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The author was a boy in Malaysia during the harsh days of World War II. That and other powerful memories flow through his engaging memoir. He witnessed beheadings by the Japanese army, later seeing the heads stuck on poles along the road. The return of the British came as a welcome relief. He completed his schooling, becoming a settlement officer, which required a precise understanding of measurement, geography, culture, and population. Owing to this, the author has garnered a variety of professional, personal, national, and folk-based observations. He recounts the "selling" of national landmarks to naïve villagers, notes significant natural wonders such as giant trees in his home region of Kelantan, explains local language based on common sounds, and laments the refusal of Malaysia's Islamic people to communicate with Israel. A Malaysian boy was arrested for devising and building an airplane, prompting the author's assertion that innovation should belong to all citizens equally.
The author's panoramic viewpoint includes quotations from Shakespeare and references to early British colonialists and indigenous persons who contributed to the development of Malaysia. He pays respect to the eponymous Tuan Farrer for whom a hostel ("wakaf") was named. He cites and explains Malaysian customs like hand-kissing, foods like "nasi kukus" (steamed rice), and legends of hidden gold. He humorously recalls that British occupiers used to refer to Kelantan as "the other UK," and recounts important visitors to his country, such as India's Chandra Bose. Much information is imparted regarding land measurements, partitions, and tenure, stemming from his work life. The book, offered as short essays and reminiscences, has a feeling of comfortable hindsight from someone with ideas both radical and logical. Those wanting to know more about Southeast Asian culture and history will find the author's observations enlightening.