It is getting HOT again. Well, not that it hasn't always been hot (and humid), but the rainy season did bring a slight decrease in temperatures. I have mixed feelings about the heat. It is nice when I am outside and I feel like I am in the middle of a gorgeous, sunny summer, but then it gets soooo tiring with it being hot all the time. And night is the worst. I wish I had an air conditioner!

This weekend is a big cram paper-writing weekend. I have a paper due for my Indonesian law class on Monday, which is good, because it will be incorporated into my thesis and having this deadline gives me the push I need at the moment to make some progress on my thesis. I am also very happy that I have found a couple of NPR stations through iTunes and now I can listen to NPR all day while I study- I soooo missed it!

My most recent observation on Singapore is that the government here is extremely talented at legislating how people should live while simultaneously appearing democratic and rather laid-back. It's a very paternalistic approach to things. And indeed, it makes me question many of my ideas of governance. Singapore is the strict law sort of society that everyone always thinks it is, but these laws also don't infringe upon everyday life all that much. Of course, then there are the little hassles that I don't have to deal with because I am a foreigner, but would annoy me so much if I was a local- like buying a house. You have to deal with racial quotas and all kinds of things when you want to buy a home here. On the other hand, the government also subsidizes homes here in order to make it possible for as many Singapore residents as possible to be home owners (it is believed that a person who is a home owner will feel more stake/loyalty in their country).

The government has announced that new elections are going to happen soon, and this means that there has been quite a bit of re-aligning of voting districts and announcements that the ruling PAP government is going to refurbish certain apartment blocks, etc- it's all a very elaborate plan to keep the PAP in power. And I have no doubt that the PAP will succeed. The political structure here is such that it is very difficult for opposition parties to get a foothold. Hence the reason there are normally only a token couple non-PAP members in parliament. The interesting aspect of this is that strong PAP dominance has allowed the government to be extremely efficient. Parliament passes bills with minimal debate, and can respond rapidly to almost any situation. On the whole, Singaporeans are proud of their government and the efficiency of its response to international and domestic concerns.