The Hungry Ghost

#TheHungryGhost Publishes on 24. September. Until publication, I’ll be sharing photos of my inspiration and the Singapore I got to know in the 4 years I lived there. You can hear more about the book and support me by preordering it here: https://bit.ly/3fv5wGa
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4y
2 days countdown to #TheHungryGhost
TWO DAYS!!! Are you getting ready to land in Singapore? Can you see the super trees? The gigantic tortoise-shape of the sports hub? Containerships like abandoned Lego bricks? Indonesia in the distance? #Singapore
4 days countdown to #TheHungryGhost
No trip to Singapore is complete without visits to hawker centres. Here: Adam Road (our local, mainly Malay food), Newton (everything), Tekka market (Indian) and Maxwell (Chinese), which is the one Freja visits. #SingaporeCulture
6 days countdown to #TheHungryGhost
One of the places where the contrast between the old and the new Singapore is most visible is on #BoatQuay. Here near the mouth of the Singapore River, skyscrapers loom over the old shophouses. #SingaporeCulture
9 days countdown to #TheHungryGhost
In the book, Freja visits Chinatown with her friends, and they browse around shops like this magical mini emporium. I wonder if these lanterns inspired Anna Morrison when she designed the stunning cover… #SingaporeCulture
13 days countdown to #TheHungryGhost
On street corners, food offerings and lit joss sticks surround old oil drums that are ablaze with burning paper effigies. The smoke is nectar for the hungry ghosts and will keep them nourished in the coming year. 🔥 #SingaporeCulture
15 days countdown to #TheHungryGhost
There are many lion statues, guarding the graves in #BukitBrownCemetery. Most male lions have a ball under one paw, representing the world, while females have a lion cub, symbolising their power of life. #SingaporeCulture #FengShui
1 day countdown to #TheHungryGhost
ONE DAY! Are you ready to explore the rainforest wilderness of this graveyard? ✅ Hiking boots ✅ Swiss army knife ✅ Map & compass ✅ Notebook & pen ✅ Torch & bunch of keys ✅ Snack bar & water bottle #SingaporeNature
5 days countdown to #TheHungryGhost
Seen through the rear-view mirror, the past is often distorted, as in this photo of new and old. The Empress Place building, known as Government House during the colonial era, is now the Asian Civilisations Museum. #SingaporeCulture
7 days countdown to #TheHungryGhost
ONE WEEK TO GO! Are you ready to follow Freja on an adventure in the rainforest wilderness of this graveyard? #BukitBrownCemetery #SingaporeNature
14 days countdown to #TheHungryGhost
Getai are live stage performances that take place during the Hungry Ghost Festival to entertain both the living and the dead. The front row might look like it’s empty—it’s reserved for the hungry ghosts. #SingaporeCulture
10 days countdown to #TheHungryGhost
The impressive #BuddhaToothTemple in the centre of Chinatown, features a museum, a hidden-gem rooftop garden and one of Buddha’s teeth in a golden room. It is also a setting in the book. #SingaporeCulture
12 days countdown to #TheHungryGhost
The paper effigies can be anything from luxury cars to pets, home electronics, clothing, food and drinks. The brand names all have slight spelling mistakes, like: Caca Cola, Ice Tee, McDnalds, Adidsso and McBooks. 🔥 #SingaporeCulture
8 days countdown to #TheHungryGhost
Everywhere—here Chinatown and the Muslim quarter— the old and the new collide. As Freja says: “On the surface, Singapore might look like a modern city, but it’s as if there’s a different world underneath the shiny varnish.” #SingaporeCulture
3 days countdown to #TheHungryGhost
…And no book is complete without descriptions of food. Here are some of the delicious Singaporean hawker food dishes, mentioned in the book (and some other favourites). Most dishes cost 3-5$ (2-3£) Chicken rice Satay Roti Prata Frog Porridge Carrot Cake Popiah Kueh Pie Tee Dosa Char Kway Teow Sambal BBQ Stingray Wanton Mee Chili crab Lime juice Sugar cane juice Freshly squeezed juice at very low prices #SingaporeCulture