Diversity is the spice of life - Have you ever heard that saying? If not,then it's okay for I made it up.But before you correct me let me assure you that I do know the right proverb.However if you are someone who has lived in Singapore for long then you automatically come to realise that here diversity is in fact the spice of the Singaporean life.In SG you will come across all sorts of diversity starting from food,music,culture and extending beyond the varied milieu of the transient into the unfazed minds of the in-transient.
Yesterday SG celebrated a similar thing when the prodigal son,Tom Soper,a professional photographer,returned back to Singapore with a book he had written on the diversity of Singapore.However Tom had chosen to specifically highlight the Migrant diversity in the book as he had chosen 50 people from 50 countries to be a case study in his beautifully etched book.
The book differs in it's treatment from other books of the genre as it is more of a montage on the lives of the various migrant people who having left the comforts and the condos of the motherland,have chosen Singapore as their more immediate home and have tried to dissolve in it like sugar in a steaming cup of tea.But as diversity is something that always stands out,these wonderful individuals had caught Mr.Soper's kodak eyes and hence it resulted in this compact but picturesque book.
Some of the fellow subjects mentioned in the book were present to grace the humble book launch.Out of them a well known face was Mr.AKM Mohsin,Editor-in-chief of Banglar Kantha who has been living with his family in Singapore for over a decade now.Mr.Mohsin is a renowned migrant worker activist who has always championed the cause of the Bangladeshi migrant worker here in Singapore.
The book launch was an epic success.I know that because when an event is supposed to end at 9 p.m. and yet the guests depart at 9:30 p.m. which is very unnatural for the punctual Singaporean crowd,you know the event is a success.A very memorable thing about the event was capturing Tom's delightfully lit up face as he stood beside Mr.AKM Mohsin for a photo.It was nice to see Writer and Subject stand side by side and once again create the 51st Portrait in Diversity.
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