AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE
November 2018
Community newspaper since 1958
www.aasingapore.com
MCI (P) 197/03/2017
American Association.................... 1-6 Member Discounts............................ 3 CRCE & Business......................... 7-10 Living in Singapore......................... 11 Community News...................... 12-13 Travel....................................... 14-15 Giving Back............................... 16-18 Health & Wellness.......................... 20 Arts & Culture........................... 21-23 Food & Dining................................ 24 President's Message....................... 26 What’s Happening......................... 27
Photo by Raffiq Razza
The 2018 Ambassador’s Cup Golf Tournament By Katie Baines
30 years of Deepavali in Singapore. p11
The gift of sight to Myanmar's monks. p14
Paws for thought: a day at the SPCA. p18
E
very year the Ambassador’s Cup Golf Tournament is an enormous amount of fun and 2018’s event with AAS certainly didn’t disappoint. Golfers were absolutely delighted to be back in Malaysia and, with Palm Resort Golf & Country Club’s manicured greens and stunning tropical landscape, it wasn’t difficult to figure out why. The energy at the clubhouse was palpable as tournament guests arrived on the Saturday morning, shouting out to friends, jeering in friendly rivalry, all the while getting the lowdown on team handicaps before collecting their goodie bags. Highly touching, though, was the greeting Malcolm Chen of Ageless Bicyclists, the official tournament charity, extended to our golfers on arrival. His story was an inspiration to us all and the generosity of those who contributed to his cause, unprecedented. In total, the tournament generated just over $3,500 for the charity, enough to purchase a Buddy Bike for a differently abled person; a staggering achievement and a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to all our participants. After a plentiful lunch and the excitement of a lucky draw with incredible prizes, golfers were chomping at the bit to tee off. As the horn sounded, the buggies scattered across the course only to
be brought back in as the heavens opened. But even the weather couldn’t dampen spirits as the beer flowed and the laughter and chatter continued under cover. And then they were off again! There were near misses and epic shots, helped or hindered by a constant stream of more beer, tequila shots supplied by East West, all soaked up with snacks along the way to keep energy levels going. In a tightly fought contest, it was Team Forsyth consisting of Suthar Barthasarathy, Mark Forsyth, Tommy Lim and Sam Rebera who prevailed after a three-way putt-off at the poolside during dinner, earning them Saudia airline tickets among their winnings. They were closely followed by the Singapore American School team of Kris Ganske, Keith Hynes, Lance Murgatroyd and Joon Myong, with team Expat Dental’s Chris Camerieri, Brian Schwender and Matt Thompson coming in third. But then, whether it was taking home one of the dozens of fantastic prizes from a further lucky draw or the raffle, or simply enjoying a day well-spent with friends old and new, everyone was a winner. We are greatly indebted to our sponsors, particularly our title sponsor, Master Real Estate, who were a
Centennial Partners
Lest we forget: thanks of the highest order. p21
American Association of Singapore – Since 1917
tremendous support and an absolute joy on and off the course. A huge shout out to company CEO, Kerr Sun, who cleaned up at the previous night’s impromptu poker game, only to give all of his takings to Ageless Bicyclists the following morning. We also couldn’t have done it without the continued support of Singapore American School or our co-host, The American Club, and the many companies who supplied the wonderful prizes for the raffle and lucky draws. Thank you to our superb golf pro, Chris Neylan, who proved a force to be reckoned with on the course, as well as a fierce champion of the tournament charity. Enormous thanks, too, to tournament Chair, Chris Milliken, the golf committee and the AAS team, all of whom worked behind the scenes to make the occasion the success it was. Another great day of golf, fun and camaraderie has come and gone, but the memories will, undoubtedly, remain. See you next year!