This story is from my latest book, Beyond Borders: conversations across boundaries.

The book is a multimedia work, first published on the Apple Books platform but after numerous unsuccessful attempts at revising the book, I’ve published on Google Play. This is a most functional platform by comparison.

The link above will open a sample of my work with the first part of the story Unraveling Crossie’s Past, immediately available. It is a sequel to my story, An Encounter With White Australia.

Monday Story Readings

I hope you’ve been enjoying my short story readings. Now after a hectic period, packing up my Singapore apartment, bidding farewell to numerous packages of domestic items, negotiating the additional layers of immigration and health controls necessitated by the pandemic, I’ve finally arrived in Australia.

Now living in Pyrmont Sydney, the transition has been exhausting though I think Pyrmont must be one of the most Singapore like residential experiences in Sydney, so already feeling very much at home.

Craving some Sydney rock oyster and a snapper for dinner I was delighted to discover about three sales people at the fish markets down the road who are of Indonesian descent, easing the transition and allowing the whole exchange to be conducted in Indonesian.

SUBSEQUENT READINGS

29 November – A Land of Ancient Belonging Places

Reflections on the colonial invasion of Australia, the notion of Aboriginal belonging places and my place.

6 December – Memories of Fires Past

Fire as a global problem highlighting Indonesia and Australia

13 December – Austerity’s Dawn

Early morning in Athens 2015 at the height of the economic crisis 

 20 December – Going Down and Garam Masala
Stories about contemporary life in Singapore. The first is a story about Durian and the second a story about the quest of the ideal Garam Masala mix.