Time for a geography lesson with Limpeh

For today's lesson, I mean today's post, well it's going to come across as a bit of a geography lesson. You see, one of the things that my parents always did when I was a kid was claim that Singapore was the best country in the world to live in (I kid you not) because Singapore was spared natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes and tornadoes. Every time they saw a report on the news featuring a flood, a volcano eruption, wild fire or a blizzard, they would say something like, "wah, you see? Singaporeans so lucky, we are spared all this tragedy." I suppose the images that make a TV news report would be the most dramatic - nobody wants to see a bunch of residents calmly evacuating and saying, "nobody is panicking, we'll be back in two days and we shall deal with it." I'm afraid my parents would have failed any secondary school geography exam, they have no understanding whatsoever of how weather works and when you are ignorant, any weather-related phenomena becomes pretty scary. I remember my mother once saying, "the weather has gone crazy" and I told her, "no you're wrong - a cold front has merely overtaken a warm front, creating an occluded front: that's science, not insanity on the part of the weather gods you've just made up."

Time for a lesson on physical geography everyone.

Once upon a time, when people didn't have the benefit of modern education, they didn't understand how weather works. So if there is say a storm or a drought, they found their own crazy ways (often through religion) to make sense of it - this had horrific consequences, such as human sacrifices in the Aztec culture to appease the gods when they had bad weather. People like my parents aren't that different from the Aztecs in that they didn't have the education to teach them anything useful about geography or weather but because they are not internet-literate, they don't know how to do a simple Google search on any topic. Heck, I'm not an expert on weather, I just know how to use Google. I am educated enough to know that there's always a scientific answer and all you have to do is look it up if you don't already have the knowledge - that's how enlightened, educated, rational people behave. It is not that hard to do a Google search, really. I do really hate it when stupid people use religion instead of science to justify weather so let's deal with some of these weather events today and put things in perspective as I put on my geography teacher hat.

Earthquakes

Even if you lived in a country like Japan or New Zealand which is very prone to earthquakes, your life is no in peril. Firstly, there are strict building regulations in these countries to ensure that it will not crumble even if a strong earthquake strikes - so even if it does happen, such buildings will only experience minor damage. Furthermore, from a young age, school children are trained exactly what to do if an earthquake strikes, so everyone responds in a very calm manner. The emergency services in these countries know exactly how to leap into action and respond promptly the moment an earthquake strikes. To put things in perspective, 50 people died in earthquakes in Japan in 2016, that may seem like a lot but when you compare that to the number of people who died in road accidents in Japan in the same year - 3904 deaths, it goes to show that you're far more likely to be killed on the road in Japan than during an earthquake. Are my parents paranoid about earthquakes? You bet they are - yet are they worried about crossing the road, driving or using public transport? Strangely enough, they are not at all worried: why the blind spot then? This is because my parents understand how traffic lights work, they understand road safety rules, they know how to stay safe when driving or crossing a busy road. The statistics speak for themselves: don't be paranoid about earthquakes.

Personally, I have experienced a number of minor earthquakes before, nothing major - yes, we actually do get earthquakes in the UK, not particularly strong ones that cause serious damage but significant enough for us to feel the effects. Likewise, I have also experienced earthquakes on my travels as well, again, nothing major enough to cause devastation but enough for everyone to stop what they are doing and look at each other with that realization that we're experiencing an earthquake. Oh yes, that was definitely an earthquake. The fact is, most minor quakes are barely felt and cause little damage and the chances of you being caught in a major earthquake is so low that it is hardly worth worrying about. If it happens, well, it happens - in the meantime, you should focus your energies on more credible threats to your well-being, such as crossing the road or driving very carefully.  Perhaps it is because I am an Asian maths geek obsessed with statistics, so I do spend time and effort studying the numbers and I take comfort in those odds - for people like my mother who can't handle numbers at all, that's when the paranoia takes over.

