Xiaohongdian - THERE'S A NEW MOON ARISING ;; - Tumblr Blog

ooc. the thing is, i am generally on the camp of portraying post-colonial nations as having histories prior to the introduction of european (or any other really) rule; it's the route i take with amihan for example, because you know, banish the idea that we weren't anything before europeans came in and drew the borders that exist today and giving us messy issues that come with suddenly threading groups of people who identified differently as one nation

and singapore definitely has a precolonial history--even back then, singapura was a central hub for trade, and that alone is enough of reason to have a singular, consistent entity for precolonial and modern-day singapore

but i'm also very much interested in the way modern singapore as it exists today is also very much a construct caused by european colonialism; it's a bit of a unique case in a way, a nation-state where the majority/dominant population aren't indigenous to the land, but aren't white europeans either; the way the chinese-singaporean identity is so dominant as much singapore tries to be a multi-ethnic state, the messy and complicated issues tied with the history of how the marginalization of the orang laut is connected to that history of european colonialism as chinese (and also indian) laborers settled in the new colony, how all this results in the multicultural flavor of singapore's cultural identity, how what singaporean is happens to be the result of all these different cultural connections crossing paths with one another in a manner that was at least exacerbated the moment raffles landed

and it's kind of why i have will so young, why i have the precolonial singapura be a separate entity he's interested in continuing the legacy of; his neighbors are the older ones, and when it comes to exploring what's survived and lives on despite colonialism, they're definitely all apt for exploring that narrative; but i'm also interested in how these nations that exist today are also products of that same colonialism, and when it comes to exploring that process of destruction and creation in maritime seasia, i feel it's best explored with singapore and its personification

Singa! What's your favorite animal?

There's a couple of them.

hailcolumbia​:

“Being competitive’s fine. Gamer guys are… not self aware. Self awaren’t.” 

[Is... is that even a word?]

‘ ... right. I suppose there are more important things than gaming, anyway. Unless they earn by gaming, of course. ’

[He’s mostly a mobile gamer anyway--]

hailcolumbia​:

“He’s a gamer. Slur.” 

‘ Ah? I understand that gaming brings... something out in people, but the competitive spirit’s part of the fun. Especially when this competitive spirit brings in money. ’

terradisirene​:

-He just stares at him, like he’s crazy-

“Just clean up after and there ain’t nothing more important than making food. Your stupid work can wait ten minutes. What’s the point in living if you just work all the goddamn time? Anyway making food is productive too, you’re taking care of yourself.”

“I guess I can understand that at least. There’s a lotta crap I won’t eat and seafood’s fucking great. Plus I got damn good seafood in my place too.”

-He may have low self-esteem, but he’s also vain too-

“Uh…actually no. What kind of food do you have anyway?”

‘ But it’s less efficient if my workspace isn’t organised, and then I’ll have wasted more time preparing and cooking than actually getting work done... I mean, of course food is important. That’s why I eat out! Or eat at my desk if I have to. But I need to work to eat, don’t I? If I don’t grasp at opportunity whenever I can, I’ll only have myself to blame. ’

[Ah yes, the kiasu mood. Sure, Malaysia tells him he works too hard, but still.]

[Tourism face unlocked! Italians have money, don’t they? They are European.]

‘ Ah-- but we should remedy that! You like noodles and seafood, yes? I can point you to laksa as a starting point for my cuisine; it’s not the pasta you’re familiar with, but it’s a favourite with tourists... oh, or perhaps prawn mee would be more to your liking? The seafood here is wonderful, and always fresh-- you could say I’m renowned for it, even! If you’d like, I can even point you to chili crab, it’s also a tourist favourite-- and I know the best spots for it, too. ’

@nokorwat​ replied:

You need to learn how to make stuffed frog. I promise, you will never go hungry again!

Oh-- is it anything like frog porridge? I do like frog legs, especially with ginger and scallions in a clay pot, but I don’t think I’ve ever had a whole frog stuffed before.

terradisirene​:

“You can cook anywhere dammit. It don’t gotta be fancy. It can be fast too, hell you can boil pasta in ten minutes.”

-Food doesn’t need to be complicated, it just needs to be made with love, that’s his philosophy-

“What sorta shit do you like to eat?”

‘ Well of course it doesn’t have to be fancy, but more space would be nice just for preparation alone. Messes are unavoidable sometimes, but I do like keeping my space as organized as I can. Not to mention all the work I have to do... ten minutes is already a lot of time that could have been better spent at something more productive... ’

[He blinks at the question, pausing to take a moment.]

‘ ... it’d be much easier to ask me what don’t I like, honestly. Though I do prefer seafood overall, I think-- especially if it’s spicy. Have you tried my cuisine? Have you eaten, actually? ’

“Then who are you loyal to, Habibullah? Is it to England? Why? Were you born there? What have they given you that they haven’t already taken for their own benefit? Or are you loyal because that is what the people who took over your country, taught you from the day you were born? It’s better do die free of colonial rule than live under it.”

