micro memoir
In Primary 6, my teacher, Mr Tan Ngiat Lian, made an unusual offer to the class. If we paid attention and did not disrupt his lessons, he would tell us a Bible story afterward. Through those stories, I was introduced to Jesus Christ for the first time as a loving
micro memoir
On windy days, the sky was filled with kites. It was the season for layang layang, or kite fighting, where children tried to cut one another's kite strings in mid-air using strings coated with crushed glass. We made our own kites from bamboo sticks, newspaper, and glue
micro memoir
Food had become bland to my father by the age of 97. Eleven months ago, his helper called to say that he was groaning in pain. My wife and I immediately took a taxi to see him. On the way, I bought a bowl of black sesame paste from Mei
Satire
One morning at the coffee shop, Ah Choo overheard a heated discussion. "The Chinese are taking over!" "No, the Indians are taking over!" "No, the rich are taking over!" "No, the foreigners are taking over!" Everyone spoke with great confidence. Ah Choo
short story
The nurse called me at 3:17 a.m. I still remember the exact time because my phone was silent, my room was dark, and my heart knew before my mind did. “Can you come to the hospital? Your mother’s condition has worsened.” I didn’t ask what happened.
short story
In 2008, I walked away from a job without knowing how I was going to survive. At that time, I was working in an organisation as the IT representative for my division. I took care of the computers and technical problems of about one hundred employees. Part of my work
Satire
The meeting room was silent. “Good news,” the CEO announced cheerfully. “We are not removing people. We are optimizing lower-value human capital.” Everyone nodded nervously while clutching their company-issued laptops like life jackets. Somewhere in the back row, a manager whispered, “Does that mean I’m medium-value
short story
The first time my son visited me in prison, I almost didn’t recognize him. He had grown taller. His face looked sharper. Even the way he stood felt different. Less like a child. More like someone who had already learned disappointment too early. There was a thick glass panel
short story
Every morning at 6:45 AM, I would sit on the concrete ledge just outside the kopitiam. Five minutes. That was all the time I had left. I’d stare at my phone, pretending to scroll, but my eyes couldn’t focus. Inside my chest, my heart would start to
Books
The first thing you learn in an office is that nobody says “no.” They say: “Noted with thanks.” Which roughly translates to: “I acknowledge your existence and this problem now belongs to the universe.” It is perhaps the greatest corporate phrase ever invented. Not “synergy.” Not “innovation.” Not “thought leadership.
short story
“I learned how to cook pork adobo from YouTube,” Ma’am once told her friends proudly during a dinner party. I was standing behind them holding a plate of sliced oranges. I almost laughed. For nine years, I was the one cooking it. My name is Teresa. I came to
short story
Some dreams don’t fail. They just stay hidden in drawers for too long. Yesterday at my Book Writing & Self-Publishing Clinic, a student shared something that stayed in my mind long after the session ended. Years ago, after speaking to ex-prisoners in the Philippines, she was deeply
