The Haze is Back

Don't you love it? That white veil of haze that makes you feel like you're gasping for air? It's back, thank you, Indonesia!

Hey! I thought burning palm trees was illegal? Isn't it? Or did they stop trying to enforce the law over there? When you look at an aerial view of SE Asia, it seems most of Indonesia and part of Borneo is ON FIRE. What's with that?

I have taken to wearing a surgical mask for the first time ever. It may be hilarious to see a White Westerner trucking around with her face covered up with sunglasses and a mask, but it's necessary. Besides, maybe somebody will get the message.

But not.

Health doesn't seem to be a major concern around here. I'm sitting in my kitchen, playing the guitar, when an ugly, deep, rumbling noise rudely interrupts me. I quickly put down the guitar and run to look out the front window.

As I had feared, a huge cloud of white chemicals is rolling up to my front door!

"No! No! NO!"

I clamber to pull the upper windows closed but white gas has already seeped into every crack and crevice. I get the bright idea to go and open the back door to let some of it escape but, as I do, the rumble is approaching at the front of the houses behind mine, letting go another cloud that bellows towards my house.

Then, five minutes later, the chemical bomber is dispersing more DDT in the alley directly behind my back door causing a complete white-out! Now I'm fully covered ---in DDT!

I wonder how toxic this is. Is it my imagination, or are my muscles seizing up? Well, at any rate, this must be preferable to Dengue Fever, or Malaria. Right?

Where did I put that surgical mask?