Recent fun stuff

Some of the more interesting things I did recently -

Playboating at RP
Damn cool sia! Currently the only place in Singapore with a rack of very nice playboats! I was a bit rusty after losing practice for quite a while, but easily got back the skills with the help of the amazing boats. We tried doing routines and attempting a bit of choreography too, very cool. Really looking forward to more such chances to play.

Shell Eco-Challenge
With my school kids, I took part in this amazing-race like event meant to promote environmental issues awareness. It was quite fun and I made it exciting by running everywhere I can (and forcing my kids to run along too).

The highlight of the trip is a visit to Poh Ern Shih at along Pasir Panjang road. Strange place for an eco-challenge stop? Well apparently the temple wants to go green in its rebuilding project, and have included many alternative energy projects on the site to achieve the 3'R's of resource management.

Solar heating - water is heated to 70 deg here with the help of solar power.

Solar roof - generation of energy via photovoltaic cells - it actually returns energy to the energy grid, and the directing monk says they are tying up a deal with Senoko Power to sell this energy to them at a 50% premium over the market rate! It will take about 15 years to recoup the investment with the tie-up, 25 years without; clearly the temple is headed by far-sighted visionaries.

A small hybrid wind-solar energy generating unit, purely for getting power to provide night lighting at this level. Now that's not hard to install in any house isn't it?

He also showed us one of the nun's room where they have this furniture module system created entirely out of bamboo (bamboo apparently renews itself in only 5 years after harvesting). It is a humble platform-bed, a storage solution, and even a tea corner! Wouldn't it be nice to have something like this in any house?


Also, they have a system to generate hydro-power by channelling water down from tanks, collecting and filtrating rainwater for drinking from the roof, collecting and storing rainwater from all around the premises for other uses, having a non-flushing urinal system and collecting urine for fertiliser-use, using natural ventilation in the design etc etc. I'm sorry to sound like a geek, but all this sounds terribly exciting to me.

Also interesting...

• Hong Kong trip planning - wanna do a hike there, the scenery of Plover Cove looks great!
• Wedding reception planning - want to wrap it up by this holiday. Where will it be? It's a surprise! (That means don't ask. Hah.)
• Nepal Trip planning - Itinerary, budget, air tickets. Dreaming of it even now.
  
• Possible paddling trip?

Already, the holiday seems too short.