An Asian Lunch and subsequent events . . .

Today loomed as a hot one. Over 30 degrees Celsius. What better way to celebrate the first day of Autumn than to head off to a local restaurant that serves Asian cuisine. After all, the last time I was in Singapore it was also above 30 and steamy and I know how wonderful it feels to have a really hot Laksa which clears the sinus cavities just from inhaling the aroma and then enables you to create that most desirable of all things on a hot day - the necessary precondition for latent heat of evaporation - namely perspiration.

Then again, after an operation which really does a massive job on your stomach there are side effects to be considered.

With a charming work colleague for a luncheon companion, I contemplated the menu and decided that perhaps the stomach could not quite handle the spices. So instead I chose one of those most satisfying of dishes, a hot noodle soup, which fulfilled all the requirements that my partner is trying to teach me about sensible eating. It had all the relevant food groups, carbohydrates, protein, green vegetable matter, a small dollop of fat and of course that most necessary ingredient, water and plenty of it.

Pleasant conversation, some insights into some work related issues and a slowly filling stomach go a long way to making a day almost perfect.

Coming home from this little outing I realised that perhaps the rest of the day would not go as well, when I noted the mail.

First there were the bills. Well you can't really complain about those, after all I had to have purchased something to have incurred them, so I guess fair is fair, the trader needs to get something out of the deal as well.

Then there was an announcement that if only I had waited to do a deal with my telephone company, they were now offering a much better deal than the one they offered me three months ago. A ten percent discount on all of my utility bills if I signed up for Internet provision with them as well as phone line rental. Of course I would have to pay the penalty for having signed up on their earlier offer and it was likely that the difference between what I would gain on the merry-go-round I would lose on the roundabout.

CHARMING!

Then there was a note saying that a parcel was awaiting collection at the post office.

I dread receiving parcels! You never know these days if it's someone wanting to make a comment on your blog in a most inappropriate way or just something innocuous. So with some trepidation I went to the post office and picked up the parcel and looked at the return address.

It was from my tax agent. Now I knew it was most likely a bomb, happily, only a financial one.

I have to say, I do not mind working, but I resent paying for the privilege - especially when certain people of note in private enterprise, who make as much as my annual salary, in the matter of a few hours, seem to be able to hire lawyers who can offset 100% of THEIR income.

Still, I guess I should not complain. After all my taxes are doing a good job.

They are helping us in this country feel good about ourselves, because we contribute to world peace by sending our soldiers sailors and airmen overseas to protect a form of democracy that is imposed by military might on various groups of people around the world. We can also feel good because we volunteer to spend our money helping people less well off than ourselves and of course we deny our own citizens nothing. After all, we give them access to fantastic hospital treatment - if they live long enough on the waiting lists to get into one. We encourage them to participate in the wonderful growth of the global economy by joining the work force and of course offer to look after their children while they are work, at prices that are larger than their weekly rental costs.

I could go on, but time is money and mine has to go to the tax office. [sigh]