All posts by O'Shea

Hello Internet. My name is Matt O'Shea. I am a 4th Year Physical Education/Outdoor Education student. I started my journey to where I am today in a Bachelor degree studying Arts. Suffice to say, it wasn't my cup of tea. I deferred and headed over to NorthEast America and went to Camp Chipinaw where I found the answers to the question: What will I do with my life? I was a Adventure instructor at camp, doing high ropes, low ropes, flying fox and climbing wall. 3 years later and three more USA trips working with age groups 8-16, I found my way to Fed Uni in the double degree.

Bound for Discovery, Changed for Life!

G’day Internet!

“Onward, Singapore!”

That is the title of the Singaporean national anthem. It is also the nations motto (By the way, when did countries start having mottos? Do we Australians have one?! I’m calling Tony and throwing up some ideas..)

In comparing and contrasting Singapore and Australia’s approaches to Outdoor Environmental Education (OEE), even looking at the lyrics of our national anthems we can find similarities.

“Come, fellow Singaporeans Let us progress towards happiness together”

“With courage let us all combine, to Advance Australia Fair” (If these lyrics don’t look familiar, it’s because it’s from the second verse of our anthem)

Continue reading Bound for Discovery, Changed for Life!

P’s Get Degrees

Konnichiwa Internet!

Do you know the “7 P’s” concept found in marketing? Now wait, don’t groan. Before you switch off, let me explain. Product, Price, Promotion, Place, Packaging, Positioning and People are the 7 P’s of marketing. Just for future reference..

I, however, know of a different, FAR more interesting“7 P’s” concept. When I first went to the USA I worked at a summer camp in upstate New York. My boss who was the director of the boy’s side campus for 35 years at the time had always preached:

Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. Continue reading P’s Get Degrees

Wait… Did we just become best friends??

Ni hao Internet!

Coming to a close of our Singapore experience, time for one last reflective blog! Many have already written on the community aspect of Singapore, the country and how their people develop this through Outdoor Ed! For further reading, check out Lulu, Mathew, Lachy and Monica’s fantastic work.

Continue reading Wait… Did we just become best friends??

Get up! But don’t ever give up – Michael Irvin

Buongiorno Internet!

I’d like to share a quote with you that I came across whilst visiting Raffles Institution. It reads:

“Being a Singaporean is not a matter of ancestry. It is a conviction and a choice”

“Conviction and a choice” Wow. I’m sitting here so inspired by this quote and how accurately it describes my interactions with Singaporeans since I arrived over a week ago. This quote gets my adrenalin going much like when I visited Outward Bound Singapore (OBS) and saw their motto, shared by all Outward Bound centres worldwide:

“To Serve, to Strive, and to not Yield”

Continue reading Get up! But don’t ever give up – Michael Irvin

You gotta fight! (dum dum) for your right! To Naaaaaature!


Hola Internet!

The song in the title? Anyone? I only changed it a little from the original…

Museums are a terrific place to immerse you in art and culture. You walk around, see, maybe in some parts touch, feel, smell, and taste all that an exhibit has to offer. After chatting with Joel on our walk through the Green Corridor we both discussed how Singapore as a country is like a giant museum, and nature has only a few exhibits, remembering that Singapore is 98% urbanised. We have visited most of them, Central Catchment Reserve (CCRN), Labrador Nature Reserve, Pulau Ubin and now the Green Corridor. I think when we first arrived, we didn’t know what natural places would be like here. Would it be anything like the nature we have at home in Australia? Safe to say, many didn’t think it’d compare.

Continue reading You gotta fight! (dum dum) for your right! To Naaaaaature!

And on the 7th day… They rested

Hello Internet!

Who knows the song by Jackson Browne “Running on Empty“? Anybody? Am I showing my age? Well anyway, that’s besides point… Basically that was us after last nights Night Safari and day in the Botanic Gardens.

Continue reading And on the 7th day… They rested

Tree Top Walkin and Street Talkin… And Monkeys… lots of Monkeys.

“The best-laid schemes of mice and men oft go astray”
Robert Burns, To a Mouse (Poem, November, 1785)

This is a fantastic quote that I think encapsulates the day of facilitation I had with my wonderful team of Ty, Lachy and Jack. We had a great day walking the TreeTop Walk in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve and Macritchie Reservoir Trail . We learnt from previous facilitation days our fellow Aussie students had run that it sometimes doesn’t go exactly to plan! In saying that, it by no means took away from our goals and objectives for the day. In previous times when I have facilitated, I don’t think I’ve ever been more comfortable than I was with these three. We were very confident that our day was solid, having planned and put in a mountain of time into activities and creating some wicked Pokemon-inspired playing cards!  Obviously adapted to take in the flora and fauna that Singapore has to offer in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve! Our group also chatted to locals walking the track to see how they used this wonderful, “green-lung” of Singapore.

Continue reading Tree Top Walkin and Street Talkin… And Monkeys… lots of Monkeys.

Le Tour de Singapore

Well hello calves, I had nearly forgotten you were there.. After a solid 50km bike ride, I feel you loud and clear!

What a terrific way to take in Singapore, on a bike riding along the Park Connector Network (PCN). This connects a great deal of Singapore to other areas along a walking and bike track that the people can use to access recreational areas. The weather conditions were as usual, hot and muggy, but the curiosity and eagerness to explore was high as well!

Continue reading Le Tour de Singapore

We ain’t in Ballarat no more…

We have hit the ground running on the first full day in Singapore! After arriving late last night to our accomodation at Labrador Adventure Centre we were welcomed by the lovely staff who had patiently waited for us in the muggy, hot climate. What struck me first was of course the drastic change in weather, but also the people. The bus driver who took us to our accomodation from the airport was so great waiting for us all to drag our 23 lots of luggage onboard. All with a smile! We were all secretly sad to say goodbye to him …. after 3 wonderful bus stops together.

Continue reading We ain’t in Ballarat no more…