Nobody signed up for this Singaporean author's writing classes, but here's why she's 'ridiculously relieved'

It's always a nice feeling when your hard work is seen by others.

Low Lai Chow had "channelled a sizeable amount of energy" into her writing sessions and she found the process rather satisfying.

The plot twist for this local author came when she realised that nobody had registered for her storytelling-and-craft author sessions.

But oddly enough, her immediate reaction was one of relief.

On Friday (April 14), Lai Chow opened up about this experience via a LinkedIn post.

'I should have felt a little crushed inside, but I wasn't'

There weren't any last-minute sign-ups so cue the discomfort and negative emotions, right? Well, not quite.

Lai Chow recalled feeling a "dam of joy burst" inside her upon knowing the lack of attendees.

"I should have been devastated. I should have felt a little crushed inside. But I wasn't," she wrote in her post.

Being "ridiculously relieved" was not a reaction one might typically expect in this sort of situation.

Even Lai Chow was puzzled by her own reaction.

She'd meticulously worked through presentation slides and rehearsed her lines for the session.

All that preparation had her feeling invigorated, so why was she so chill about the incident?

Close friends dropped her messages of encouragement, in hopes that this episode did not affect Lai Chow too much.

She told AsiaOne: "They were very sympathetic and thought I was disappointed. I don't think they really understood why I would be happy. I think they were secretly horrified on my behalf!" 

Half an hour into the first session, she understood that no one would be showing up.

The second session went exactly the same: No one turned up, and she was completely fine with that.

Growing up as a 'social ninja'

Lai Chow suggested her upbringing as a potential reason for her reaction.

She noted how her parents are "simple people" who don't enjoy drawing attention to themselves while a close friend once nicknamed her a "social ninja".

Also, as a kid, her older sister would call her "weird sister" whenever she did anything unconventional. 

"Perhaps some of that conditioning did get to me," she pondered.

The sessions she prepared for were for her 2022 book, Catch Mee If You Can: Find The Noodles, Eat The Noodles!

Whether its mee soon kueh or mee sue, this light rhythmic prose introduces children to the many noodles Singapore has to offer.

This book is inspired by her everyday gastronomic adventures with her daughter.

Lai Chow's first children's book, Art For Tinies: Eat with Your Eyes, was published in 2020, in collaboration with the National Gallery Singapore. 

Still open to more classes

Despite the (lack of) response to her sessions, when asked if she intends to run more of these events, she gave a resounding yes.

"Author events are invaluable – they allow authors to engage directly with readers... the very people we write for," she said.

Lai Chow mentioned that, in the future, she would prefer a room full of attendees but admitted that the introvert in her "would find an empty room quite irresistible".

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amierul@asiaone.com

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