I have always enjoyed reading short stories.

Writing a short story is always a challenging assignment simply because much time is needed to think of the characters, flesh out the plot, choose the exact words and yet at the same time, bridge the distance between writer and reader. Nevertheless, I have attempted to write five short stories of my own. This is my collection. Happy reading!

Synopsis

The characters in the stories ‘Ah Pong‘ and ‘The Five Daughters‘ are based loosely on people who have stayed along the same street as me. By observing them and understanding more of their stories and family history from different people, the writer in me has decided to embark on this task of spinning two tales from their everyday lives.

As the title suggests, ‘Three Years, Six Months‘ is based on life during the Japanese Occupation (15 Feb 1942 – 15 Aug 1945). By getting a first-hand oral history from my grandmother, the poignant and painful memories of having suffered during the occupation period are thrown to light. I have shared Grandma’s story with more than 100 students in a lecture at NUS.

Besides writing about others, I have also included in my collection stories about my life. ‘First Love‘ is a true account of an incident which took place during my junior college days. For those who believe that the first love is a pure and innocent time, perhaps it’s time to think again. ‘Thanks for the Memories!‘ is a chronological journey of my Basic Military Training during National Service. It was a time which I will never forget for the rest of my life.