Singapore Haze: Amazed! Dazed Neighbours Still Fazed About Haze

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The big haze:

It all started in 2015 when this post was written 

and reposted in 2016 and 2019. 

We thought it would trouble us no more.

But it did come again in 2023.

Now it's here once more, in 2026

11 years on!!!

From 2015, 2016 and 12 September 2019 [above image] 

the haze came Home. 

Hazardous and horrible!

Will it ever end?

Then when

it was 2023 August, we thought

that was the end.

As usual the young school-going children were also 

badly affected... 

when it came back one more time... in 2026.

THE HAZE IN SINGAPORE: CAUSE AND GLOBAL CONSEQUENCE

Is It Clear?

Fourteen million plus hits on Google when you type, "Haze in Singapore." 

Call it what you may, haze or smoke which has been polluting this region for weeks now is not created by Mother Nature but by Man himself.  One thing is clear; our air is so foul and "poisonin' my oxygen" that it is frustrating everyone in the area.  Worse, it is making every creature, great and small, sick.

Every day fires are destroying the beautiful forests of Indonesia's South Sumatra, Riau and Kalimantan and simultaneously endangering the health of its own people and surrounding neighbours and little red dot, Singapore [written in 2015].

I'm a hungry planet

I had the bluest seas

Oh the people kept 
Choppin' down

All my finest trees (1).

The lyrics above were written by The Byrds way back in 1970 and described a situation that is still persisting today. Hungry Planet is one of many songs that deals with an on-going ecological disaster and the problem will never be resolved unless a certain country follows its own laws which forbid the use of fire to clear land.

Or Still Unclear?

Another thing is clear; we can't do anything because Singapore is like a David standing in front of a cigarette smoking Goliath. We have to inhale what Goliath exhales, and the *problem has persisted from as far back as 1972, more than 40 years since. 

The country in question has promised it will enforce its laws but nothing's been done so far [written in 2015]. A pop group from 1970, The Moody Blues, reminds us of the foulness in the air in a composition called, How Is It:

How is it we are here on this path we walk
In this world of pointless fear filled with empty talk
Descend from the ape as scientist-priest all think
Will they save us in the end, we're trembling on the brink (2).

Responsible Lyricists:

Like The Byrds and The Moody Blues, many famous pop composers and lyricists get serious and write about how Man has savaged and ravaged Mother Earth. So while some readers  think that the West are only writing frivolous rock and roll music these same pop stars are doing the world a favour by warning how our selfish attitude towards the environment is destroying and killing it:

Now the sun has come to earth
Shrouded in a mushroom cloud of death
Death comes in a blinding flash
Of hellish heat and leaves a smear of ash
And the sun has come to earth (3).

Only last night (5th October 2015), I saw our local news headlines on television feature young children in hospitals with asthma and with some seniors suffering from a skin ailment agitated by the haze. The Byrds lamented in the same song that this condition is:

Diggin' into my skin

Taking more out of my good earth

Than they'll ever put back in

I"m a hungry planet... (4)

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, the established folk rock super group from the 70's stated that Clear Blue Skies were not much to ask for. They were here before creatures roamed the earth. Question is, "Will they be here when we're gone?" (5)

Optimism:

According to an **article, two-thirds of the fires in Indonesia occur on peat wetlands. It is not widely known that Indonesia has the largest tropical peat wetlands in the world but these places are definitely rich in biological diversity. Imagine the devastation going on at the moment with the fires in full force and its outcome afterwards.

Oil wasted on the ocean and upon our seas
Fish full of mercury
Ah oh mercy, mercy me
Ah things ain't what they used to be, no no
Radiation under ground and in the sky
Animals and birds who live nearby are dying
Oh mercy, mercy me. (6)

How long more do we have to take the haze and the continuing saga of earth's destruction? I remain optimistic so let's leave the last words to Tommy James and the Shondells:

Maybe tomorrow

When he looks down

On every green field, ooh ooh

And every town

All of his children

And every nation

They'll be peace and good brotherhood (7).

