Rawa, Malaysia

This past weekend, I went to Rawa Island in Malaysia with some of my colleagues. Rawa is a coral island off the east coast of Johor, Malaysia. It is a four hour drive and 1/2 hour ferry ride from Singapore. It has unspoiled white sand beaches, clear water and on one side a rocky vertical cliff. Only two resorts are on this small island which has no proper roads, however it is home to many sea and land creatures such as Blacktip reef sharks, octopuses, sea eagles and reptiles.

Formula 1

Singapore went full speed two weekends ago, hosting the Grand Prix. It was an adrenaline charged experience. I had a "walk-about" ticket which allowed me to see the cars speed by different parts of the track, be entertained by various artists including Robbie Williams and taste some flavourful local cuisine.

House Building in Cambodia

Good morning everyone! As many of you already know, I will be heading to Cambodia in October as part of an outreach fundraiser through my school. Cambodia is one of the world's poorest nations and many people live below the official poverty line, existing on less than 45 cents a day. We will join other volunteer teams to help build houses in a village near Phnom Penh. We hope to provide Cambodians with a home that will withstand flooding and offer a safe and secure home to low income families. In order for this project to be successful, we need to raise funds to purchase the materials needed to build the homes. We will be working with The Tabitha Foundation, a non-profit organization seeking to end suffering in Cambodia. Any little bit helps and will go a long way. Click on the link Canada Helps and select: House Building Team: Canadian International School Singapore Teachers October 2014. Thanks a bunch : ) Nat

Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated by many Asian people and takes place between early September and October. It is also called the Moon Festival, Mooncake Festival and the Lantern Festival. It has a cultural and religious background which reunite the ideas of giving thanks, praying and gathering with family and friends. Here in Singapore, the streets of Chinatown are lit with colourful lanterns and Gardens by the bay host the largest lantern carnival with lantern displays from around Asia. Mooncakes are sold all over the city and shared with friends and family. I've tasted a few varieties of mooncakes as well as the original which mainly consists on flour, lotus seed paste and egg yolks. It is not my favourite treat but definitely something you should try if you are here during this time. Here are a few pics from around town during the festival.