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RELA X<br />
RELA X<br />
SWISS CLUB NEWS FEB : 2012
Award winning:<br />
SWISS Business with<br />
fully � at bed<br />
The little things.<br />
That’s what we’re perfect in.<br />
Small things can be great. When you � y SWISS Business, you’ll<br />
enjoy delicious <strong>Swiss</strong> cuisine, a modern entertainment system<br />
and a fully � at bed. Experience the new SWISS business on<br />
the daily nonstop � ight between Bangkok and Switzerland. For<br />
further information, please contact SWISS at +65 67378133,<br />
e-mail to contact.sin@swiss.com or visit swiss.com<br />
2 Relax FEBRUARY 2012
Page 18 Santa Party<br />
Page 25 Gingerbread Houses<br />
Page 26 Vietnam/Laos by Bike<br />
COVER PHOTO: Entrance to the <strong>Swiss</strong> <strong>Club</strong>: photo by a <strong>Club</strong> member, Daniela Gnielinski<br />
OTHER PHOTOS stock.xchange (www.sxc.hu) and Flickr (www.flickr.com)<br />
Relax FEBRUARY 2012<br />
contents<br />
WORD FROM THE COMMITTEE 6<br />
Jean-Daniel Renevey<br />
WORD FROM THE CLUB MANAGER, MOOMOO 7<br />
MEMBERS 8<br />
Spa Specials, e-magazine, Welcome and Farewell<br />
FOOD & BEVERAGE 10<br />
Wines of the Month, Valentine’s Day Dinner, Weekly Specials at Pergola,<br />
Reservations and Normal Opening Hours, Sundays at Arbenz<br />
EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES 15<br />
Free Family Movie: Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2, Jass Tournament,<br />
Boogie Woogie Night, Davis Cup, In March: Boogie Woogie Breakfast,<br />
Cooking Demonstration, In April: Easter Holiday Adventure<br />
REPORTS 18<br />
Santa Party, Gingerbread House Decoration, Vietnam and Laos by Bike<br />
SPORTS/ACTIVITIES 30<br />
Fitness Tip, Karate Kidz, Tennis, News and 2012 Calendar, Golf,<br />
Introducing Chantal Scott<br />
SWISS SCHOOL<br />
Christmas Market<br />
36<br />
SWISS EMBASSY<br />
<strong>Swiss</strong> Education Fair<br />
37<br />
ACTIVITIES AT A GLANCE 38<br />
deadlines FOR MARCH ISSUE: JANUARY 27TH / FOR APRIL ISSUE: FEBRUARY 27TH<br />
EDITOR’S EMAIL ADDRESS Please send all materials for inclusion in Relax to: editorswiss@gmail.com.<br />
PHOTO SUBMISSIONS Photos may be submitted electronically (300dpi jpegs) or as hard copy originals. If you are submitting photographs for<br />
the first time please contact the Editor before sending them.<br />
WE WELCOME GENERAL INTEREST ARTICLES FROM MEMBERS. Please contact the Editor for guidelines or to discuss an idea.<br />
Relax is distributed monthly, free of charge, to members and potential new members. Views and opinions expressed in this publication are not<br />
necessarily those of the <strong>Club</strong> or the Editor. All rights reserved. MICA (P) No. 206/03/2011<br />
3
4 Relax FEBRUARY 2012
SWISS CLUB OFFICE<br />
Heinz Iten, <strong>Club</strong> Manager<br />
manager@swissclub.org.sg<br />
Serene Yee, Membership Manager<br />
members@swissclub.org.sg Tel: 6591 9426 (DID)<br />
Shirley Lim, Chief Accountant<br />
acct@swissclub.org.sg Tel: 6591 9435 (DID)<br />
Sajan S., Sports Manager<br />
sport@swissclub.org.sg Tel: 6591 9438 (DID)<br />
FOOD & BEVERAGE<br />
Stewart Wee, Executive Chef<br />
chef@swissclub.org.sg Tel: 6591 9428 (DID)<br />
Michael Gruber, Chef de Cuisine<br />
arbenzchef@swissclub.org.sg Tel.: 6591 9424 (DID)<br />
Kumar M., Restaurant & Banquet Manager<br />
Tel: 6591 9429 (DID)<br />
Joyce Uligan, Banquet Sales Manager<br />
banquetsales@swissclub.org.sg Tel: 6591 9430 (DID)<br />
Kumar Samy, Asst. F&B Manager<br />
fb@swissclub.org.sg Tel: 6591 9429 (DID)<br />
F&B OUTLETS—RESERVATIONS<br />
fb@swissclub.org.sg Tel: 6466 3233 Fax: 6468 8550<br />
on board 2011/2012<br />
President: Martin Silberstein president@swissclub.org.sg<br />
Vice President: Max C. Marcus vicepres@swissclub.org.sg<br />
Treasurer: Olivier Grawehr treasurer@swissclub.org.sg<br />
Secretary: Uli Jungkunz honsecretary@swissclub.org.sg<br />
Shooting Secretary: Vacant<br />
Relax FEBRUARY 2012<br />
The <strong>Swiss</strong> <strong>Club</strong><br />
36 <strong>Swiss</strong> <strong>Club</strong> Road, Singapore 288139<br />
Tel : 6466 3233 Fax : 6468 8550<br />
E-mail : admin@swissclub.org.sg<br />
www.swissclub.org.sg<br />
club directory<br />
SPA<br />
Magdalene Tan, Spa Manager<br />
spa@swissclub.org.sg Tel: 6591 9441 (DID)<br />
MARKETING/EVENTS<br />
Nada Hanisa A S, Marketing/Events Manager<br />
marketing@swissclub.org.sg Tel: 6591 9423 (DID)<br />
RELAX (EDITORIAL TEAM)<br />
Susan Cook (Editor)<br />
editorswiss@gmail.com Tel: 9693 8001<br />
Melissa Darlene Francis (Layout Coordinator)<br />
editorswiss@gmail.com<br />
Gerda Gehrig (Committee Liaison)<br />
gerda.gehrig@swissclub.org.sg<br />
ADVERTISING<br />
Lilian Chen, Admin Executive<br />
admin@swissclub.org.sg Tel: 6591 9422 (DID)<br />
PRINTED BY<br />
Viva Lithographers Pte Ltd<br />
Tel: 6272 1880 Fax: 6273 5425<br />
Committee Members:<br />
Ernst Huber: ernst.huber@swissclub.org.sg<br />
Jean-Daniel Renevey: jean-daniel.renevey@swissclub.org.sg<br />
Gerda Gehrig: gerda.gehrig@swissclub.org.sg<br />
Max Schweizer: max.schweizer@swissclub.org.sg<br />
Daniel Mueller: daniel.mueller@swissclub.org.sg<br />
5
Dear members and friends,<br />
On behalf of the <strong>Swiss</strong> <strong>Club</strong> Committee,<br />
Gong Xi Fa Cai! We wish you the best in the<br />
Year of the Dragon.<br />
Gong Xi Fa Cai… what does it really<br />
mean? Some would argue the real<br />
spelling is Gong Hey Fat Choy or, for the<br />
really literate, “Gun Tso Sun Tan’Gung Haw<br />
Sun” or “Kung His Hsin Nien Bing Chu<br />
Shen Tan”…<br />
Gong Xi Fa Cai (Mandarin) and Gong<br />
Hey Fat Choy (Cantonese) have the same<br />
meaning, and share the same pictograms<br />
in both traditional and simplified Chinese:<br />
“Congratulations and be prosperous”.<br />
Chinese New Year is the most<br />
important of the traditional Chinese<br />
holidays, and is celebrated in many parts<br />
of the world beyond China and South-East<br />
Asia, by some estimates by one quarter of<br />
the world’s population.<br />
In China it is known as “Spring Festival,”<br />
and marks the end of the winter season. The<br />
festival begins on the first day of the first<br />
month in the traditional Chinese calendar<br />
and ends with Lantern Festival which is on<br />
the 15th day. Chinese New Year’s Eve, a<br />
day where Chinese families gather for their<br />
annual reunion dinner, is known as Chú Xiī<br />
or “Eve of the Passing Year”.<br />
Although the Chinese calendar does not<br />
use continuously numbered years, outside<br />
China its years are often numbered from<br />
the reign of the Yellow Emperor. But at least<br />
three different years numbered 1 are now<br />
used by various scholars, making the year<br />
2012 “Chinese Year” 4710, 4709, or 4649.<br />
word from the committee<br />
jean-daniel renevey<br />
To keep it simple, let’s not discuss<br />
here the lunisolar calendar, the leap<br />
months, the 12-year cycle of the animal<br />
zodiac or the 10-year cycle of heavenly<br />
stems. If you are interested, visit<br />
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year,<br />
the main source of inspiration for this<br />
article.<br />
Just in time for the celebration, in<br />
January, the Arbenz Restaurant reinvented<br />
itself under a new concept,<br />
with a new menu, led by Chef Michael<br />
Gruber. If you haven’t dined there<br />
since the re-launch…Come in, bring<br />
your guests along, discover the unique<br />
experience of a “Brasserie with Style” in<br />
the heart of the jungle.<br />
Some of you may have observed that<br />
the tall jungle trees around the <strong>Club</strong> are<br />
getting old and fragile. Each year, a few<br />
of them fall due to heavy rain, lightning or<br />
gusts of wind. To ensure lush greenery<br />
for the generations to come, our GM took<br />
the initiative and planted some secondary<br />
growth, a new generation of young trees,<br />
