The pangolin is an ant-eating mammal with keratin scales all over its body – the only keratin-coated mammal there is. They are toothless nocturnal creatures that can curl themselves into tight balls. Sort of southeast Asia’s answer to the armadillo. I’ve seen pictures and sculptures of these creatures, but didn’t really believe they existed in […]
They’re all the same plant. They bloom all year in Singapore, and drop blossoms on the sidewalk constantly. If the spent blooms are swept up by 7:30 there are a few more on the ground by 7:45. I gathered a sample of newly-fallen flowers this morning so you could have a look at some of […]
OK, it’s probably a moth. But it’s 3 and a half inches across, and was just parked outside our doorstep this morning. I saw another like it last year, but green with bright yellow stripes – they look like stunt kites. Let me know if you can identify it. I probably needed a tripod and […]
Last weekend we took a trip to the Kuala Lumpur area, and happened to be in the heart of the city during Earth Hour, when everyone is supposed to turn off unnecessary lights between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. Kuala Lumpur participated, and as the hour drew to an end we took pictures of the famous […]
We went home to the U.S. for the holidays, and now we’re back in Singapore. As I read about sub-zero temperatures and storms closing the roads in California I try to be less annoyed by the daily sweatiness here. It’s actually the nicest time of year in Singapore, with light breezes and frequent rain; sort […]
This is the seventh lunar month, according to the Chinese calendar. It’s the time of year when the ghosts are out of hell on furlough. If you’re a Buddhist, this month is devoted to filial piety; you honor your parents and ancestors, pray that they are in a better reincarnation, if they didn’t manage […]
The air is hazy these days, and smells of forest fires. But it’s not California! It’s Singapore, and we’re getting the smoke from farmers in Indonesia and Malaysia burning off their fields after the harvest. The Malaysian government, you’ll be glad to know, has actually outlawed this activity and prescribed that their farmers clear their […]
OK, maybe not running amok, but certainly off the reservation. I think I’ve mentioned that you frequently bump into Buddhist monks in electronics stores in Singapore, shopping for cellphones and stuff. Well, here are a couple (the men in orange) taking pictures of each other outside the Fullerton Hotel – on the River Walk downtown, […]
Yes, there are some! Mostly Americans, but include at least one Singaporean – a lapsed Buddhist(!). They got going about 2 years ago. Here’s their website: http://uusingapore.org/ We joined them for a field trip to a Buddhist monastery yesterday; apparently they meet in each other’s homes or various public venues (mosques, temples, etc.) for religious education. And […]
Gotta love that jetlag! Things are pretty quiet outside, save for the chirping of the crickets and frogs. The buses have stopped, the students have gone to bed (although some were spotted at 2 a.m. emerging from the Pottery Jungle area with flashlights and glow sticks), and only the occasional taxi bringing professors back from […]