Arts
The Year Turns, Part Eight
Mabon The autumnal equinox is an important turning point in the year. The hours of day and night are balanced, indicating that the light half of the year is drawing to a close, heralding the [more…]
Culture
Arts
The Swaling, Part Seventy Two
“An app for everything these days, Mrs Wong and Mr Worth.” We’re on the IT floor of the school for savants opposite my rented home on Dumfries Street, Kovan, Singapore. My absent landlord, Mr Stein, [more…]
Arts
Eastern Tide Meets Western Shore – Part Two
Aleppo ‘No, Monsieur. I have only two other passengers – both English. A colonel from India, and a young English lady from Baghdad. Does Monsieur require anything?’ Monsieur demanded a small bottle of Perrier. Five [more…]
Arts
The Swaling, Part Seventy One
Rose our maid woke me as the sun approached the yardarm and presented me with Mr Lee’s access all areas card. I walked across Dumfries Street towards the school for savants which was a one [more…]
Arts
The Royal Ballet School
Both Master and Miss Reggie took ballet lessons from an early age (Master Reggie starting at 5 and Miss Reggie at 4). They showed a talent for dance from an early age and Mrs Reggie [more…]
Arts
The Swaling, Part Seventy
As soon as Mr Hong Gildong allowed the doors to be opened, two hours after auctioneer Mr Tan had departed, there was a stampede along the dark and expensively carpeted secret underground passage that connected [more…]
Arts
The Swaling, Part Sixty Nine
We’re in the underground gaming room of the Lucky Saddle Craft Company, sat around the Kranji table. We being the unlikely finalists of an unlikely competition, raised from Singapore’s high and not so high society, [more…]
Arts
Sorrows of a Language Lover
The purpose of language is communication. Anything which muddies the language is the enemy of communication, and something which deliberately obscures the meaning of the words is the work of the Devil. I want to [more…]
Arts
The Swaling, Part Sixty Eight
“Point of order,” I called optimistically while raising my hand. “Mr Worth,” snapped Jeremy Tan, “you can’t have a point of order in an auction.” “We’re not in an auction,” I pointed out, “nobody’s made [more…]