Back in Singapore yesterday, 14 Nov at night. It was a smooth flight from Mumbai which I boarded at 11.50am (SQ421). As Tuesday was my my last day at Mumbai and SIS is still closed for Diwali, I managed to get the car to fetch me to a saloon for my hair-cut. A haircut and wash and set cost Rs230 which is less my usual 10-minute haircut at QB House or Speed! Then it was to Goregon Mall to get some titbits for my Singapore colleagues and friends, enough of the city I suppose. Then it was back to Thakur Mall to get the spices my wife wanted from Star Bazaar Supermarket. At SIS, Sid and I decided to catch the blockbuster film Om Shanti Om at FAME Cineplex in the evening.

THANKS to one and all !!


It was a great film with lots of fine songs and great dancing with a captivating storyline....as if I understood Hindi, haha. But one needed no Hindi to love this hit, lah. The star Shah Rukh Khan must have made the gals cry for more, not least, the guys too . The hit song where he gyrated to the beat showing his 6-pac abs was exhilirating. No wonder Sid has seen the movie three times earlier. If only I had a few more days in Mumbai, I would revisit this Diwali hit movie again. To me, it was a great end to my stay at Mumbai, having grown accustomed to the Bollywood movies and trailors on TV night after night in between blogging, reading the papers and msn-ing my folks and students back home....and what a HOME SWEET HOME it really is to be back in my Singapore, clean and green and fresh air! Goodness, the sight at Mumbai airport when I reached there to check in my luggage was a scene not to be forgotten. People and vehicles jammed packed the drive-way leading to the entrance into the passenger terminal. You literally have to fight your way in with your trolley. And I had a hard time looking for one as all available trolleys were loaded with what looked like bags of flour, queuing to get in. I really appreciate my SIS driver for plucking one from out of the blue...wonder really how he managed to get it.


Inside the terminal was a 2-hour wait after a very smooth checking in....kudos to the ground staff handling this SIA flight. On the dot at 11.50am we took off for Changi Airport and as I peered out of my window seat, I could see the slums around the airport perimeter and then I was struck with sadness really for leaving this city of contrasts and a wonderful learning and sharing experience in SIS Mumbai. I shall be posting my full report to MOE at a later date and will certainly make it a point to thank the very people who had made my PDL attachment here possible. Now that I am back in school with all the admin tasks and planning ahead for the new year, I will indeed find time to post also the procedure for any teacher who would like to follow my path to Mumbai, or for that matter, any PDL attachment overseas. I am sure this would help to smoothen the processes one has to put in place from deciding on the instituition to serve and learn from, to the completion of the PDL.


It leaves me now to close this blog and thank all who had spent time following my experiences and adventures in this city, especially to Greenview colleagues and students for sharing their comments in the blog and on msn.

Surprise for me....I was asked to call SIS driver to fetch me to school but no one was available...still away for Diwali. The HR Manager is still out of town so no way I could go to SIS to clear my stuff and bid all farewell. Perhaps will try again tomorrow. So it gave me another opportunity to roam Mumbai city. The trains were not so crowded today...post Diwali blues?

Mission accomplished! Got three pairs in the city for my dear wife, hahaha... Also met up with SIA General Manager, ChaiWoo in his office - had a chat on life in Mumbai and SIS. Nice chap lah he. Got my PNR printed for flight home. For those coming to Mumbai, remember to print your e-ticket details of flight home, otherwise you may not be able get into the airport terminal. You need to show this to get pass the tight airport security (proof that you have a flight to catch) ...wah...tighter than Changi Airport, lah.

Day 3 of train adventure in Mumbai!

