Singapore Literature in English

City lights

Bright lights, City lights. All so blinding!

Where were the good ole days With candles and gasoline lamps? So warm and cozy

Lights. Bright, glaring lights. Attracted monsters in 2013! Their bodies strewn everywhere What a sight to see!

White ones, red ones, A kaleidoscope of colours. Colours with no warmth. Like those in the city.

Busy busy busy Always rushing here and there Never stopping to apologise, Or even a hi. A world full of strangers, It seems. That will never change. Unless…

~@cakepiggy

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I want a bedroom so capacious I can park a Jaguar in it. (line 9)

Of course a swimming pool. Make it Olympic-sized, lake-sized, a body of clean water visible from space. (lines 20-21)

clouds broadcasting jazz instead of rain (line 32)

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I am allergic to microphones and men in egosuits and pubicwigs (line 25)

Tell that to the battered housewife who thinks happiness lies at the end of a Toto queue (line 57)

Tell that to Chee Soon Juan’s smirk (line 112)

You are not a culture you are poems on the MRT (line 132)

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My favourite Singaporean poet is Alfian Sa’at. Not only is Alfian a distinguished poet, he is also a playwright and an activist.

Alfian was born in 1977. He was educated in RI and RJC, and he attended medical school at the National University of Singapore. However, with only two weeks left to graduation, he decided to drop out because he did not want to work in the civil service for six years after graduation.

It is hard to imagine that Alfian, with his soft-spoken and gentle façade, is actually no stranger to the spotlight. His daring to use his poetry and plays to speak up against issues which matter to him have earned him the unofficial title of Singapore’s enfant terrible. For instance, his poem “Singapore you are not my country” was written to challenge the way people thought of Singapore. He questions if it is really possible to feel at home by glumly listing the ugly sides of the country. I like the poem because it is unique. Unlike conventional Singaporean poems which try to infuse nationalistic themes, Alfian’s poem forces us to question our loyalty and obedience to our city state, and he makes certain hilarious yet worrying observations. For example, he mentions a “battered housewife who thinks happiness likes at the end of a Toto queue.”, “chao ah beng…broken collarbone and three dead comrades…will not hesitate at thrusting his tiger ribcage into another fight. He does idealise Singapore and neither does he go too far in exaggerating the parts of Singapore we do not usually see. The housewife and chao ah beng are very much a reality.

Alfian also takes to social media to propagate his views. He updates his Facebook status quite regularly, with the content of his posts ranging from his views on current international affairs, local news, homosexuality and politics, just to name a few. He has close to 17,000 followers, which explains the whopping number of comments he receives from his posts. I have been following him since two years back and his posts are almost always a joy to read. He is extremely articulate and opinionated, and even though I do not always agree with his views, I often find myself opening up to his side of the argument a little because he is just that articulate! He is an avid supporter of gay and minority rights, as seen from his post dated back in June 2015, in which he vented his frustration at the #WearWhite supporters. He was also particularly active on Facebook during the Amos Yee saga. Here is an excerpt from his post (dated May 10 2015):

So here’s my take on this whole absurd affair: Amos Yee, as a teenager, is as normal as they come. They chafe at authority, will always look for wriggle room and bargaining leverage, have a sharp instinct for pointing out adult contradictions and hypocrisies, and speak in a language of ‘but’s’ and ‘why not’s’ that are designed to try your patience. Any attempt to 'discipline' him becomes a contest of wills; you can slap bail conditions on him but if he thinks they are unfairly punitive (even before any conviction) then you can expect brinksmanship and defiance. With teenagers like these, you can try reasoning with them but you must also be prepared to confront the idea that your reason is actually unreasonable. What is abnormal is that because of the charges against him, all this is being played out on a much larger stage. And this I think is the tragedy of the whole thing: when a brat acts up—and of course Amos can be taunting and bratty—the best thing that you can do is to ignore him and let him exhaust himself.

