Smokin'!
We are in the midst of a smokey haze due to fires ("hot spots") in Sumatra, blowing ever so slowly over Singapore and Malaysia. Pretty bad air quality, but striking orange ball sunrises and sunsets (not captured in photo, sorry). When I go outside, the first smell reminds me of a sauna--that light smokey, woody aroma.
This post will be random with mostly a smattering of pix that I'm not going to try to put in order or try to coordinate with the random little accounts. Also, most if not all are from camera phone, so apologies for lack of pixels.
Yesterday, Cindy and I finally opened a checking account. It took 2 hours, mostly of waiting for our number to be called, but at least brought this question to Cindy as we were getting logged into their computer system: "May I call you Madam Hood?" That's not the usual French, "Madame," which she's used to but a British accented "Madam."
Laken and I went to the Chinese Garden for the lights & lanterns--more lights than lanterns--of world monuments. A little kitch but notable for its festiveness. Note the picture, taken at the festival, of the sample portraits of famous people, including Ariel Sharon, Condoleeza Rice, and Osama Bin Laden. This mustn't be the U.S....
I think I got a pic of Henrik riding on the lap of the shuttle hostess. We don't know her name yet, but when we take the school shuttle home, there's a woman whose responsibility is to, presumably, ensure the well-being of the children riders. Since this is the shuttle that goes to the MRT (metro), most riders are older and adult. Anyway, the result is that Henrik gets scooped up, his backpack stowed, and, in this case sat on her lap while, I'm not kidding, she lavishes him with gifts, usually sheets of stickers, but even an inflated Power Ranger on a string with an insertable light that plays loud electronic music. We wonder if she doesn't have a budget for these things; she gives them to other children, too. We are just amazed; Henrik is just spoiled...
Last pic is Singapore at night from a fancy restaurant on 58th floor of building downtown where I was invited with a bunch of college reps visiting. It included a multi-course Chinese dinner with Peking duck and sharkfin soup. Began with a Singapore Sling, which is the "national cocktail," though not authentic unless imbibed at the Raffles Hotel (it's quite sweet and fruity, so it drinks more like punch).