Some pics taken during rides: While on train from Dahisar I realised that the train I was on, will not be on track to Malad station, my destination for Inorbit Mall for lunch at China Pot where I had previously enjoyed stir-fried chicken noodles.
When I realised this, I was already at Andheri. So I alighted and was rewarded with great pasar malam stalls, miles of it !...so much like Pratunam in Bangkok.
After searching unsuccessfully for Pandirian shoes, I decided to board the train again, this time around asking around for directions and so finally managed to reach Malad. However, Inorbit Mall was nowhere to be found, so boarded the auto rekshaw again. The ride was quite a distance away and it cost Rs25 (just a dollar anyway). After trying on the Nike sensor shoe on the treadmill as I entered the complex, went straight for my Spore-style noodles. Shiok-la with green cut-chilli and red chilli sauce! I was surprised to see the Pandirian shoes in two of the shops here, one was a departmental store selling for Rs399 while the other specialised store charges Rs 1190 ( looks like the same thing but terribly expensive for a pair of slippers).
Went to the cineplex on same floor as the foodcourt and checked ticket pricing for the Hindustani Diwali-released blockbuster, Om Shanti Om - Rs220! Wah !$$#%# more ex! than S'pore. Went over to Hypercity Supermarket and bought corn flour, yes! haha.. you read correctly...corn flour. Even my wife didn't believe this ..haha.. I wanted to try making goreng pisang in the apartment for two reasons - one, I had bought too many bananas and two, the bottle of cooking oil was still half-full. Then I learnt from the information counter staff that the nearest station is Goregon (7mins away, cost Rs17) not Malad; and to think that Inorbit and Hypercity are in Malad!! That explained why it took Rs25 on the rekshaw from Andheri to Inorbit. Then another surprise was in store. From Goregon you cannot simply climb on a train to Dahisar. You have to transfer at Borivali for train to Dahisar! Guess all this is only beneficial to anyone deciding to come to Mumbai SIS...haha

hmm...the goreng pisang turned out very well...thanks to a recipe I had read long ago...it was as good, if not better than those I used to buy at one goreng pisang stall the old Bedok Corner Food Centre.

Headline in Mumbai mirror today: " BMC TO CATCH ITS TEACHERS ON CAMERA".

Click on picture and zoom in to read the details of the report. briefly, it says teachers' performance will be captured on video to check on teaching standards, supposedly the cause of the high dropout rate. So, Greenview or for that matter, Singapore teachers, are you game on this? As professionals, we should be proud being videoed whilst teaching. I remembered being videoed wayback in the seventies when as a trainee teacher we had to video each other's teaching and critique by fellow trainees and I remembered the lecturer complimented "my mesmerising eyes which would hold the attention of students". Hey, Greenviewans, true, right..howelse did you enjoy my teaching .?.... haha!

This morning continued on my mission. At the same time, to find best way to get to TajMahal Hotel /Gateway of India area. To avoid the hassle of looking for a MacDonald's Restaurant (no guarantee there'll be one around), I packed my own lunch haha....grilled chicken, tomato and lettuce salad with bread and bananas.

Took the rekshaw to Dahisar again and understood from the security that the Gateway of India could not be reached by train. He advised to get a taxi from Churchgate. I did exactly that and the ride cost only Rs25 (about a dollar, cheap la!). Alighted at Gateway of India where the tour agents are located and was bombarded with tour and sightseeing packages. They even have this Rs1100 for an 8-hour busride with sleeperette on board! Locals and tourist were queuing up for the ferry to Elephanta Caves, which we had visited last Sat.

Walked to back of Taj Hotel where SIA logo stands and passed Lings restaurant but it would only open at 12pm. Signboard indicated the area around Taj is called Colaba district. Walked all along the main road at Colaba and there were many "angmo" tourists here. Guess this is the 'angmo' hangout - there were many shops selling souvenirs, clothings and shoes. Found my wife's Pandira indian slippers but was not sure if they were a good bargain. Guess there would be more around so postponed to look around further.
But then soon I was immersed in the midst of "pasar malam" vendors on both side of a main road. Some slum dwellers make the roadside their 'hotel'....

I was in for a big surprise when after a 3-hour walk, I was back to Churchgate Station where I had first started! A painful discovery though - this area is devoid of a park where tired tourists could rest their feet and have a quick bite. Had covered such a wide area in the 3hr walk and I couldn't locate a place where I can just rest my feet !

At about 4pm I decided to head back. Instead of stopping at Dahisar, I continued to the next station, Mira Rd (SIS is on this same road BUT the station is at the far end of Mira Road, easily more than 10km away) Mira Road area looks a little upmarket. There were high-rise buildings everywhere and new blocks were being built. However, the area is just as dirty and dusty as my TimberHomes area and there were slums everywhere too though not on the main road. The shops were located on the void decks of apartment blocks. There were many shoe dealers but seem none were selling the simple pandira slippers here! So looks like I have to make another trip to Colaba again for the slippers. Anyway, with the trainpass and the inviting city, I will be in Colaba again, most likely on Monday after SIS. And the next time around, I must remember to bring along my camera!... for some snapshots of the city!

