All You Need is a Book (Club)

“You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a book.” ~Dr. Seuss

“Do people actually read the books?” I asked Katy, the coordinator of the Friends of the Museums (FOM) Thursday morning Asian Book Club. I had promised myself that, during my limited time in Singapore, I would only commit to activities if I could do so wholeheartedly. So if I was going to join a book club, I wanted to read and discuss the books, by gum.

Six months in, I have not been disappointed.

I have been a reader for as long as I can remember. There is a black and white photo of me when I was about four years old with my sister’s friend Sabrina, a book propped between us. In my mind’s eye, she is teaching me how to string words together to form a sentence. In elementary school I devoured Nancy Drew mysteries. As a middle schooler, it was all about Judy Blume and later, as a teen, Danielle Steele (yes, I took a deep breath to admit that). My reading has since evolved to a broad range of genres, although my guilty pleasure is Scandinavian noir.

When I moved to Singapore, I decided to challenge myself by reading new authors. FOM coordinates seven book groups, all focused on Asian subjects. The aim is to get to know the region better through its writing, discuss others’ viewpoints, and meet fellow members with similar interests.

We meet monthly by Zoom, as government restrictions prohibit the twelve of us gathering in person. I am the only American and one of four Caucasian women. The others are Indian, Pakistani, Korean, British or Australian. All are curious, insightful, and dedicated. We take turns as reviewer, which means we prepare notes and questions in advance. Twice we have had authors join us for our conversation. After our discussion, we rate the book on a scale of 1 to 5 and one of our members posts a summary and our rating on the FOM Facebook page.

Without fail, when it’s my turn to weigh in, I begin with the same refrain: I knew nothing about (insert topic) before I read this book. How could I be so uninformed? I want to learn more.

We have read books about women struggling to choose between their career aspirations and family obligations, set during the Partition of India and modern day Singapore (Nimita’s Place); families living hand-to-mouth at a municipal rubbish dump in Cambodia, who are also striving to make a better life for themselves through literacy (The Rent Collector); people yearning to rise to the middle class, political power, and fame while faced with the complexities of corruption, class, and fate in India (The Burning); the 1,000+ Koreans who emigrated to Mexico at the turn of the twentieth century to escape Japanese imperialism, only to find themselves as indentured labourers (Black Flower); an American journalist’s account of Tibetan and Chinese history told through the lives and stories of Tibetan people (Eat the Buddha: Life and Death in a Tibetan Town); and, a collection of short stories set in the global Sindhi diaspora people (Beyond the Rainbow).

My ignorance has prompted me to head down more than one Google rabbit hole. I have researched the violence and bloodshed that ensued after the dissolution of the British Raj and subsequent partition of India. I have questioned how I consume my news and where countries rank on the World Press Freedom Index (it surprised me; check it out). I have read about Koreans across South America who can no longer speak their cultural language, but still make delicious kimchi. And I personally invited author Camron Wright to join our discussion (something I’d never done before), which he gamely did, across timezones, from the comfort of his Utah home.

I suppose this is exactly why I’m in this group: to step out of my comfort zone; increase my understanding of the world, people, history, and viewpoints; and be a more responsible and informed global citizen. Oh yes, and “to read, read, read!” as my fellow member Vinni pointed out.

We are in the process of deciding next year’s reading list. The potential selection includes authors from Malaysia, Singapore, India, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, Pakistan, South Korea and North Korea. The list doesn’t matter, they are all new to me. I can’t wait to see what we decide – and to turn the first page.

Keong Saik Photo Walk

On another note, here are photos of street life along Keong Saik Road in Chinatown. The area used to be a red light district and is now known as a food and drinks mecca. I’m practicing my hand at street photography, which is documenting people in their natural environment. I was with Amrita Chandradas, my photography instructor at Objectifs Centre for Photography and Film. I hope you enjoy browsing the images as much I enjoyed making them!

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