It is MONSOON SEASON!

So what?

The wet monsoon season is here and I am receiving its wrath. More so because the wooden house has patches of tiny holes that water manages to seep through.  For now it is not so bad but I do have to find a solution. It is hot and sunny in the mornings but when evenings like these arrives, so does the rain. 

Today was pretty interesting because I had a visitor whom my cousin brought. She is a long lost friend (3years..ok not that long) that was very helpful when I used to run a cafe (Yes I did with my mom). It was a surprise seeing her. I had a feeling that today is going to be different partly because when I woke up, I guessed 2 timings, 0948 and 0848. *Drum roll*....it was 0848 when I checked my phone. 

Apart from the mysterious lucky guess, it was nice meeting an old friend. They asked some questions about living on the island and I gladly answered them. Reminiscing past stories was quite refreshing too. 

The late part of the afternoons was spent at Mr. Ahamad bin Kassim's house. He operates a drink stall by his house and I often go over to help him with whatever small chores there are (like starting his generator). He is already 83 years old and lives here with his already fragile wife and a domestic helper from Indonesia. 

Tomorrow I will be helping a villager who is contracted by the National Parks (who will take over the island from Singapore Land Authority in April 2017) to clear a lily pond. The lily pond I understand needs to be cleared every 3months or so to maintain is beauty. The old lilies are cut and the new lilies will grow. It is a demanding task because we have to go into the pond which has a water depth of up to our necks. We are supplied with life jackets, gloves and sickle. I do enjoy it though. 

For tonight, I am braving in for the cold. Monsoon issues?

Beginnings

Hi. Peace be upon you if you are reading this, whoever you are. Stumbling on this page may be either coincidence or you may have been directed by interest. My birth name is Heire Augustin. I am a Singaporean Malay and currently I am 31 years old and I decided to start writing again. In my younger days (which if I recall, weren't that long ago) I used to literally write on a diary. I had 3 of them, which I painstakenly decorated and adored. Yes, I might just fall into the narcist name calling for that.

I am blessed to have a somewhat different childhood. I grew up swatting mosquitos and burning dead leaves on Pulau Ubin (Ubin Island). I am even more fortunate to have found a job on the island and even stay there.

It is a simple wooden house that is neither connected to the grid nor has running water. It does have a diesel generator that when connected to a dynamo generates 220-240v electricity (used when my uncle comes), a 80w solar panel with 80AH battery supplying 12v electricity to power 3 x 5watts led bulbs and a water pump for the well. I use the renewable energy to charge my handphone and light up the house at night. I can use it to power the water pump too.

Now this can be a little overwhelming for a normal Singaporean because back on mainland, the government ensures these needs are catered for. But on the island, it is pretty much back to the 60s (except for the solar energy). I will do a separate post on the solar system.

I must say living on the island is not easy. Fighting mosquitos, keeping monkeys and wild boars at bay, insects (centepedes which I was bitten ny a few days back while sleeping) bees and snakes. But that is a small price for its beauty and adventure which on the mainland lacks. I often bring out my 2 seater kayak to the water channel (inbetween Pulau Ubin and Singapore) to fish, whether or not I get fish thats secondary. I wake up in the mornings to birds chirping and roosters crow. I do get to bathe naked in the open (seriously) without getting arrested or 'Stomped' (a Singaporean lingo used when something is captured and posted on the Stomp website).

 I spend part of my day hanging out by the taxi stand at the jetty watching visitors passing by and talking with other villagers. I keep myself updated listening to BBC World Service and enjoy reading. I am currently picking up programming.

It is an alternate lifestyle that may not be suitable for everyone. But here is the journey.

Ps: I write about anything under the sun.