Singapore Girl Paperback – August 1, 2007

Outstanding opening!Reminiscences on youth, booze, love.and sex-working trannies.

While visiting a Singapore store a sales lady recommended this book to me so I could "get to know Singapore." After having read it I am pretty surprised it was recommended in such a conservative culture. The author candidly recounts his time in 1970s Singapore during which he falls in love with a male prostitute that dresses/acts like a female. The book is pretty graphic in some sections so be prepared if you're uncomfortable about that sort of thing. The book has a few typos which I was surprised about but was a very intersting read. I finished it in two days. While the author doesn't delve into the philosophical questions raised by his relationship with "Milly," the book does cause one to wonder what it means to be a girl. Is being a woman a performance? Is it biological? Genetic? And what does it take to suspend one's notion of gender and sex? The author refers to Milly as "she" despite her physical sex so as the reader I generally thought of her as a woman too, until her penis is mentioned... Anways, an interesting and quick read.

Having spent about four years living in S`pore, in the sixtys, one of my favourite "Runs ashore" was Bugis street.So I am well acquainted with the wonderful diversity of life which was to be found within its narrow confines.James Eckardt does a good and entertaining job of explaining it to the uninitiated.A very good read.