Shape of Things
Who would have thought that doing research for a musical set in 1960s Singapore could be so much fun? With any research like that, I usually start with finding the differences in the way people carried themselves, what they wore, how they spoke, what products they used… because these were clues to understanding other things like culture, weather, education, etc. I marvel at how far Singapore has come. Just look at the pictures on the left. The first picture is of a Singapore transport guide in the 1950s that cost 20 cents! The second picture displays what we have at some bus stops in present day Singapore. Believe or not, commuters are now able to tell how soon a bus (and the next bus for that matter) is arriving.
I had a good laugh while clearing out a drawer full of old stuff. I could not believe the gaudy handphone covers I used to collect for my previous cell phone. How far I’ve come! I even looked up where the Golden Kiwifruit came from when it was offered to me. It was the result of 11 years of research and cross-pollination and grafting. We’ve only had this fruit for 9 years! I guess what I’m saying is that if you question the things around you a little more, you’ll find that everything has a little history to it. And sometimes, that history is worth taking some trouble to discover.
