Singapore Adventure

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Mother Nature: Intro
by venitha

Indispensible as aircon is, being imprisoned inside shackled to it every day has grown very, very old. Such incarceration leaves me restless, stir-crazy, and depressed; in several ways, I need a breath of fresh air.

Throw open the windows at noon, however, and the fresh air is akin to smoke from a grenade. The daytime heat and humidity, even during the now frequent afternoon rainstorms, permeate and affront. Darkness, fortunately, negotiates a daily cease-fire, and we wave white flags by venturing out under the light of the moon.

In the serene calm of the morning, while the sun is still nefariously plotting its strategy, we run quietly through the peaceful streets surrounding our condo.

After the daily assault, as the sun reluctantly surrenders its clammy grip on the day, we dine alfresco on our rooftop, caressed by a tranquil breeze and thankful for this penthouse luxury.

In the amnesty of the evening's darkness, we undertake reconnaissance missions, exploring the neutral zone of our neighborhood and beyond. We astonish our Singaporean acquaintances with our audacity in walking home from Bugis, from the Esplanade, from Mustafa.

Before succumbing to bedtime, we sway slowly in harmony on our rooftop swing and savor our daily rations: the city skyline and two very overpriced glasses of wine.

On the weekends we're in Singapore, we frequently foolishly offer up an olive branch to Mother Nature by going for a hike. Our concession is to venture out either very early or very late, and still we never fail to return from these expeditions sweaty, tired, hungry, dirty, and frizzy. Always with the frizzy.

There's nothing that makes me feel as defeated by Singapore as its effortless ability to reduce me to this sad, sad state, and I wonder if these outings are worth the price they extort. I examine my plunder, however, stockpiles of pictures and a growing knowledge of the flora and fauna of Singapore, and I know that they are, particularly because I get to share them with you. Please stay tuned.

venitha