志异 Draft by Drama box December 2014 (english) | Page 5

comparison, offering those thirsty for knowledge a treasure trove
of wisdom in four languages. A stone’s throw away, the HDB Hub,
a showcase of the average Singaporean’s dream home, is closed
for the day.
This is the Toa Payoh neighbourhood on a Saturday evening, the
emblem of harmony in Singapore, where its denizens live in ease
and plenty. It is a peaceful and secure existence, with hopes and
dreams for a not–too-distant future. It is a scene of the utopian
imagination.
It was in this seemingly idyllic environment that Drama Box
executed its most ambitious social project to date—BOTH
SIDES, NOW-Living with Dying—a series of exhibitions, talks,
performances and dialogues that invited people to ponder their
own mortality.
Death is not something many people consciously think about
in their daily lives, much less something they wish to face and
discuss. But no one can escape the inevitability of dying and it
is not something that can be wished away by living happy and
fulfilling lives.

5
The Paradox of Harmony Quah Sy Ren

Under a HDB block, people are dressed casually, browsing
and shopping in a neighbourhood store overflowing with
household goods. Savoury smells emanate from the local food
stalls in a crowded kopitiam. The library is a tranquil oasis in

Harmo
careful
deliber
constru
perpetu
by ideo
Some e
are aug
in the p
while o
suppres