Happenings in the heat

Festival of Lights
exhibit at Palm
Plaza

The heat yesterday was dreadful ... 36 degrees or above. Today was no different. It's times like this that I think of rain ... the monsoon rains in South East Asia that cool down the hot afternoons. Unfortunately it never rains in summer here .... in fact it hardly even rained in winter. We're officially in a drought. The drought tax has been enforced. How awful for the poorer people. Too bad here the locals have never learned of water rationing. Civic education is very wanting. Everyone only thinks of themselves.

On the way back from work, I saw that most of the exhibits for the Festival of Lights are in place. This year there are many more participants and it promises to be very exciting and fun. Palm Plaza has a long stream of coloured ribbons fluttering in the wind, causing a visual effect that is stunning. Further uphill there are some 5 or 6 other exhibits .... much more than in previous years. Anyway tonight is the opening and maybe I'll go around and have a look. It beats staying at home in the heat.

The new Singapore Consulate in
Ramat Gan

Yesterday morning was pretty hectic. I had to go to the Singapore Consulate General to fetch my new passports. It was a harrowing experience to apply for the new passports as the Consulate General is not authorised to handle passport renewals and extensions. Anyway after 6 months the new passports arrived. What a relief! Going to the Consulate was quite an ordeal though ... the traffic was very heavy so the usual one hour ride became 2 hours. But the Consulate was relatively easy to find ... as compared to it's old premises. The Singapore flag flew at the entrance of the building along the main road so it was easy to identify.

Then it was a quick ride home ... only 45 mins because the traffic cleared up. Then it was a series of meetings one after another, lawyers, accountants, secretaries .... I didn't quite finish all the paper work that needed to be done but I felt I had to go home. I was just too exhausted. But the heat was tremendous .... it suffocates you as you walk out. Firing heat from the ground rises up ... and there is a heavy pressure on your chest as you try to breathe. I fear the rest of summer will be like this.