which will grow over the next couple of<br />
years, while the ageing ones slowly ‘retire‘.<br />
One last thing… Mark February 25th<br />
on your calendar for the Boogie Woogie<br />
Night. See the “Word from the Manager”<br />
opposite for more details.<br />
Yours faithfully,<br />
Jean-Daniel Renevey<br />
Committee Member<br />
6 Relax FEBRUARY 2012
Dear members,<br />
Get ready for a real Boogie Woogie Night on the 25th of<br />
February! Dress up in your best Fifties fashion and win a<br />
dinner for two at Arbenz. NicoBrina, the King of Boogie,<br />
will be playing live at the <strong>Club</strong> exclusively for our members.<br />
Please reserve early to get front-row seats. For those who<br />
can’t make it on the night there will be a Boogie Woogie<br />
Breakfast on the 11th of March at the Pergola.<br />
The Arbenz restaurant is now in full swing too. Please<br />
refer to our insert for more information! With the new Pergola<br />
menu being smaller but including a staggering eight daily<br />
specials, we hope to ring the changes and make dining<br />
there more interesting. We hope you’ll find suitable dishes<br />
moo moo’s bone<br />
Question: Do kids fight?<br />
Answer: Yes they do, it’s natural!<br />
Question: Do parents and kids fight?<br />
Answer: Yes they do, that’s natural!<br />
Question: Do parents fight about the way<br />
kids are allowed to behave in the <strong>Swiss</strong> <strong>Club</strong>?<br />
Answer: Yes they do… now that’s NOT natural!<br />
Question: Should parents be role models for their<br />
kids, especially when they are ‘discussing’ their<br />
different approaches to bringing up children?<br />
Answer: Yes they SHOULD!<br />
Relax FEBRUARY 2012<br />
word from the club manager<br />
heinz iten<br />
to satisfy your cravings among the many specials. Fewer<br />
regular items means fresher food. Exactly like the motto of<br />
the year: fresh, healthy and tasty.<br />
Advance notice is given for the sporty ones among you:<br />
please note that we are organising a Mount Rinjani trek<br />
to take place over the Easter holidays. Flying to Lombok,<br />
Indonesia, on Thursday, the 5th of April in the afternoon and<br />
coming back on Monday night. This will be kind of a qualifier<br />
for the Mera Peak trek (6500m) in Nepal coming in October.<br />
Time to start getting back into shape!<br />
Cheers!<br />
Heinz Iten<br />
So, dear parents, can you lighten up please, and be a<br />
little more tolerant of different parenting styles!<br />
MooMoo<br />
7
e-magazine: <strong>relax</strong><br />
Thanks to <strong>Swiss</strong>Post Relax is now available as an<br />
e-magazine, with ‘flippable’ pages!<br />
The e-magazine is now on the <strong>Swiss</strong> <strong>Club</strong> website:<br />
www.swissclub.org.sg. At the bottom of the Welcome<br />
Message look for the blue e symbol and month. Click<br />
the link and the e-magazine will download ready for you<br />
to read. Enjoy!<br />
With more than 6,000 people working for <strong>Swiss</strong> Post Solutions in<br />
Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia and through our<br />
extensive partner network we offer you access to a delivery that<br />
spans the globe.<br />
Our solutions include Mailroom Outsourcing, Document Processing,<br />
CRM, Loyalty Program Management, e-Billing and Security&Identity<br />
solutions.<br />
www.swisspostsolutions.sg<br />
«We help you optimise business<br />
information processes and transform<br />
your most important relationships.»<br />
february<br />
specials<br />
Valentine’s Day: 14th of February<br />
This Valentine’s Day, don’t just send flowers—give<br />
your loved ones a romantic and perfect day spa gift<br />
with a pampering spa experience they will never<br />
forget at the <strong>Swiss</strong> <strong>Club</strong> Spa. It will be one of the best<br />
Valentine’s Day gifts you ever give!<br />
Boby Scrub and Relaxation Massag : $100 (90mins)<br />
(Usual price $186). Reservation essential.<br />
De-Stress Body Massage: $70<br />
Body Massage (60mins) valued at $78.50<br />
followed by a Head Massage (20mins)<br />
To make an appointment, please call 65919441.<br />
All appointments should be made by telephone.<br />
Email comments and suggestions only to:<br />
spa@swissclub.org.sg.<br />
Loyalty Lucky Draw<br />
As a thank you for their support in 2011 all patrons of<br />
the <strong>Swiss</strong> <strong>Club</strong> Spa were entered in a lucky draw.<br />
The lucky prizewinners are:<br />
1st Taylor Justin (T067)<br />
Deep Swedish Massage<br />
2nd Sebening Carsten Ingo (S344)<br />
Classic Facial<br />
3rd Patricia Klein Raimund (K212)<br />
Lemongrass Body Scrub<br />
4th Nelly Brutsch Urs (B047)<br />
Back & Shoulder Massage<br />
5th Singh Rohan Rajiv (S403)<br />
Back & Shoulder Massage<br />
Congratulations to all our Prizewinners, who may<br />
collect their vouchers from Reception.<br />
8 Relax FEBRUARY 2012
Relax FEBRUARY 2012<br />
warmly welcomes...<br />
Membership Type<br />
Uwe & Nicole Oemmelen Associate<br />
Christian & Larissa Wiegele Associate<br />
Michael Lane & Ailbhe Daltun Associate<br />
Hiroko Kubota Associate<br />
Shaun Verner & Pauline Loftus-Hills Associate<br />
Helmut & Martina Wuebbenhorst Associate<br />
Andrew Wood & Cristina Olivan-Anguita Associate<br />
and bids farewell to...<br />
Membership Type<br />
Vincent Hingot & Francoise Dosimont Associate<br />
Peter Mills & Iwona Gancarz-Mills Associate<br />
Thomas & Catherine Bitter Associate<br />
Lloyd & Ingrid D’Souza Associate<br />
9
wines of the month:<br />
february<br />
Piccini Memoro Vino Rosso Italia NV<br />
Memoro, Latin for “remember”<br />
Denomination: Vino d’Italia (Wine from Italy)<br />
Produced in: Sicily/Puglia/Veneto/Abruzzo<br />
Grapes: Merlot Del Veneto 10%, Nero d’ Avola 20%,<br />
Montepulciano 30%, Primitivo 40%<br />
Alcohol Content: 14%<br />
Tasting notes: A warm style with notes of dark cherries,<br />
figs and coffee in a delicate oak frame. Fruity and<br />
heavyweight, concentrated with great structure, yet<br />
balanced and soft with long finish.<br />
Both wines: $52/bottle, $11/glass<br />
Piccini Frascati Superiore Doc<br />
Grapes: 70% Malvasia Bianca di Candia 20%<br />
Malvasia del Lazio, 10% Trebbiano<br />
Alcohol content: 12% Vol.<br />
Denomination: DOC<br />
Vintage: 2008<br />
This is one of the best known wines of the ‘Castelli’, produced<br />
along the volcanic hills and lands of Frascati and other<br />
commons within province of Rome.<br />
Tasting Notes: Frascati Superiore ‘Solepapa’ is a deep<br />
straw yellow in colour with a typical and fresh delicate<br />
aroma with floral notes. It has a smooth, fine and velvety<br />
palate and a fruity finish.<br />
10 Relax FEBRUARY 2012
Relax FEBRUARY 2012<br />
valentine’s day dinner<br />
Enjoy the wonderful ambience of the Arbenz<br />
when you visit us for this romantic dinner for<br />
two, prepared specially for this annual<br />
celebration of love and affection!<br />
MENU<br />
Amuse Bouche<br />
***<br />
Salmon Tartare, Caviar, Crème Fraiche, Toasted Bread<br />
***<br />
Veloute of Cauliflower with Scallop Brunoise<br />
***<br />
Duet of Australian Beef, Foie Gras, Truffled Potato Puree,<br />
Glazed Baby Carrots<br />
***<br />
Baked Raspberries, Vanilla Ice Cream, Almond Tuile<br />
Each couple will receive a gift: a box of chocolates!<br />
tuesday 14th february<br />
19:30 @ arbenz<br />
$88 per person<br />
11
weekly specials<br />
@ pergola<br />
12:00 is required.<br />
reservations<br />
AND NORMAL OPENING HOURS<br />
Table Reservations: 10:00 - 18:00 Call: 6466 3233.<br />
For extension of opening hours,<br />
please call F&B at 6591 9430<br />
Arbenz (6591 9424) (Closed on Mondays)<br />
Tues to Sun: Lunch: 12:00 - 15:00<br />
Dinner: 18.30 - 24:00 (Last orders: 22:00)<br />
WEDNESDAY:<br />
RACLETTE<br />
From 18:00 till 22:00<br />
Portion $13.50/<br />
Buffet $38.00<br />
FRIDAY:<br />
PORK KNUCKLE<br />
From 18:00 till 22:00<br />
Crispy Roasted Pork<br />
