There's Something Foul in the Air

There is another reason why I'm hiding in my room tonight in the sanctuary of my air-conditioner. Besides the fact that there is a mossie outbreak in some parts of Singapore, there is also a foul smell of burning in the air. Apparently its caused not by the Indonesians this time, but due to the record number of “bush-fires” occurring in the past week. Its almost 400 cases since the year started, and mostly in the “bush” of the Tampines and the Punggol areas – which I’m caught in-between.

This amazes me on two counts. Firstly, I didn’t think that there was “bush” in those areas and secondly, four hundred? Shouldn’t someone have done something about it by now? Oh well, so now my throat is feeling scratchy and I’m having terrible leaky nose in the mornings. Hence I’m hiding.

But I wonder you know. Why would there be a mossie outbreak in the middle of the dry season? Fires I understand, but mosquitoes? It has been reported in the News last night, Changi General Hospital has had a sixfold increase in dengue fever cases in the last weeks. Better get some insect repellent tomorrow.