Transactions

When I first arrived in Singapore, one of the many things I found lovely and endearing was the custom of being respectful with money. When I purchased something and used either a credit card or cash, the person would return the change/credit card with two hands - one thumb on each top corner and hand it over to me with a slight bow. If a receipt was to be received with the credit card, the receipt would be duly wrapped around the card and then the card would be handed back to me with two hands. The respectful and correct way to receive your cash/credit card is with two hands in the same manner.

"How lovely!" I said to Oliver, my first days here when my first transactions were processed. The loveliness wore off quickly, soon to be replaced with mild irritation as I increasingly found myself in situations where I would be balancing a child in one arm, groceries in an other, with no extra hand to politely receive my change... or would be handed back my credit card, tightly wrapped in its receipt, and would have to either throw it into my handbag (with, yes, one hand), knowing I would have a long search for it when the next transaction occurred, or put everything down, politely receive my credit card, then extract it from the receipt, return it to my wallet, and pick everything up again.  The impatient New Yorker in me rebels against this inconvenience! Am I now officially going from tourist status to expat? Is this a complaint? I haven't decided. That said, when my hands are free, I do make sure to receive cash and card respectfully!

Thunderstorm

Recently, I experienced the most intense thunderstorm I can remember. The rain (torrential) was nothing special, the thunder and lightening, however, were impressive. Following every clap of thunder, making my daughter jump, was the sound of a cracking whip that felt as if it was literally behind me. And the lightening! It was seemingly appearing only several hundred feet away. I was surprised each time the building in front wasn't hit. More incredibly, both construction sites (one in front and to the left and the other directly to the right of my building) were still moving forward with their work - albeit at a slower tempo. Between the booming thunder and whip-like lightening, I saw (metal) cranes moving, and jackhammers ta-ta-tating away. CRAZY! I expected at any moment to hear an ambulance cart some poor worker away, as both these sites are totally devoid of actual buildings and are the only real open areas in the vicinity. I realize I can be prone (at times) to exaggeration, however to say they lightening seemed to be appearing next to the building in front of me several hundred feet away, is not. I hope these guys were  being paid some significant additional cash to continue work under such dangerous, not to mention, unpleasant, conditions!