FOOTNOTES

Other Earth Songs:

Mother Nature's Son - The Beatles

After The Gold Rush - Neil Young 
Where Do The Children Play - Cat Stevens 

Big  Yellow Taxi - Joni Mitchell 
Don't Go Near the Water - The Beach Boys
Hole In The Sky - Black Sabbath

The Trees - Rush 

Calypso John Denver
Nobody's Fault - Aerosmith

Earth Anthem - The Turtles
Every Day Every Day Celebrate - John Denver
Sweet Baby James -James Taylor

Traffic Jam - James Taylor

Goodbye To A River - Don Henley

The Eagle and The Hawk - John Denver
Down By The River - Albert Hammond

Quoted Songs Are:

(1) Hungry Planet - The Byrds 

(2) How Is It? - Moody Blues

(3) The Sun Is Burning - Simon and Garfunkel

(4) Hungry Planet - The Byrds 

(5) Clear Blue Skies - Crosby Stills Nash and Young

(6) Oh Mercy, Mercy Me - Marvin Gaye

(7) Crystal Blue Persuasion- Tommy James and The Shondells

*Straits Times Press report and image: 13/10/1972.

**Straits Times Press: S. Jayakumar and Tommy Koh; The haze, international law and global cooperation - 6/10/2015 - Pg A20 Opinion.

**Straits Times Press: Bustar Maitar; Instead of pointing fingers, start restoring peatlands - 7/10/2015 - PgA21 Opinion.

You Tube Video: Crystal Blue Persuasion- Tommy James and The Shondells

Images, Chart and gif: Google.
http://weather.asiaone.com.sg/weather-airdetails.php?d=&m=pre&area=

SAVE THE EARTH CAMPAIGN

SLIP NOTE: 11th October, 2015.

Exhilarating news piece that Indonesia is finally getting help from some countries to help douse out the fire and according to The President Mr Jokowi, it must be effective two weeks from today.  Hopefully, we get fresh air again and also save "all creatures great and small", which include the orang utans too. 

TODAY 26TH AUGUST, 2016. HAZE STILL HERE.

Disclaimer: 

There is absolutely no intention to criticise or point a finger at any country regarding the haze situation. This article has been written in 2015 and in the daily newspapers these days, reports of another haze occurrence is possible [3.6.2023].

Back again Mr. Haze in September, 2026.

Mask Up Everyone !

It is debilitating. 

Hope she wins...

Singapore Andy 60s Music: When The Weather, The Food, The People, The Relationship Is HOT!!!

 

I like her grin. She makes everything feel cool already but read on...

Hot Weather:

A high degree of heat; anything beyond 35C is definitely hot. Like in Kuwait City in 2024, it was about 50C. Now, in France too, at 40C and over, shoppers are scrambling to buy cooling appliances. 40C is hot and problems arise with people, places and things when temperature goes beyond expectations!

Hot Food:

Food with lots and lots of chilly and pepper. Now that's HOT STUFF and produces a burning sensation in the mouth. Which countries eat food with lots of chilly in them? Singapore is one with Nasi Padang and Sambal Belacan. Sichuan cold noodles tossed in blazing hot chilli sauce. There’s Spanish tomato-based soup with garlic and chilli pepper. And others.

Hot People:

Now when you're angry, you get hot too and the heat generated may melt the other party. Quarrels between friends, etc. Like in today's world, there are millions of angry citizens because of weak politicians in charge, especially those with no leadership qualities. No need for a hot July or August but silly, angry people who are just frustrated and full of ego, filled with hot air and very negative thinking. 

Hot Relationship: 

This 'heat' would be similar but it's more positive? Now two people in love and are in a relationship could bring their body temperature up when they are together. What more can I say? 

[Don't forget to click the connection below about *'heat'.]

Donna Summer - 'Hot Stuff' (Live) The Donna Summer Special, 1980) 

YouTube from: The Donna Summer Archive.

Hot Pop 70s Song: 

Which finally brings me to this song by Donna Summer [even her surname! 😉]. It's an extremely hot song so check out the lyrics. I have included only a few lines though:

"I want some hot stuff, baby, this evenin'/Gotta have some hot stuff/Gonna have some love tonight (hot stuff)/I need hot stuff/I want some hot stuff/Lookin' for a lover who needs another..."

Enough quoted! So just be wary when eating hot food on a hot July with a hot partner. It might lead to climate change. And it starts in this month of JULY. 

Writing is done in jest.

Comments are welcome folks but do be wary that there are younger readers who check out this blog too.

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

*Heat:

What song begins with the words, "The heat is on..." No googling.

Which gives 'hot' another meaning.

Check the connection below to find out:

.: Weather Forecast: The Heat Is On: Glenn Frey: Singapore Sizzles

Images: Google. 

YouTube: Video.

Andy 60s Music: People Got To Be Free. Let Us Make Peace. Let Us Forgive.

I DON'T KNOW WHO WROTE THIS PIECE, BUT IT'S WORTH READING.

