Author : Saiful Lizan Muhamed
Publisher : Austin Macauley Publishers
ISBN 13 : 1398454559
Total Pages : 227 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (984 download)
Book Synopsis The Quirky Kampung Tales Of Ijan And His Early School Years by : Saiful Lizan Muhamed
Download or read book The Quirky Kampung Tales Of Ijan And His Early School Years written by Saiful Lizan Muhamed and published by Austin Macauley Publishers. This book was released on 2022-11-30 with total page 227 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book is generally written in a humorous tone but there are poignant moments in the book where the narration takes on a more serious or sad tone where they are needed. The book is about the growing up years of a boy called Ijan who grew up in a fast-developing Singapore in the 1970s and 1980s in two different villages or “kampung” as they are called in Singapore. Although the concept or notion of a “kampung” is now gone in the developed city of Singapore, the book invites the readers to take a journey back to a historical Singapore as a backdrop. Ingrained in the ways of the village, Ijan the “kampung” boy had also attended schools which were very structured and the schools were where his parents were teachers. As a “kampung” boy, Ijan was accustomed to his roaming ways and as a teacher’s son, he was expected to behave. This was further compounded where it seemed Ijan’s DNA had been “hardwired” with the characteristics of what was known in the village as a “pusar dua” anomaly. He was born with two hair whirls at the back of his head! This led to a somewhat disorderly hair disposition for Ijan but more significantly, the villagers believed this anomaly brought with it certain traits to the “afflicted” boy. It was believed that a “pusar dua” boy would be a maverick of sorts, hyperactive and stubborn to say the least. He was also believed to be blessed with a very endearing character, especially to animals. The interesting contrast in environment, character and expectations are the themes that carry the narration in this book with Ijan as the protagonist.