This post was originally published on murderiseverywhere.substack.com.
I don’t have much to write about this week. The air quality’s really bad in Singapore right now and I’ve been staying indoors most of the time, apart from gym and classes and, of course (shorter) dog walks.
This is what our iconic Marina Bay Sands normally looks like:
And this is the current view:
But life goes on, Singapore style: A Haze Task Force comprising 28 government agencies (led by the National Environment Agency) has been set up and they’re negotiating with neighbouring countries (where the fires are) while setting up mask distributing systems.
Also, it’s been decreed that we’ll ‘pay no more than $10 for treatment of haze-related ailments at polyclinics (capped at $5 for Pioneer and Merdeka Generation seniors)’—so yes, there are some advantages to growing older!
And yes, it’s being drummed into us that Covid masks and our regular air-conditioners are not enough to filter out the PM2.5: minuscule particulate matter no more than 2.5 micrometres across that travel deep into our lungs.
And yes, we’ve also got ourselves an air purifier.
It’s brought our bedroom’s PM2.5 reading down from 48 to 6 in just a few hours. And it’s not just a numbers thing—see how Sophia is choosing to sleep next to the machine rather than in my office next to me!
And people here are finding ways to cope.
I’ve started walking Sophia for shorter periods—just 30 min mornings and evenings with my mask on. And when she wants to be carried home, she gets carried. But I’m just doing the bare minimum.
Other people like Joseph Estrella (run lead of X-Run Singapore) have organised mall runs. A mall run? Yes, through the second and third floors of Marina Square. The two-hour session (7am to 9am) on Saturday morning had runners covering up to 21km past shuttered stores before the mall opened.
And for the less athletic among us, this Honeycomber article recommends safely (indoor) climate controlled walking trails, including Marina Square, City Hall and Suntec City. And, best of all Changi Airport and Jewel—which is a great ‘trail’ to walk even when the air outside is good.
Meanwhile, our island looks like a post apocalyptic zone. And it’s driving home the realisation that it’s not enough to keep our own house in order if our neighbours are burning—maybe it’s time we start thinking what we can do to help our region.