Knuckle with Condiments<br />
Portion $18.80<br />
Whole Knuckle $32.50<br />
Note: Reservation by<br />
Pergola (6591 9431)<br />
Daily: 08:00 - 24:00 (Last orders: 22:30)<br />
Delhicious (6591 9431) (Closed on Mondays)<br />
Tues to Sun: 11:00 - 14:30 and 18:00 - 22:00<br />
(Last orders: 21:45)<br />
SATURDAY:<br />
A LA CARTE BBQ<br />
From 18:00 till 21:30<br />
Items from $16.50<br />
SUNDAY:<br />
WEEKLY ROAST<br />
From 18:00 till 21:30<br />
Served with potatoes, a<br />
vegetable and one serving<br />
from the Salad Bar.<br />
150gm $18:80,<br />
200gm $28:80<br />
*Meat will vary<br />
Jungle Bar (6591 9433)<br />
Wed to Fri: 11:30 - 23:30 Sat & Sun: 09:30 - 23:30<br />
12 Relax FEBRUARY 2012
Relax FEBRUARY 2012<br />
sundays@arbenz<br />
Relax with us...<br />
and enjoy all your<br />
Sunday favourites in the<br />
beautiful ambience of<br />
the Arbenz.<br />
NOTE that à la carte<br />
is not available in the Arbenz on<br />
Sundays: it is open only for Lunch and<br />
the Family Affair. The evening buffet is very<br />
popular. To avoid disappointment we<br />
suggest you make a reservation:<br />
call 6466 3233.<br />
Begin your day with...<br />
SUNDAY LUNCH<br />
A wonderfully tempting spread...<br />
served from 11:30 to 14:00<br />
Adult: $32.80 : Child (6-15 years): $15.50<br />
Children under six years of age: Free<br />
Stay on for our...<br />
FAMILY AFFAIR<br />
Our delicious ‘all you can eat’ dinner buffet...<br />
served from 18:00 to 21:30<br />
Adult: $35.00 : Child (3-15 years): $17.50<br />
Children under three years of age: Free<br />
13
Lawrence Sullivan<br />
Michel Louzière<br />
booking: enquiries@swissbusiness.org.sg<br />
special price for corporate tables<br />
Omar Pasha<br />
Son, Lumière et Magie<br />
a magical night of sound and light<br />
Delight your guests and party with them<br />
well into the night at the <strong>Swiss</strong> Business<br />
Association’s spectacular annual gala<br />
dinner.<br />
For its 23rd rendition of this event, the SBA<br />
is pulling out all the stops to create an<br />
incredible ensemble of sound, light and<br />
magic that your guests – and you – will be<br />
talking about for a long time.<br />
The <strong>Swiss</strong> <strong>Club</strong> sports hall will undergo a<br />
two-day complete makeover to create a<br />
memorable ambience of balloon lights,<br />
superb sound effects, classy dinner setting<br />
and music well past midnight.<br />
The event will be held in March 2012 –<br />
when three world-class performing acts<br />
will be present in Singapore at the same<br />
time. They will transport you and your<br />
guests to an unforgettable new dimension<br />
of celebration and entertainment.<br />
23rd Annual Gala Dinner<br />
Saturday, 24 March 2012 from 7pm<br />
The <strong>Swiss</strong> <strong>Club</strong>, Singapore “The Hall”<br />
Dress code: smart and chic!<br />
add an artsy twist to your outfit if you wish<br />
RECENT/FUTURE EVENTS<br />
Thursday, 19 January: Economic Outlook Lunch<br />
If you are interested in becoming a member of the<br />
Tuesday, 7 February: Networking Night<br />
Association, more information and a membership<br />
application form can be found at:<br />
Saturday, 24 March: AGM & Annual Gala Dinner<br />
www.swissbusiness.org.sg<br />
14<br />
Events are for members/members’ guests only.<br />
Relax FEBRUARY 2012
2012 jass<br />
tournament<br />
friday 24th february<br />
19:00 : rifle lounge<br />
Join us for the first round of the 2012<br />
Jass Tournament. We are a friendly but<br />
competitive group. For more information,<br />
please contact: Martin Frick at 9752 0909 or<br />
martinfrick@singnet.com.sg.<br />
Relax FEBRUARY 2012<br />
family movie<br />
diary of a wimpy kid 2<br />
thursday, 16th february<br />
18:30 @ jungle bar<br />
Grey Heffley, the kid who made “wimpy” cool, is back in this side-splitting<br />
sequel based on the second instalment of the best-selling book series!<br />
Having rid himself of the Cheese Touch, Greg enters the seventh grade<br />
with his confidence and friendships intact, and an eye on the new girl in town,<br />
Holly Hills. But things have gotten out of hand at home, especially with his big<br />
brother, Rodrick, and Grey is about to learn that there may be something even<br />
scarier than middle school—his own family!<br />
boogie woogie night<br />
saturday 25th february<br />
arbenz : 19:00 – midnight<br />
$98 per person including 4-course set dinner<br />
Get ready for a real Boogie Woogie night on Saturday the 25th of February!<br />
Dress up in your best Fifties fashion and win a dinner for two at Arbenz.<br />
NicoBrina, the King of Boogie, will be playing live at the <strong>Club</strong> exclusively for our<br />
members. Please reserve early to get front-row seats.<br />
Reservations via recept@swissclub.org.sg by 18th February.<br />
the swiss club’s davis cup is back!<br />
11th/12th February A chance for you to ‘represent’ your country!<br />
For details see page 32.<br />
FREE<br />
EVENT!<br />
15
C<br />
M<br />
Y<br />
CM<br />
MY<br />
CY<br />
CMY<br />
K<br />
coming in march...<br />
boogie woogie<br />
breakfast<br />
sunday, 11th march @ pergola<br />
For those who can’t make it to the Boogie Woogie Night we<br />
are offfering a Boogie Woogie Breakfast! Of course those<br />
who made it to the ‘Boogie Night’ are welcome to join us for<br />
breakfast too!<br />
More details in the March issue of Relax.<br />
190 x 128mm horizontal largest butcher shop.pdf 1 3/1/2012 11:10:38 AM<br />
cooking<br />
demonstration<br />
thursday, 22nd march<br />
15:30 - 17:00 @ arbenz<br />
Let Chef Michael introduce you to the secrets of making<br />
deliciously healthy and wholesome salads that can be served<br />
as a full meal.<br />
If you want to make this a healthy year for yourself and<br />
your family then join us for our first cookery demonstration<br />
of 2012.<br />
More information in the March issue.<br />
www.hubers.com.sg<br />
Now, the largest butcher shop in Singapore!<br />
16 Relax FEBRUARY 2012
coming in april...<br />
easter holiday adventure<br />
with the club manager<br />
friday 5th april - monday 9th april<br />
Holiday in Lombok 5 days/4 nights including Rinjani Trek 3 days/2 nights<br />
Maximum 16 pax, minimum age 10 years.<br />
Price per person twin-sharing: S$950 including airfare!<br />
Book via recept@swissclub.org.sg by February 29th latest.<br />
Places will be allocated on a ‘first come, first served’ basis!<br />
Day 1, Thursday, 5th April<br />
Leave Singapore at 15:45 flying Silkair to Lombok. Arrive at 18:30, transfer<br />
to 4-star Beach Hotel.<br />
Day 2, Good Friday, 6th April<br />
We leave the hotel at 06:00 for Sembalun village to fetch our porters. At<br />
09:30 we start to trek to Base Camp 2. On the way you won’t find any trees,<br />
it’s just short grass. So it’s hot when you are walking. At Base Camp 2 you<br />
can enjoy about an hour’s break for lunch (and have some cakes). Then we<br />
continue our trek to the rim, which we will reach at about 17:00. We have<br />
dinner with special ‘mountain food’ and settle in for our first night‘s rest.<br />
Day 3, Saturday, 7th April<br />
At 03:00 we start trekking to the summit of Mount Rinjani. The icy wind<br />
blowing across the exposed slopes and the small round balls of volcanic<br />
rock that make up our path make the climb exceedingly difficult, to say<br />
the least. Once at the top the startling beauty of our surroundings is aweinspiring.<br />
We have about one hour at the summit, then we start our descent,<br />
looking forward to breakfast. After breakfast, we go to Segara Anak Lake<br />
where we can swim in the lake and <strong>relax</strong> in hot spring water. At 15:00 we<br />
begin our climb to the rim of Senaru which takes about two and a half hours.<br />
Spend the second night at the rim of Senaru.<br />
Day 4, Sunday, 8th April<br />
We have breakfast, enjoying the sunrise and eating a special mountain jaffle<br />