Thanks to this sensible and peace-loving person. 

"Every minute… someone leaves this world.
Not only the old.
Not only the sick.
Not only the weak.
Someone. Somewhere.
Age has nothing to do with it.
Life does not always send a warning.
The truth is… we are all standing in a line.
A line we did not choose.
A line we cannot see the end of.
And the strange thing is… most of us don't even realize we are in it.

We wake up every morning thinking we have time.
Time to hate.
Time to fight.
Time to compete.
Time to prove we are better than someone else.
But the line is moving.
Quietly.
Patiently.
Relentlessly.
And every day… someone steps out of it.
We never know how many people are ahead of us.
We never know when our name will be called.
We cannot move to the back of the line.
We cannot step out of it.
We cannot pause it.
And no amount of money, power, fame, or connections can halt its progress.

So, while we are still standing here… while our turn has not yet come…

Let us make peace.
Let us forgive.
Let us stop carrying the heavy bags of anger and hatred.
Let us do good.
Not tomorrow.
Not when it is convenient.
But now.
Let us tell the truth, even when lies seem easier.
Let us be honest, even when honesty comes at a cost.
Let us show kindness to people who may never be able to repay us.
Because one day — whether we like it or not — we will leave this world.
That is the one appointment no human being can cancel.

So, what is the point of holding a grudge against someone who could leave tomorrow… or you could leave before them?

What is the point of destroying someone's life, sending a brother to prison, or plotting revenge… when neither of you truly controls tomorrow?
Why boast about money… when money has never stopped death?
Why boast about status… when titles disappear the moment life leaves the body?
Why deceive yourself with power and connections… when countless powerful people stood in this same line before you and still had to leave?
Why fight your own brother over land… when the earth itself will one day cover both of you?

'People Got To Be Free': The Rascals: Stereo [Summer] 1968. YouTube Video by: Smurfstools Oldies Music Time Machine.

Look around the world.
People fighting.
Families breaking.
Communities divided.
All for things that cannot follow us beyond the grave.
Evil often grows from ignorance.
Pride is the costume of foolishness.
Selfishness is the poverty of the soul.
And betrayal… betrayal is the language of weakness.

But kindness… kindness is strength.

Compassion is wisdom.
And humanity is the greatest legacy a person can leave behind.
At the end of life, nobody asks how much money you had in your bank account.
They ask how many lives you touched.
They remember whether your presence brought peace… or pain.
Whether you lifted others up… or pushed them down.
Whether you built bridges… or burned them.

So while we are still alive…
While our hearts are still beating…
While our feet are still moving in this mysterious line called life…
Let us do good.
Let us love more.
Let us forgive faster.
Let us help those who cannot help themselves.
Let us use the little time we have… not only to build our lives…
But to uplift humanity.
Because when our turn finally comes…
And we step out of this line…
The only thing that will remain…
Is the good we did for others?
May the Lord guide our hearts to what is right, forgive our shortcomings, fill our lives with sincere goodness, and grant us a beautiful ending when our time comes."

This message is really touchy, and I know that you will feel it as well.

It's a food for thought for the wise.

Good day!

This article was sent to me by good old friend Mun Chor Seng, seen here with his wife during our pop guitar blast at the National Library in 2016.

Why fight your own brother over land… when the earth itself will one day cover both of you?

Andy 60s Music: 'Colors Of The Wind' Song From Disney's 'Pocahontas': Interpreting Its Lyrics

Suite & 'Colors of the Wind' [Pocahontas] - Christine Allado | Hollywood in Vienna 2022 YouTube Video from: Yannick Lotz. 

Alan Menken composed the music for 'Colors of the Wind,' with lyrics by Stephen Schwartz [1995].

Suite & Colors Of The Wind (Pocahontas) - Christine Allado | Hollywood in Vienna 2022 

One interpretation of 'Colors Of The Wind':

I have always loved the above song from the Walt Disney movie and until recently, captured the above version again on YouTube video. This time around the words jumped out from the page and I realized that the lyrics sounded more meaningful.

"You think you own whatever land you land on/ The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim/ But I know every rock, and tree, and creature/ Has a life, has a spirit, has a name."

If we are aware of the tumultuous goings~on in the world around us today, the lines above are definitely familiar. News from today's headlines? Surely.

"You think the only people who are people/ Are the people who look and think like you/ But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger/ You'll learn things, you never knew, you never knew."

