During a taxi ride last week I was talking to the driver about the APEC conference, which was held in Singapore this month, to much local ballyhoo. He asked where I was from, and when he found out that I’m American he said, “You know what one thing I’d really like the U.S. to do […]
The difference between being a Permanent Resident of Singapore and being a Singapore Citizen is that citizens have the right to vote. This is to a curious extent a theoretical distinction, because many, if not most Singaporeans can’t vote. Note because of property requirements or intimidation at the polls, but because there’s nothing to vote […]
I’ve been thinking about health, for reasons which will become obvious, and I’ve decided to write up the various ailments I’ve had in different countries. In the following compilation I’m leaving out allergies, basic cold and flu seasons (including the H1N1 our family had last month), pregnancy, and what I think of as mechanical health […]
I spotted this guy near the entrance to our apartment building. His belly is bright intense yellow. He’s quick and very cheering to look at.
The Singapore newspaper is well written, but extremely predictable, and hence so dull it’s hardly worth opening. Things you will inevitably find in this paper: Praise to various Singaporeans for being polite; stories about high real estate values; stories about how little guys are priced out of the housing market; reviews of hawker stall fare; […]
I see from the GoStats information that someone was referred to my blog by typing in the question: “I found a snakeskin in my house; what is the astrological significance of this?” (Almost all other referrals were for “Singapore sex blog,” so the search for sex in Singapore evidently continues….) I’d say the most important […]
No picture this time, since I didn’t find a good one on the Web, and didn’t have my camera with me. But he was a lovely shiny black snake, sitting in elegant undulated curves across part of the sidewalk, head raised slightly above the ground while it watched me go by, white stripes on either […]
A wee warning: This is a post containing pictures of a largely decomposed bat I found on my morning walk. You may wish to skip it. On the other hand, it’s nearly Halloween, so a highly appropriate post for the season. And I found it interesting to look at, obviously. And no, it didn’t smell. […]
We found this at a school, on the steps between the science room and the gym. Over the objections of certain members of the family, I brought it home and kept it in the living room. I’m pleased with the focus on the individual diamonds that my camera managed to achieve. I didn’t realize […]
Here’s my best shot of the water monitor who lives across the road from the apartment block: He’s about six feet long in total. Here are pictures our offspring took of a water monitor in its natural element, at Sungeh Buloh: I think this guy is a mere 3 feet long. But these are better […]