or pancake, then we trek back to Senaru village. At around noon we reach<br />
the village, and by 15:00 you will be back at the hotel.<br />
Day 5, Monday, 9th April<br />
Laze around at the beach or go to the spa to soothe your tired muscles. At<br />
17:00 we leave for the airport. We arrive in Singapore at 22:00.<br />
Relax FEBRUARY 2012<br />
17
Santa had difficulty adapting to Singapore’s unpredictable<br />
weather changes on this visit and by the time he reached the<br />
<strong>Swiss</strong> <strong>Club</strong> he was all sweaty and wet. Luckily, he had his<br />
petite and beautiful Santarina with him and she helped him<br />
with all the gifts.<br />
He was delighted to see many of the younger children<br />
getting very excited to meet him. This year, Santa had the<br />
opportunity to hold a young baby, who lay calmly in his arms.<br />
It seemed that Santa really enjoyed the music performed<br />
by a trio from the <strong>Swiss</strong> Alpine Lions and he danced with<br />
the children to the trio’s last number, “When The Saints Go<br />
Marching In”!<br />
saturday, 3rd december<br />
santa party<br />
Soon after his meeting with the children, the rain started<br />
to pour down. Santa had to stay a little longer than he had<br />
planned this time, partly because of the rain and partly<br />
because his sleigh had lost its way.<br />
We hope Santa enjoyed his visit to the <strong>Swiss</strong> <strong>Club</strong> as<br />
much as we did and we are already looking forward to seeing<br />
him again next year!<br />
The <strong>Swiss</strong> <strong>Club</strong> would like to thank Helu-Trans (S) Pte<br />
Ltd, Shriro (Singapore) Pte Ltd and Nestle Professional<br />
Singapore for their kind contributions to this event.<br />
Text and photos by Nada Hanisa A.S.<br />
18 Relax FEBRUARY 2012
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19
santa<br />
party<br />
cont.<br />
20 Relax FEBRUARY 2012
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21
If you use a<br />
product or<br />
service<br />
advertised in<br />
this magazine,<br />
be sure to<br />
mention that<br />
you saw their<br />
ad in Relax!<br />
someone could be reading your ad here.<br />
For current rates and ad sizes please visit our website,<br />
www.swissclub.org.sg or contact:<br />
Nada Hanisa (6591 9423 or marketing@swissclub.org.sg) or<br />
Lilian (6591 9422 or admin@swssclub.org.sg).<br />
Relax offers editorial support for placements of three or more full or half page ads.<br />
Contact us for details.<br />
We’d<br />
like<br />
your<br />
help<br />
22 Relax FEBRUARY 2012
All the children present on 16th December were very eager<br />
for Eugene Lim from Montreux Patisserie to begin his<br />
demonstration. They wanted to learn how to use gingerbread<br />
biscuits to make a gingerbread house!<br />
When the time came to decorate the houses, Eugene called<br />
them to gather at the front and the children (and parents too)<br />
rushed forward. Candies, gummies and chocolates started to<br />
pour out from their bags and the decorating began.<br />
It was an exciting day for the children as they explored the<br />
world of cake decoration and unleashed their talents. They left<br />
the event with satisfied looks as they carried their gingerbread<br />
houses home, ready to celebrate the festive season in a<br />
colourful (and edible!) way.<br />
Text and photos by Nada Hanisa A.S.<br />
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gingerbread<br />
house<br />
decoration<br />
23
gingerbread house<br />
decoration cont.<br />
24 Relax FEBRUARY 2012
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25
Some cycling enthusiasts at the <strong>Swiss</strong> <strong>Club</strong> joined me on a<br />
rather demanding two country trip by mountain bike through<br />
the mountains of North Vietnam and Laos. We departed<br />
Singapore on the 25th of November...this is our story.<br />
Day 1: To be sure we had the right stuff to bike we decided<br />
to take our own bikes to Hanoi. Mine didn’t make it —it was<br />
left behind in Singapore at the airport—courtesy of Tiger<br />
Air! After a short walk around charming old Hanoi City we<br />
boarded the night train to Lao Cai near Sa Pa. The nottoo-new<br />
carriage was comfortable enough to doze off for a<br />
halfway decent rest during the seven-hour journey.<br />
Day 2: Arriving in Sa Pa (1500 metres) early morning<br />
we enjoyed a nice breakfast and could freshen up in a hotel.<br />
We assembled our bikes (and rented one for me) and by late<br />
morning we were ready to go for our first 30km downhill run.<br />
from sa pa, vietnam<br />
to luang prabang, laos<br />
—by bike!<br />
We sped all the way to the bottom of the valley where we<br />
had a traditional lunch ‘en famille’ at a private house in Hau<br />
Tao. The scenery, albeit a bit misty, revealed a nice valley<br />
with many rice terraces and traditional houses. Luckily the<br />
bus picked us up from the bottom of the valley as we were<br />
feeling tired after the long journey (with not too much rest)<br />
from Singapore. Our destination was back to the top of the<br />
mountain where a very nice natural lodge hotel would provide<br />
us with a splendid view over the entire valley.<br />
Day 3: First to the highest mountain pass (2200m) by<br />
coach to save our energy for a 50km downhill followed by<br />
another 25km on a relatively flat but winding road towards our<br />
next destination, Lai Chau. That was easy enough and we<br />
all enjoyed the fast and furious descent. However, during the<br />
late lunch we were told that we had to load up our bikes and<br />
go the next 100km by bus! Now that was not in the itinerary:<br />
26 Relax FEBRUARY 2012
they had conveniently excluded it for reasons not known to<br />
me. But in any case it would have been way too tough to<br />
climb up over the next pass and end the ride in darkness and<br />
out in the wilderness. We finally arrived at our hotel in Muong<br />
Lay at 20:00 due to some very bad roads and the slow speed<br />
of the bus.<br />
Day 4: An early start helped us to cover this 105km<br />
monster day! We started with a 20km uphill battle but were<br />
rewarded with an exhilarating hilarious stretch down a broken<br />
road. This part tested our bikes to their limits for the first<br />
time. Besides a flat tyre we had no major interruptions, but<br />
our bums started to complain after such a bumpy ride. By<br />
late afternoon we finally made it to Dien Bien Phu. There is a<br />
small airport there and to my delight we were able to pick up<br />
my bike; forwarded all the way from Singapore courtesy of<br />
Tiger Airways.<br />
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Day 5: After a good night’s rest and sealing the Dien<br />
Bien Phu experience with a half-hour city tour, we loaded<br />
our bikes up, aiming to reach the Vietnam/Laos border<br />
before 10:00. (It’s such a busy place that they can afford to<br />
close it from 10:30 to 14:00!) Once there, we were handed<br />
over to the Laos tour guide and bus. Oh, what a delight! A<br />
totally professional tour guide with real sense of our needs<br />
and wants. We couldn’t say that about his Vietnamese<br />
counterpart. Anyway, starting our 95km with an exciting<br />
downhill on a very dusty road made us swirl up a big cloud<br />
of dust. Poor Puayeng, riding at the very back, had to beat<br />
it all! A few more hills climbed caused some muscle strain<br />
and a broken saddle and we finally ended up to Muang Khua<br />
shortly before dark. We were happy to have an excellent<br />
dinner with enough beer to wash down all the dust of the day.<br />
Day 6: Looking at a possible 171km ride made us plan<br />
27
early. We booked a boat the night before to take us 90km<br />
downstream to give us a good short cut, enjoyed a wonderful<br />
unspoilt river landscape and were left with only 40km to bike<br />
in the afternoon. The night was spent in Pak Mong, in the<br />
