Canadian International School
I'm Jeff and I am Chiaki's typist for the day, To my left is Eri and we are all racking our brains for inspiring responses to your questions.First of all though, we think that you must be wondering why we opened up with hazy salutations. Have you picked up a copy of the Globe and Mail recently? Sometime last week there was an article explaining the situation over in our part of the globe and whatever they said, they probably weren't exaggerating. At the moment visibility is limited to about 400 metres as smog, dust and other pollution is being blown in from the forest fires in Kalimantan. 20 million hectares of Indonesian rainforest is being razed to the ground as we speak, and her neighbors are feeling the brunt of the problem as the latest in a string of accidents involved the death of 243 passengers aboard a Garuda Airlines flight bound for Medan.
The pilot was six miles off course and crash landed into a nearby mountain. Rescue efforts are slow as visibility in that region is limited to 100 metres.
Consequently, the haze is a big topic here in Singapore as every major newspaper, television company and radio station is giving hourly updates into the pollution levels. The haze is measured in terms of the Pollution Standard Index (PSI) which measures the level of carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide other harmful substances in the air. Unhealthy levels are described as being over the 200 mark, and the regional record was reached last week at 851 in Kalimantan with visibility being limited to an arm's length. At the moment we are in around the 180 to 200 range.
Enough about my blabbing. Her highness Chiaki will now answer your questions...
In Japan, the traditional breakfast includes miso soup, rice and an assortment of fish (SALMON!!!) and egg based dishes. However, people at our age tend to have bread, tea, scrambled eggs and (for Jeff only) steaks and spaghetti. Eri likes Milo in the morning. Chiaki prefers her rice balls (also known as onigiri) and Japanese tea.
Singapore has recently upgraded their selection of television programs. We now see a lot of the stuff you guys probably watch including 3rd Rock from the Run, Seinfeld (Jeff's personal favorite) and Murder One. Eri likes to watch MTV on HBO (the Television Corporation of Singapore does not broadcast MTV publicly. We all think that plain sucks.) while Chiaki watches Cocktail, Waterworld and Interview with a Vampire, also on HBO.
Eri and Chiaki like to S-H-O-P (shopshopshopshopshop) and go to karaoke...in that order! Do you know what karaoke is? Jeff isn't too fond of it but it is a BIG hit with most Japanese and Singaporean teenagers. The three of us also enjoy dating (although not usually with each other...) and while Singapore is mostly urban jungle, there still remains a few cozy alcoves and trendy restaurants and bars around. During dates, Chiaki frequents shopping malls, movie theaters and karaoke bars. Eri also likes to watch movies and has an added passion for parks. Jeff has a little different angle such that his taste in dating partners and places to go are a little more adventurous and "liberating." It's just a matter of interpretation. To avoid ambiguity, beaches, the tops of skyscrapers and generally anything near a water body are locales favored by this 17 year old Swiss-Indonesian guy.
We hope that we have been able to give you a little more insight the goings-on in our presently not so beautiful garden state.
Yours, Chiaki, Eri, Jeff