Joanne Leow: You were thinking about spatial displacement, I was also thinking about the temporal shift that occurs in the novel, it’s really interesting. Because in the first part of the novel, you have this really…it’s not a nostalgic look, necessarily, but it’s almost like a timeless, almost ancient past, where…you know, there’s mythological and fantastical elements, and then suddenly, in the second half, you’ve transitioned into this hyper-modern city that has all these things that are, again, increasingly even more familiar. I’d just like you to talk a little bit about that shift, and about that ending. Earlier we talked about the kind of hints of the government changing people’s lives, and by the end it’s so palpable. Nuraliah: Yeah, that’s correct. Joanne Leow: What went through your mind when you were thinking through that shift in time, but still in that concentrated space? [0:45] Nuraliah: I think what went through my mind was—and then people have pointed this out, that there are people who really really love the nostalgic space, and then, to the point that when you get to the second half the book, and then we’re with Eedric and his modern life, they’re just like, “(sound of disgust), go back, go back!” And then that’s the thing, I do—and this is something that I’ve discussed with others before—when it comes to, especially with the Malay community, nostalgia actually features very strongly, because it is actually featured in the old black-and-white films. And then that was the golden age of the community, and then there is today. But there’s also that disconnect, you see, that there’s nothing—the in-between is almost lost to us, the 1980s, the 1970s, 1990s, I mean, do anyone remember the ‘90s? The center-parted hair, and so on, where we…and the boy bands. Joanne Leow: (laughing) From the music, maybe. [1:40] Nuraliah: Oh yes! I remember the music, that’s true. So, I think if there is that shift, and then there’s almost that nothing in-between, it could be because of that, that even in my exposure to the past—the Singaporean past—and then living in the Singaporean present, it doesn’t—in my mind it’s not really…and then the truth, it is gradual development. [2:07] Joanne Leow: But do you think it’s gradual, or do you think it’s because the development was so accelerated that people can’t process it? Nuraliah: Perhaps. Joanne Leow: In the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s it just happened, you claim the land… Nuraliah: Just like that. Joanne Leow: …you know, all these new buildings, I mean, every time I come back now, I’m just like, what? Nuraliah: Yes, that’s true. Joanne Leow: But you can’t process it, so you skipped that. I wonder… [2:25] Nuraliah: That’s true. Perhaps, yeah. And then the only thing is that you only have all of these cultural, how do you say, artifacts, you know, from our past, and then there’s, the in-betweens are so fuzzy. So, yeah, I would think so. And even if—you don’t even have to be away, here in Singapore it’s just like, “eh? This place used to be this, what? Uh…I think?” And then the scary part is…I live in Yishun—Area 51 of Singapore. Yishun used to have forest, there’s a reason why it’s a little bit weird, because it was just a lot of forest, a lot of open fields, some of the open fields had tombs in it, but—and then now it’s just BTOs and HDB flats. I do sometimes look at the space and feel as if what I remember, back then, that’s not feeling so real, because I was just like, “what this used to be, am I right, did I really see a tomb here? Did this forest once catch on fire?” Things like this. So, yeah, I think the development is really accelerating, even with Manticura it was very accelerated. And for the people, it’s just, suddenly in the horizon there are all these ships. And for Ria and Barani, it’s just, suddenly this land, this little plot of land that their hut is standing on is now priced land, because it’s needed for development. And I think they’re not able to process that, because it comes so suddenly, it’s almost an intrusion. There’s definitely that disconnect, and even with me, I only have these cultural artifact, and then stories that my parents would tell you of their kampong days and so on, and then, it’s like, pop! Then I just don’t know what happens in between. I would say it’s almost like a cultural amnesia, the in-between is just, I don’t know what happens.