The saddening event in Nepal sparked a surge of humanitarianism in the cricket community, says Geoffrey Forday.

Two years ago, the Singapore-based ANZA Champs celebrated its centenary match by making the pages of not just this magazine, but also the online cricketing bible that is espncricinfo.com. Most teams achieve this recognition due to performance…not so much the Champs.

More than 24 months on and the sporting failings of the team have remained pretty much intact and, in fact, deepened – not only have we not won a league game over that period, it now appears that we hold the dubious honour of having endured a world record score against us in all forms of organised cricket competition.

357 runs in 30 overs. I kid you not. That takes not just an all-in concerted effort, but a high degree of meticulous planning to ensure that we did not stray from the incompetence that we have in many ways, come to treasure.

That said, what we do have is a group of players who, while they are athletic buffoons, possess a genuine concern for using the game and our playing resources to support each other’s charity endeavours – with a generosity matched only by the Champs’ on-field character. The Nepal earthquake in April struck a chord with many of us and immediately we set about doing something to help the victims of this tragedy.

And so it came to be that on 14 June we would see a group of 22 overweight and unfit men come together to play a game with just more than bragging rights at stake. Though as it turned out, bragging rights weren’t a distant second, particularly given the fact that along with our abysmal domestic record, the Champs were – after 9 years of fortitude – still yet to win a trophy game on any overseas cricket tour.

The morning of the Champs charity game for Nepal and many of us whispered a few prayers to all our Gods to let her/him know that what we were doing was not just about breaking the duck, but, please can we just have a proper day’s cricket after all the planning that has gone into this shindig.

It was about then that the clouds parted to reveal the celestial rays of His/Her magnificence. Glory be was the whisper in unison when upon which, it of course started to drizzle before turning into a steady curtain of precipitation. You are a joker, you Omnipotent One.

But see, this is the beauty as to why God got to his senior management position. Knowing that our man of the perpetual excuses was likely to be hitting the tiles of down-town Johor Bahru the night before, God pulled a mini-Noah. The rain forced the game to be knocked back a bit, ensuring that the toss we didn’t have to have did not take place – and the normally 26 over and out Champs need not become the 40 over and out to early lunch Champs.

This was a wonderfully good spirited game and the Jolly Wallabies certainly played their very fair share in this by playing hard and treating the game with respect and seriousness. They were marvellous hosts for this – probably letting us win for some sort of confessional penance.

More importantly by far is that with the support of both teams as well as a large crowd who had gathered for the charity evening. The Jolly Wallabies and the ANZA Champs were backed by very generous sponsors in Leisure Farm, and the Malaysian Cricket Association raised over $7,000 for the Nepal earthquake appeal. This was a truly spectacular effort by all involved, and made for a wonderful day of playing cricket for a cause.

ANZA Cricket fields four teams from division 2 through 5 of the Singapore Cricket Association. Training is on Sundays.

cricket@anza.org.sg

Far from the amusements that Sentosa is well known for is the lesser known residential areas. Scattered along the coast line are a mixture of condos and houses. As far as housing is concerned Sentosa is the Mayfair on the Monopoly board. Real Estate is very expensive to buy, a house is reported to cost $30 million plus. However, to rent a condo on the island is surprisingly comparable to condos in the heart of Singapore. Most condos have a sea view which affords the added bonus of watching the container and cruise ships come and go. Others enjoy a canal view and can even moor their boat alongside should they be so lucky.

Sentosa Residences are split into Coves. South Cove, North Cove & Central Cove. For those without cars, there is a free shuttle bus that operates for residents every half an hour and 20 minutes in peak hour to take you to Vivocity/Harbourfront MRT.

Meandering paths and well-tended gardens hug the coastline and a lovely sea breeze is nearly always guaranteed and most welcomed. Sunrise brings out the cyclists, joggers, dog walkers, meditators, kayakers, and roller bladers. Afternoons and weekends you will find families on picnic blankets, dog walkers stopping to chat and kids playing soccer on the green.

Central Cove is home to QUAYSIDE Isle with some 15-20 restaurants. French, Greek, Italian, Chinese, Tapas, Burgers, Sports Bars and Coffee houses. It is also home to the W Hotel.

It has grown to include a Cold Storage, Watsons, Jason’s Gourmet Grocer, Wine and Cheese Providers, Medical Centre, Beauty Salon, Massage & Foot Reflexology, Dog Groomers & Quayside Preparatory School for years 3-6. Most recently Eton House has also opened a preschool.

As a resident you can ride your bikes to any of the beaches using your residence card to get you in and out of security points. Some lucky ones even have a golf buggy for transportation around the island. It is a lot of fun to ride your bike around the streets, viewing some of the more eccentric architecture, the Egyptian House complete with sarcophagus out front, the Polynesian Hut, the Gone with The Wind homestead or the house straight from the pages of the Arabian Nights.

