Lamenting the scarcity of trails in Singapore, and ranting about the default upgrading policy in place, lets us users too easily of the hook. I’ve written about the seemingly unused trail opportunities in Singapore before, and am repeating myself here, but the reccees for route I’m currently working on – the South and Southeastern coastal route – take me on so many kilometers of grass and sand without ever encountering another runner that it is a message that apparently needs repeating and repeating and repeating…. Continue reading →

The advantage of being an outsider/newbie is that one is not (yet) habituated to the local normal. I notice stuff locals have become so used to that they don’t realize anymore that the wider world doesn’t necessarily considers it ‘normal’. As Johan Cruijff, our Dutch Yogi Berra, used to say, every disadvantage is also an advantage, and my advantage is thus rooted in a huge disadvantage. I haven’t got much clue about the reasons behind what stands out for me.  Continue reading →