The Reisbach Band.
The Reisbach Band.
On 31 July 1993, eighteen members of the Reisbach Youth Band arrived at the Singapore Changi Airport, led by Mrs Grasal Anna Aloisia. They were welcomed at the airport by representatives of the Anglo-Chinese School and ferried to the school to meet their host families. Members of both bands rejoiced as they renewed friendships made little over a month ago in the village town of Reisbach. After a reception by the ACS Band, our German friends were then brought home by their enthusiastic host families.
On 1 August, our visitors spent a whole day getting acquainted with the everyday ways of Singapore life. Our boys took the chance to let our visitors enjoy themselves in their new surroundings by taking them to the movies, arcade centres and sandy beaches. These places which seem common enough in Singapore, were totally alien to the members of the Reisbach community, and they thoroughly enjoyed themselves, so much so that their hosts had to drag them off so as to make it to the National Day Rehearsal in time. After the Rehearsal, the Germans were treated to unfamiliar dishes of Asian cuisine, as well as familiar fare from fast-food restaurants. By night time, our German friends and their hosts, exhausted after spending the entire day out, retired to their homes.
The next day, the Reisbach Band set out on a tour, arranged by the tour agency and our Teacher Advisor, Ms Wendy Da Costa. They visited the many tourist attractions in our island city. They spent a relaxing afternoon at the East Coast Park, cycling and swimming in the equatorial heat which they never experienced back home. They visited places of interest such as China Town, Arab Street and Little India, and returned with a collection of buys such as straw hats, Chinese fans and other novelty items. They gave performances at Haw Par Villa and the Mandai Zoo, and were treated to a Cultural Show performance by the theatre group at Haw Par Villa.
On 7 August, our German visitors joined us for our School's National Day Celebrations. Awed by the smart turnout of our Uniformed Youth Organisations on Parade, one even commented that they would never have got their youths to march as well as our various UYOs on parade. After the parade, they were whisked away to Sentosa, and spent the rest of the day enjoying themselves on the island resort. They finished their first week of stay in Singapore with a bang by giving a command performance with our School Band for the ACS Performing Arts Festival Annual Band Concert.
On National Day, members of the Reisbach Band as well as the ACS Band went on a luncheon cruise. We dined on a selection of local dishes whilst sailing past the off-shore islands of Singapore. Then our boys and their guests celebrated National Day in their own way. A group of them spent the rest of the day on Sentosa Island. By evening, the group had split into two, one group staying on the island to watch a performance at the Musical Fountain, while the other group decided to dance the night away at the local discotheques.
Our guests then spent the next three days on a tour of Malacca.
Visiting temples, plantations and churches, they returned with yet another load of souvenirs of their visit. A day before their departure from Singapore, they visited the Jurong Bird Park and viewed a show at the Singapore Omnimax Theatre at the Science Centre. Our Band then gave a buffet dinner for our guests. At the farewell ceremony before the dinner commenced, our vice-principal Mrs Lenie Cho presented to each of our German friends with a memento from ACS to commemorate their stay with us.
The typical village musician.
On 14 August, our guests spent their last day here with their host families. Some went out to catch a movie or two, whilst others took the chance for one last visit to our beaches. By eight o'clock that night, all the host families accompanied their guests to the Singapore Changi Airport. With warm hugs and handshakes, we bade the Reisbach Band farewell.
After a hard day's work.
Even though our German friends are now hundreds of miles away, we shall always remember them, and cherish the times we spent together, both when we visited them, and when they visited us. For the ACS Band, the months of June and July of 1993 would always remain in our memories and hearts. Goodbye Reisbach, we shall always miss you.
and the winner is ...
Yeo Chun Guan
ACS Band 1993