Scribbles From the Same Island

In 2002, Neil Humphreys wrote a feature in TODAY newspaper examining inter-racial relationships in Singapore.

The piece attracted more public feedback than any other issue that week (including the topic of recycled water, which raised the possibility of people drinking their own piss) and a popular weekly column was born.

Within a year, readers (and particularly readers who were also Neil's publishers) enquired about a second book. So in 2003, Neil demonstrated a spectacular lack of originality and released a collection of his columns (with a few new ones) and his wife gave him the title: Scribbles From the Same Island.

His second book actually sold better than the first, initially, and succeeded in uniting two separate audiences: The original readers from his first book and the new column readers, who now went back and bought and read Notes From An Even Smaller Island for the first time.

As a result, Neil had both books in Singapore's national top 10 at the same time. For about three weeks, he felt like the Beatles, J K Rowling and at least a dozen unfamiliar Asian self-help authors. Critics said there was too much swearing. His mother said there wasn't enough.

The back cover:
Singapore’s most famous Toa Payoh HDB flat-dwelling ang moh, Neil Humphreys is back with more Scribbles from the Same Island. He is not rich, doesn’t own a condo, and doesn’t have many expat privileges, but nonetheless manages to remain the same funny bloke happily living in the heartlands of Toa Payoh.

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 the sunny island of Singapore.

So much, in fact, that he now makes a living poking gentle fun at every oddball aspect of Singaporean life. Expect to find more of his take on SPG, sex, doctors, toilets, farecards ...... all seemingly innocuous subjects but made hilarious through his witty observations.

Nothing is safe from Neil’s humorous scrutiny. Not even the unsuspecting creatures at the zoo, and certainly not the bawdy nightlife at Geylang.

Scribbles From The Same Island is a collection of Neil Humphreys’ columns that were first published in WEEKEND TODAY on life in Singapore. Also included are several short stories specially written for this book. The 38 pieces of writing take a humorous look at how a foreigner adapts and copes with life in the lion city as well as the regular Singaporean’s reaction to his behaviour.

Book bits:

  • Neil’s favourite chapter in all three books – The Freak – is in Scribbles (and eventually convinced him to become a vegetarian)
  • One reader was so disgusted by one of his articles that she accused him of being a man.
  • In The Crocodile, Neil discovers that there is indeed a wild crocodile roaming the northern banks of Singapore. In his third book, Final Notes From A Great Island, he finds it.

What the media said:
“Some of his observations are so bitingly spot-on, you don’t know whether to laugh or just hit him on the head.” - Her World

“He is that voice in your conscience that you wish will go away and let you be that kiasu, kaypoh and uptight Singaporean that you’ve become.” - TODAY

“That’s Humphreys’ specialty – coaxing humourous thoughts from otherwise conservative minds, and making liberal thinkers gaffaw mindlessly.”
- Sunday Mail (Malaysia)

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