Hurricanes/cyclones/typhoons

These three are essentially the same thing depending in where in the world you are: in the Asian-Pacific area they are known as typhoons, in the southern hemisphere and Indian Ocean they are known as cyclones and in North America, it is known as a hurricane. During the worst of such storms, the devastation can be horrific, such as was in the case of hurricane Katrina and typhoon Haiyan. Let's put things in perspective though - Katrina and Haiyan are rare events, Katrina battered New Orleans in August 2005 and it was the third biggest tropical storm to have struck the US. The last two times a storm on that scale hit the US were in 1935 and 1969. Storms like that are extremely rare and it is not like New Orleans is hit by a storm like that every time it is hurricane season - no, instead they have a number of smaller, less violent storms that may bring some flooding once in a while but never the kind of devastation that Katrina wrought.

Here's a dose of common sense: humans have been quite sensible as to where they build their settlements. Why do you think there are no big cities in the middle of the Sahara desert or in northern Siberia? No, those places have very harsh physical conditions that do not make it conducive to human habitation - New Orleans on the other hand, enjoys a warm sub-tropical climate: not too hot, not too cold, conveniently located at the mouth of the Mississippi river. No location is perfect but clearly the pros outweigh the cons, hence that is why New Orleans has boomed into one of the biggest cities in that part of the US. Clearly, there are enough pros to keep people in New Orleans and they are willing to deal with the hurricanes when they do happen. In any case, people living in that part of the world have become incredibly resilient when it comes to dealing with hurricanes: when a storm is being predicted, evacuations are mandatory and they keep people out of harm's way. The vast majority of residents will have some kind of insurance to cover storm damage, so even if their homes are destroyed in a storm, they can make an insurance claim.

Now here's the thing: people like my parents seem to think that people living in such areas are often caught unaware, like a storm can strike out of the blue with no warning. Now I'm not saying that weather forecasters never make a mistake (yes, sure they have in the past) but with modern technology in 2017, forecasters don't make that kind of mistakes anymore and people living in storm-prone areas are usually very well prepared. The local services (police, local politicians, even teachers) all pitch in to ensure that the community knows how to deal with major storm when it hits. By and large, communities know exactly how to deal with the inconvenience when it happens and they do it without too much panic or fuss. The UK has been hit by a number of quite violent storms in recent years. most notably storm Doris on the 23rd February 2017 which brought gusts of wind exceeding 150 km/hr along with heavy rain and snow. It is an inconvenience we live with - it's not something we enjoy but we merely accept that yeah storms like that will hit once in a while and we just deal with it when we have to. It is not the end of the world, we just deal with it.

Snow storms/blizzards

People who live in cold countries are usually very well prepared for winter - in 2017, the weather forecast can usually tell you with great certainty when you can expect snow and how much. So if you know you have heavy snow on the way, you will make the necessary preparations so you will be ready for those conditions. I'm always prepared for whatever weather I may encounter and more to the point, I've got plenty of common sense. If it is -10 degrees out there, would I go jogging in just shorts & T-shirt? Clearly not. I would make sure I was appropriately dressed before leaving the house. Cold weather is just a part of life for a few months a year for millions of people in the world, living in places where they experience seasons. A heavy snow storm or blizzard may cause some minor disruptions, but life still goes on regardless. The only time when a cold snap or snow could potentially bring some major disruption is when it hits an area that doesn't usually experience winter weather because the locals just aren't prepared for it - such as in 2013 when it snowed in Cairo, Egypt for the first time in 100 years. It is literally a one in a hundred years phenomena and actually many Egyptians were delighted at their first encounter with snow and in any case, the snow melted within a few days as such cold snaps do not last long. Note that nobody died as a result in Cairo during that cold snap.

Volcanoes

Volcano eruptions can be potentially dangerous if local residents do not heed the warning of the authorities to evacuate when an eruption is predicted - what people like my parents do not realize is that in countries with active volcanoes, a group of geologists and seismologists are constantly monitoring the activities of the volcano and even in third world countries, there are government regulations about how close people are allowed to live/farm within proximity to an active volcano. There are plenty of advantages to live close to a volcano: the presence of precious minerals, hot springs, geothermal energy, fertile soils and the opportunities to develop tourism. The common theme however is that resident in volcanic areas usually have a very good understanding of the risks associated with the volcano and their decision to live/work there is a decision taken after a careful risk evaluation. Quite frankly, nobody would be dumb enough to buy a house right next to a volcano without realizing that this lovely 'mountain' nearby is actually a volcano - knowledge is power and most people choose to take a calculated risk, knowing that you may get that phone call in the middle of the night telling you to evacuate if the volcano starts to show signs of unusual activity.

