Most of us think we are funny with a sophisticated sense of humour. At least I did but to translate into writing, for the written word, is quite another thing. The format and style of Men’s Review allowed me to explore this dimension of myself – evident when meeting me in person, not so available in my writing till then. The monthly publication cycle also meant I had a good deal of time to trawl real life (in the 90s the Internet wasn’t my go to window on the world) for inspiration. Not owning (nor able to drive) meant that I spent hours in public transport, walking through the city, observing, eaves-dropping and occasionally engaging with people. While at The Vox (speaking to DVD seller, or finding a bust of Lenin in PJ) and The Malay Mail (my The Pedestrian column) I would write with the express purpose of capturing what I was observing. One of my deep regrets was not doing so systematically – but perhaps that might have taken the joy out of writing.
