志异 Draft by Drama box december 2013 (english) | Page 57

CE

erms of age
es. For example,
group was a
. He is happily
ather,
d, and is still
and contributes
he grassroots. In
rrative, he can be
oster-boy’ senior
s nine more
ce and place them
ted Singapore
uld all occupy
.

shared this social
niors liked the
oung people.
relished the
sity that the
d, I do wonder
eld back stories
not want to lose
ty in front of the
o add to the
e facilitator, at an
seniors and the

students. The seniors appreciated
the goals of the project and they
treated me as a teacher of sorts
and also someone who could help
tell their stories.
In Our Show, conversations moved
from childhood games, to school
days, to starting work at a young
age to gender inequality at home,
to absent fathers. Although the
seniors knew each other and were
generally willing to share, there
were a few who insisted they had
nothing ‘good’ to share. What was
‘good’ depended on their values
and experiences. In the same vein,

some of the the more extroverted
members were also depended on
to provide ‘exciting stories’.
The accepted cultural narrative
could have stopped some seniors
from speaking freely. In Letters to
Aunty Worry, those who have had
more opportunities to meet the
opposite gender were egged on by
their peers to share ?rst. Those who
have had arranged marriages or
stayed single were more measured
and spoke less. The only single male
in the group was especially elusive
when asked about his youth. He
answered that he was having fun