most basic of accommodations—a home stay.<br />
Day 7: From Pak Mong to Luang Prabang, a hefty 118km<br />
through undulating terrain along the Nam Ou river. Beautiful<br />
villages and great weather brought out the racer in some of<br />
us. Tony, ‘the Flying Dutchman’, young as ever, challenged<br />
Sandra, our <strong>Swiss</strong> mountain goat to the finish line. Since I<br />
was riding at the back you’d better ask them who won the<br />
virtual trophy! Arriving in Luang Prabang, a village with 19th<br />
century French architecture and a world heritage site, was<br />
like a home-coming. We quickly checked into our 3.5 star<br />
hotel, got freshened up and went for a stroll around the pretty<br />
village. Dinner was in a wonderful setting along the Mekong<br />
River and the food was superb.<br />
Day 8: An early rise brought us to the roadside to give<br />
sticky rice to the passing monks, a very old tradition still<br />
very much alive in this part of Laos. After a trip to the local<br />
wet market and breakfast we went on the last leg of our<br />
cycling trip; a 30km easy ride to a very unique waterfall in the<br />
middle of a forest. Back at the hotel we dismantled our bikes<br />
and went for a well-deserved dinner by the mighty Mekong<br />
followed by the compulsory shopping—to boost the local<br />
economy.<br />
Day 9: A typical tourist day with more shopping,<br />
museum and temple visits and then the farewells at the<br />
airport with usual promises to be back again soon.<br />
Text by Heinz Iten, photos by the bikers.<br />
28 Relax FEBRUARY 2012
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29
fitness tip<br />
nutrition 101<br />
Planning to improve your diet in 2012?<br />
Include these foods to help improve your<br />
well-being in two key areas.<br />
Eyesight<br />
Carrots which are rich in vitamin A and beta-carotene help<br />
to maintain good eyesight. Remember to add some<br />
olive oil to your carrots when you consume them for<br />
better vitamin absorption.<br />
Cold water fish (sardines, cod, mackerel, tuna.)<br />
Cold water fish are an excellent source of DHA,<br />
which provides structural support to cell membranes,<br />
and is recommended for dry eyes, treatment for<br />
macular degeneration, and sight preservation.<br />
Eggs eggs are rich in cystein, sulphur, lecithin, amino<br />
acids and lutein. Sulphur-containing compounds<br />
protect the lens of the eye from cataract formation.<br />
Wine Known to have a cardio-protective effect, wine has many<br />
important nutrients which protect vision, heart and blood-flow. Needless to<br />
say, moderation is always important.<br />
Bone Density<br />
Bone density is described as the amount of bone mineral in a specific<br />
area of bone. The greater the density, the less chance there is of a<br />
fracture or development of osteoporosis.<br />
Calcium We need between 1000mg to 1200mg of calcium per day.<br />
The best source is food rich in calcium, such as non-fat or low-fat<br />
dairy foods, including milk, yogurt and cheese. If you are lactose<br />
intolerant, you may not be getting enough calcium from your diet.<br />
Lactose-free versions of milk, cheese, ice cream and other dairy<br />
products are available. Other sources of calcium are dark green<br />
vegetables, such as broccoli and kale, and oily fish, such as<br />
sardines and salmon with bones.<br />
Vitamin D is necessary for your body to absorb calcium. Here in<br />
Singapore, your body can make the necessary amount of vitamin<br />
D needed for a healthy level of bone density by being out in the sun for about 15<br />
minutes at least twice a week.<br />
Food is another source of vitamin D. Foods with vitamin D include liver, eggs and<br />
oily fish (such as sardines, salmon and tuna).<br />
*If you need to take calcium supplements, do remember to consume it with Vitamin<br />
C for it to be better absorbed by the body.<br />
30 Relax FEBRUARY 2012
children get a kick out of<br />
zen do ka karate kidz<br />
Following Free Karate Kidz workshops<br />
in March 2011, a number of members’<br />
children took up Zen Do Ka Freestyle<br />
Karate classes every Thursday<br />
afternoon at 16:30 in the <strong>Swiss</strong> <strong>Club</strong>’s<br />
Aerobics room.<br />
Since then, children from 4 to 12<br />
years old have been learning karate,<br />
with parents joining the fun in occasional<br />
parental participation classes. A typical<br />
class starts with warm-up games like<br />
poison ball, balloon tennis and soccer<br />
before getting down to the serious<br />
business of Karate.<br />
The class is held by Australian<br />
Instructor, Sensei Peter A. Robertson,<br />
a Black Belt in Australian Freestyle<br />
Karate and 2nd Dan in Karate and<br />
Kickboxing from the UK’s Cobra Martial<br />
Arts Association. Sensei Peter teaches<br />
the children to be aware of and avoid<br />
danger, abduction and conflict. The first<br />
lesson is that Karate is to be used for<br />
Self Defense only, not to hurt people.<br />
Zen Do Ka Karate Kidz learn<br />
traditional Kata (Forms), which are set<br />
patterns of techniques used to practice<br />
against imaginary foes. Some of the<br />
Kata are unique to ZDK, and some are<br />
common to several styles of Karate<br />
and Taekwondo.<br />
Karate Kidz classes also include<br />
takedowns and breakfalls from Judo,<br />
so they learn how to fall without getting<br />
hurt. They also learn how to deflect<br />
pushes, punches and kicks with<br />
techniques from Karate, Kung Fu and<br />
Taekwondo. They learn how to escape<br />
grabs, holds, headlocks etc,... and<br />
respond with restraint in a proportional<br />
way to a variety of attacks.<br />
Relax FEBRUARY 2012<br />
Another aspect of Zen Do Ka is<br />
the promotion of moral and ethical<br />
values and responsibilities in young<br />
students. Karate Kidz learn to be polite<br />
and respectful of their elders, teachers<br />
and parents. They are encouraged to<br />
be helpful at home. Good behaviour<br />
is a prerequisite for gradings and<br />
promotion to the next colour belt.<br />
Children learn that good behaviour has<br />
its rewards at home and in the dojo.<br />
Kidz classes are always fun, with<br />
a lot of games and laughter between<br />
segments of Karate, and the end of<br />
year Grading and Karate Party was<br />
no exception. Parents and family got<br />
involved and everyone had a great<br />
time and learned a few karate moves.<br />
All of the children were winners<br />
and received the following awards;<br />
• Federico; Best Punches. (Boys)<br />
• Isabella; Best Kicks. (Girls)<br />
• Ilaria; Most Improved.<br />
• Gemma; Best Combinations. (Girls)<br />
• Theo; Best Front Kicks.<br />
• Arun; Best Breakfalls.<br />
• Jack; Best Combinations. (Boys)<br />
• Joseph; Best Sidekicks.<br />
• Lucas won the trophy for Best<br />
Kata and the Red Dragon Award<br />
for Student of the Year.<br />
Karate Kidz kicks off the New<br />
Year with Karate Parties on Thursdays<br />
February 2nd and 9th at 16:30.<br />
Members are encouraged to<br />
book their children in early for a noobligation,<br />
free trial class as soon<br />
as possible as numbers are limited.<br />
Contact Sensei Peter directly on 9681<br />
1927 or zendoka@y7mail.com.<br />
31
The <strong>Swiss</strong> <strong>Club</strong>’s<br />
Davis Cup...<br />
a chance to represent your country<br />
Date: 11th /12th February<br />
Time: 08:00 to 18:00<br />
Venue: Tennis Courts 2-5<br />
Cost: $20 per person including light<br />
dinner on 12th February at 19:00. )<br />
tennis<br />
news<br />
For more information contact the Tennis Convenor,<br />
Josef Zimlich at jzimlich@singnet.com.sg.<br />
In 2011, the tennis year came to a close with the Annual<br />
General Meeting which took place in early December.<br />
Although the meeting did not see large numbers of the<br />
tennis membership in attendance, it was a productive<br />
meeting nonetheless. Several new members were added to<br />
