Why write when we live in the age of X? Why go through the laborious process of publishing on paper when self-publishing electronically in 280-character bursts could potentially reach an audience that could instantly make you globally famous or infamous?

The world is confusing enough. So many want to be heard, so many possibilities clamour to be believed. Sometimes, we just need to listen to ourselves as we sort through the chaos that pulls our attention every which way, and instead focus inward, sifting out our fundamental truth from the cacophony around us.

Writing is about drawing out connections from the weird, wild and wonderful range of all that we see, hear and experience, making the effort to turn noise into signal. So here I am, offering a glimpse of being born and raised in Singapore, and being part of the ebb and flow of global politics, economics, technology, arts and culture. How do we – the nation and I – make sense of it all?