“But no, some people decided to get all sanctimonious, and we end up with the sorry spectacle of an adult smacking a child mercilessly in a shopping aisle. We don’t think of the child as being uncontrollable at that moment; no, it is the adult who has lost all self-control. And this is how it looks like to me—the people who filed those police reports, the 8 policemen who arrested Amos at his house, the AGC, the man who smacked Amos outside the State Courts, Bertha Henson, Lionel de Souza, the journalists who keep misreporting the case—all of you look so violent, hysterical, foolish and feeble. In trying to solve a 'problem' like Amos Yee you've only ended up displaying your own problems and neuroses--your pettiness, your cruelty, your beastliness, your insecurity--in all their garish detail.”

Many people criticise Alfian for being too radical. However, I like that he is not afraid to go against public opinion. Neither is he ashamed of what he stands up for. Perhaps, he is slightly radical, but that is what I find endearing about Alfian. 

  ~Naomi

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I’m drowning in work, with four assignments due THIS WEEK. I panic, but go for a Poetry book launch, today, anyway.

 I ponder about the value of art there, here in Singapore.

It is paying for the experience, It is paying for the small talk, It is paying for the relational. To find out what their lives are like, To find out where have they’ve been, To find out about how they view the world.

(Honestly who cares. There are too many personal stories in the world.)

It is being utilitarian, not wasting time and/or money. (Not to mention paper: all the blank margins beside the words) Who cares about YOU? Stop being individualistic; Our ascetic culture. Waste not, want not. Material. Progress we can chart, see and note. What are your grades? Credentials? This doesn’t count.

 Even as I compose, this is assigned. Return to your books. Do something. Write.

Ong Ching Hui 1.11.15

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Although these chapters are the ending of the text, it ironically appears to be the climax of Kwang Meng’s life. The sharp and sudden deterioration of his father’s health is perhaps the turning point for him, where he is forced to mature and take up the responsibilities of adulthood. These are highly emotional chapters where a whirlwind of events and feelings are condensed into these few pages.

Readers notice a stark change in Kwang Meng; from one who was a frequent bar patroniser, one who does not care about his job to a responsible worker who kept busy at work and neglected his social life. Kwang Meng is perhaps feeling the burden of supporting his family and possibly needing to pay his father’s medical bills. Kwang Meng perhaps may even be feeling deflated and demoralised as he may be remembering his inadequacy when his father berated him and showed him the harsh reality in chapter 2 - his “hundred and twenty bucks” was not “something”.

Truly, the writing is highly poignant and emotional as the mood of writing has changed starkly; not only Kwang Meng has matured, but other characters too have grown sombre and almost older: his younger sister Swee Lin who took on the motherly role by looking after the younger siblings, preparing dinner and reminding everyone to come home and eat and Kwang Meng’s mother who emotionally apologises to him and entrusts the family responsibility to him in chapter 23, as if admitting her age and incapability of supporting the family.

The Woman

The silence is deafening. It bounces off the white ‘School’ walls. I hate this place! Shhhh Someone is coming!

Clickity clack, clickity clack Clomp.

Murmurs throughout the place. Who is that?

“Good afternoon”

She glances around, Caught my eye (why am I so unlucky?) Her stare is piercing. One less person is breathing now; she notices! Oh shit, why me? Laughing, she turns away.

Scheming, I thought. Evil. Frightening. Controlling, very controlling.

“I am your new principal."

~@cakepiggy

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Going somewhere?

Recently, I told myself to put down my handphone and take in my surroundings on the public transport. I saw and heard things I wouldn’t have, if I were using my phone. Alvin Pang’s Following a Train of Thought on the MRT popped up in my head while I was ‘eavesdropping’ on a conversation. 