Day 2 of Diwali holidays....and a fruitful day!
My wife sent me on a mission - she wants a pair of Pandrina slippers, some flat beaded Indian slippers...so a good excuse to have to take the train to the city...what with no SIS to attend and no Sukriti to call for the SIS car, I was ready for some adventure!
At 10am, I set out for the city. Just outside my Timber Green Homes apartment security guardpost, I waved for an auto rekshaw (no mistake here - it's spelt such), told driver "Dahisar Station" and was glad he understood me - my very first experience on a rekshaw! - have been getting there on foot the previous few Sunday afternoons. The ride took less than 10mins and cost Rs12 (less than 50cts!). I walked to station ticket counter and there were only two people ahead of me - was happy to hear the ticket-seller said 'OK' as I enquired about a tourist-pass which I had read about when I first arrived in Mumbai but dared not try till now. Bought a 5-day pass with unlimited rides on Western Railways (the railsystem serving Mumbai). Paid Rs390 for 'FirstClass' as I thought it would be less crowded.... thought that was a great deal ....(sigh).. should have bought the better deal, a SecondClass ticket is only for Rs105!

..well, first disappointment of the day - the 1stClass cabin was just as crowded as the 2ndClass cabin! Packed like sardines, my guess that the Mumbaikars ride on 1stClass with 2ndClass tickets held true when a ticket inspector caught a man with two kids who were just standin next to me. When questioned, believe me, the inspector simply let him off at the word "Diwali" .. .hahaha... no wonder 1st Class cabin does not look any different from the 2ndClass except for the red colour of the cabins. Blue indicates 2ndClass. Nevertheles, the ride was an eye-opener. I was just like any other Mumbiakars, clinging onto the door of the moving train ...but no danger lah, it's safe.... all the doors are similarly packed with people clinging onto them - they remain open throughout the journey (so unlike our world-class MRT trains ... I proudly remind all who read this). All the way, I could see the slums and its poverty-stricken people going about their lives. At times, I could even smell the 'aroma'… you got the drift, ya?

An hour later, reached Churchgate, a huge terminal station. I emerged out onto the main road and walked along the road lined with street vendors. Then turned right into Marin Place and saw a familiar sight, the sea !..recalled having been driven past this beach before. Then my second disappointment - when I asked for the direction to the Gateway of India where I hope to get slippers for my wife and perhaps lunch at Lings(which we missed the last time with Mr Suparman and Dr Vanitha), to my surprise, was told that it could not be reached by train! Alamak! my effort wasted lah. Continued to walk along the beach and realised I was walking the wrong direction when I saw a train and then the names of the stations I had passed earlier on my way to Churchgate station…sigh....

After 2 hours of walking with no 'city shopping' in sight except the street malls, I hopped back onto the train and headed backward. Alighted at Grant Rd station to check but just as disappointed. Next stop was 'Mumbai Central', another main station but similarly no city shopping belt though plenty of street malls. Walked around a little and back to the station where I stopped at MacDonald’s. Lunch was chicken burger combo meal….and such is the comfort with MacDonald’s. Wherever... be it London, Paris or America (eh, LPA lah!! Haha..) or Australia, Singapore or I'm sure Timbuktoo if there’s one, the Mac'meal always tastes the same, ..world yummy goodness !! So guys, when travelling and you don’t like the local food, go for Mac meals!!! guess most of you would already know lah...haha. Finally, it was straight back to Dahisar..and believe you me that the rush in and out of the train cabins was real pandemonium. The pushing and shoving reminded me of the time I was queuing for the Malaysia Cup match outside our National Stadium many years ago, at the height of football fever when hell broke loose rushing for tickets to (if I recall correctly) the Spore-Penang semi final.
Anyway, mission still not accomplished, I decided to make one final stop at Borivali station and surprise! saw the slippers!!... but I suspect it's not genuine leather as it's selling too cheap for Rs160 by the side of a street. The other pair, "sure leather!" the vendor swore was for Rs275. Not taking any chances, I decided not to buy any. Better to try the city shops the next day. Once more, took the auto rekshaw home and this time meter showed Rs15.

Now for the sickening part of the day or should I say night….residents were firing crackers like there's no tomorrow. They would fire loud crackers the whole night long and it's almost midnight liao! The only consolation is that the night sky has been beautifully illuminated by the showers of fireworks......alamak! yet another loud burst which gave me another shock..…now I can hear a chain of crackers firing from back of my room…aiyah how to get to sleep lah………sigh... wonder how long will this last tonight... anyway…Happy Diwali lah…

