the roads are getting nearer

Wednesday, April 06, 2005

` Wednesday, April 06, 2005

When I was younger, I had a morbid fear of thunderstorms. Actually, I was more afraid of the lightning that preceded thunder. A slight flash would send me crawling under the blanket with my eyes and ears covered. Nothing would get me out of the comfort (and increasing heat) of the temporary 'shelter' I had created, until the storm blew over. It has gotten better over the years. But until today, I still squirm when I see lightning. The best way to get over this silly fear? Watch Vin Diesel movies. Or any type of wham-bam action flicks where massive amounts of light and explosions are commonplace. It was only then that I coined an apparent correlation between thunderstorms and man-movies. Yes, very abstract.

Anyway, this topic came to my mind because for the past week or so, we've been experiencing heavy rains in Singapore. After a couple of years travelling around, I've come to this conclusion that nothing beats the weather here. Although when it rains, it literally pours. When it rains in London, it feels as though you can still walk in the rain and do your grocery shopping. When it rains in Singapore, you better find somewhere to take shelter unless you're in need of a shower. (Did I forget to add that when it rains in Shanghai, you can forget even trying to find a taxi?)

Of course, because of the humid conditions, it actually feels more frustrating when the rain falls and the sun shines at the same time. What I find amusing is that when foreigners come to our little island, they're either basking happily in the al fresco area of cafes, or complaining about the incessant heat. Whereas if you ask the locals (in particular working adults and occasionally students from well-funded autonomous schools), they'd probably tell you that 80% of their time is spent in 'temperature-controlled' (possibly a more politically correct phrase for air-conditioned) environments anyway, so why get so 'hot and bothered'?

My angmoh boss tells me he absolutely adores the weather here. To the extent that he goes for long runs come rain or shine and not gripe about getting soaked. He actually finds the rains very refreshing! The fact that he can run 365 days a year in exactly the same sporting gear with no drastic weather changes is a boon to him, and he's more than happy to make do with a 50-50 unpredictability. I learnt how to appreciate the weather when I went to London in the midst of winter in February. Brrrrrr. The thought of the 2 weeks there brings chill to my current 'temperature-controlled' condition. The thought of piling on 3-4 layers of clothes and taking all of it off on a daily basis is way too much of a chore for me. Plus, imagine tripling the amount of laundry (although being a parasite adult, I have nothing to do with this activity until I eventually move out). I know of people (yours truly included) who don't bother to wash their outermost coat on a regular basis. Which probably stinks the fastest given that it is subject to all forms of harsh environmental conditions. As much as I agree that the vibrancy of western cities like London or New York cannot be matched by the lackadaisical feel of Singapore, I'd give up being a 'true cosmopolitan' just to be a heartlander at this stage of my life.

Oh, the rain has stopped slightly. It's almost time for me to head home, sans umbrella, by taking the shuttle bus to the train station in the western heartland, for a 40-minute ride and walk back to northeastern suburbia. Back home to start on my 4-hour vegetation in front of one of man's finest creations. Hey, the nick sputneek wasn't coined for no reason.

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