Text in the City
My friend, X, is currently doing a stint with the organisers of this year's Singapore Writers Festival. (They have a newly-set up blog here.)
X: "Okay, they made me sign some non-disclosure form so if you tell anyone they will kill me."
Me: "If you tell anyone, you mean."
X: "Just don't tell anyone!"
I signed a non-disclosure form when I was working in a bank too, but I still tell people about my client named Horlicks. But, you know, don't tell anyone -- or if you do, don't say you heard it from me. :)
***
X: "Anyway, they're getting quite a few writers to speak. Is there anyone you want to meet?
Me (contemplatively): "Local writers? I don't read many books by local writers."
X: "Overseas writers, too."
Me: "Well, okay, but the authors that I really want to meet are kind of..."
X: "Obscure?"
Me: "Dead."
X (taking a deep breath): "Well, then that makes it a little difficult."
***
Me: "Name me a Singaporean author you know, other than Catherine Lim."
X (thinks for a bit): "Russell Crowe."
Me (screaming in disbelief): "Russell Crowe is neither Singaporean nor an author!"
X: "Yes he is! He wrote the Singapore Ghost Stories series!"
Me: "That's Russell LEE."
X: "Oh. Close, lah."
Me: "..."
***
And the trouble with talking to someone who has absolutely no knowledge of the blogging scene, local or otherwise...
X (flipping through notes): "Who's Mr Miyagi?"
Me: "Blogger."
X: "Who's Mr Brown?"
Me: "Blogger."
X: "Who's Xia... oh, I know this one." (Hur hur.) "Who's Cory Doctorow?"
Me (choking): "BOINGBOING!"
X: "What is that sound you're making?"
Me: "..."
***
(Remember, you didn't hear it from me!)
X: "Okay, they made me sign some non-disclosure form so if you tell anyone they will kill me."
Me: "If you tell anyone, you mean."
X: "Just don't tell anyone!"
I signed a non-disclosure form when I was working in a bank too, but I still tell people about my client named Horlicks. But, you know, don't tell anyone -- or if you do, don't say you heard it from me. :)
***
X: "Anyway, they're getting quite a few writers to speak. Is there anyone you want to meet?
Me (contemplatively): "Local writers? I don't read many books by local writers."
X: "Overseas writers, too."
Me: "Well, okay, but the authors that I really want to meet are kind of..."
X: "Obscure?"
Me: "Dead."
X (taking a deep breath): "Well, then that makes it a little difficult."
***
Me: "Name me a Singaporean author you know, other than Catherine Lim."
X (thinks for a bit): "Russell Crowe."
Me (screaming in disbelief): "Russell Crowe is neither Singaporean nor an author!"
X: "Yes he is! He wrote the Singapore Ghost Stories series!"
Me: "That's Russell LEE."
X: "Oh. Close, lah."
Me: "..."
***
And the trouble with talking to someone who has absolutely no knowledge of the blogging scene, local or otherwise...
X (flipping through notes): "Who's Mr Miyagi?"
Me: "Blogger."
X: "Who's Mr Brown?"
Me: "Blogger."
X: "Who's Xia... oh, I know this one." (Hur hur.) "Who's Cory Doctorow?"
Me (choking): "BOINGBOING!"
X: "What is that sound you're making?"
Me: "..."
***
(Remember, you didn't hear it from me!)
posted by Laughingcow at 11:12 am
4 Comments:
hahahaha...
Xiaxue's reputation goes out far and wide.
I want to meet this local author called Hwee Hwee Tan. She's really good. She wrote 2 books: Foreign bodies and Mammon Inc. Really really good books. Do get them if you have the spare cash.
Btw, is there anyway we can sneak in to the Singapore Writer's Festival? Or is it strictly by invitation only?
Aren't organizers of this festival supposed to love reading? Your fren sounds absolutely clueless and lost. Good luck to the festivities...
BoY: I'm generally not laughing during such conversations; more like palming my face. :p
Mr Moron: Ahem, you might want to sit down for this, but I think Tan Hwee Hwee will be there. :) Thanks for the book recommendations; I'll check them out! And I doubt you'll have to *sneak* in; it should be open to public. The question is just whether the tickets will be free. ;)
Vandice: The key word is "supposed," I guess. ;) She's just doing this to bide time (and er, earn money) while she finds a real job. Don't need to love reading -- just need to know who Mr Brown, Mr Miyagi, and Xiaxue are, to serve them drinks. ;)
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