The Betel Nut Tree Mystery Quotes

“One thing about a tiny island like Singapore is that every man, woman, and monkey in it originated from somewhere else. Whether your distant ancestors sailed from China, India, the Malay archipelago or the United Kingdom, your decision to stay is the only thing that makes you Singaporean. Your presence counts more than your origins.

At least, that’s how it was supposed to be. Beneath an upper crust of white colonial administrators, the rest of us were muddled together like a savoury stew under mashed potatoes.”
― Ovidia Yu, The Betel Nut Tree Mystery

“Mrs MacPherson looked very proud of her son. It made me think about the different lessons people try to pass on to children about money. And about who controls that money.”
― Ovidia Yu, The Betel Nut Tree Mystery

“Married women throw themselves at me. When you’re a wealthy man in an important position, they let you do it–they expect you to do it. I’m automatically attracted to beautiful women and I meant no offence. In fact, the way I see it, if I didn’t flirt with you, I would be insulting you.”
― Ovidia Yu, The Betel Nut Tree Mystery