Things will start to get hairy from tomorrow and over the next 4 months as I begin the much-awaited field study component of the grad project. Enough of pilot studies, recce trips and background study, this is the REAL thing/deal/mccoy, whatever... Tramping around the Central Catchment Area is fun but not exactly a conventional way of spending hot and balmy days although it's much better than doing that during the northeast monsoon season when daily rainfall can go up to 2 metres in a single day...

Well, I hope to cover 12 study sites around the MacRitchie drainage area during daylight hours tomorrow, followed by 8 sites along Pierce Track the following day and rounding things off with 6 more sites west of Upper Seletar Reservoir on Thursday. Phew... just thinking about them makes me sweat. Now if I can only remember to take the relevant equipment along. For anyone who happens to read this and think that I'm rambling on due to high fever, no, this is really what I do as a routine. There are forests and wildlife to be found in Singapore if you go off the beaten path. There are other things besides the stock exchange, orchard road and the nicely manicured Botanic Gardens...

I'm thinking of starting a guided tour of the Central Catchment Area on a regular basis. Some teachers whom I've spoken to have expressed interest and even friends like CK have been asking. Think it'll be ok with friends but it gets a bit touchy with school groups, what with the litigation-oriented attitude of parents nowadays, think "I'll sue you for allowing the mosquito to bite my boy-boy's arm", hope you get the drift...

Remind me to take lots of pictures of my walks. Will post them up as and when I get cleaned up after the trips...