I happened to stand in front of two girls, who were sitting down and chatting away. They were talking about their families, boys, the usual. I also found out from their conversation (I found out about it indirectly!) that the both of them were cousins from the paternal side. The thing I noticed about one of the girls was that she had an accent. It wasn’t a typical Singaporean Malay accent but rather one of a western accent (I didn’t know what specific accent it was) and her accent reminded me of my own cousin who is currently living in Canada. 

Even though we were strangers, I felt like I had a slight connection to her (the girl with the accent) at that time. It was probably because I was very close to my cousin (and yes I do miss her a lot) that I had felt this connection. Then Pang’s poem came into my mind. Specifically these lines:

[...] If the train crashed now

names would have no meaning. [...]

I had literally thought, “what would happen if the train did actually crash?”. Would I be looking at the girl (with the accent)? Would I be thinking of my cousin? My family? Or would I be just screaming and holding on to the nearby pole? 

I would never know. (And I don’t wish to find out any sooner.)

Here’s my story on the MRT, what’s yours? What do you see or hear when you put down your phone?

~@cakepiggy

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Wanderlust

Where the tide goes And so will I. Nothing stops the waves, except for the Dull life Everyday, a boring routine Relaxing in my ‘yacht’, I Laugh away the pain, thoughts and Underlying dreams in my head. Soothing sounds, sandy beaches This, I feel, would be the best.

Alvin Pang Rocks My Socks Off!

Alvin Pang is currently my favourite poet (not just because he loves cats and banana smoothies too, but) because of his portrayed personality, his works and how he inspires me to delve more into poetry.

I first learnt of him in Writing Singapore: An historical anthology of Singapore literature and I found his poems Upgrading, Following a Train of Thought on the MRT and Merlign a joy to read. These three works had humour inserted into it, were found to be rather relatable to my Singaporean heart and captivated; in the way that they reflected some of the dreamiest thoughts I sometimes find myself occupied with, in my day-to-day observations of public transportation, skyscrapers and random objects. Compared to poets who write about different ‘eras’ of Singapore, I prefer works that are more relevant to my generation because I can more easily grasp. He appeals to a younger crowd through mainstream media like Facebook and Twitter, where more of his humour can be found (as seen in image above). This is possibly because he does indeed want to engage a younger audience, encouraging them to pick up writing and contribute to our under-developed literary field.

Speaking of which, Pang seems nice in person (based on interview responses that I found). Other than sounding very encouraging whenever asked for the advice he’d give to those who are just starting out in poetry, he’d also sounded ambitious, adventurous and inquisitive. Revealing how he first learnt of poetry in literature class, he remembered thinking: “So this is poetry. I could also do that!” His can-do attitude and willingness to try was what got him to make his first attempt, subsequently exploring variations of poetry and thus, producing varying works. In an interview, he’d also mentioned having to scout for a publishing house that would have his first works printed and doing a whole lot of other groundwork at around the age of 19. I’d say that his later success was greatly attributed to him being so driven and passionate (also describing himself as a ‘literary activist’) right from the start, despite societal pressures – something I greatly admire. He strives to only write about what he believes in or is personally motivated for, and not write about something just because it is what others wants to hear, which I think is important in the work he does.

There are some words of his I’d like to quote as I think it captures the essence of poetry well; in how poetry often uses juxtapositions and the senses.

“Offer real pieces of your world to your readers. Don’t tell me love hurts. Show me how, where, in what way exactly. Even if you have to make it up.”

- Maryanne Lee

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Keeping Our Dreams Alive: Part 2: A Whole New World (Chapters 13 to 21)

Just as Aladdin shows Jasmine a Whole New World, Kwang Meng is introduced to a ‘different world’ as well. This is the transitional phase. The in-between. One is neither a fully-fledged, mature adult, nor an innocent naïve child. We find Kwang Meng here at the crossroads of his life and the push towards ‘growing up’ is perhaps facilitated by the people in his life.

