Christmas Kids Hash Pt 2

The Christmas Kids hash was a huge success on Sunday. The three hares together with myself laid the long run in the morning and after a leisurely lunch we went in with all the kids in the afternoon - 7 children and 5 adults which made laying the run pretty interesting if not challenging. But we did it in good time and went back to the tent as the hashers started arriving. The plan was to sit back and enjoy the afternoon but we had an unexpected diversion which threw a spanner into the works!

One of the hares, Andy went back in with Iman and a couple of other kids to put up in/out signs on the long run and on the way back Shana and Iman spotted a large snake just off the main trail - a large pit viper no less! I was too occupied with sweets for the santa hats and the boys so sent Donncha back in with the camera. The guy had not moved and was not interested in going anywhere - apparently it had just eaten - which made us think that maybe we had even walked past it twice in the morning and not noticed it. Coincidently it is the same type of snake that I saw here now nearly a year ago.

So we were posed with a problem - do we risk letting hashers go through with a venomous snake inches away from the trail and easily brushed against? In the end Donncha and Andy stood some metres away and warned the hashers as they went past. Luckily it was only the long run section with only about 30 runners and not the shorter or medium that the 100 or so children went on. And the snake did become a big attraction for those brave enough to go see it.

And after all that I forget to mention that Santa made an appearance too!

Diplo with kids playing in the distance from the top of the ridge

Three Wise Hares and their helpers

JH3 members

So, you have been warned - diamond head, looking like this, it's best to avoid. They are a nocturnal species, not bothered by vibrations but are heat sensitive and will attack if disturbed. As with everything in the jungle, respect is the best way to stay out of trouble.

Christmas Kids Hash

All ready for Christmas Kids hash today!

The Very Hungry Brunei Caterpillar

This morning Jack's Reception year did their first ever assembly. This was the first time a Reception year performed so early in the school year as previously their first would be in the third term. I think the teachers were more nervous than they were but needn't have worried as the kids did a fantastic show and did all the parents proud.

The first part of the show was their "Sounds" dance followed by a 3D narration of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" who ate curry puffs, satay, chicken rice and even one stinky durian. Jack's speaking part was to announce the story with Oscar. I do have the whole show on video but at this stage will not even try to upload it.

They finished with a slideshow about their cooking classes and making rock cakes and finally giving out rock cakes to the audience much to the delight of the Junior School. Awesome assembly and I think probably the best we've seen in a while.

And they all became butterflies!

Bukit Patoi

For our Monday morning walk this week we went for a special excursion to Bukit Patoi in Temburong. For our non-Bruneian readers, Temburong (a district separated by an area of Malaysia) is Brunei's least populated district and the biggest draw is the vast amount of untouched jungle which covers most of Temburong. Getting there is a 45 minute boat ride from BSB or a 2 hour car journey via the Malaysian town of Limbang.

Bukit Patoi is 1200m and though the view from the top is lovely the actual walk is a treasure trove of jungle life from plants and creepers to birds and insects. Some of us in the group were very lucky that day to spot a hornbill and two chameleons - with one guarding a nest of eggs.

Football Funday

Football Funday has become a permanent fixture in JIS' annual calender and every year it seems to get bigger with more teams from all over Brunei participating. We were there for a couple of hours until the kids got too hot and bothered. Iman and Ayden enjoyed the football but Jack and Zahra were more interested in spending their $$$.

In a few years Donncha too will be shouting from the sidelines!

Amin in Chicago

Last week Amin left for a three week trip to Chicago - he was selected to participate in a US Leadership programme sponsored by the US State Department and hosted by the Northern Illinois University. His programme will include staying with a foster family which I think he is due to join anyday now in time for Thanksgiving. They also had to do a cultural performance - both Ayden and Jack been saying that Abang Amin has gone to the USA to do a dance! Read here for more about the trip.

Amin - if you are reading this we hope you are having a good time and keeping warm. Ayden and Jack miss you. Ayden is still pointing to the map saying "Where's Abang Amin?"

The Simple Life - how great is Electricity !

