Sam It’s almost 11.30 on a Saturday morning, and I’m making my way from the train station to my cousin’s apartment in the heartlands of Bukit Panjang. I’ve been coming here at the same time almost every week for the past couple of years. But I’m not here to see…
Leave a CommentCategory: Transcripts S1
Chris Things that go bump in the night do more than wake us up. They threaten the very meaning of home. When we think of home we usually think of safety, comfort, and a sense of belonging, whether at the scale of the family residence or the nation. But when…
Leave a CommentChris For most young people, moving into a dorm means moving away from home for the first time. The experience can be both thrilling and frightening, with more academic and social freedom than ever before. Students can discover exciting new subjects, explore their passions through clubs, make lifelong friends, and…
Leave a CommentChris In 1992 Jack Nicholson delivered one of history’s most memorable movie lines. In the military drama A Few Good Men, Tom Cruise presses him for answers about the death of a soldier. Kaffee Colonel? Lt. Kendrick ordered the Code Red, didn’t he? Because that’s what you told Lt. Kendrick…
Leave a CommentChris Do you recognise this sound? That’s the hum of a Singer sewing machine. A machine like this used to be found in homes around the world, making and mending clothing and creating beautiful decorative arts like quilts. For many families, it was essential for managing the household budget, especially…
Leave a CommentMax I am standing in front of the National Museum of Singapore. It’s located on Stamford Road, at the heart of the city, with historic Fort Canning Park on one side, and the relatively new Singapore Management University on the other. Chris That’s Max. He just graduated from NUS with…
Leave a CommentChris It’s 6:15 on a Tuesday morning. It’s still dark as I walk toward to my local market. The sun won’t rise for another hour, but the shop owners at West Coast Market Square are already busily preparing for the day. Greengrocers arrange cucumbers, tomatoes, and a dozen green leafy vegetables…
Leave a CommentChris A few weeks ago I rode across the country for a $5 plate of rice. That might sound insane to someone unfamiliar with Singapore, but the trip took less than an hour by train. Plus, it’s practically a national pastime to travel far and wide to a public food…
Leave a CommentChris I just arrived at a 12-storey building on the West side of Singapore. It’s a concrete box painted eggshell white, with a simple brown stripe along the fourth story and a huge number on the side. There is a small playground out front, and mature trees and grassy open…
Leave a CommentChris Home is one of the most powerful, yet misunderstood concepts in any language. You don’t believe me? Like a magnet, home both attracts and repels. People can feel homesick for it or run away from it. You can be permanently exiled from your homeland, or you may lose your…
Leave a Comment