Pulau Brani and the Languages of the Nusantara There are places where history is written in stone, and others where it lingers in memory. Pulau Brani belongs to the latter. Standing today at the edge of Singapore’s southern harbour, it can be difficult to imagine the island as it once was. Container cranes now punctuate the skyline, and the waters around it carry the steady choreography of global shipping. Yet beneath this modern surface lies an older world: a maritime landsc

Pulau Brani, Isle of the Brave, Ep. 01: Back to the Sea

Azman and his sister Mardiana reminisce about the freedom, adventure, and natural scenery of their childhoods growing up on the island of Pulau Brani, just off the coast of Singapore. They describe in detail their childhood escapades and the challenges of living away from the mainland.

Azman and Mardiana visit current day Pulau Brani, now a port facility, and reflect on what has changed since their childhoods. They...

Amira, Mardiana’s daughter, remembers with her grandmother the importance of community on the island. The family home, which was built by...

Amira and her cousin, Izyan, reflect on their identities as second generation islanders who were not able to visit Pulau Brani once it...

Dear friends, Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to look outward while holding fast to where we come from. About how...

This dish recalls the jetty-side meals prepared by Hajah Siti, whose kitchen overlooked the straits. As the men returned with baskets of...