Island Voices Quotes.

~Paper

1) "That stupid Soo woman!" shrieked Yee Lian. "I think she deliberately led me astray with her advice! She's always jealous of me" Pg 6.
2) Tight-kipped and grim, the elderly woman made herbal medicines for Tay Soon. Pg 7.

~The Martyrdom of Helena Rodrigues

1) She was mistress in the use of Christian martyrdom on the domestic front. Pg 10
2) "Don't give in to her, George! You must stand up to her, now or never. If you promise her now to stay in this room of hers, you'll never get out again." Pg 18

~Sundowner

1) As he passed the workers' quarters, there was the old familiar smell of woodsmoke and the sound of women's voices. Pg 19
2) The baby's head appeared larger than normal. Its eyes were permanently downcast. Das realized he was no expert on infants, but the child looked abnormal. Pg 23.

~Tanjong Rhu

1) "They're special glasses, big ones to help you see things faraway." Pg 31
2) "If something is to be done," she said with the loud solemnity which she reserved for the altar room, "it must be done properly. If I am to visit your place of work, I must tell your father of it properly." Pg 33

~Evening Under Frangipani

1) The bungalow all to themselves! A release from the claustrophobia of Singapore courtship, the lack of places away from the watching judging eyes of parents, friends and strangers. Pg 53
2) Their home was in a cul-de-sac lined with frangipani trees: their fragance sweet and cloying when in full blossom. Pg 53

~Lee

1) All he had was a rather smudged photograph to go by, showing a girl with long Janis Joplin hair framing her face, her smile wide and lopsided. Pg 85
2) "When I found Mom - in the pool - that's what I thought. A David Hockney print come to life." Pg 99

~A History Of Tea

1) The drive and teh-halia after make me feel better too. The strenght of tea. Pg 114
2) It is her hot and spicy cooking I crave for, not the steamed and healthier dishes that are Grandmother Tee's traditon. Pg 116

~A Dream Of China

1) "Whenever he sees anything particularly beautiful he says that's how it is in China. You mustn't believe all of it, you know!" Pg 124
2) "The Chinese are as bad as the Jews when it comes to making money!" Pg 127

~Release

1) When Eileen came back from the hospital with her baby, the first thing she noticed was that the fence was crooked. Pg 141.
2) She saw the man emerge from the shadows, wiping the spanner. Her heart froze. Pg 148.

~An Obituary For Fifth Aunt Come Late

1) She was my aunt but I didn't make it a point to be her niece. Pg 149
2) My aunt particularly liked to repeat her one-time employer's last words to her. Pg 157.

~Corridor

1) His wife also looks like a runner, skinny, all elbows and knees, but you can imagine her on the track. Pg 165
2) Our neighbours did the same, closed their windows and doors, bought air-con, stayed cocooned in their house as if they were plotting something diabolical and new. Pg 172

~Mid-Autumn

1) But like that waste money, very gek sim. Whenever I lose money, it makes gek sim- it hurts my hearts. Pg 176.
2) He has a Rolex and a Mercedes - but he still used the shaky stools from ten years ago. Pg 181.

~Hamid And The Hand Of Fate

1) Hamid was not qualified for such a job. He failed his Senior Cambridge in the Malay secondary school and he was embarrassed about his English. Pg 192.
2) When he came to, Hamid saw his mother seated by his side, the edges of her scarf mottled with tears. Pg 193

~The Move

1) "I mean, you could take some of the small ones, but those big potted palms and trees - I think you'd be blocking people's way." Pg 205
2) She could smell steam from Char Siew Bao and the occasional humid waft of Nasi Lemak coconut rice from the Malay stall. Pg 207

~Pastime

1) The sun shines in the sky and even from across the years, you can tell that this woman knows her mind, that she doesn't bow to injustice, doesn't fear tyranny or hardship. Pg 216
2) "You know this is just a story, a story to pass time. This isn't real life!" Pg 218