HAPPY DIWALI!!!Today..
... but yesterday was real frustrating - my datacard did not work properly till almost 5pm. Was quite fedup at the way things turned out. Firstly, the data card was 'closed' because of some admin problem in SIS...then when it was restored yesterday, there was intermitten connection....either connected to local area network only or limited access - whatever, it means I cannot connect to the internet!
whew ! Thank goodness, all that is past! It's been working fine and good since yesterday evening. Guess, it's while in Mumbai, one needs to get accustomed to the frequent internet disruptions!
But something good turned out when I'm without internet access! I have learnt to appreciate Hindi music and songs...haha. The past nights without internet access, I had been watching videos after videos and trailers on the movies opening on Friday 9 Nov! I even recorded some of the trailers on my PDA! There's two great blockbusters -"Om Shanti Om" (OSO) and "Saawariya" have great songs, music and dancing! Shah Rukh Khan (SRK)and Deepika Padukone (DP) in OSO are really stunning. SRK with his 6-pack and DP's beauty, great combination. Mayb I should go watch the movie tomorrow but Times of India reported tickets are nearly sold out by yesterday. Both are neck to neck in the race to be the number one movie of the year!

Was subjected to frequent shocks today - those loud burst of fire crackers! Happy Deepavali lah!! Actually, the indiscriminant firing started since last night but residents are quite considerate as no firings were heard after 10pm....perhaps there's a law here banning firing after 10pm?...I doubt it. Took a walk in the evening to look for bananas.....great Del Monte-like bananas and very cheap too! Went to the area just before Dahisar Station and the festive mood was all over the market place. Stalls were decorated with Diwali lights. People seem to be in great festive mood, poverty or not.
Right in the middle of the market place smack a sign which says 'St Xavier High School' - an arrow on the sign pointed to the end of a filthy canal but there was no school in sight... hmm...maybe it's further away. Great name for a school but my personal opinion, in an area not befitting its name... perhaps it's a rural school lah.

Anyway got a big bunch of the bananas for Rs25 about a Spore dollar..really cheap lah!

Oh no!! A blackout while I am typing............wait, got to look for my torch.... alamak ! the lights come on again....aiyah, just like the internet connection lah....that's Mumbai for you...hahaha!!! Thank God, the lights came on immediately or else i would have to spend time in darkness as there is no one to call - all SIS people have gone back to their "kampong" for the Diwali break. When I first arrived, there were also blackouts on a few occasions and I had to call Sukriti or Siddarth from SIS to come over to take a look and they got power restored quickly. But I understand that to be an internal wiring problem, unlike this present blackout which is area-wide because it was also darkness outside.
Ok it's midnight now and I have better to paste this into MSWord for BoonLong before another blackout comes along....haha...

Did not blog since last Thursday! My data card has been closed since Friday evening, I think. Only realised the access has been blocked on Monday due to some accounting problem...seems the credit limit for the card has exceeded. Was told the service will only be restored today ( anyway still no access this morning!) after the account has been restated yesterday.

As Mr Suparman and Dr Vanitha were returning on midnight flight on Sat, the 3 of us decided to maximise our time here. Friday night we went to an Indian restaurant at Inorbit for dinner after school. Thanks to Mr Suparman for the treat in appreciation for our contributions to SIS.

Oh, by the way, Friday morning was my first cricket match after easily 25 long years! We have a staff versus students game in the Oval (the huge open field). The staff team had a great start but we lost to the students eventually.

After dinner, we made arrangements to visit the Elephanta Caves (eh, no elephants here lah, only historic carvings on marble rocks) on Sat morning when we set off early at 6am with Siddarth as our escort. Arrived at Gateway of India, opposite Taj Hotel (7-star!). Booked for the one-hour ferry trip to the Caves. Had coffee at Taj Hotel coffee house...a real bomb...4 cups in-house coffee with refills for Rs1,200...that's S$48 ...yah, 7-star price!!! Anyway, the aromatic coffee was a great start for our ferry ride. On the island, had to climb a great number of steps to reach the Caves. The stoned passage was lined with vendors selling the usual wares for tourists. Poor Dr Vanitha! She didnt expect this climb. So we only visited the first huge caves after the exhaustive climb. There were tunnels to other caves from here. Once back on mainland, we hunted for Lings restaurant (recommended by SIA General Manager, Foo ChaiWoo when I first arrived but did not manage to locate it). This time we found Lings with ChaiWoo's specific directions (behind huge SINGAPORE AIRLINES signboard on back of Taj Hotel, opposite Apollo Hotel). Once there, I asked for Mr Nini, the owner who caters to S'pore tastebuds. However as ChaiWoo wrote later...I am not destined to eat at Lings as we found out that the cooks share a common kitchen although food is halal. So for Suparman's sake, we had to eat somewhere else but told Nini I will be back before leaving Mumbai, haha.. So we found an indian restaurant opposite Metro Plaza. We had bryani and it was superb, just like our Spore bryani, if not better!

