Here I am visiting a Chinese Taoist temple. My friend Geraldine is explaining to me how the people in the neighborhood give thanks to the ancient gods who grant health, luck, and good fortune.

I heard a legend about how the cats got that knot in their tails. Here is the story that I learned on my trip.

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These children are members of the school orchestra at one of the schools I visited. They are playing Malaysian folk instruments. The music had a beautiful sound, like nothing I had ever heard before. The children were practicing for a performance to celebrate the last day of school.

Here I am at one of the local Singapore schools, talking to the children about my books and how they were written. The children knew all my books and asked lots of thoughtful questions. I was surprised to learn later that English is not their first language. Singapore children may speak Chinese, Malay, Hindi, or Arabic at home. They study English at school. Most people in Singapore are fluent in several other languages besides English.