Those that know me reasonably well will know that, at times, I find breathing a little tricky. It's not that I somehow forget how to breath or anyhitng like that. It's just that my body cannot regulate the loss of carbon dioxide from my blood as well as most people; or at least that is the best explanation for asthma that I've heard.
With one notable exception in the early 90s when I spent a few days in hospital my asthma has been generally quite well controlled by inhalers. However, controlling it by inhalers was just part of my daily life. At some point I would inevitably reach for my little blue life support machine in my pocket.
One of the great joys of Singapore is that, in 7 weeks here, I think I have reached for the little blue life support maching exactly once. The Dodgess and I had gone to one of her colleague's for a party, and they had a cat. Again, those who know me well, will know that cats stop me breathing. Not on purpose I agree - but the hairs do something very strange to my breathing.
I wish that I knew why this happened. I would of course sell the reason and make my fortune this way. It is definitely true that heat helps - my asthma was always worst on dry cold days, and better on warm muggy days.
Perhaps the world here has that bit more CO2 in the air, meaning that less escapes from my lungs when I breath, but that doesn't really make sense as I've spent the last 7 years living pretty near the middle of a pretty big city, and the previous 18 even nearer the centre of a pretty city.
Whatever is causing it, I don't really plan to complain. I'm merely enjoying my free breathing.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Xin Nian Quai Le
That's Happy Lunar New Year...
Actually, in Singapore, it tends to be gong xi fa cai, which is the Cantonese version.
For the Chinese, the Lunar New Year is very like Christmas. Actually, a better comparison is Thanksgiving. Everyone gets a couple of days off work and people go around seeing their family and friends. Work put on a buffet in the office with associated joviality - we've had two in two months so far - last year in the UK we got 2 in, errrr, no, we got 1 all year.
We also get given a couple of days off work. The first of these in new year's eve, where traditionally the whole family gets together for the Reunion Dinner. Then another two days to go and visit family and friends.
As with Christmas and Thanksgiving, food plays an important part. Not turkey... abalone. This is an exotic and expensive shellfish, and they've managed to put it into extortionately priced tins. Probably the most expensive tinned food ever. Mind you, the fresh stuff is really really expensive!
In SE Asia there is also a tradition of tossing the veg. A plate of food is prepared and then thrown into the air, with the aim to get it as high as possible. I got some admiring glances with the height of my veg at our company's celebration - but then I do have a slight advantage over many, errr, all of the natives!
Gifts usually consist of packets of cakes and other food and drink. Red packets are also given out by those in authority, to those not, with a little bonus in. Dpending on the traditions of the company these can either be effectively the performance bonus, or little more than a token gesture for the season. Sadly, for my employer, it is the latter. My bonus, such that it exists, doesn't come until December...
Of course, just as in the north western quartersphere, it is not impossible for the stress of the preparations to outweigh the joy of the overall event. Most notably, not only does a family prepare a feast, but all the homes are spring cleaned from top to bottom in order to rid them of any bad spirits. Consequence - lots of cleaning. The worst has got to be cars. People will queue hours and hours on New Years eve to get the car clean. Every forecourt is packed.
There are other consequences too - the shops are rammed. Not an inch of space in them. Queues in banks are outrageous as people being served demand freshly minted notes for their red packets.
So is it worth it?
Oh yeah!!
Actually, in Singapore, it tends to be gong xi fa cai, which is the Cantonese version.
For the Chinese, the Lunar New Year is very like Christmas. Actually, a better comparison is Thanksgiving. Everyone gets a couple of days off work and people go around seeing their family and friends. Work put on a buffet in the office with associated joviality - we've had two in two months so far - last year in the UK we got 2 in, errrr, no, we got 1 all year.
We also get given a couple of days off work. The first of these in new year's eve, where traditionally the whole family gets together for the Reunion Dinner. Then another two days to go and visit family and friends.
As with Christmas and Thanksgiving, food plays an important part. Not turkey... abalone. This is an exotic and expensive shellfish, and they've managed to put it into extortionately priced tins. Probably the most expensive tinned food ever. Mind you, the fresh stuff is really really expensive!
In SE Asia there is also a tradition of tossing the veg. A plate of food is prepared and then thrown into the air, with the aim to get it as high as possible. I got some admiring glances with the height of my veg at our company's celebration - but then I do have a slight advantage over many, errr, all of the natives!
