Friday, March 31, 2017

A VISIT TO SWISS COTTAGE SECONDARY SCHOOL, SINGAPORE - PART 1


A bench-marking visit to Swiss Cottage Secondary School in Singapore was held today by a group of teachers and one non-academic staff today. We gathered in school as early as 6:15 a.m. and arrived in the school approximately at 8:40 a.m.




We were greeted by the Senior Assistant at the main foyer which was very informative. The history and development of the school was exhibited in a large scale and the school's achievement was also displayed to the visitors, as well as other vital information of the school.










The organization chart was somewhat interesting. Instead of having the typical hierarchical type of chart (which should emphasize the idea of bureaucracy), the school administrators were put in the middle section of the organization and they were surrounded by other school. Go and figure what this symbolized.





We actually arrived earlier than expected and the school was kind enough to serve us with some refreshments which a large spread of variety of food for breakfast (or brunch).
















Then we were brought into the seminar room (I could not remember the exact name of the room) and was given a briefing by the young Principal, Mr. Heng Yew Seng.








The briefing took about 1 ½ hours but it was a very informative and interesting one, as we got to learn about the education system of Singapore in a more detailed manner.

We were then taken on a tour around the school to see the facilities available for the students and teachers.

Thursday, March 30, 2017

MINI NURSERIES ALONG THE ROAD TO OSAKA CASTLE


18th MARCH 2017 ~ We were just about to get to Osaka Castle when I spotted rows of small stalls selling varieties of plant by the roadsides. The colourful blooms really caught my attention, telling people spring was already on its way. 



Other than flowering plants, there were also cactus and bonsai. A few of the stalls were designed with small Japanese gardens in their small compounds.


































This could be something that I wished I could buy and bring back home. That would not happen as I did not buy luggage for my airplane ticket this time and I felt that the plants would not survive the hot weather of Malaysia.


Wednesday, March 29, 2017

MY OSAKA GASTRONOMIC ADVENTURE - GOING ITALIAN IN JAPAN


17th MARCH 2017 ~ It was a cold evening, the temperature could be below 10° C at that time. We needed to get a warm cup of coffee/tea and get ourselves in a warmer place. We went to this Italian Restaurant called SALZERIA which was still full of people after 10;00 p.m. I was told the restaurant operates 24/7 and would be a perfect place to hang out over coffee.




We also ordered fried potato. By doing that, we could get the drinks at cheaper prices. It was something like a combo meal, trying to get the best value of our money.








The BEST part was there was a drinks bar where you could get your free flow of drinks - coffee, tea or soft drinks.  Not to worry, there was no beer or alcoholic drinks from the drinks counter. It was definitely worth the money as you could fill as many cups/drinks as your heart desired.










It was already quite late. We had to quickly leave the restaurant we were yet to check in at our first accommodation booked in Osaka.