So this is what it's come down to...a weekly update! It's been a hectic week and a pretty eventful one. Our highlights:

It was the Hash founders day this week and the theme was "Mardi Gras". I have ummed and ahhed all week about posting the pictures I took and this year I will leave it all up to the readers imagination. There were some fantastic costumes and we all had a fantastic time. The event was at one of the hotels, much much plusher than our usual weekly surroundings. We got our gifts for the year, a bag, a handy pouch and a sarong with the H3 logo printed on it. The annual awards were handed out, wettest run, most scenic run etc and the top award of the most hashits going to this lady - well taken!

Iman and Jack finished their school week with a movie night yesterday afternoon. They watched "Up" with 80 other junior schoolers with cokes, sprites and snacks. Needless to say they were very "up" themselves by the evening!

How could I forget... our nephew and big cousin Amin left for the U.S last night - this deserves a post of its own! We hope he gets taste for travel and enjoys 'living' an American life, if only for a month.

We had a big storm last night. Obviously not as big as the ones experienced by Cork City but unfortunately our local street transformer got hit by lightning and we were without electricity all night! So a very hot and sticky night! I personally thought it was nice once we opened the windows - a bit like indoor camping (?) - but Donncha did not enjoy it one bit!

Lastly - a very very big birthday wish to Granny Liz McCarthy - we hope you have an enjoyable day and have a good break!

In town with the Obamas...

Not a huge exaggeration because they were in town for one night attending the APEC leaders summit and we did see the motorcade leave the leaders dinner - it was all set up in the area opposite our hotel. As usual it was great to be in Singapore and despite our fears that the place will be crawling with security and closed roads, the summit did not cause much interference to us tourists. The highlight of our visit was our usual brunch on Sunday and we were joined by friends Vivien and Arvind. We love Singapore for weekend breaks - roll on the next one !

International Restaurant 22

Year 2 last week combined their current topic of "Food" and International Week to feature an international restaurant one lunchtime. The kids all chose one dish from their home country which would be served in their restaurant. Iman insisted on mash and gravy - I had to negotiate hard because she actually wanted mash, gravy and roast chicken!

On the actual day us parents brought in our dishes and were told to wait outside until the restaurant opened. And when it did we had the "waiters" show us to our tables. We were given menus to look at and our drinks and food orders were taken. Don't think the mash went down too well but I didn't mind as I tucked into a very nice chicken briyani, greek dolmades and some other lovely dishes which I didn't know the names of. It is such a novel idea and a great success with many parents coming and all the kids were so proud to be the waiters, barmen and dishwashers!

Don't mess with the monkeys - the real ones!

One of the Reception classroom assistants got a terrible shock yesterday when pack of monkeys came to the classroom area. A couple actually came inside and one particular guy took a liking (or disliking) to Jack's hat and stuck his teeth in good! Luckily not much other damage was done. Funny thing is the teacher came in this morning not knowing what happened and the kids showed her the hat. She immediately went into the "...and who did that" routine and all the kids just said it was the naughtiest boy in the class! Luckily for the accused the assistant then came to tell all.

International Day 2009

It's taken me long enough to do this but after uploading Iman's Paris pics on Slide I now think this is great so here's another slide for International Day last week. The day followed the usual format of parade by each class in the junior school - Jack introduced himself nicely as "Jack from Ireland". Jack wore his Munster shirt cos he thinks that's cooler than his Irish shirt - and I cannot remember that great Munster saying. Iman wore a tunic in the Irish colours that we had made and she looked great in it.

And as per last year Donncha and I set up an Irish table in the Kindy playground for the little ones to do their trip around the world with their passports. It was much busier than last year and there were more tables which was good for the kids - plenty more sweets and cakes to sample! We kept our simple this year - hurleys, slithers, mac with hurling game and Irish flag cookies. And it all went down pretty well!

Regatta Sunday

We spent most of today at the place we love to be on Sundays, the Yacht Club. It was the second day of the RBYC regatta and we were there to see the lasers, oppys and dingys sail off. It was a very, very hot day and I was happy to have shade for the afternoon and not baked like most of the sailors were - for a while anyway.

Of course the heat did not bother these three at all.

And a couple of hours later the weather started to turn... and it got very stormy which caught most of the lasers coming in. Really don't think that sailing would be my type of thing!