"This book was inspired by a story Freddie Winmer told the linguist Gerhardt Laves at Albany, Western Australia, around 1931"--Page 3.

The first ever comprehensive collection of plays in English from Southeast Asia. Features work by eight playwrights from seven countries in Southeast Asia, a region which is experiencing profound change: Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Cambodia. Southeast Asian Plays explores the rich variety of dramatic work that is only beginning to be translated into English. Theatre scripts are merely blueprints for productions, especially in this region. As elsewhere, second productions and revivals are rare, so publication is key to allowing play texts to find a wider international readership. Topics include the global financial crisis, sex workers, traditional v modern values, the role of faith in society, corruption in high places and journalistic ethics. The plays have been selected for performance. Plays: The Plunge by Jean Tay (Singapore) about the efects of a financial crisis An Evening At the Opera by Floy Quintos (Philippines) about a dictator and his wife Night of the Minotaur by Tew Bunnag (Thailand) about a man misused as a monster Tarap Man by Ann Lee (Malaysia) about a man wrongly imprisoned under the justice system Dark Race by Dang Chuong (Vietnam) about corruption in high places Frangipani by Chhon Sina (Cambodia) about the sex trade in Cambodia Piknic by Joned Suryatmoko (Indonesia) about the need to get rich quick in Bali Nadirah by Alfian Saat (Singapore) about the conflict between faith and morality "The editors have done an excellent job of opening up our chances of reading and learning about plays from all over Southeast Asia. ...editorial choices are significant for opening up spaces to voices which are otherwise heard less often. All in all the plays are interesting for the ways in which they grapple with key concerns in their respective societies." --The Asiatic

Along Came a Soulmate, the true memoir by Armenia Jess, tells the story of poverty, survival, faith, hope, grit and pure love. Armenia was born in an impoverished village in Southern Mindanao in the Philippines. Her father passed away when she was only twelve years old, her youngest brother who was only nine years old, became the bread winner and supported her education through college. Later on, she met her husband who significantly changed her (and her family’s) life. The book follows Armenia and her family’s bittersweet life experiences in the Philippines before she made it to the USA. Her family struggled to survive their impoverished living conditions and the cruel circumstances they encountered in a village near her hometown; when they left to live in the town to chase her dream only to be evicted from multiple rental houses they couldn’t afford to pay; and when she unexpectedly met the man who loves her unconditionally and showed her the world.

The book is about the author’s childhood during World War 2, his pursuit of a medical vocation, establishing a career in America, raising a family, and facing the challenges of the enterprise of life made possible by, in addition to his beloved wife, a third partner. The book includes accounts of life in an empty nest, milestone celebrations, tribulations, and divine interventions called Godwinks. It is a response to the primal need for humans to leave an account of their presence in this planet.