the tennis committee including Mattijs Sibbing-Veelenturf,<br />
who has become the communications officer, and Jennifer<br />
Timmermann, who will represent the ladies, while Sharon<br />
Moore becomes the Vice-Convenor. Josef Zimlich remains<br />
Convenor and Sandro Zuilliani and Phil Rasmussen continue<br />
in their respective positions.<br />
Another important development at the AGM was the<br />
decision to create a directory of tennis-playing members<br />
to ease the communication of information from the tennis<br />
committee to interested members. Participation in this<br />
directory is strictly voluntary and you will find information on<br />
how to register at the end of this article.<br />
The tennis calendar for 2012 was also discussed and,<br />
for the most part, finalised at the AGM. We have moved the<br />
<strong>Club</strong> Davis Cup to the 11th and 12th of February, so please<br />
see details below. Also, it is the intention of the committee to<br />
try to play the doubles tournament over one weekend, rather<br />
than two. The hope is that this will encourage more members<br />
to turn out for the event. Check the calendar for a confirmation<br />
of these and other dates. The calendar is posted on the tennis<br />
bulletin board at the courts and is printed in this issue of Relax.<br />
As in previous years, the <strong>Swiss</strong> <strong>Club</strong> will continue its<br />
sponsorship of three Ladies’ WITS teams and two Men’s STA<br />
teams. These teams play competitive matches against other<br />
clubs in Singapore. If you are interested in playing for one of<br />
the teams, please get in touch with the captain of either the<br />
Ladies’ or the Men’s team.<br />
The Tennis Committee would like to thank the <strong>Swiss</strong><br />
<strong>Club</strong> members for their support of the tournaments, social<br />
events and other tennis activities.<br />
We hope for an even better 2012, with more involvement<br />
from across the tennis membership. In order to keep you<br />
more fully informed of upcoming tennis events, we are<br />
creating the aforementioned Tennis Member Registry…<br />
please send an email to jzimlich@singnet.com.sg in order<br />
to register and we will place you on our ‘tennis only’<br />
communication list.<br />
If you have any other tennis issues or concerns, please<br />
don’t hesitate to contact Josef Zimlich, the Tennis Convenor.<br />
Text by Sharon Moore<br />
32 Relax FEBRUARY 2012
2012 TENNIS CALENDAR<br />
Date Event Times/Comments<br />
8-Jan Round Robin 09:00 - 12:00<br />
29-Jan Round Robin 09:00 - 12:00<br />
11-12 Feb Davis Cup 08:00 - 20:00<br />
26-Feb Round Robin 09:00 - 12:00<br />
Mar - Apr STA Inter-<strong>Club</strong> Singles League Matches on Saturday pm and Sunday am<br />
2-3 Mar 1st Savitar Junior Championship Friday 16:00 - 21:00, Saturday 08:00 - 14:00<br />
11-Mar Round Robin 09:00 - 12:00 [Depends on STA League]<br />
25-Mar Round Robin 09:00 - 12:00 [Depends on STA League]<br />
8-Apr Round Robin 09:00 - 12:00 [Depends on STA League]<br />
29-Apr Round Robin 09:00 - 12:00 [Depends on STA League]<br />
13-May Round Robin 09:00 - 12:00<br />
19-20 May <strong>Swiss</strong> <strong>Club</strong> Singles Tournament Matches on Saturday and Sunday 08:00 - 18:00<br />
26-27 May <strong>Swiss</strong> <strong>Club</strong> Singles Tournament (Finals) Matches on Saturday and Sunday 08:00 - 18:00<br />
8-9 Jun 2nd Savitar Junior Championship Fri 16:00 - 21:00, Saturday 08:00 - 14:00<br />
10-Jun Round Robin 09:00 - 12:00<br />
24-Jun Round Robin 09:00 - 12:00<br />
8-Jul Round Robin 09:00 - 12:00<br />
29-Jul Round Robin 09:00 - 12:00<br />
12-Aug Round Robin 09:00 - 12:00<br />
25-Aug Welcome Back Social 17:00 - 19:00<br />
Sept - Oct STA Inter-club Doubles League Matches on Saturday pm and Sunday am<br />
9-Sep Round Robin 09:00 - 12:00 [Depends on STA League]<br />
30-Sep Round Robin 09:00 - 12:00 [Depends on STA League]<br />
14-Oct Round Robin 09:00 - 12:00 [Depends on STA League]<br />
28-Oct Round Robin 09:00 - 12:00 [Depends on STA League]<br />
2-4 Nov <strong>Swiss</strong> <strong>Club</strong> Doubles Tournament Matches: Fri 19:00 - 22:00/Sat & Sun 08:00 - 18:00<br />
11-Nov Round Robin 09:00 - 12:00<br />
25-Nov Round Robin 09:00 - 12:00<br />
30 Nov -1 Dec <strong>Swiss</strong> <strong>Club</strong> Junior Championships Friday 16:00 - 21:00, Saturday 08:00 - 14:00<br />
3-Dec Tennis Meeting Monday 19:30 @ Rifle Lounge<br />
9-Dec Round Robin 09:00 - 12:00<br />
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STA, WITS and LTS will be booked as required.<br />
PLEASE NOTE:TENNIS CALENDAR COULD CHANGE FOR REASONS BEYOND THE COMMITTEE’S CONTROL.<br />
33
german-swiss<br />
golf club<br />
February 2012 Medal Round<br />
Date: Sunday, 19th February<br />
Tee-off commences: 12:30<br />
Venue: The Legends Golf & Country Resort,<br />
Johor, Jack Nicklaus Course<br />
Format: 4BBB Stableford<br />
Registration by: 13th February<br />
Annual Meeting 2012 cum Dinner<br />
Date: Monday, 27th February<br />
Tee-off: 19:30<br />
Venue: <strong>Swiss</strong> <strong>Club</strong> – Rifle Lounge<br />
Registration by: 23rd February<br />
“Pokal des Deutschen Botschafters”<br />
[German Ambassador‘s Cup] & March 2012 Medal<br />
Round<br />
Date: Saturday, 10th March<br />
Tee-off commences: 12:30<br />
Venue: Ponderosa Golf & Country <strong>Club</strong>, Johor<br />
Format: Stableford<br />
Registration by: 5th March<br />
If you are interested in joining our Golfing Group or<br />
you would like to take part in one of the competitions<br />
please contact: Dieter Gumpert, Golf Convenor<br />
Mobile: 9754 1907<br />
Tel: 6465 5250<br />
Fax: 6465 5251<br />
E-Mail: gumpert@pacific.net.sg<br />
34 Relax FEBRUARY 2012
I first swung a club at the age of three and by the age of five I was taking golf<br />
lessons. I absolutely loved the game when I was seven years old my parents<br />
agreed to let me join a local golf club. I practically lived there and by the age<br />
of eight had a handicap of 36. Working hard, I brought this down rapidly and<br />
entered many junior tournaments. At one of these I was spotted and recruited<br />
into the Junior Dorset County squad. Soon I was having individual lessons and<br />
my school holidays were filled with golf events.<br />
I was selected to join the England junior squad when I was 12 and<br />
benefited from regular coaching in all aspects of the game plus psychology<br />
and nutrition. By the age of 16 I was training after school, playing at weekends<br />
and my handicap was down to 2! I played for three years as a full-time<br />
amateur before gaining my PGA qualification.<br />
I taught at two golf clubs, one of which had a large junior section.<br />
Realising that I enjoyed teaching and seeing people progress more than being<br />
on the circuit, for the next five years I played mainly friendly events with the<br />
odd national event.<br />
Although happy with my golf career and what I had achieved, I was<br />
starting to feel that perhaps I needed a change in my life. So, I decided to<br />
travel. For the last four years, I have been travelling around playing golf along<br />
the way!<br />
Now I find myself in Singapore, where I have been since May 2010. I’m<br />
very excited about the new opportunities here in Singapore, especially at the<br />
<strong>Swiss</strong> <strong>Club</strong>. I look forward to being able to teach new people and getting more<br />
people out onto the golf course—or driving range!<br />
So if you feel you would like to give golf a go or perhaps just need<br />
someone to give you a bit of advice then please feel free to contact me!<br />
Chantal Scott<br />
You can book lessons with Chantal at the <strong>Swiss</strong> <strong>Club</strong>’s Golf facility<br />
either through Sajan at sport@swissclub.org.sg or with Chantal at<br />
chantalscottgolf@yahoo.com.sg or 8318 9312.<br />
Relax FEBRUARY 2012<br />
introducing...<br />
chantal scott,<br />