-        Lucy

Kwang Meng still holds on to an idealistic world and his idea of making up to Lucy after his friends offended her was to ask for her hand in marriage. However, Lucy appears to be more ‘street smart’ and knowledgeable about the world as she asserts ‘facts’ like “It will never work” and “I know everything” due to her “experience” (Chapter 13).

Kwang Meng’s uncertainty (“I don’t know” and “I’m getting nowhere”, but he doesn’t have a clear ‘somewhere’ in mind) is hence starkly contrasted to Lucy’s clarity of a practical, pragmatic world. Lucy is complicit in making decisions in Kwang Meng’s life (had she agreed to marriage to him, she would have altered his life greatly) and therefore has a direct influence in his life choices. Lucy forces Kwang Meng to come to terms with the ‘real’ world.

-        Boon Teik

Boon Teik, although similar in age with Kwang Meng, appears to have got his life well organised. He is happily married and position diction is used to describe him (in Chapter 9, his dress is immaculately “white”, he is mentioned to be “reading the papers”; a mark of high education, holds a respectable job as a teacher and even plays badminton as “exercise”). Kwang Meng realises a gap between them especially in terms of being aware of world events (Chapter 16).

With his increased interaction with Boon Teik, Boon Teik perhaps sets a positive example for Kwang Meng and gives him a glimpse of a better and happier world. Boon Teik also arguably helps Kwang Meng bridge the gap between them as he introduces Kwang Meng to literature and seems eager to develop a friendship.

-        Hock Lai

Hock Lai is perhaps Kwang Meng’s negative example. Although Hock Lai may be successful in the Singapore sense: with his engagement to a “rich bird” who is sexually attractive, his promotion and his financial status, this seems to be contrary to what Kwang Meng desires. Notably in Chapter 20, he did not enjoy the engagement party and even contrasted it to the happiness of Boon Teik and I-Mei. Hock Lai, with all his material successes, perhaps illuminated Kwang Meng’s priorities and gave him clarity on what he wants in life.

People are indeed very important in helping us develop and mature, either by making choices for us or giving us a role model to look up or down to. There are many Singaporeans personalities whom I can look up to base on their achievements and past (most popularly and with much due acknowledgement would be the later Mr Lee Kwan Yew), but people who has greatly and personally helped me mature into who I am would be my college teachers. Speaking to friends from other schools, I realise that it is pretty unusual to develop deep and meaningful relationships with teachers and hence I am grateful for all the guidance and support that I have been given. Ideas were shared and discussed, practical advice was given, their purpose for life remain to be inspirational and above all, there was investment, care and concern.

Who are the people who have shaped you, whether directly or indirectly, into who you are today?

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History & Literature?

Ever since Sir Stamford Raffles ‘founded’ Singapore 1819, events like Singapore becoming a British colony, Japanese invading Singapore in World War II (WWII) sparked many great literary works reminiscing and re-enacting what was Singapore like under the British empire. A poem that actually scorns the British, surprised me. Francis Ng’s For F.M.S.R. gives us an ugly impression of the British. It perceived British as crude, elitist and unintelligent people. Even though this poem was published in the United Kingdom (U.K), it is still relevant to Singapore as the British people who came to Singapore were from parts of the U.K.Back then, some Singaporeans felt uncomfortable as they are not used to the changes brought about the British’s culture. The second stanza (lines 1 - 5) reads:

Nowadays monarchy and democracy

Are mere appellatives for mediocracy,

So’s the aristocracy

Of wealth: these millionaires

What numskulls they must be

I believe the stanza is referring to the elitist culture that the British have. They define power as ranking, titles and even in monetary value. However, the writer doesn’t agree with them and finds them very simpleminded.

During the time period before Singapore’s independence in 1965, there were conflicts between races that caused a riot such as the infamous Maria Hertogh Riot in 1950. Moreover, before Singapore’s independence, there were no ‘Singaporean citizens’. People came from all over the world and some settled there. I felt that Wang Gungwu’s Plus One clearly signifies the feelings of the foreigners.

