Serangoon Reservoir on a quiet Friday evening

A quiet evening at Serangoon Reservoir……

I was there on Friday evening.  The birds were chirping, the water was still with the occasional ripples and the light slowly darkened to a soft golden glow in the distance.

It is rather crowded here during weekends, so if you want a quieter atmosphere, come during weekdays for a relaxing time. Enjoy the peace and quiet!

Have a great weekend!

The heat is on………….

May and June are usually the hottest months in Singapore. Humidity and heat can really dampen one’s outdoor activity but with enough precautions, enjoy your outing!

This blog’s posting has been reduced somewhat while I concentrate more on cycling these days. It is enjoyable to cycle but after a few encounters with heat exhaustion and ultimately the beginnings of  heat stroke, this article is as much to share information and also as a reminder for myself.

Heat exhaustion comes about when your core body temperature exceeds 37 degrees celsius.

Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion

• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Heavy sweating with cold, clammy skin
• Continuous thirst
• Muscle aches and cramps
• Confusion, anxiety or agitation
• Slow or weak heartbeats
• Fainting

If heat exhaustion continues without treatment, heat stroke follows. Core body temperature could reach above 40 degrees celsius. Extreme heat stroke is a medical emergency. Get treatment and help immediately.

Symptoms of Heat Stroke

• Headache
• Nausea, vomiting
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Hot, dry and clammy skin
• Breathless with rapid heart rate
• Reduced sweating
• Confusion and delirium
• Convulsions
• unconsciousness

What to do when you encounter these symptoms? Treatment for Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke 

• Drink that isotonic drink, followed by water if you have them
• Find shelter or a shady area immediately
• Remove your hat or helmet and gloves
• Remove socks and shoes also if possible
• If wearing knee guards, elbow bandage, etc remove them immediately
• If wearing loose, long sleeve shirts, roll sleeve till elbow to provide better ventilation
• If nearby a toilet, wash face, neck, arms and legs with water
• Pour water over your head to cool down
• If you have a towel, handkerchief or bandanna, soak with water and put on face, neck or head
• If nearby toilets with showers, get wet now!
• If having stomach cramp with extreme thirst, avoid cold water especially from water cooler as this may induce phlegm and instigate vomiting. If no choice, just use tap water
• If symptoms continues, get help! Or call friends or family to pick you up. If alone, get help from people nearby. Call or flag a cab (useful for foldable bikes or bikes with quick release wheels)
• Once home, get into the shower immediately, then drink liquid continuously, get some quick digestible, energy filling food and rest!
• For heat stroke especially, very important to seek treatment immediately. Worst case scenario, call an ambulance! If a person is lying down or unconscious, remove hat or helmet and elevate feet. Cool down by placing wet towel on head, neck, armpits and groin

Those treatment suggestion comes from personal experience. We all have our ebb and flow in energy level. Know your strength and weaknesses. Build stamina by slowly increasing the distance over time. Those taking medicines like diuretics, antihistamines, sedatives, tranquilizers, stimulants, some medications for heart and blood pressure medications, anti-depression medications are more prone to heat exhaustion.

Additional, bring along sweets or lozenges for that quick sugar rush to counter that dizziness. Medicated oil can help to treat nausea and relieve muscle cramps. Even if you are jogging or cycling nearby your home, always good to bring your handphone, a few dollars and cents for venting machine, bus or cab fare, your IC, atm or credit card for emergency money. You never know when you may need them.

While the temperature is climbing and humidity is cloaking the air, take care while walking, running or cycling outdoors.

How to Avoid Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke When Hiking, Jogging or Cycling

• Exercise very early or late – before 10am or after 6pm
• Wear light coloured, light weight and fast drying clothes so sweat evaporate fast – avoid cotton
• Bring water and an isotonic drink along
• Research and plan your route – find out locations of water points and toilet – when to stop and turn back
• Find out the weather forecast for that day
• For those wearing baseball hats or caps, such hats have little ventilation, trap heat and worsen heat exhaustion. Remove them from time to time to air your head
• Trust your gut instinct – if something don’t feel right, listen! Either stop, turn back or change plan immediately

Cycling at Punggol Road

If you face that situation, on your own, feels like the distance home is so so far away….. Think of your family, friends or whatever keeps you going. Break down the distance to home in stages.

Think of one landmark on the route, example, that toilet around the next bend. March on and when you reach it, think of the next goal – maybe that food court at Changi Village. Next goal and the next one. So on and so on. Always remember to sip water continuously along the way. Stop if you must, take that 5 minutes break at a bus stop. For those who cycle, push the bike to conserve energy uphill if necessary.