There are monthly coffee mornings & drinks nights for Sentosa Residents which is a great way to make new friends and find out what is happening on the island. More recently a 10 week Bridge class was initiated by one of the residents and has proved to be very popular. There are Zumba Classes, Yoga Classes & Boot Camp at various condos/locations within the Coves.

If convenience is your priority than Sentosa might not suit, the majority of people who live here do so because they feel the need for a quiet, peaceful environment and don’t mind having to travel that little bit further each day to get it.

By Kathy Campbell – Hats Off-Handcrafted Headwear For Very Special Occasions.

As the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival approaches, and you start to gather your thoughts on what dress you will be wearing to this year’s Melbourne Cup function, take some time to carefully choose the perfect hat.

Big, small, modern, classic, colourful, colour block, feathers, flowers, netting…it’s a veritable minefield of decisions. The most important part of any race day outfit is the hat – your choice will either make stand out as a winner, or have you finishing last past the post. It is just as important to know what type of headpiece suits your face shape, as to what style of dress is right for your body.

Rest assured, everyone can wear a hat, as long as it is the right shape, size, and shade for your head and face.

So here are some tips to make sure you pick the right hat for your face shape!

Oval Face Shape

This is the most common of face shapes, and suits almost all hat styles. With no major pitfalls to avoid, you just need to go for it!

Round Face Shape

The goal with a round face is to elongate your face, and make it look more oval, by distracting the eye, and giving an illusion of length. To do this, choose taller hats which add height, hats with angles and shapes, and hats with vertical features such as feathers, will all work well.

Heart Face Shape

With a natural focus on the forehead, the objective here is to select a hat which narrows the forehead. This can be done by choosing hats with a medium brim. Steer clear of wide brimmed hats!! Generally, almost any style of hat suits the heart shape, so it’s a great chance to experiment with pieces you might not have otherwise thought about.

Square Face Shape

Square faces are characterized by strong jawlines, so the aim here is to soften the features, and to elongate and slim the face. Hats should be softer, with no harsh angles or geometric lines. Make sure that you wear your piece at a complementing angle, to avoid a square on square look.

Oblong Face Shape

The focus here is to shorten the face, by choosing a piece with a low crown (slightly flatter piece), which is worn low across the forehead. Avoid tall pieces.

The 5 Golden Rules for Choosing a Headpiece

No matter what your face shape, a hat should never be worn square on to the face, or in the middle of your head. Wear a hat at an angle, as this will always give a more flattering aspect to any face. The best angle to wear a hat is about 70 degrees to either side of your head.

Don’t drown yourself in your hat. You have gone to such lengths to choose a hat, so make sure it is the right size piece for your body shape, height, hair type and style, and will show off your gorgeous face! Smaller to medium sized pieces will suit most people. Never choose a wide brimmed hat which is wider than your shoulders, as this will make you look unbalanced.

Don’t be afraid to go with colour. Not every occasion calls for a black or cream piece. Choose a colour that complements your dress. Colour blocking works just as well as highlighting one of the colours in your dress. But never be too ‘matchy matchy’.

Choose a hat that feels comfortable, and that you know you will be able to wear for the entire length of the occasion. It might be a great looking hat, but if you spend your day scratching your head, adjusting the base, or end up having to hold your head up under the weight – its not the one for you.

As soon as you put a hat on, it should make you feel special and look good. Keep searching until you find that piece. After all, you don’t get to wear a beautiful hat every day, so make yourself a standout….and wear it with confidence.

Kathy’s millinery will be featured at our VIP Shopping Event on the 8th of October. Find out more

Glamorous Giving, the fashion, accessories and homewares clearance sale in support of the Singapore Committee for UN Women is back for the fourth time. The event features over 30 independent local brands, designers and boutiques all selling their stock at clearance prices. Shoppers can buy quality pieces at great prices – end of line, end of season and sample stock. Fashionista’s and bargain hunters will rejoice at the rock bottom prices, which are up to 70{d2c05350095ed942d62ca1635aad234a702e9575e5f9632e6c89e76dec25dfbf} off and starting as low as $5.

Organised by Stones that Rock, other participating brands are: Amabilis, Asia Amour, Baliza Shop, Bisous La, Bode Fabrics & Furnishings, Butterfly Home, Cape Breeze, Cheeky Egg, Coral Secret, Desti Saint Handbags, Dragonfly Lifestyle, Dora Lincoln, DS Cosmetics, Emma Laue, Hola Linda, Little Friends by Lamasso, Mad About Hue, Madie Moo, Maissone, Pip Studio, RIA Menorca Shoes, Shiva Designs Bespoke, Simply Silk, Stones that Rock, The Cinnamon Room, the wit and the will, Triologie, Trollied Dolly, Under Armour, Veya Designs, Victorian Territory, Whistling Teal and Zarabelle.

Representatives from the Singapore Committee for UN Women will also be on hand to discuss their work and how you can get involved.

Tuesday 1 September 6-9pm and Wednesday 2 September 10am-4pm
Hollandse Club
22 Campden Park (off Adam Rd)
Sg 299814.
Plenty of Parking

Visit the event page