golf coach<br />
talking point:<br />
is golf from<br />
scotland?<br />
The origins of golf have been researched<br />
and discussed for a long time. A golf-like<br />
game is recorded as taking place on 26<br />
February 1297, in the Netherlands, in a<br />
city called Loenen aan de Vecht, where<br />
the Dutch played a game with a stick and<br />
leather ball. The winner was whoever hit<br />
the ball into a target several hundred yards<br />
away using the least number of strokes.<br />
Some scholars argue that this game of<br />
putting a small ball in a hole in the ground<br />
using ‘golf’ clubs was also played in 17thcentury<br />
Netherlands and that this predates<br />
the game in Scotland. There are other<br />
reports of earlier accounts of a golf-like<br />
game from continental Europe.<br />
In April 2005, new evidence reinvigorated<br />
the debate concerning the<br />
origins of golf. Recent evidence unearthed<br />
by Prof. Ling Hongling of Lanzhou<br />
University suggests that a game similar<br />
to modern-day golf was played in China<br />
five hundred years before golf was first<br />
mentioned in Scotland.<br />
Records from the Song Dynasty<br />
(960–1279) describes a game called<br />
chuíwán and also includes drawings of<br />
the game. It was played with 10 clubs<br />
including a cuanbang, pubang, and<br />
shaobang, which are comparable to a<br />
driver, two-wood, and three-wood. <strong>Club</strong>s<br />
were inlaid with jade and gold, suggesting<br />
chuíwán was for the wealthy. Chinese<br />
archives include references to a Southern<br />
Tang official who asked his daughter to<br />
dig holes as a target. Ling suggested<br />
chuíwán was exported to Scotland via<br />
continentalEurope by Mongolian travellers<br />
in the late Middle Ages.<br />
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_golf<br />
35
news from<br />
the swiss school<br />
christmas<br />
market: a<br />
blaze of glory<br />
and brilliance<br />
Festively decorated houses with heavy snow on their roofs, artfully trimmed<br />
Christmas trees and a colourful market booth: on the evening of the 15th of<br />
December the sports hall of the <strong>Swiss</strong> School was changed into a romantic<br />
Christmas Market where you could not only find a confectioner and dozens of<br />
donkeys and Santas but also a Marroni man who sold candied chestnuts. The Holy<br />
Family and angels attended as well as tourists in search of a nice photo.<br />
Only the parents and guests dressed for summer, the humming of the fans and<br />
the omnipresent mosquitoes reminded the audience that this ‘wintery’ market took<br />
place near the Equator.<br />
The P5 students charmingly and wittily guided the audience through the<br />
evening which was organised and overseen by the Advent Committee. A big thank<br />
you goes therefore to Sacha Dähler, Rashne Athayde, Julia Crowe, Wendy Lim,<br />
Beatrice Wah, Sibylle Wey, Charlotte Portmann, Noemi Ahr, Felicia Bettschart and<br />
Christine Ackermann as well as to the two music teachers and all class teachers<br />
who did a wonderful job in preparing their pupils for this event.<br />
The evening opened up as the youngest from the EC department sang the<br />
world renowned song “Jingle Bells”. Heavily loaded donkeys and happy Santas—<br />
one unfortunately with a leg in a cast—came to the Christmas Market, staged<br />
and sang “Was isch das fürnes Liechli” with a perfect Zurich accent. Rock tunes<br />
followed from the Kindergarten students who clicked their fingers and swung their<br />
hips in a rock star routine.<br />
Suddenly, Mrs Claus appeared at the market, looking for her husband.<br />
Finally she found him and the P1 students performed “Alli singed mit” for several<br />
voices. The Holy Family, accompanied by shepherds and their sheep, made an<br />
appearance too. The P2 students brought carefully decorated stars to the market<br />
and sang “Enleere Stall” in ‘Bethlehem’. Mary cradled her baby Jesus to sleep.<br />
A completely different task was given to the P3 students. They gathered in the bakery<br />
to get Christmas cookies ready. Performing “In der Weihnachtsbäckerei”, the students wore<br />
aprons and used spatulas and baking bowls as cool percussion instruments.<br />
The dialogue between the class productions was written by the 5th graders and<br />
was often very comical causing great laughter from the audience. So, for instance,<br />
when an angel, an elf and Santa had a rigorous discussion about what really<br />
happened on Christmas Day, it was plain to see that they were unsure whether it<br />
was the day of Mary’s birth or whether Adam and Eve got a baby boy. The mystery<br />
was finally solved by the two P4 classes who performed “Mary’s Boy Child” after a<br />
hefty snowball battle in the middle of the Christmas Market. They eventually cleared<br />
the place for the P6 students who sang a Tirolese carol after which the Marroni<br />
man and his clients led us over to the teachers’ choir whose performance was<br />
enthusiastically applauded.<br />
A real highlight was Björn Engeli’s speech which in fact wasn‘t a speech<br />
but rather a performance in the form of a poem. In rhymes and hexametric form<br />
the head of school wished everyone a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year and<br />
invited the audience out into the festively decorated school yard where they found<br />
no Marroni man and no confectionery. In their place was a delicious, parents’<br />
sponsored, “Advent Dinner”.<br />
Text by Ruth Bossart, photos by C. Foelmi, S. Ritter and C. Kaeser.<br />
36 Relax FEBRUARY 2012
news from the swiss embassy<br />
from excellence in<br />
education to a<br />
winning career<br />
Switzerland may have only limited natural resources;<br />
however it is home to one of the best educational systems<br />
and is amongst the largest investors in education and<br />
research worldwide. If you take a closer look at Switzerland’s<br />
educational landscape you may discover famous universities<br />
that compete at the top of global rankings. Excellent<br />
examples are the ETH Zurich,<br />
taking 23rd place when looking at<br />
Continental Europe, or the Master<br />
in Management programme of the<br />
University of St. Gallen, ranked<br />
first by the Financial Times.<br />
However, it is not only our<br />
Universities but also our Hospitality<br />
Management schools which<br />
enjoy an excellent reputation. The<br />
Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne is<br />
world-leading with its Hospitality<br />
Management programme. Nor<br />
should one forget the diverse,<br />
innovative Universities of Applied<br />
Sciences which offer a wide<br />
variety of programmes such as Art,<br />
Nursing and Design to prospective<br />
students.<br />
It is therefore no surprise<br />
that 27 Nobel Prize Laureates<br />
have been granted this prestigious<br />
award in Switzerland. But what is it that contributes to this<br />
great reputation? Come and see for yourself at the third<br />
edition of the <strong>Swiss</strong> Education Fair, organised on the 25th of March, 2012, by the <strong>Swiss</strong> Business Hub ASEAN and<br />
swissnex Singapore, under the patronage of the Embassy of<br />
Switzerland. This one-stop-shop event will give you a better<br />
understanding of the success of <strong>Swiss</strong> tertiary Institutions,<br />
while promoting educational excellence and the large variety<br />
of courses offered.<br />
Relax FEBRUARY 2012<br />
Anyone who has questions about curricula, the<br />
application process, job prospects or life in Switzerland, can<br />
find the answers quickly in a conducive environment.<br />
“Pursuing my Master in Financial<br />
Engineering in Switzerland, a leading<br />
financial centre, on the <strong>Swiss</strong> federal<br />
scholarship was a lifelong dream<br />
come true. Besides benefiting from<br />
the world class educational system,<br />