After lunch, we had to return as both of them had to set off for the airport at 7.30pm. In Mumbai, one must give ample time allowance for travelling in the huge jams along the whole stretch of the still-under-construction highway. So Sat, was too exhausted to blog.

Sunday morning walk was great. Adventure took the better part of me! Walked to Dahisar Station as in previous walks. Stood at the railway platform to admire the happenings here. People were locked in train cabins. Many stood or sat on open doors, some were simply clinging on to the doors of the moving trains, and yet some were seen sitting on top of the carriages. What a way to travel! When a train came to a halt. I saw many people shoving baskets of goods out of the train cabin, rushing to clear out the baskets from the cabin before the train moves off again. I was aghast that the trains do not wait for people! You board and alight at your own risk! Phew!

Then, I decided to use the underpass and cross over to the other side of the tracks. I found myself in Dahisar (West). Walked through a slum area, passed street vendors and shops lining the road. Soon I come across a wet market, very much like our Sunday market ages ago. Fish, meat, fruits, vegetables and other wares were all sold on makeshift stalls. I chanced upon a stall selling big tempting yellow pineapples, I bought one for Rs40 (ya, expensive, la). I then lost my way and asked for directions to Check Naka, the area where my apartment is located. Soon I was back on familiar territory. It was a good 3-hour walk and it was the first time I had perspired so much... hmm...a great workout indeed!

Never did I realise the pains in cutting a pineapple especially with just my Victronix swiss knife (a real handy more-than-20 gadget tool I bought in Switzerland many years ago and has been with me wherever I travelled). The fruit was simply tasty and sweet. Early to bed, early to rise for school and that was when I discovered that my data card is being rendered useless....account closed...wth....and it's still locked..now 12pm, Wed 07 Nov 2007!

This week was a real hectic one for teachers at SIS. Return of CA exam scripts for checking, review of paper and corrections and completion of progress reports all seem familiar grounds for teachers be it Singapore, India or am sure anywhere else in the world of teachers. In SIS, being an IB school, the progress reports takes on a holistic form - a very detailed profiling of students are done based on the 10 attributes in the IB Learners' Profile (see pic in earlier posting in September). Marked scripts are kept with the school after the review and corrections done. I do not quite agree with this as I feel that parents need to take a look at how the marking iwas done and how students fare in tackling the exam style questions, which then prepare them better for the next CA or exam. Anyway, that's the school ruling...so advised Maths teachers to get students to redo those they got wrong in their note books for future reference when they revise. I learnt that the students here are more "kiasu" than our Singapore students...they even copied the questions and jot down whatever the teacher wrote on the whiteboard....even those they got correct! So Greenviewans, you are not alone, haha!!

On Tuesday and Wednesday, students were also participating in Diwali decorations and competitions. The PD and MD classes had Rangoli and Poster Drawing competitions. Discovery Learning Labs were organising Harry Potter events for the Kindergarten, PD and MD students since Tuesday. Today, a Harry Potter Party was held for them and the tiny ones really had a wonderful and memorable time. Today, a Diwali Bazaar was put up by the PD teachers and students' art and craft work were sold to raise funds for the tribal villages. SIS will be donating food, clothes, blankets and the money raised (over Rs2,000) to two of these villages tomorrow morning. Sounds familiar, Greenviewans? Some of you did something similar in your class-initiated CIP programme. Yes, the well to do SIS students do have a heart for the have-nots. Hats off to SiSites!!

Tomorrow I shall be taking part in the Staff versus Year 9 and 11 Students Cricket game. Wish me luck! All progress reports will be given out tomorrow, tpgether with the second issue of SIS newsletter, SPIRIT. Dr Vanitha and I each wrote a short reflection on our stay in SIS. Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mike Thiruman was in SIS today. We had a short chat in my room. In the afternoon, Head of School and I discussed the tentative schedule I had drawn up for our student exchange programme set to start rolling in mid-2008. Yes, Greenviewans, you are coming over to SIS, Mumbai next year! Present Sec 2 and 3 students will get the opportunity to travel to India and get a first hand experience of an international student in SIS, Mumbai. We shall select about 20 students and 2 teachers for this programme. Mumbai, anyone? See me for an application form early next year! Don't forget this is on top of the present STEP and twinning
programme we have with our Thai partner school. Greenview Secondary has gone international indeed!