Haze is Back :(

The haze is back without any warning. :( Woke up to the air full of acrid burning smell. The haze even permeated into my office at work! That's how bad it is.

My workplace at NIE looked as if we are surrounded by fire within our immediate vicinity. :O

Health Tracker

I got my mother a Fitbit Charge HR since her Xiao Mi that she was using died on her. 
Now I really know how FIT my mother is!!! On average, she walks between 12,000 to 14,000 steps and she climbs an average of 20 stairs per day!! 
I really have to get fit. :( 

No Junk Food Challenge

I have decided to take up a "No Junk Food" Challenge, starting 1 October 2014 for 21 days for a better health since I am pre-diabetic. 

I avoided eating from the above list when I first found out I am pre-diabetic a couple of years back. I felt good physically and mentally. However with the passing of time, I got lazy and lax about what I eat. It's time I watch what I eat again for my health. Wish me luck! :)

Psst, anyone care to join me? :P 

Haze is Back

The haze from Indonesia is back in Singapore. :( The nights have been especially bad. Somehow the burning smell seemed especially strong and acrid at night. My allergic reactions (throat, nose and eye irritations) have been particularly bad during the nights. Need to replenish my stock of antihistamine such as Zyrtec-D. 

Continued Respite

We are continuing to get a respite from the haze from Indonesia. The PSI values have maintained and remained under 100 which is in the moderate range. Hopefully the burning situation in Indonesia remains under control and that we can all continue to have clean air for the sake of our health. :)

A Newer High/ Low

Just when I thought the PSI value has peaked and couldn't climb any higher, it DID! At 12pm today, it reached a record high of 401. This is by the far the highest PSI value in Singapore's history since haze started appearing annually. :( :(

A New High

Or low, depending on how you look at it. The PSI value was 371 at 1pm today which indicated that the air was "hazardous"! For the entire day - eyes are puffy and smarting, throat is itchy and painful, nose is itchy and blocked. Also temporarily "lost" the sense of smell, can smell nothing except an acrid burning smell. Sigh.

PSI 321!

I can hardly believe my eyes when I saw the Pollutant Standards Index reading. It was 321 at 10pm!! When the PSI value is in the range of above 300, the air becomes "hazardous". The PSI value of 321 at 10pm, 19 June 2013 is now officially the worst reading in Singapore's history. The previous worst reading was 226, in 1997. No wonder my nose-throat problem acted up as I was working with my girls on our Taipei 2013 trip travel journal/ scrapbook. 
The haze is definitely a health hazard to old folks and children, people with respiratory and heart issues, as well as expecting mothers. When will this ever end? Every year, we face the same problem. It is not new. Our neighbour doesn't seem very neighbourly as the same haze problem occurs every year. Sigh. 

Doctor's Appointment

My mother went to the doctor's in the morning after fasting since 8pm last night. She went through a bunch of tests. The results will only be out next week. Meanwhile, the doctor gave my mother some medication to bring down her high blood pressure.

Health Warning

When my mother was in Taiwan, one of her friends measured her blood pressure and found it to be extremely high. However, my mother felt fine and didn't think too much of it. When she returned home, she used my father's blood pressure monitor to measure her blood pressure. It is confirmed that there is something wrong with her health. Her blood pressure is still extremely high, her reading was 160+/100+ mm Hg. She will be off to see the doctor tomorrow for a thorough checkup.