Tsunami 

Most of us can remember the world's deadliest tsunami of 2004 was triggered off by a major earthquake in the Sumatra region and that killed well over 250,000 people. However, you needn't worry too much about another deadly tsunami like that hitting you just because you live near a coast. Firstly, the 2004 boxing day tsunami caught everyone by surprise because a tsunami on that scale is extremely rare and the chances of something like that happening again is very rare. Secondly, important lessons were learnt from that tsunami and many countries now have established a warning system in coastal areas to evacuate residents the moment they get a tsunami. A tsunami is only triggered after an earthquake and local residents will usually have some time to escape to higher ground - people living in tsunami prone areas know how to evacuate swiftly and safely without panic as drills are held regularly to ensure that when a real tsunami hits, everyone can be evacuated before the tsunami hits. Once again, knowledge is power - your chances of survival are infinitely higher if you know exactly what to do when you hear the warning to evacuate. Then again, not all earthquakes result in tsunamis and you are highly unlikely to see another tsunami on the scale of the 2004 boxing day one in your lifetime. You need to look at the statistics and the odds to evaluate the risks.

Singapore: Death by a thousand paper cuts

Is the weather in Singapore really that perfect? Well, that depends if you like the tropical heat and humidity but most Singaporeans actually don't and spend a lot of time hiding away in air-conditioned homes, malls and offices, only emerging when it is cooler earlier in the day or at night. Most jobs that require working outdoors in the midday heat are taken by foreign workers because Singaporeans simply refuse to work outdoors when it is 33 degrees and 95% humidity. Any kind of physical activity carried out outdoors between 9 am to about 6 pm will make you sweat - so even if it is a simple act of walking from your home to the nearest MRT station, you end up sweating profusely and do you really want to show up to say a job interview or a business meeting with an important client drenched in sweat? Of course not, it is very uncomfortable and looks extremely undignified. What you end up doing is spending more money on getting a taxi or Uber, whereas in a cooler climate, walking that same distance isn't such an uncomfortable activity.

Do you have romantic visions of tropical weather?

Either you put up with the heat and discomfort associated with a tropical climate, or you pay to avoid it. You can probably get a dish of chicken rice for about S$3 in a hawker center - cheap and delicious, but if you want air-con with that chicken rice, be prepared to pay over S$6 if you buy it in a food court. Heck, the food court in Vivo City well and truly take the piss when it comes to charging more for their location. When you add it all up, Singaporeans spend a great deal of money on air-conditioning, just to avoid the stifling tropical heat on a daily basis. Contrast that to countries which are in cooler climates, they don't spend thousands of dollars installing air-conditioning everywhere form homes to schools to public transport to malls to offices. The very fact that Singaporeans do spend that much on air-conditioning instead of embracing the heat (like the way they did back in the period before the 1980s when air-conditioning wasn't widely available) shows you that most Singaporeans do genuinely dislike the stifling tropical heat.

But it goes beyond the heat: did I mention the creepie-crawlies? Gosh, if I left something sweet like a slice of fruit or a piece of cake on the table for just a few minutes in Singapore, it would start attracting flies or ants instantly. This just doesn't happen in colder climates! In the tropics, people are more prone to food poisoning as meat, eggs and dairy products go off a lot more quickly in the heat. Everything from the cockroaches to the moths to the mosquitoes are bigger, badder and more aggressive in the tropics. In the UK, the cool weather means that there are far fewer insects, especially in the winter months as the cold weather either kills off a lot of them or they go dormant. In the tropics, the warmer temperatures and abundance of food, constant growing seasons allows insects to thrive and breed so much more rapidly. Singapore has always had a problem with insects like the aedes mosquito spreading dengue fever - this is a serious problem that does result in the death of some patients. In contrast, I barely get any insect bites in the UK even in the summer - I can go spend an afternoon in the park and not even have to worry about covering my arms.

