Seasons Come and Seasons Go...

Living in Singapore, where it is 95 degrees every day leaves one wondering where the seasons are. So how does one know when seasons are changing?

We hear about the cold fronts starting in the west and making their way across the states; it is like a team performing the wave in the stands, slowly but consistently working its way from one said to the other. We watch comments on facebook and notes in blogs as it travels. We wake in the morning and see scores on the football games from back in the states, people commenting about the wonderful cool or cold weather and about having to wear jackets. We see posts about Saturday morning soccer games and fall school pictures. Pictures are posted of pumpkin patches and conversations begin about the holidays; holiday meals, family get togethers and Christmas shopping.

In the states, soon after Labor Day we put up our shorts and white shoes. Labor Day is a US holiday - not celebrated here in Singapore. Halloween and Thanksgiving come and go - also US holidays. In Singapore, with no change in weather, no 'fall' holidays commonly celebrated and no tv football, we have to really pay attention to what time of year it is. Time has a way of quietly slipping away here unnoticed - how can there only be 2.5 months left in 2009?

Our malls hang signs in them that say FALL SALE! FALL HAS ARRIVED! or HUGE WINTER SAVINGS! I look around for fall and winter but I see no sign of it. The weather has not changed; it is still hotter than a firecracker and the lush tropics show no sign of color change. Oh, wait, there is one funny thing about the people here, hot or not, they start wearing sweaters! Uuummmm, hello? It is still 95 freaking degrees outside - and I don't care what the signs say! Summer has come and gone and the temperature is still... 95 degrees.

We have no true weather change here. Ok, so maybe we do - there is monsoon and hot. Monsoon are hot rains and hot is just hot. The average temperature change in Singapore in 12 months is no more than 14F degrees from high to low. 14 degrees makes no real difference - except when it is 14 degrees less it is usually raining and it is still hot :-(

I have friends from Australia living here. It is funny to chat with them as I am sure them to chat with me; in Australia, the seasons are the opposite as the ones in the states - it is just turning into summer there. Oh, the differences across the world... things we don't think about living in the states.

So, in order for me to know what to do, I must watch you on facebook or read your blogs for signals - we surely don't have any on our little tropical island. I must listen for clues about what time of year it really is and what I need to be doing for you in the states. Life is not the same here at all - we are in a different timezone and season. The hot one. Half a world away.

Oh dear... Christmas is almost here - I must run and shop for the holiday!