Memoir

France is one of those countries where children are encouraged and indulged, even on trains. My carriage was nearly full. It was modern and airy but noisy. I am on L’Aquitaine, a crack express that [more…]

We are in the front room at 28 Dumfries Street, Kovan. The awful Nicolaas and Dora Clogg have called in response to an “Operation Bonfire” appeal in the Straights Star. Tai Tai and Lotus are [more…]

Tai Tai was invited into Belinda Wong’s business services premises on the seventh floor of residential block 357, apartment six. It was a standard-issue Housing Development Corporation room but fitted out for business. It was [more…]

Myself, Tai Tai and Lotus are sat on the unfolded Fortnum and Mason boxes on the attic floor at 28 Dumfries Street, Kovan, Singapore, the property that we rent for a pittance from the missing [more…]

Honkers, a bit too close to the Chinese Communist Party, the Philippines not quite ripe enough (long story), Macao (see Hong Kong), Taiwan too controversial, Guam too far away, South Korea too American, North Korea [more…]

Singa Pura, the Lion City where two oceans meet. Where founder of the colony, Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles (Fellow of the Royal Society), stands immortalised in stone at Boat Quay. From there he gazes [more…]

“To cut a long story short, Squadron Leader, we’re missing a chap. Looked him up in the London Gazette, to no avail. I could ask at the office, I’m at the Singapore Consultancy you know. [more…]

Is there an irrational fear of the southern hemisphere? Austrophobia? If so, may I suggest that those who suffer from it (Equatrophobics?) might try Singapore? One degree of latitude north, 70 miles from the equator, [more…]