Christine Allado, a Filipino-British and current singing star and actress. Check her out on the many websites available that discuss her achievements and awards she holds.

I'm not much into politics and don't want to step on anyone's toes, especially the animals' mentioned in the lyrics, so I turned to AI and the answer came easily:

Yes, the lyrics of 'Colors of the Wind' from Disney's 'Pocahontas' can be, and have been, associated with modern conflicts, bombings, and environmental destruction by acting as a counter-narrative to violence, exploitation, and dehumanization. 

While originally written in 1992 to reflect the perspectives of Native Americans against colonization, the song's themes are frequently re-interpreted today as a protest against the "conqueror" mindset. 

"The rainstorm and the river are my brothers."

Here is how the lyrics associate with modern bombing and conflict:

* Critique of Disregard for Life ("You think you own whatever land you land on / The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim"): This lyric is interpreted as a critique of colonial or modern military efforts that treat landscapes and inhabited areas as mere territory to be claimed, bombed, or destroyed, disregarding the life, spirit, and communities that exist there.

* Dehumanization of Others ("You think the only people who are people / Are the people who look and think like you"): This line is used to comment on conflict, racism, and the tendency of groups to dehumanize their opponents in war, reducing them to "savages" rather than recognizing them as fellow humans.

* Interconnectedness ("We are all connected to each other / In a circle, in a hoop that never ends"): This directly contrasts with the destructive impact of bombing, emphasizing that the destruction of people or the environment in one place affects everyone.

"How high does the sycamore grow? / If you cut it down, then you'll never know."

"Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest/ Come taste the sun-sweet berries of the earth/ Come roll in all the riches all around you/And for once never wonder what they're worth..."

* A Call for Empathy ("But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger / You'll learn things you never knew"): This calls for understanding and dialogue, opposing the violence that creates refugees and destruction. 

*According to reports in 2025, people have used the song on social media to comment on conflicts in the Middle East and other environmental issues, finding the lyrics to be a "generational rallying cry" against violence and destruction. 

(This article is an AI generated reply.)

"Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon? Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned?"

 "The rainstorm and the river are my brothers/ The heron and the otter are my friends/ And we are all connected to each other/ In a circle, in a hoop that never ends..."

"Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains/ Can you paint with all the colors of the wind..."

Judy Kuhn [left], the original singer and Vanessa Williams both sang, "Colors of the Wind."

Images: Google.

Reflection for Good Friday 2026: 'Man's Search for Meaning' n 'Silence'. By Phil Chan

Dear Andrew,

Good morning. Below is my reflection for this year’s Good Friday 2026. Wishing you and your family a Good Friday. 

Best Regards. God Bless You.

Phil.

"Man’s Search for Meaning" and "Silence":

As the traditional Good Friday and Easter approach, we are reminded of the horrific sufferings and death of Jesus. This Lent season reminds us of two bestsellers and powerful classics: Viktor Frankl’s (reprinted 2014) bestseller, "Man’s Search for Meaning" (1959) and "Silence" (1969) by Shusaku Endo (translated to English by William Johnston, 1925-2010). Viktor Frankl was a well-known lecturer at Harvard and Stanford while Shusaku was a graduate from University of Keio, Tokyo (n1949) and University of Lyon, France (1953). Shusaku won many outstanding Japanese literary awards.

The two books in mention.

Both books paint a vivid picture about human suffering. Viktor shows us the meaning of life in suffering in a Nazi death camp while Shusaku shows us a different type of suffering which will be discussed below.

“Silence" is a Japanese novel about a Jesuit priest named Sebastiao Rodriguez who made a missionary trip to Japan to find his mentor in order to rescue him from persecution by the Japanese ruling class. When he got there, he discovered that peasants were “tortured” so as to break their Christian faith. Eventually Sebastiao was dragged by the ruling class to the crossroads for his soul. They put the artist image of Jesus Christ, the Messiah before him and told him to step on it and denounce his faith. 

Sebastiao was told that the torturing of the peasants would stop if he stepped on the image. However, the torturing would persist should he fail to follow their instruction.  For Sebastiao, it was a dilemma. To step on the “picture” of God felt like he was betraying the Messiah. But to refuse, he also felt like he was betraying love and compassion for the Japanese peasants. At that moment, the Silence of God book reached its climax.  Sebastiao finally heard Christ, the Messiah speak. “It was to be trampled on by men that I was born into this world.  Step on me.  I carry the cross for this very reason.  To bear the weight of your shame.”

