There is very little of that mad Christmas shopping here but it is the time to build your nativity scene or buy a Christmas tree from the tree vendors on the strip between the Palacio and the Stadium.

The street traffic has been getting very silly but that is not silly season’s fault.  During the week, the number of ships anchored offshore made it to 13 later in the week.  I am told mostly rice shipments but I also understand some port improvements may also be slowing things down.  Looks very silly but could be a genuine attempt to look as thriving as the waters off Singapore.

Malae (ie expats from somewhere else) are starting to de-camp for the holiday season and the Christmas Fairs have been providing gift shopping opportunities so they (errrh we) can be extra silly at this time of year.

The town seems to be slumping under the weight of banners strung across streets everywhere – for all sorts of things.  The queue at the ANZ bank remains very silly.

I noticed a new restaurant “Coconut Resto” is having a soft opening in their premises in the old Thai Pavilion.  I think it is Aru Cafe outside on the porch and the Coconuts inside.

The wet season seems a little wetter than last year so far but no real ball-tearing storms leading to the Comorro River running bank-to-bank.  I think the last time that happened was December 2005.  I can’t help but notice the semi-industrial premises on the west bank of the river that has built a retaining wall structure about 30 metres into the river channel in order to create more land for themselves.  In most parts of the world, this would be a no-no and we will have to see what it does to a genuine bank-to-bank flood down the river.  Very silly to me but potentially exciting for somebody.