He starts off by telling us that even though it’s the same rites that the persona goes through, it feels distant because the persona is in a different country.

Beneath a foreign sky

In this alien night,

Antique rite survive

To tell of yearly life.

An ancient powder set alight.

Year after year, they are still uncomfortable in Singapore; but as each year passes, they get more courageous to interact with the people.

Lastly, ever since Singapore separated from Malaysia in 1965, the Government and even her citizens wondered how they were to survive without the British. Singapore is was just a small country, with a population of close to 2 million (during 1965) with no natural resources and no defenses; people were then questioning their identities as they did not know which country they belonged to - Malaysia or Singapore. However, this question is still quite prevalent today due to the influx of foreign talents and workers. They bring their own culture into Singapore and diminish the Singaporean culture.

Personally, I feel that works that were created before or after independence were for the future generations to appreciate the history of Singapore and the feelings of the writers during that period. The writing of history was most probably to convey to the reader the scenes during a certain period of time, thus, Literature is like a tool for historical significances. Although I find it boring and repetitive that writers write about history (because I personally do not really like studying history), I strongly believe that these works will tell the future generations that history should not ever repeat itself. I feel that Literature complements History as well, because the former makes the latter seem more exciting and mysterious in a way. Additionally, the first hand encounters of writers in such situations like wars and riots would make the future generations consider and weigh the consequences before they make their next choice.

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Little thoughts on Alvin Pang’s “Upgrading”

In the following I want to introduce the poem “Upgrading” by Singaporean writer Alvin Pang.

Alvin Pang is a Singaporean author, poet and editor. His publications do include two collections of poetry - “Testing the Silence” (1997) and “City of Rain” (2003).

He was born in 1972 and mainly raised by his grandparents. With a scholarship for pre-university Pang studied at Raffles Junior College and after completing his A-levels he got another scholarship to study abroad in the UK. There he started to study English Language and Literature. Pang returned to Singapore, after his graduation in 1994. Back in Singapore he started to work as a teacher at different schools such as Raffles Institution or Raffles Junior College.

Moreover, his poems were featured in national and international publications and he has represented Singapore in international literary events. The National Arts Council Singapore named Pang “Young Artist of the Year” in 2005.

What I like about his poem “Upgrading” is that it is dealing with the general problematic that we are confronted with. In this day and age people constantly seem to optimize their lifestyle and themselves – no matter what. I think Pang is depicting it very well in his poem – repetitions like “give me” or “I want” clarify people’s longing for more and better things. And even though “Upgrading” is at first sight about the housing situation in Singapore, I believe that it is also a great metaphor which stands for capitalism and materialism.

On the one hand it is a kind of humorous poem, since the author seems to make fun about the superficial lifestyle in Singapore, but on the other hand it is also broaching a rather serious topic and also is a way of criticism.

Moreover, it’s not only a phenomenon in Singapore, but a universal one and that is the reason why I enjoy reading this poem so much, because I think it speaks the truth and we all should forget about materialism - for at least a while - and focus on things that really matter.

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kitaab.org

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Lines of Singapore

I cross the road to reach the station, to see: Single, double, dotted, jagged – Painted strictly yellow, white, red. They say it’s for our own good; go with the flow I say it’s why I’ve yet to pass BTT[1] at BBDC[2].

I stumble out onto the JE[3]-platform, to see: Like a queue for the famous Char Kway Teow[4], for the best technology in town, for the – Wait… What? Queues for trains that became apparent overnight thanks to stares, perhaps glares, and to the ‘Men in Maroon’.

I hover above a lil’ passenger’s activity book, to see: Red marks encircling crayon-strokes; The ones that go just a wee bit ‘out of line’ here and there. But with tighter grasps the young child learns the right way to colour-in shapes; not to look upon cosmic spaces.

My journey home is only but half an hour long, but behold – these HD[5] ‘Lines of Singapore’.

