.

•  Lifestyle issues such as consumption of coffee, tea, red wine and smoking, will have an impact on how long the results of the whitening treatment will last.

For more information on teeth whitening, visit www.specialistdentalgroup.com 

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