When cycling, I do find that flat terrain use up more energy than undulating slopes. Or maybe it is just personal preference and fitness level. I would rather cycle along the slopes of Yio Chu Kang and Mandai Road than the Coastal Road and ECP. Part of the reason – there is no need to cycle downhill so there is time for recovery. So if you have a tendency for heat exhaustion like me, choose a route that best fit you.

So take care everyone while outdoors. Prevention is always better than cure. Be safe.

Relates Link
Understanding Heat-Related Illness — Symptoms
Heat exhaustion and heatstroke
Heat Exhaustion
Understanding Heat Stroke
Heat Stroke
Medications and Summertime Heat

Dawn at Punggol Beach

Quietly the morning awakens at Punggol Beach. A pink glow, purple radiance, a blue hue and the light changes again. It is misty in the distance, casting an ethereal air to the surroundings. This was taken this morning. Originally taken as a vertical but I think cropping it to a square works better this time.

Happy weekends, everybody!

Walking path to the Serangoon East Dam and the Beach

Where? Walk of the Damn….oopps…wrong spelling.  The dam….you know…. the Serangoon East Dam and the coastline opposite.

Incoming thunderstorm

It is monsoon season in Singapore towards the end of the year. Usually mid afternoon showers which can bring along flash floods in some areas if there is relentless rain. Best time outdoors – in the early morning. Watch those storm clouds racing in the distance. Storm chasers, let’s go chase those storms!

Beautiful Sunday at Lorong Halus Wetland

Beautiful morning we have in Singapore today. Blue sky, bright sunshine. Storm clouds in the distance. Afternoon showers to be expected later.

I was walking along the trail to the Sengkang East Dam today when I came across a hidden hazard. A tight nylon line laid across the walking path, like a trap. Anyone jogging and cycling fast could be cut. Found my penknife and cut it down.

Be careful out there. There are always hazards. Anyways, make the best of the fine weather today. Have a great weekend!

Serene morning at Serangoon Reservoir

Something serene, something green. Wherever you are in the world, good morning or evening!

Early morning is great for reflection especially near a river or reservoir. I always like this forest because the reflection looks so green and at times so surreal. The sun rises from behind this forest in the morning. Around 7.30 am plus, there is enough light to see the forest reflection.

In the afternoon around 4.30 pm, if the sky is blue, the water reflection looks bright green and blue in full sunshine. It is a matter of timing and good luck if the weather is cooperating. The difference between morning and afternoon – in the morning, there is a light mist – the scenery can look pretty surreal.

Forest photography – my objective for the next project. While I battle on with the flu bug, hope everyone take care of themselves. Have a great weekend!

Hazy morning at Punggol Beach

Looks like it will be quite some time before we see clear blue sky again. The haze had been bad for the past few days.

For a photographer, there is no such thing as bad weather! I was purposely looking out for hazy weather for some soft focus photography. This is was taken this morning at 6.55am.

For those with health conditions, visit the NEA website to check the latest PSI readings. Looks like the North area is most hazy today. Meanwhile, be outdoors but take care! Have a great weekend!

Hazy weather in Singapore, as seen from Pasir Ris Beach

Hazy Weather in Singapore

The haze is back in Singapore again. While yesterday there was heavy mist and a bit of sunlight despite the haze, today there was no sun at all. With such heavy clouds, it was actually quite bright already by 6.45am.

I cycled to Pasir Ris beach this morning and came across these empty seats while in the distance Pulau Ubin and Pasir Gudang could barely be seen. After a short rest, cycled to Tampines Mountain Bike Trail for a re-visit but the pond had already dried up so could not photograph there. Ok, let’s head back to Pasir Ris beach. Still the same hazy weather.  Time to sit back, relax, people watch and just unwind. Despite the “No Swimming” sign, someone swam at the beach. Hmm…that’s your risk, buddy.

I was out since 6.20am and reached home about 12.15pm. The price for staying outdoors cycling for a long period – a bad saw throat. So be careful if you are outdoors during these hazy weather.

Take care!

Golden sunrise shining its warm glow on Coney Island Singapore

Digging into old pictures, sometimes I found something I totally forgot was there. This is one of those picture.

This is a closer view of the stone edge fronting Coney Island Singapore. This is where some of the anglers like to fish. Sometimes I can see the fishes right there in the water. But on that particular morning, the shoreline here was rather empty. The sunlight was brilliantly golden that morning. I did not notice this before but there was a tiny casuarina plant next to a row of older trees. So new life found a way to regenerate on this island. Sometimes when you are lucky, the otters make an appearance right here, usually in the early morning.

Good luck to all and have a wonderful weekend!