Kulture, Kaya and Kindred Spirits

Ovidia--every other Tuesday

I've been feasting mind, soul and (unfortunately?) body over the last two weeks. There's been so much going on here... or maybe I only notice between book drafts!

First of all, though, I got to go back to our neighbourhood kopitiam for my traditional comfort breakfast,

Rolled oats may be healthy, but nothing beats a thick slab of butter and kaya inside crispy toast!

The Singapore Writers Festival (over two weekends, with evening events in the linking week) is just over. But even before that there was the DARE Festival, celebrating accessibility and diversity in dynamic performances by differently abled artists.

I really enjoyed the show, and the side benefit of meeting up with old friends on and off-stage!
(my only objection is how inaccessible the toilets at this accessible performance were--narrow dark steps--but all in all it was great.
This is the 3rd year (after the Covid lockdown) DARE had a live festival and I hope it continues!

What impressed me most at the Singapore Writers Festival was the youthful energy and sense of mission in the audience as well as the performers. In particular the Carnatic singer Sushma Soma and Isuru Wijesoma who accompanied her on his double-necked guitar that allowed him to switch between Western and Indian classical styles. Beautiful music aside, it was her commitment to recognising and sustaining our natural and social environments that impressed me.

Another young artist who impressed me was Sarah, a comic creator, who wove traditional wayang kulit into her graphics like a true dalang (puppeteer).

This is from her Bandar Rimau, which started as a school project and ended up winning an Eisner for Best Webcomic.

And then there was Anton Hur, Korean writer and translator, who was charmingly frank about how, even though we might feel passionate about our projects, we need to learn to pitch them as though we're used car salesmen...
I'm biased because I really loved this book he translated--I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki: A Memoir.

And since I don't read Korean, it's thanks to his translation that I got to read it at all!

A small drawback of feeling overwhelmed by all the new and wonderful information coming at me is compensating by eating too much... after listening to Anton Hur I was craving Korean food.

This is Korean soft tofu stew... (because they didn't have Tteokbokki)

And it was totally delicious!

In between SWF events, I managed to catch Wild Rice’s production of The Wizard of Oz. The first time I stepped onstage (over 50 years ago!) was as a munchkin in this musical and I loved this localised version; from “Toto, I don’t think we’re in Yishun anymore,” to a Wicked Witch named Gentrification, it was brilliantly sly/wry and entertaining on multiple levels (though I don't envy any parents who might have to go home and explain why a pair of crocheted pom-poms signifies 'courage').

And speaking of localised versions of classics--I got a copy of Kaka Farm--a brilliant Singlish translation of Animal Farm!

I'm still processing all the talks and panels--too many to list here. But I think what stood out most for me was Cat Bohannon's keynote. She was clear eyed and realistic about where we are today, seen in context of how far we've come (too far for it all to be destroyed by one guy with a fake tan) and I know it wasn't just the young people in the audience who were inspired.

And of course, meeting other writers, readers, artists and all manner of creators as we came together as storytellers and book lovers was wonderful. Because we aren't just hiding from a world where the incoming US President is threatening publishers with $2 billion lawsuits; we're preparing ourselves--and others--to live in it.

A good dinner of Japanese noodles helps...