I experienced living in a multi-lingual<br />
top tourist destination with stunning<br />
scenery and friendly people!”<br />
Ruth Teo, Singaporean and<br />
Alumna from the HEC Lausanne,<br />
Switzerland<br />
Come and see for yourself—and<br />
be convinced! Visit the <strong>Swiss</strong><br />
Education Fair 2012 on Sunday, the<br />
25th of March (10:00 – 17:00) at the<br />
Mandarin Orchard Singapore. The<br />
event is free of charge and open<br />
to all who wish to get an insight<br />
into the educational landscape of<br />
Switzerland.<br />
Register now to stand a<br />
chance of winning an attractive gift in the Lucky Draw!<br />
Further information can be found on Facebook, “<strong>Swiss</strong><br />
Education Fair 2012” as well as on the events page on www.<br />
swissnexsingapore.org.<br />
Lisa Kobel<br />
Project Manager, <strong>Swiss</strong> Education Fair 2012<br />
37
activities<br />
at a glance<br />
SOCCER<br />
FAMILY SOCIAL SOCCER<br />
Sun 15:00 - 16:30 Soccer Field<br />
Sun 16:30 - 18:00 Soccer Field<br />
SOCIAL SOCCER<br />
Krunoslav Kovacic 9111 2180<br />
krunoslav.kovacic@credit-suisse.com<br />
Urs Lichtenberger<br />
ulichtenberger@bluewin.ch<br />
Mon 20:00 - 22:00 Soccer Field<br />
Please register with Kruno and Urs to<br />
get on the mailing list: an email is sent<br />
to <strong>Swiss</strong> <strong>Club</strong> members every Friday to<br />
get players registered for the soccer<br />
on Monday.<br />
GERMAN TEAM SOCCER PRACTICE<br />
Rino Binder<br />
info@gas-sg.com (German All Stars)<br />
Tues 20:15 - 22:00 Soccer Field<br />
SWISS TEAM SOCCER PRACTICE<br />
Coach: Heinz Braegger<br />
Heinz.Braegger@sc.com<br />
Captain: Heinz Steinegger<br />
heinz.steinegger@credit-suisse.com<br />
Weds 20:00 - 22:00 Soccer Field<br />
SOCCER TRAINING FOR KIDS<br />
Cosmo United Football Academy<br />
Olliver 9821 3896<br />
info@cufa.com.sg<br />
www.cufa.com.sg<br />
All training is on Saturday at the<br />
<strong>Swiss</strong> <strong>Club</strong> Sports Field<br />
09:00 - 10:30 U5/U6/U8<br />
TENNIS<br />
CONVENOR<br />
Joseph Zimlich 9817 8275<br />
jzimlich@singnet.com.sg<br />
LADIES’ SOCIAL<br />
Jennifer Timmermann 9619 4651<br />
jennifert@singnet.com.sg<br />
Fri 09:00 - 11:00 Court 3<br />
MEN’S SOCIAL<br />
Tues 18:00 - 22:00 Courts 2-3<br />
21:00 - 22:00 Court 4<br />
Sat 14:00 - 18:00 Courts 2-4<br />
MIXED ROUND ROBIN<br />
Sandro Zulliani<br />
zulliani@swisscontra.com<br />
Middle and last Sunday of every month<br />
09:00 - 12:00 Courts 1-5<br />
LADIES’/MIXED SOCIAL<br />
Sat 14:00 - 18:00 Court 5<br />
LADIES’ CLINICS<br />
Mon to 09:00 - 11:00 Courts 3-5<br />
Thurs<br />
Fri 09:30 - 11:30 Courts 4-5<br />
MEN’S CLINIC<br />
Tues 19:00 - 21:00 Courts 4-5<br />
Parent/Child & Tiny Tots Programme<br />
Junior Introductory/Development Prog.<br />
Junior Development Programme<br />
Junior Intermediate/Advanced Prog.<br />
For times & dates, please see the<br />
Savitar display at the tennis courts.<br />
Savitar Corporate Office<br />
6837 3705 Fax: 6883 2245<br />
Tennis@savitargroup.com<br />
David Dickson 9642 7608<br />
david.dickson@savitargroup.com<br />
Please check the Tennis Noticeboard<br />
for courts allocated for coaching.<br />
SWIMMING<br />
AquaDucks 9487 5183<br />
swiss@aquaducks.com.sg<br />
PARENT AND CHILD<br />
30 MIN SESSIONS<br />
Mon 10:00 - 11:00 Leisure Pool<br />
Thurs 16:30 - 17:00 Lap Pool<br />
Sat 10:00 - 11:00 Lap Pool<br />
LEARN TO SWIM (LTS1 & LTS2)<br />
30 MIN SESSIONS<br />
M/T/Th/F 15:00 - 17:00 Leisure Pool<br />
Sat 10:00 - 12:00 Lap Pool<br />
PRE-SCHOOL LEARN TO SWIM (LTS1)<br />
Weds 15:30 - 16:00 Leisure Pool<br />
LEARN TO SWIM (LTS)<br />
Weds 16:00 - 17:00 Leisure Pool<br />
COMPETITION DEVELOPMENT<br />
(CD1)<br />
Mon-Fri 17:00 - 18:00 Lap Pool<br />
Sat 09:00 - 10:00 Lap Pool<br />
(CD2)<br />
Mon-Fri 18:00 - 19:00 Lap Pool<br />
Sat 09:00 - 10:00 Lap Pool<br />
ADULTS’ TRAINING<br />
Wed 20:00 - 21:00 Leisure Pool<br />
Fri 09:00 - 10:00 Leisure Pool<br />
LEARN TO SWIM & WATER SAFETY<br />
FOR AMAHS/HELPERS<br />
Mon 09:00 - 10:00 Leisure Pool<br />
SYNCHRONISED SWIMMING<br />
Denise Arnold 9677 5301<br />
swiss@aquaducks.com.sg<br />
KIDS (LAP POOL)<br />
Tues 17:00 - 18:00 Test 5 & Up<br />
Thurs 16:00 - 17:00 Beginners,<br />
Test 1-4<br />
Thurs 17:00 - 18:00 Test 5 & Up<br />
LADIES<br />
Fri 10:10 - 10:40 Leisure Pool<br />
38 Relax FEBRUARY 2012
AEROBICS<br />
STEP AND TONING<br />
Andrea Holzmann-Zaouchi 9835 4674<br />
holzi@singnet.com.sg<br />
Tues 08:30 - 09:30 Aerobics Studio<br />
SALSA AEROBICS<br />
Vivienne Riedlin 8284 8893<br />
vmriedlin@t-online.de<br />
Tues 09:30 - 10:30 Aerobics Studio<br />
BODY TONING<br />
Andrea Holzmann-Zaouchi 9835 4674<br />
holzi@singnet.com.sg<br />
Fri 0830 - 0930 Aerobics Studio<br />
LEGS, BUMS & TUMS<br />
Vivienne Riedlin 8284 8893<br />
vmriedlin@t-online.de<br />
Thurs 09:00 - 10:00 Aerobics Studio<br />
STRETCH CLASS<br />
Vivienne Riedlin 8284 8893<br />
vmriedlin@t-online.de<br />
Thurs 10:00 - 10:45 Aerobics Studio<br />
ARCHERY<br />
Archery equipment and practice space<br />
are available at the <strong>Club</strong> for members’<br />
use, but they must provide their Basic<br />
Archery Course Certificate to Reception<br />
staff. Archery courses and clinics are<br />
also available and you may contact<br />
Sajan at sport@swissclub.org.sg or on<br />
8181 5335 for more information.<br />
BADMINTON (Adults)<br />
Edelgard Fullgraf<br />
elfullgraf@hotmail.com<br />
Thurs 20:00 - 22:00 Sports Hall<br />
BIKE RIDE<br />
Every Saturday<br />
Meet at <strong>Club</strong> Reception at 07:30. Ride,<br />
over varied terrain, lasts about 2 hours.<br />
Register the day before with<br />
recept@swissclub.org.sg so we don’t<br />
leave without you.<br />
Relax FEBRUARY 2012<br />
CLUB RUN<br />
Every Sunday<br />
Meet at <strong>Club</strong> Reception at 16:45. Run,<br />
over varied terrain, lasts about an hour.<br />
No need to register—just be there!<br />
GOLF<br />
GERMAN-SWISS GOLF CLUB<br />
Dieter Gumpert 9754 1907<br />
gumpert@pacific.net.sg<br />
Please see page 34 for details.<br />
GOLF RANGE COORDINATOR<br />
Ernst Huber 9069 3011<br />
ernst.huber@swissclub.org.sg<br />
JASS<br />
Four rounds per year, details in<br />
Relax. For more information, please<br />
contact: Martin Frick at 9752 0909 or<br />
martinfrick@singnet.com.sg<br />
KICKBOXING KICKBOXING FOR ADULTS ADULTS<br />
Instructor: Sensei Peter Robertson<br />
96811927 zendoka@y7mail.com<br />
Weds 19:00 – 20:00 Aerobics Studio<br />
KARATE KARATE FOR KIDS<br />
Instructor: Sensei Peter Robertson<br />
96811927 zendoka@y7mail.com<br />
Thurs 16:30 – 17:30 Aerobics Studio<br />
MAHJONG<br />
Jill Boschung 9022 4605<br />
jillbos@yahoo.com<br />
Mon 19:00 - 22:00 Rifle Lounge<br />
Thurs 13:00 - 16:00 Rifle Lounge<br />
PILATES<br />
Christabel Lim 96195820<br />
christabel_lyh@hotmail.com<br />
Kirsten Rehkopf 9297 7378<br />
rehkopf@starhub.net.sg<br />
Mon 08:30-09:30 & 09:30 - 10:30<br />
Wed 08:30-09:30 & 09:30 - 10:30<br />
All classes in Aerobics Studio<br />
SCUBA<br />
Courses are available at the <strong>Club</strong>.<br />
Contact Roy or Sajan for more info.<br />
Roy Gwee 9632 8360<br />
roy@payabeach.com<br />
Grace Chua 8113 1830<br />
dive@payabeach.com<br />
SKAT<br />
Hubert Nerlich 6734 0034<br />
hubert1@starhub.com.sg<br />
Wed 20:00 - 23:00 Jungle Bar<br />
SQUASH<br />
Rhamanan 9146 6824<br />
grhamanan@hotmail.com<br />
Men’s Social<br />
Mon 20:00 - 22:00 Squash Courts<br />
Ladies’ Social<br />
Thurs 20:00 - 22:00 Squash Courts<br />
VOLLEYBALL<br />
Edelgard Fullgraf<br />
elfullgraf@hotmail.com<br />
Weds 20:00 - 22:00 Sports Hall<br />
ZUMBA<br />
Vivienne Riedlin 8284 8893<br />
vmriedlin@t-online.de<br />
Fri 09:30 - 10:30 Aerobics Studio<br />
Have fun, keep fIt<br />
and make friends ...<br />
Join us at the <strong>Club</strong>!<br />
If you would like to<br />
suggest a new<br />
activity, please contact<br />
Sajan at<br />
sport@swissclub.org.sg.<br />
39
40 Relax FEBRUARY 2012