Gifts usually consist of packets of cakes and other food and drink. Red packets are also given out by those in authority, to those not, with a little bonus in. Dpending on the traditions of the company these can either be effectively the performance bonus, or little more than a token gesture for the season. Sadly, for my employer, it is the latter. My bonus, such that it exists, doesn't come until December...
Of course, just as in the north western quartersphere, it is not impossible for the stress of the preparations to outweigh the joy of the overall event. Most notably, not only does a family prepare a feast, but all the homes are spring cleaned from top to bottom in order to rid them of any bad spirits. Consequence - lots of cleaning. The worst has got to be cars. People will queue hours and hours on New Years eve to get the car clean. Every forecourt is packed.
There are other consequences too - the shops are rammed. Not an inch of space in them. Queues in banks are outrageous as people being served demand freshly minted notes for their red packets.
So is it worth it?
Oh yeah!!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Bespoke Clothing
The thing about having something made specially for you is that it's well, special.
In the UK, bespoke isn't a thing that happened to me very much in Europe; though I can always point to one very notable example, my cello (thanks Mum). But in Singapore, this isn't as true. I've now had tailored clothing made for me twice.
The first time I came here I decided to get a suit made. I went to a recommended tailor, accompanied by the Dodgess and her mother. Just as well, really. For a start I would never have found the place. It was the smallest shop I'd ever been in, tucked underneath a yellow and blue shopping mall, which had seen better days.
For something that I was theoretically in control of I had absolutely no idea what was happening - the negotiations on everything including style were carried out in Hokkien, between the tailor and the Dodgess' Mum. In fact, the only bit I got was when the price was being discussed, and the tailor turned to me, looked aghast, and then pointed from my head to toe. Clearly I was somewhat longer than his average customer. Still - I liked the results.
When I arrived this time, I found myself again taken down to a tailor, again thanks to the Dodgess's mother, but this time as a gift.
Unlike the previous time, I would have been able to find this place on my own. It was in the middle of Raffles Hotel, and everything was in English. The last order they had was a load of shirts for the Asia Pacific Economic Forum Leaders Meeting in Singapore. And I now have two shirts, made by the same hands that make shirts for politicians...
I have to admit, that I do like tailored things. For a start, any normal shirt which fits my next can wrap itself round my waist twice. Then there are my arms, which are not the same length aparently. Not quite sure why, but my left arm is longer by about 2cm than the right. Maybe breaking an arm shortens it. But above all, they make you feel special. Something just for you.
So, will I be having everything tailored from now? errr no. Tailored clothes in Singapore cost about the same as expensive clothes in the UK. This makes them quite a lot more expensive than cheap clothes, which here are even cheaper than in the UK.
Also, at the moment, I treat my bespoke clothing with a distinct reverence. If I wore them every day, they would cease to be, well, special.
In the UK, bespoke isn't a thing that happened to me very much in Europe; though I can always point to one very notable example, my cello (thanks Mum). But in Singapore, this isn't as true. I've now had tailored clothing made for me twice.
The first time I came here I decided to get a suit made. I went to a recommended tailor, accompanied by the Dodgess and her mother. Just as well, really. For a start I would never have found the place. It was the smallest shop I'd ever been in, tucked underneath a yellow and blue shopping mall, which had seen better days.
For something that I was theoretically in control of I had absolutely no idea what was happening - the negotiations on everything including style were carried out in Hokkien, between the tailor and the Dodgess' Mum. In fact, the only bit I got was when the price was being discussed, and the tailor turned to me, looked aghast, and then pointed from my head to toe. Clearly I was somewhat longer than his average customer. Still - I liked the results.
When I arrived this time, I found myself again taken down to a tailor, again thanks to the Dodgess's mother, but this time as a gift.
Unlike the previous time, I would have been able to find this place on my own. It was in the middle of Raffles Hotel, and everything was in English. The last order they had was a load of shirts for the Asia Pacific Economic Forum Leaders Meeting in Singapore. And I now have two shirts, made by the same hands that make shirts for politicians...
I have to admit, that I do like tailored things. For a start, any normal shirt which fits my next can wrap itself round my waist twice. Then there are my arms, which are not the same length aparently. Not quite sure why, but my left arm is longer by about 2cm than the right. Maybe breaking an arm shortens it. But above all, they make you feel special. Something just for you.
So, will I be having everything tailored from now? errr no. Tailored clothes in Singapore cost about the same as expensive clothes in the UK. This makes them quite a lot more expensive than cheap clothes, which here are even cheaper than in the UK.
Also, at the moment, I treat my bespoke clothing with a distinct reverence. If I wore them every day, they would cease to be, well, special.
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