A Review of While I Watched the Airplanes (2020)

A young poet’s inspiration soars while watching aeroplanes

“Erosion”, artwork by poet and artist Dorothy Yuan (provided by interviewee). This piece stood out for me because, as the artist’s statement states, “by juxtaposing both maps, the audience is encouraged to weigh the costs and benefits of Singapore’s development”.

In the 1990s, my father, brother, and I used to watch aeroplanes taking off and landing at Changi Airport. It was both a simple pleasure and a cheap thrill. Those were simpler days, where an evening could be spent watching and counting planes. And these days I love visiting Jewel, one…