Showing results by author "Neil Humphreys" in All Categories

One year after his best-selling Notes From An Even Smaller Island had the whole of Singapore laughing helplessly; Neil Humphreys is still madly in love with his humble but stimulating existence on this sunny island. So much, in fact, that he now makes a living poking gentle fun at every oddball aspect of Singaporean life. In this highly anticipated sequel, the columnist with The Straits Times Newspaper unleashes a fresh selection from his popular pieces, with additional witty material on all the little wonders we have come to take for granted.

First published in 2006, Final Notes from a Great Island sees Humphreys embarking on a valedictory tour from his home in Toa Payoh before he leaves for a new life in Australia. He explores Singapore as he did when he first arrived—a newcomer on foot and inexperienced—visiting his favourite places: the countryside around Lim Chu Kang, the serene beaches of Kusu island, Sentosa, Sembawang Park, St. John's Island, Johor Bahru, and many more. Humphreys treks, cycles and even hitchhikes his way across this great island, encountering murderous dogs, dead cats, wild crocodiles and mad cyclists.

Singapore got sexy and the country's best-selling author got jealous. After five years chasing echidnas and platypuses in Australia, Neil Humphreys returns to Singapore to see if the rumours are true. Like an old girlfriend getting a lusty makeover, the island transformed while Humphreys was away. Singapore is not just a sexier island, it's a different world.

London is angry, divided, and obsessed with foreigners. A murdered Asian and some racist graffiti in Chinatown threaten to trigger the race war that the white supremacists of Make England Great Again have been hoping for. They just need a tipping point. He arrives in the shape of Detective Inspector Stanley Low. Brilliant and bipolar. He hates everyone almost as much as he hates himself. Singapore doesn’t want him, and he doesn’t want to be in London. There are too many bad memories. Low is plunged into a polarised city, where xenophobia and intolerance feed screaming echo chambers.

Singapore has been evolving at a blistering pace. Old Singapore is in danger of being left behind. As a result, active citizenry is taking off like never before with Singaporeans campaigning to save heritage sites such as Bukit Brown, Joo Chiat's HDB flats and Toa Payoh's Dragon Playground, with areas like Jalan Besar, Balestier and Tiong Bahru championed for their history. Nostalgia is spreading through the country.

Detective Inspector Stanley Low is having a really bad day. His bipolar condition is already ruining another session with his psychiatrist when a sadistic sex murder-suicide at Singapore’s most prestigious hotel plunges him back into a sordid underworld he was desperate to leave behind. Marina Bay Sands represents Singapore’s attempt to become the Monaco of Asia, a sparkling, physical embodiment of the island’s devotion to economic growth at any cost. A murdered prostitute and a dead expatriate ask questions of a society no-one is particularly keen to answer.

Laid-back English lessons with your host Neil Humphrey! Neil talks about a variety of topics in English to help you build your vocabulary and improve your listening skills. Neil Humphrey is a native English speaker from San Francisco, California (USA). He is the owner of Dream Tree English school located in Kanagawa, Japan. Find transcripts, worksheets and other resources at englishwithneil.com

When a foreign worker is found dead in a Singapore back street, few people care. But then another victim turns up, and then another, all killed with the same weapon. With its reputation as a safe, global city in ruins, Singapore struggles to come to grips with its first serial killer in decades. And when a famous woman disappears, terror takes hold. In desperation, the authorities turns to the one man they loathe almost as much as the serial killer Detective Inspector Stanley Low. Belligerent and unrepentant, Low's insubordination has been punished with a menial desk job.