Hello, When you receive this letter, which I stored in a used milk can, please hand it to the one it is intended for, my mother. Of course, I know I shouldn’t really throw used milk cans into the ocean. Maybe sometime later, you can come by my house – I wrote the address on the back of the can – … [Read more...]
Writings
Me, Islam and Literature
He was astonished when he discovered I was a Muslim. He was a member of the Foreign Correspondents Club in Hong Kong, an Englishman whose name I’ve forgotten. I was contributing to a discussion at the club on Islam and the modern world. He asked my paternal family name, and when I replied, ‘Abdul … [Read more...]
Mobile Libraries in the Furthest Corners of Indonesia
Most public libraries in Indonesia aren’t mobile libraries, but are housed in buildings. However, this kind of library only has a limited reach due to Indonesia’s geographical location and the fact that the country consists of thousands of islands. Moreover, not all Indonesians feel comfortable … [Read more...]
Money for your English
“if you do not speak english, you may not be able to survive it is sink or swim.” in sixth grade, i stood under a boil of a sun at our school assembly, speaker warning us of Globalisation Incoming, of others waiting at the wings to swoop up money, pure job-snatching; sit on a panel in 2017 on … [Read more...]
My Broken English Isn’t an Excuse for Your Disrespect
Jesse Q. Sutanto, author of the hotly anticipated murder rom-com Dial A for Aunties, explains the power of using broken languages in her novels. have a confession to make: I prefer writing in present tense because I don’t really know my tenses. I did learn English when I moved to Singapore at the … [Read more...]