‘O Sacred Head Now Wounded’ - Fernando Ortega. YouTube Video by Scott Bacher.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgkVTtT-0xg

The above episode is similar to Viktor’s 2017 classic, “Man’s Search for Meaning” where prisoners in holocaust camps were mistreated by the Nazis. God seemed to be silent and hidden as the inmates underwent torture and sufferings. It is so aptly described by Isaiah, Truly, you are a God who hides himself, O God of Israel, the Savior. Isaiah 45:15.

Indeed, the Messiah did not come to condemn us; He came to be condemned for us. In the Gospels, He did not once ask to be worshipped. He did not come for accolades, crowns or recognition. He came to be crushed so that we could live. He came to show us the path of suffering which leads to freedom. 

The book convicts me because of this truth: Too many of us Christians, worship dogma, preachers, spiritual methods or even the religious book itself. But Christ never once commanded the worship. People worshipped Him but what He asked was far harder.  

Follow me. Walk my path. Carry my cross. Enter the darkness. And in so doing, you will find life. Because salvation is not found in avoiding pain. It is found in pressing through it i.e. taking up our own crosses. In enduring shame, the loss and the breaking, one will discover that one has been transformed. We will also discover that the kingdom of God is always within us.  In Luke 17:21, Jesus said “… nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is, ‘because of the kingdom of God is within you.’”

Jesus Paid it All - Fernando Ortega - Lyrics. YouTube Video by: Strange Lyrics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5DyeCx8H4U

Sebastiao thought that stepping on the image was betrayal but in reality, it was the profoundest act of following Jesus.  Christ is not fragile and the Messiah does not need us to protect Him. Christ came to be crushed under the weight of the world's sin yet pronouncing, “I will set you free”.  

This is the mission of Christ, the Messiah - to set us free. Free from dogma. Free from tyranny. Free from the victim mindset. Free from our own chains. Through the Bible, He shows us The Way i.e. not by escaping suffering, but by being transformed. This is not just theology. It is the most powerful truth one can live by.  St. Paul said in Romans 12:2 … “but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is, His good, pleasing and perfect will.

Book Summary:

Both "Man's Search for Meaning" and "Silence" reflect on human suffering. It shows suffering as a place of testing, hidden grace, and deeper spiritual insight. In "Silence", Sebastian's renunciation highlights the tension between faith, compassion, and sacrifice. The book argues that Christ is present in suffering, and that true discipleship means following Him through pain, shame, and transformation. Christian faith is not about avoiding suffering but enduring it with Jesus the Messiah. Salvation is found not in pride or outward religion but in self-denial, compassion, and trust in God's hidden presence.

Three Days | Easter Hymn | Easter Song of Resurrection | Choir w/Lyrics | Sunday 7pm Choir. YouTube Video by: 7pm Choir. Catholic n Christian Choral 

Music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQVog92kLH8

Finally, there is Hope in suffering. Jesus said Let not your heart be troubled: Ye believe in God, believe also in me.” (John 14:1) 

Good News at Jesus’ Tomb:

1) The Mysterious Napkin for Jesus’ face.

John 20:6-7 

Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Do we fold our napkins in a restaurant to signal to the waiter that we are returning to the table after we excuse ourselves for a while? Perhaps through the folded napkin, Jesus’s return was made known.

2) Mary called Jesus the Gardener, at the tomb.

John 20:14-16 

"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. 

"Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" 

Thinking He was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have put Him, and I will get Him." 

Jesus said to her, "Mary."

She turned toward Him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). 

Interestingly, in the Garden of Eden, God’s first instruction to Adam is to be a gardener., to work and take care of the garden (Genesis 2:15). However, Adam failed. In contrast, Jesus, the second Adam, came to restore man’s fallen state.

3) Jesus has resurrected and we too will have eternal life.

This is not surprising. As the Messiah is sinless, his body did not decay. In fact, Jesus has resurrected. Contrarily, we humans are sinners and subject to bodily decay after death. 

Romans 3:23 … “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

We thank God we have the hope of resurrection … to be reunited with our loved ones who have gone before us.

Comments are always welcome.

Author: Dr. Phil Chan.

'Oh Sacred Head, Now Wounded' (Hymn 271) - Hymnology (Official Video) YouTube Video by: Hymns of Grace.

Dr. Phil Chan

Given the short time Phil wrote this article, it is a miracle! Just shows his dedication and spirit. Again, thanks so much my dear friend.

Images: 

From YouTube: 'Good Friday Hymns' - Rosemary Siemens for picture of the Cross.