-Maryanne Lee

[1] Basic Theory Test [2] Bukit Batok Driving Centre [3] Jurong East [4] Stir-fried flat rice noodles [5] High-definition

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Hickory Dickory Dock

Hickory Dickory Dock,

The mouse ran round the clock.

Run run run

we’re running around the clock

work work work

we don’t have time to dock

ha ha ha

we mock to rock our sock

na na na

we seal with key and lock.

Great Strait State,

baited into the crate.

This poem is about the fast pace of life in Singapore and they way that it traps both the citizens and the state in this perpetual state of work.

Jacqueline Chan

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Keeping Our Dreams Alive: Part 1: Young, Wild and Free (Chapters 1 to 12)

Goh Poh Seng’s novel, If We Dream Too Long, is arguably considered a bildungsroman where the issues of the personal growth of the character, Kwang Meng, is explored. In this timeline, his development and maturity will be charted and explored, while drawing links to development of modern day Singaporeans.

Some motifs alluded to Kwang Meng’s immaturity are:

-        His love for the sea

Perhaps his love for the sea can be seen as a form of escapism as he travels most notably to the sea to escape from the routine of his work (chapter 1) and takes Lucy to the sea, escaping the more ‘common sensical’ option of going out with his friends and with ‘nicer girls’ (chapter 9).

-        Sex, alcohol, smoking

The vices of youth! These symbols are commonly associated with teenagers; these can be seen as mild addictives as they give pleasure and joy. Kwang Meng is noted to make degrading comments and objectifies women (he judges Anne’s bodily measurements) and constantly visits many bars such as the Paradise and Happy Bar. All these actions unsurprisingly causes concern in Kwang Meng’s mother who is afraid he gets “cancer” and “waste(s) himself” by becoming a “drunkard”.

-       Hyper consciousness of a social divide

One would note his awkwardness at higher class places such as the G.H. café. Kwang Meng seems uncouth in comparison as he is unable to use forks and spoons and does not wear socks with his dress shoes. Most notably is Kwang Meng’s uncomfortable demeanour; he seems to have a lack of self-confidence and is uncomfortable with his ‘shortcomings’ and how he does not fit in.

-        Skiving off work

Another constant, we note how he does not take his work seriously but is always making excuses such as how he is sick/his father is ill, spending time in the toilet instead of doing actual work and having a less than amicable relationship with his boss. Kwang Meng seems highly irresponsible.

Upon journeying with Kwang Meng through this ‘first section’ of the novel, readers may either get frustrated at him for his incompetence at “pull(ing) himself together” (as articulated by his mother in chapter 12). However, I am more inclined to think that many others will sympathise with him.

I think in our fast paced society of Singapore (or perhaps any other modern, globalised city), we are similar to Kwang Meng as we do not really have much time to sit and think about our dreams - if we were lucky enough to have any. Many of us drift along, going through the ‘rat race’ to survive, to live up to society’s definitions of ‘success’ (having enough to support your family, accumulating comforts like cars and houses). I suppose this is particularly relevant for our younger generation, who have not yet found their places in the world and have been newly introduced to the tensions between the security of a ‘survivable job’ versus the adventure of chasing one’s dreams.

However, Kwang Meng’s journey in finding himself may not entirely be the same as our modern experiences. In the older Singaporean generation, it is arguable that there were less opportunities and one was more constrained in making life choices. Kwang Meng experienced difficulties in furthering his education as he needed to support his family financially. In our modern times, youth are faced with a lot more choices with multitudes of study spheres (humanities, sciences, arts; there has been an increase in variation of course options), availability of financial aids, bursaries and scholarships. One is now equally lost and ‘stuck’ due to the wide spectrum of possibilities.

Perhaps this novel calls us to take some time to ponder and reflect on our dreams and desires for our future, giving us some grounding, no matter how unstable, to focus and head towards.

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