Here in Singapore we just had two public holidays close together: Hari Raya Haji last Wednesday and then Vesak Day on Sunday…
3 Steps Forward, Bow Inward.
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My First Farmer’s Box and Two Kinds of Carrot Cake
I was excited (and a little apprehensive) to order our first ‘farmer’s box’ from Talula Farms last week…
Singapore Slings, Peanut Shells and Singapore Crime Fiction
I’ve been working on a piece about Singapore crime fiction for an encyclopedia of Global Crime Fiction and it’s…
When Pots–and Plots–get Root-Bound
One of my bamboo plants was starting to look unwell. A few leaves here and there turning yellow and dropping–nothing dramatic, but…
I Don’t Like New Things
I don’t like new things. I like the idea of them and I admire (and envy) people who embrace them and plunge in (Thank you, Stan!) But when it comes to actually stepping into something unfamiliar…
Notes from the Saggy Middle
I suspect all writers (and too many readers) are aware of the ‘saggy middle’ stretch where nothing much seems to be happening…
Feeding Me, My Dog and My Next Mystery
For years I’ve had two mystery series, both of which I love. But recently I’ve been feeling the itch to start something unconnected with either of them…
Try on some Fiery Horseshoes!
By the Chinese zodiac, we’re now moving into the Year of the Fire Horse. Fire Horse years are said to bring dramatic, intense, fast-paced upheavals…
Thinking Murder at a Wake
I didn’t plan a post for this week because most of last week was spent sitting in on a family funeral wake in that bizarre state where you’re both ‘on duty’ and…
Sophia’s Lessons on Writing, Walking and How Wonderful Life Is
This is Sophia and our carpet is rolled up because Sophia’s not toilet trained (yet). She’s around six years old, but…
New Stuff & Re-Newing Stuff
We celebrated the first work week of the Western new year by going back to one of our neighbourhood kopitiams (literally ‘coffee shop’ but more a collection of food stalls)…
Facing my LLM Dragons (on Crime Fiction in 2026)
In this strange space between Christmas and the start of the new year, I’ve been finding it hard to focus productively…
Down Time versus Down Moods
Down time and down moods look very similar from the outside–low productivity, high junk food intake–but feel very different and leave me in a very different place…
If Jacky Cheung Can Still Do Splits, I Can Still…
It was a huge treat going to watch the ‘God of Songs’ Jacky Cheung at his 60+ concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium! It was…
My Media Attempt (Self Skills Future Part 2)
I was still waiting for the WIP’s structural edits, so decided to attempt another 2 week project. It seemed like a good idea at the time: I didn’t want to take on…
Self Skills Future 1: Kindle Direct Published!
And I’m (almost) self-published!! I’ve submitted my first piece ever (short story) to Kindle Direct Publish! And completed the first Self Skills Future course I set myself…
Terminating Tembusu and Tiny Candles
It’s Deepavali, the Festival of Lights, in Singapore. And tonight (or last night, by the time this comes out) I’ll be lighting my little sandlewood, spruce and…
Midautumn, Moonlight and Gratitude
The Mid-Autumn or the Mooncake Festival marks the end of the Hungry Ghost Month and the start of the last quarter of the year. But before saying goodbye…
Paths, Pages and a Circle to Meow
We’ve been renovating our bedroom. At last. After sixty-plus years of ignoring interior décor and living like perennial grad students, we now have closets…
Books, Books, Books and Book Space
I’ve kind of been struggling with books lately—not just the ones I’m writing, but the ones I’ve been living with. I have shelves and stacks and cupboards full of books…
Sick And (not ‘Of’) Fixing Doors on Bookshelves
My office is a bookmess right now because I’ve decided I need glass doors on my bookcases…