Another major problem that affects Singapore for 4 to 5 months a year is the haze. During that nasty haze season, Singaporeans nervously check the PSI every few hours on their phone whilst choking on the heavily polluted air. Whilst this may not be as devastating as a major earthquake or hurricane striking your city, but whilst you never know when an earthquake or hurricane may strike, you know that the haze season will hit Singapore every year and everyone will suffer as a result. You know it is going to be hot and sticky every day and people will have to pay more to avoid suffering in the sweltering heat. This is what I mean by the Singaporean "death by a thousand paper cuts" - each individual paper cut may not look like a fatal wound, but the physical geography of Singapore will inflict such paper cuts on you every single day you live there and even if you don't bleed to death as a result, you are walking wounded everyday, bearing the scars of these thousands of paper cuts. But consider the statistics for a moment: the chances of getting killed or injured in a major earthquake in somewhere like Japan is actually really low, but you have 100% certainty when it comes to suffering the unforgiving physical elements every single day you are in Singapore. 

Imagine if you had the choice between two jobs offers: one is with a new company where the pay is excellent, the managers are extremely nice and laid-back and you're totally passionate about the work there. But there's a small catch - being a very new company, there is a small risk that the company may not make it and you could be out of a job if the company folds or if they are no longer able to hire you if they do not get the business off the ground. It looks unlikely but they are flagging it up as a possibility, as in a worst case scenario. Then there's the another job offer with a much older, bigger company - they have been there for centuries so there's no question of them going bust, but the pay offer is terrible, you have heard horror stories about the kind of management there and you are far less interested in the kind of work they want you to do. Between the two, which would you choose? The much more attractive option with a small possibility of things going wrong, or the other option where you know you will have a job for the foreseeable future, but you will suffer the death of a thousand paper cuts scenario? I know which I would choose.

But then again, for people like my parents - there is absolutely no choice to be made at all! They simply never ever had the kind of skills required to work in the West because you need to be a skilled migrant to obtain that elusive work permit in the first place. It's one thing to recognize that you can't get a work permit to say work in the USA, it's another thing to imagine that the geography of the USA is 'crazy' and that you never know if you're going to be hit by an earthquake, hurricane or blizzard from one moment to the next. I'm afraid such people give in to the 'sour grapes' mentality - they can't have something, so they start condemning that entity without actually knowing how good it actually is by making up lies about it. It is rather puzzling why they feel the need to do so, perhaps they need to convince themselves that the rest of the world is a horrible place, just to make themselves feel less dissatisfied with the aspects of life in Singapore they are not fond of, such as the horrible weather. Or maybe they need to convince themselves that they have somehow landed up with the best option available in life, despite their limited resources and abilities. They don't have a second choice, so they may as well try to feel good about their one and only option.

I like in the weather and physical environment in London - I may be struck by another earthquake like the one in 2008, I may be struck by a hurricane (we had a major storm just this week), we have even had a few major snow storms that have paralyzed the city over the years, but so what? The earthquake in 2008 caused a small number of injuries and a little damage to old buildings, a few pots in my garden were blown over in the storm and I go to the park to play with my snow blades when it snows heavily. Compare that to the 'death by a thousand paper cuts' environment in Singapore, strictly from a physical geography point of view (I'm leaving out the human geography for now), I'd take London over Singapore any time. Look I'm not trying to make it sound like Singapore's weather is that awful but even a simple activity like taking a walk in the park is unpleasant on most days with the heat and the insects and downright impossible during the haze season. So if you're the kind of person who likes to stay in and watch TV or play computer games (with the air-con on of course), then Singapore's hot, tropical weather probably doesn't bother you at all.

So there you go, that's it from me on this issue. I hope you have found my short geography lesson useful - what do you think about the physical geography of Singapore? How do you feel about the environment there when compared to say California, Japan, the UK or New Zealand? Have you perhaps experienced an earthquake, blizzard or a hurricane before? Do let me know your thoughts and experiences, leave a comment below. Many thanks for reading.