December in Singapore
There are two things that are noticeably different in Singapore in the month of December.
One, it feels cooler. No, the leaves don’t change colors and we don’t bring out our winter wardrobes and wear sweaters everyday. Living ON the equator means the days do not get shorter or longer through the year (sunup and sundown 7am – 7pm year round), and the weather does not vary much. However, on average, December is one degree cooler than June. It is a little cloudier, the days are rainier, and it feels cooler. We would still like a dose of winter, but even feeling a little cooler is nice.
Two, it feels less crowded. We have almost 6 million people in 250 square miles, by far the most densely populated country in the world except for Hong Kong. It is a crowded place, and it is amazing that we can all get around without constantly bumping into each other. OK, well, we are constantly bumping into each other. But it is a testament to good public planning that we are able to get around at all.
Because our school system runs on a calendar year, starting in January and ending in November, we have two primary school holidays – 4 weeks in June and 6 weeks in Nov/Dec. These are the times that families go away traveling. And not much can be planned during those months because a lot of people are away. Less people going to work, and it feels less crowded. Except for the gaming shops in the malls that are full of schoolkids on vacation.
So, we enjoy December in Singapore. Thank you, Lord for that one degree cooler weather and for those few less people on the streets!
