Rain, rain, go away!

I’m stuck at home with a really severe flu. Despite being drowsy from the medication, I could hear the thundering showers. NEA’s Meteorological Services has the rain locations in Singapore and it looks like the rain is really pouring down in the west. I hope they aren’t getting drenched at Lim Chu Kang mangroves, Kranji mangroves, Chek Jawa mangroves, Sembawang Beach and East Coast Beach, aargh!

If there is any threat of lightning, individual organisers will call off the International Coastal Cleanup Singapore. We’ve been washed out before. Safety is a priority and we will just shrug our shoulders if that happens.

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Update 1 – Looks like the clouds are moving quite fast, in a south-easterly direction. In 20 minutes, the heavy core has shifted over to Bukit Timah in teh centre of Singapore. East Coast is free of rain now.

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Update 2 – In less than an hour, the rain clouds blew away, phew!

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Big day today!

About 2,500 people from more than 40 organisations and school hit the beaches and mangroves of Singapore today to collect and categorise marine trash as part of the International Coastal Cleanup Singapore.

The Zones and groups participating are:

Northeast – Yio Chu Kang CC, NYP Geo Council, Woodlands Ring Secondary, Changkat Changi Sec School, Secular Franciscan Order, Hai Sing Catholic School, National Parks Board, Raffles Instituition, Alpha Phi Omega Alumni Association, Overseas Family School.

Changi – Citibank Technology Infrastructure, NUS High School, Singapore Science Centre, Hougang Sec Sch Girl Guides, Poi Ching Scouts, ST Dynamics, River Valley High School, SUVEC.

Northwest – Singapore American High School, Singapore American Middle School, National University of Singapore, BP Shipping, St. Andrew’s Junior College, Hwa Chong Institution, Coca-Cola Singapore, National Parks Board, Raffles Museum Toddycats!

East – Raffles Girls School, Republic Polytechnic, Victoria School, Ciba Specialty Chemicals, Queensway Secondary, Homeschooling, Raffles Junior College, Advantest (S) Pte Ltd.

South – German European School, NUS High School, NTU Earthlink, Compassvale Secondary, Waterways Watch Society.

Ubin – NAFA Volunteer Club, Nature Society (Singapore), Bedok View Secondary, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, National Parks Board, Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority.

Former East Zone Coordinator in ICC California

Hwang Wei Song, who was formerly East Zone Coordinator for the International Coastal Cleanup Singapore is now in California for graduate studies. He is not slacking off this year after all but will be part of ICC California. He wrote to say,

“Hey Siva! I’m gonna be in International Coastal Cleanup after all! Will be at Bolsa Chica Wetlands near LA Long Beach to do cleanup tomorrow! Quite sure there won’t be rain here! Good luck!”

Photo by November Tan.

Bolsa Chica Wetlands Reserves in Huntington Beach, California. Photo by Wiimedia user DHN, on July 18, 2005.

Down with the flu so I’m a backseat driver

After months of planning and coordination for the International Coastal Cleanup Singapore, its extremely frustrating to be hit by a bad case of the flu. This one is so bad, even if I had the energy, I’d not go anywhere near the volunteers – they are likely to get infected. So after a flurry of SMSes between 6.45am – 8.30am in the morning, I’m set to sit this coastal cleanup out.

It’s extremely frustrating not to be able to join in the action and to add insult to injury, I have been unable to access the main webpage at coastalcleanup.nus.edu.sg – its still up, but I am unable to edit it I think they were fixing the science server yesterday.

Well, thankfully its WordPress to the rescue with this blog!