“A Single Man” & Baja Fish Tacos

Woo! Recently posted over at PAPER/PLATES is my review of Christopher Isherwood’s short novel A Single Man, which is 50 years old this year and still incredibly meaningful.

Here’s a snippet of my piece:

George not only faces the challenges of an expat but, due to his sexuality, he also has a much smaller pool of people he can trust with his true self. It’s akin to speaking a foreign language well enough for day-to-day interactions but not for communicating deep feelings or complex thoughts. You get along with the people around you but you are forever dogged by the knowledge that their impression of you is incomplete, that you have yet to find a way to say exactly what you’re thinking, and that you have no idea how they would respond even if you did.

You can read the rest of my article and discover why I paired A Single Man with a recipe for Baja Fish Tacos HERE.

PAPER/PLATES is an awesome blog run by my friend Amina Elahi and features insightful literary reviews, interviews with food bloggers, and (the best part) recipes inspired by books. So make sure to check out the rest of the blog while you’re at it!

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Living in Singapore: Lifestyles Chapter

The Living in Singapore Thirteenth Edition Reference Guide is finally out!

LIS

Written by expats for everyone, the guide gives essential information for a seamless move to and maximum enjoyment out of the Lion City. It’s published by the American Association of Singapore and each chapter is written by an experienced writer with many years of living in Singapore (like me!), giving readers the best possible insight into life here.

I had the opportunity to write Chapter Eight: Lifestyles, which covered everything from political activism to pornography laws to libraries to the LGBT scene to environmentalism to religion. Here’s an excerpt from the beginning of my chapter:

There’s no doubt about it: relocating to a new country is daunting. There are a great many crucial decisions that need to be made but we know it’s the little choices that make your life not only enjoyable but recognizable as your own. It’s what you do with yourself on the evenings and weekends. It’s your hobbies and beliefs. While it’s always difficult to leave behind the communities that matter to you, you don’t have to sacrifice your passions just because you find yourself living abroad. There’s no need to simply survive in a diverse, modern metropolis such as Singapore.

Once you’ve sorted out the basics, you’ll probably want to find out how you can tailor your life as an expat to your preferences. Perhaps you’re a devoted Catholic seeking a church to attend. Perhaps you’re gay and wondering how to find a new circle. Perhaps you’re a compulsive environmentalist or a computer gamer or a bookworm. Perhaps you’re all of the above. This chapter covers a few ways to transplant your old habits, hobbies and lifestyles into this fresh setting. You might even be inspired to try something new.

You can purchase Living in Singapore as an eBook through Amazon, Apple iBookstore, or Google Play.