Happy Holidays, Hyvää Joulunaikaa

This morning, going out, I thought it feels like winter. Winter in Singapore. Still warm enough to wear summer clothes, but a strong cooling wind blowing dry brown leaves around the streets and dark clouds hanging around as if threatening with rain. Compared to the usual still, hot humidity and bright sunshine that brought up sweat just waiting for the light to go green at crossroads, it feels like winter. Naturally it is nothing compared to the beautiful, white winter they have in Finland (which I am 'quite' jealous for), but I think it was about time to get this feeling - after all, there's only one more unopened square left in our countdown to Christmas calendar.

So it's tomorrow for us Finns. We celebrate Christmas on the Eve instead of the Day (because Santa is from Finland and he has to deliver gifts to us first and then continue to the rest of the world). If we were in Finland, we would go over to in-laws for rice porridge breakfast, enjoy the winter weather outside with Rekku, listen as the 'peace for Christmas' is declared in ex-capital Turku, go to sauna and have Christmas dinner with family, be visited by Santa and open presents, visit more relatives and open more presents.. and perhaps enjoy a late glögi-nightcap at the end of the day :) But since we are here in Singapore, it'll be different..


Huomenna on jo jouluaatto. Tavallinen työpäivä Singaporessa. Tietyissä länsimaisissa firmoissa tehdään puolikas työpäivä, mutta moni Singaporelainen toimisto on kiinni vasta perjantaina, jos silloinkaan. Suurin osa kaupoista on auki läpi joulun, jotta ei pääsisi joulusanoma unohtumaan ;) Erittäin erilainen joulu siis tiedossa.. Riisipuuroa meillä kyllä on tarjolla, ja glögiä ja pipareita. Lahjojakin availlaan, niitä on pukin sijaan tuonut postimies. Jouluaaton perinteinen kaavamaisuus on kuitenkin tiessään, ei juosta kylässä eikä rämmitä lumessa, ei saunota eikä syödä laatikoita. Vaihtoehtoina sen sijaan on lojuminen altaalla, biitsille meno tai alennusmyynnit..

Meidän joulua värittää myös yksi iso valkoinen vieras - ei, ei se ole joulupukki.. vaan valkoinen paimenkoira Urho, joka on tullut hoitoon siksi aikaa kun muu lauma lähti viikon rantalomalle. Urkki on nuori ja energinen, ja saa Rekun näyttämään vanhalta ja kärttyiseltä ;) Odotan mielenkiinnolla millainen viikko meillä on edessä!

Oikein hyvää joulua kaikille! Merry Christmas everyone!

Hot hot sun - who's the tourist?

I know it's boring to talk about the weather again, but as my body hurts in several areas nearly constantly, I must post about it. It is kind of amazing that in the middle of the constant showers of rain there is a day of such hot, burning sun. That was last Sunday. We went to Sentosa with our friends who are visiting from Finland. We talked about how hot the sun is, and used sunscreen (a bit old it was, and with just factor 15), but I did not really put any thought into it, applying the sunscreen too late, forgetting my face completely, and for some unexplainable reason thinking that my legs did not need it. - I think you get the picture without me going into details..

Unfortunately this was not the first time I burned badly, and might not be the last either. Live and learn.. The funny part of this was that only the ones living in Singapore (who should know better?) got burned. The 'tourists' were more sensible with their factor 30 fresh sunscreen and sitting in the shade. So, as we were all in the lift later, looking at each other and our selves in the mirror, the question was 'Who exactly are the tourists here?'. :D!

Rain, rain, rain..

The monsoon season has kicked in. For about two weeks now it has rained approximately once per day. Mostly the showers go by fast, in just 10-15 minutes (longest ones lasting a few hours), which is nice as they don't really get to spoil anyone’s day. Sometimes they also start so fast and come down so hard that as soon as you feel the first drops you better run (really run) for cover. Much of the rain is accompanied by thunder and lightning. The thunder here is so much more magnificent and louder than in Finland - one cannot stop admiring it (through the window, naturally). Unfortunately even our fearless fox terrier is a bit afraid of the thunder..


The monsoon season will last until early next year, but will most likely start drying out already in December. As we have guests coming to visit, it's kind of a bummer that there's more rain than usual, but since it is just showers and still warm, it's ok, and surely beats for example the Scottish November-December continuous rain and cold, damp weather (our previous living-abroad-home). But I'm not sure about it necessarily beating the snow in Finland..

