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New Singaporean graphic novel tackles hot button topic of immigration

What do rambutans, the F1 race and immigration have in common? These seemingly disparate topics have been woven together in a tome that examines a less-known side of Singapore

What do rambutans, the F1 race and immigration have in common? These seemingly disparate topics have been elegantly woven together in a newly published tome that examines a less-known side of Singapore. The Garden of Foolish Indulgences is a graphic novel written by Oh Yong Hwee and illustrated by Koh Hong Teng, who last worked together on Ten Sticks and One Rice, which was published by Epigram Books in 2012.

The duo spent two years working on The Garden of Foolish Indulgences, which is based on a 2011 academic essay, Rambutans in the Picture: Han Wai Toon and Overseas Chinese Space in Singapore, written by architectural and urban historian Dr Lai Chee Kien.

“I’d worked with Dr Lai previously on Last Train From Tanjong Pagar (published by Epigram Books in 2014), a graphic novel based on the tours he did on the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station,” said Koh, “After that collaboration, he shared some of his other works that could possibly be adapted for the comic form. I was excited by Han’s story and decided to work with Yong Hwee on this project. Having worked together previously, the process this time was pretty smooth-sailing.”

Just as how Ten Sticks and One Rice tackled issues close to the hearts of Singaporeans by highlighting hawkers, and the generational gap between parents and children, The Garden of Foolish Indulgences is a deeply Singaporean tale that merges fiction and history by centring on Han Wai Toon, a Hainanese native who came to Singapore in 1915 to seek better fortunes, along with a parallel piece about a fictional Chinese mainlander Ye Feng’an who arrives here looking for better prospects for his son.

The Garden of Foolish Indulgences is published by Pause Narratives, a collective formed by Koh, Oh, and fellow writer Dave Chua in 2013, and partially funded by the National Heritage Board’s (NHB) Heritage Project Grant. Oh revealed that only NHB was approached for funding as the book has a strong focus on heritage. “Readers can expect a little of everything in this book—from history and botany to art and poetry,” said Koh. “It’s a way of presenting a slice of Singapore’s heritage, away from the typical narratives.”

As immigration is a hot-button topic in Singapore, with an estimated 20,000 people being naturalised as citizens each year according to news reports, the duo were careful not to stereotype either Singaporeans or new immigrants while exploring the themes of integration and retaining one’s identity in a foreign country.

“Apart from reading Dr Lai’s essay, I also did my own research by interviewing a group of new citizens to find out their experiences of trying to assimilate into a new culture,” Oh shared. “One is a family who lives in my block, another is a guy whom I play badminton with each week, and another is a mutual friend Hong Teng and I share.”

One of the insights Oh got during his conversations with these new citizens is how immigrants today have many more options. “During Han Wai Toon’s time, most immigrants didn’t have any options. Once they made a decision to move to a place, they would usually stay there for the rest of their lives. However, immigrants today tend to have a lot more options as to where they can settle down. This diversity of options also presents them with a great deal of uncertainty, which is something we try to portray in the book.”

Another surprising insight Oh gathered from his interviews with immigrant families was how not all of them are enamoured with Singaporean cuisine. “It was a surprise to me as I assumed Singapore was universally considered a food haven,” he said, “However, people from other cultures may not necessarily know the background of particular dishes, which is why the dish may not seem as special to them.”

Food forms an integral part of the storyline in The Garden of Foolish Indulgences, where local fruits such as the rambutan symbolise the first steps towards acclimatisation for the immigrant families.

Through this book, the team hopes to stir up a sense of belonging among their readers and use it as a starting point to explore the various topics covered. Koh said: “People often refer to Singapore as a culture desert, but there are actually plenty of cultural treasures up to us to uncover.”

Oh added, “For example, the area where Han Wai Toon had his rambutan orchard — Old Upper Thomson Road — was also the site of the first Singapore Grand Prix. Every place has history; it’s just whether or not we want to go deeper and find out more.”

 

 

The Garden of Foolish Indulgences will be available at Books Kinokuniya, BooksActually, Woods in the Books, and other major bookstores from Thurs Sept 29, at a recommended retail price of $22.90.

 

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