Smidges

I thought the monsoon had left town when we hit 2004, but there's still been a good storm every few days, to beat back down the resurgence of fiery tropical heat. I've even been sleeping without the airconditioning on (and without T, who has decided to temporarily adopt a nocturnal lifestyle with his PowerBook and ESPN, and is hence on a completely opposite sleep schedule, akin to our friends who live in other timezones).

I've said it many times before, and I'll say it again: If not for the fiercely hot weather, I wouldn' t necessarily be that inclined to move away from Singapore. All I need is for the monsoon to last all year, so that mornings can smell Vancouver-fresh and put a spring in my step, even when I'm plodding to work.

Speaking of Vancouver, we're being tempted towards a year-end vacation there. My only concern is money, though if we've got a group of four people travelling together, that will whittle down the costs of airfare, accommodation and car rental some.

On the other hand, W is trying to lure us to Scandinavia to watch the aurora borealis.

Meanwhile, planning for Hanoi is proceeding apace. Oodles of helpful hints from friends who've been there, and Miffy put us in touch with the guide she used, who's even invited us to his home for Tet! Victor is with Vietnam Explorers, if you're keen (not keen on Tet, just keen on Vietnam in general, though he himself is based in Hanoi).

It hasn't quite sunk in yet that I won't be going back to work or seeing any work email till February 3. But I'm sure that part of my brain will catch up once I don't have to wake up for work tomorrow. Whee!