The rain makes the weather even more humid than it has been, and we are forced to use the air conditioning more just to keep the place dry. We would not really need it that much since the weather is also cooler. I believe it has been below +30 during a few days recently, and I actually wore long pants the other day!

Since it rains every day, the ground can't really take in all the water, and even though the grass seemed ok to walk on.. My shoes were soaked after a few steps. It doesn't really matter since I try to wear shoes that can take the wetness, and they usually dry up outside quite quickly (btw, I noticed that laundry takes longer to dry outside, might have to start using the dryer..), but it is the air conditioned spaces that are a problem when your feet are wet. Maybe I need to buy one of those woollen jumpers to keep me warm?

Homesick

Finally. I have been waiting for it to get to me, and finally it did. Not in a very strong sense, since I'm not feeling blue or depressed in any way, but I do miss home. Or Finland, really, since Singapore is my home now :) So I'm not really homesick, am I? I'm more like Finland-sick, ha!

I suppose I have had it coming for a while. I haven't really felt the usual phases of culture shock, perhaps because of my 'pre-visit' in June, and I don't feel irritated by Singapore or the local culture (not more than I usually do anyhow!) but I do have a longing for snow, crisp, cool weather, friends and family..

I think the 'last nail in the coffin' was the snow they got in Finland last night. I read about it just now on Facebook, naturally, due to time difference. I miss it! The glorious moment of first snow of the autumn. The atmosphere it brings, the exitement and the light. True magic, as my good friend knows :) Now that i think of it, I completely understand that snow is one of Finland's most important tourism arguments.

I spoke to family last night on skype. My smallest brother has his birthday on Friday and I'll miss it. Work colleagues are at one of the most fun annual seminars, experiencing the culture and hospitality on Bydgoszcz (Poland) and I'm missing it. My teammates at the local kennel club in Hyvinkää have been really pouring in the congrats for our win on Sunday. I miss the peer support they give. And yesterday at the mall, I was looking at the jackets, jumpers, woollen scarves and hats (I'm getting use to the craziness of them being sold here) and felt an urge to touch them, to wear them. I miss wearing winter clothes, how crazy is that?

Naturally, there are plenty of things, activities, people etc. to make up for all I miss, and I can put the air conditioning to as low as it goes and start 'rolling' my own snowball (should put it in the freezer for a bit, I think), but perhaps the best medicine is getting a good friend, with her bag hopefully full of rye bread and real liquorice, to visit. Just a few more days now!

too hot to eat

The weather is hot and humid, takes away the appetite. (Which is ok, losing weight is always welcome..) The food is hot too, but in a spicy way.. just went and got take-away from the Indian restaurant across the street again, still can't stop wondering that rice + 2 types of veggies + a plain prata bread cost only 3,50 $! And it's good.. although to me, the prata seems like a half-baked naan bread. I prefer naan.
It's hot and humid for our little furry friend Rekku too. He had not touched his food yesterday when I visited him at the quarantine. I suppose it's ok, since he did have some 'extra energy' stored (he was well fed during the last week in Finland :D!). The most important thing is that he drinks water. And that he did :)
I visited Rekku yesterday at the quarantine for the first time. On my way there, I managed to pick a wrong short-cut (not so short..) and walked by several garden shops. Must go again some other day to find out if I can get my own banana tree or something to the tiny "balcony" we have.. I also saw a poster with a huge picture of a mosquito and the text 'If you let them breed, you will bleed'. Scary!! Will definitely take the 'Off!' insect repellent spray with me today..
The staff at the quarantine are really nice. They managed to get Rekku a space in the exercise field, so besides spending time in Rekku's room and terrace (yes, with a view to the exercise fields..) we got to go out of the building. Poor Mr. Tidy Man Rekku had held it all day and was very happy to get outside for his toilet business. He also ran outside as we did a few simple obedience exercises. 15 min. outside was enough for him for now, although I was suprised how well he could take the hot and humid weather. All-in-all, Rekku seemed fairly ok with the situation, but he was clearly nervous and puzzled by the completely new world. Luckily he did not make a fuss when I left, so no tears streaming down my face.. I suppose we are both independent in our owner and dog relationship. Can't wait to see him again today though!