The air was cold… forbidding. An attempt to escape seemed forlorn. We had to leave. Post-haste. The seventh train bound for Britain was departing. Mama could no longer hold my hand than feed herself, but I clutched her weary fingers anyway, letting the warmth signal I was there.
Until I wasn't.
Perhaps, I should have stayed. As the tremors 2000 kilometres away prompted the second global catastrophe, the lives of millions plunged into darkness, Mama’s included.
Perhaps, death is what gives...

The first time I visited grandmother
Concern and pestering soon turned to exasperation and bickering
I swore I'd never be like them
But who knew how innocent I was back then
 
It wasn’t long before
Supermarkets became the battleground for skirmishes
Shots fired in the quest for subsistence
When in fact, vendetta was in pursuit
 
Imminent government measures
Paved for extravagant displays of filial piety
Wants turned into needs
And the trees by the lake finally earned some...

11 February 2015 would go down in the books of Singapore’s history; at least for the locals, so much so that it made it to the national newspaper, The Straits Times. The reason? ‘Kiasu’ was featured in the hallowed Oxford English Dictionary.* That is not all; to boot, in 2016, the OED announced that it has added 19 new "Singapore English" terms such as "ang moh" (a white person), "shiok" (very enjoyable or pleasing) and "sabo" (deliberately cause trouble or...

There was a time when deliberately dropping a chocolate bar or sweet wrapper on the street would have led to catcalls of “Litterbug!” from your peers. A shameful head-hang later and you would be collecting the evidence of your folly and searching for the nearest bin. Fast forward a decade later, and the pervasive use of technology has led to youths with their eyes obstinately latched onto their electronic device screens, barely giving a hoot at the scenery streaking past...

I was just eight when I first met her. She was a transfer student from China, with a relatively delicate frame, bobbed hair and dark brown eyes. Oblivious and in my own world at that point of time, I had absolutely no intention to chum up with her. Due to her mediocre English, no one could really interact with her and break the ice. She was Lucy.

It was not long after the start of the school year till one...