How do you know we have a rainy Singaporean morning the moment you wake up? If you find yourself tucked away under the blanket and its still dark outside, well gray. This morning I thought my alarm went off too early and I forgot to switch off my Air-con last evening, but no, “Oh Happy day! Its raining!”
Rainy Days in Singapore, I never want to miss them!
1. The Obvious – It’s Cooling Down
I praise the days when I don’t need to change my shirt once I step foot into my icy office, not into something thicker but something new, hanging the old one over my cubicles walls to dry off the sweat.
Especially these days its amazingly terrible hot in Singapore and a little rainy intermezzo can do wonders within seconds. It’s one of the rare occasions where the temperature difference between inside and outside wont exceed 20 degree anymore.
2. Crowds, Where?
It’s not that Singapore is (over)filled with people like Hong Kong or Tokyo, but there are times, 8AM and 7.15PM to be precise, where I wish streets would be approx 5 meters wider, trains, 20 meter longer and people 50% thinner. (Why Private Space Is Worth Nothing In Singapore)
So once it rains, you should pack your umbrella and start walking around, enjoying the empty streets, the non-existence of annoyingly creeping people, sales persons and other rude persons.
Or enjoy a guaranteed refreshing and lonely swimming session in your pool, have a beer in your Hawker Center, almost all places are empty, just don’t ever think of visiting a movie or shopping mall.
3. Refreshingly Clear
Not only does the weather cool down in general, the air feels purified itself and cleaner to breath in.
Just two weeks back on my trip to Europe I was mesmerized by the obvious easy to breath air, I couldn’t believe it. Sitting on my desk with rain splashing against the windows and the thought of refreshing air let’s me think clearer and work more efficient.
I should get a mobile rain-maker for important meetings.
4. People Are Finally Behaving
If it rains in Singapore, you can be sure people wont (as usual) just stop in the middle of the sidewalk without any reason, or walk left-right-right-left Zickzacks if you want to “overtake” them, they wont creep along like snails and they wont queue 2 hours for a pack of tissue paper.
However… watch out for umbrellas in shoulder height, they can leave ugly wet and dirty marks on your shirt or even worse, simply cut a nice bloody trail in your cheek with those little metal tips. (Singapore City Sidewalk Rules)
There will always be something.
by an Asia experienced 26 year young expat living and surviving in Singapore since years!
Discovering new interesting and strange things everyday, he provides guides, news and tips for how to survive Singapore and how to best prepare for it.
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4 Comments for this post
Jul 15, 2009 at 2:22 pm
I love rainy days in Singapore. I snuggle under my thick comfortor, the atmosphere was great and my eyelids were heavy.
The downside is, I was very late for work. I had to make up an excuse that I was taking my visiting grandmother to doctor. Lets hope they don’t find out that my grandmother left Singapore last week.
Jul 16, 2009 at 8:51 am
My colleague came in one day and commented: “today’s weather is very good.” Immediately, I said: “Is it raining?” Apparently, people’s idea of good weather = sunny + hot + humid. My idea of a perfect day is to snooze away on a rainy day…
Jul 17, 2009 at 3:06 pm
yeah, and in Europe, theres nothing better then spending a lazy afternoon in your camping tent while traveling with rain dripping on the outside…ah, so comfortable!
Jul 30, 2009 at 10:03 am
ditto – I love rainy days!
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