This Land is Mine (2021)

[ID: 10 gifs from Singaporean historical drama This Land is Mine. Gif 1: A close up of an independence flyer in a person’s hand reading Merdeka meaning Independence. Gif 2: Is of two men, Habibullah Khan and George Singam, side by side that is to the left, George points to something in the distance turning slightly to speak to Habibullah Gif 3: A close up of  woman,Helen, holding an umbrella, as she looks to the side. Gif 4: A close up of a hand putting leaves over a bracelet that is on the ground as to bury it. Gif 5: Two hands are clasped together. Gif 6: A family made up of Ahmad, Karim, and Mariam, are having dinner at a table. Gif 7: Five people are sharing a meal at the table Gif 8: A shot of the sign outside of an office reading “D’Almeida and D’ameida, Advocates and Solicitors.” Gif 9: A close up of a paper that reads “Military courts for the trial of war criminals” then charges. There is a pair glasses on top of them. Gif 10: A woman, June, sitting down as she holds a young boy in her lap singing to him. /END ID]

“Plan of the Town of Singapore,” created in 1822 by British Lieutenant Philip Jackson. Singapore, on an island inhabited by a few hundred people before the British arrived, was created by colonial authorities to give the empire a port between China and India.

{WHF} {HTE} {Medium}

The Bukit Ho Swee fire, Singapore in 1961.

‘ Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy eating out-- hawker centres are always reliable for a good meal, after all-- but sometimes I wish I had more time to cook at home as well. ’

‘... though thinking about it, given the size of my flat’s kitchen, I doubt I’ll be able to do much cooking anyway. ’

An attemp to draw this two

bersatudanmaju​:

@xiaohongdian is here! 🤩

“Adik lelaki!”

If you could personify an exclamation point, it would be Cahaya.

“Aww, did you get in trouble?! It’s OK! I’ll always like your kaya toast! Maybe I can even suggest it to China as another export eventually, she loves it when I send her stuff! Everyone does! We’ve been trading strong for years, like you and I! And if she wants to go without it — We can eat your toast together! ”

Phew! It seems like every time she speaks, she’s in some kind of competition for “longest run-on sentence ever.” And if you brought it up as a competition with her siblings, she would definitely try to win. 

Then she says the magic words: “… My treat!”

If Cahaya was an exclamation point personified, Da Ming was the essence of a full stop.

‘ I-- I can handle myself just fine, thank you. ’ He waved a hand dismissively to emphasize his statement. ‘ I’m no stranger to trading nor China, remember? There’s no need to be concerned for me, kakak. ’

If it weren’t for the slight tinge of pink in his cheeks, his composure would have been foolproof. Almost.

With that said, Da Ming couldn’t dismiss the offer for food. Free food, for that matter.

‘ Though, if you would like to help me, we could do a... survey trip to assess which kaya toast is the best, I suppose. ’

Pro tip: switch out ‘survey’ for ‘food’.

Hetalia World Stars: Singapore

It's someone's 57th birthday :)

Happy National Day of the crazy rich (and expensive) nation on ASEAN block 🇸🇬 🎉

Excited to have ASEAN month in August (although I missed the 8/8 ASEAN day whoops), so I’m starting ASEAN countries x beer can series! Have a SG with Tiger lager, a locally brewed beer in Singapore 🍻

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afhrafnumogholtasoley​:

@xiaohongdian

[text] Do you like cats, video games, or meat soup more?

[text] I'm just curious.

[That is. Not the sort of inquiry he was expecting.]

[text] That depends? What kind of meat soup are you suggesting?

[text] I do like seafood but perhaps that isn’t what you’re thinking about

ooc. small little update to my rules:

‘Sometimes I may softblock people who follow me due to a general anxiety I have over larger follower numbers that may impede on my ability to write; you’re free to follow again or continue our thread whether or not we follow each other.‘

i swear it’s not personal tumblr rp just leaves me with a lot of anxiety

It's June, so you know what that means-

Happy Pride Month!

For those who don't know, well, I don't think I can explain it well enough myself so here's the Wiki for the Pink Dot

ooc. the thing is i do think he has a pretty warm impression on the onset? he’s warm and charming and hospitable and just about everything a tourist hotspot ought to be; and a fair amount of it is genuine enough

but he’s also a pragmatist by circumstance who’s had to learn to prioritize his own survival because no one else will; he’s someone who puts value in his relationships and connections with others, but a lot of it is filtered through the vein of pragmatism and formality; even with asean, with maritime seasia especially, the nations he shares a lot more history and familiarity with, there’s a sense of formality only a few (primarily malaysia) that know how to dig past that

and i think a lot of it comes from how he’s simply decided he can’t truly rely on anyone for his survival, and honestly, it’s not hard to see why when the whole twentieth century has just been promises met with disappointment until he was booted into being independent on his own; his connections then become a means of ensuring survival through goodwill, because as high on his horse he can get sometimes he is constantly aware of his smallness compared to larger powers; community-oriented as he is, there is a sense of underlying individualism more prominent compared to the rest of his region-- and it’s an individualism brought primarily by necessity and circumstance

Do you have any nations in Europe or Latin America you like or would like to know better?

' It would certainly be beneficial to learn more about the other nations if I'm to work with them. There's much I could learn from Europe in regards to tourism for instance-- especially from the likes of France and Italy. I don't even have an embassy in Rome! Perhaps the day will come when I can upgrade my consulate into such.

The same could be said for Latin America. I would certainly like to acquaint myself with Mexico further, and extend my relationship with Peru beyond our free trade agreement. '

there is no force of nature that says “come here” like the ocean