I have been bedevilled with insomnia. Like an unwelcome guest, it just doesn’t seem to take the hint and leave but sticks around when it seriously isn’t wanted. It could be anxiety of course, there’s always plenty of that, or a combination of environmental factors. High on the list of needs for good “sleep hygiene” is a cool, quiet, dark bedroom. Well, my room is pretty cool, thanks to the air-conditioning, and quiet – I can sleep through thunderstorms, snoring, and dogs barking – but it isn’t dark. At least it was when I first came to this house. But the rise and rise of Condo-land has had an unfortunate side effect. Most condos for the first few years are so under-occupied that little light escapes from those massive structures. In fact they are more like ghost towns and the few occupants are generally public-spirited enough to draw their shades at night. But sadly the newly sprouted condo in Tanjong Bunga doesn’t follow this unspoken rule of good manners. They have decorated their twin towers with brilliant blue lights which stay on all night.

Now blue light is even worse than white light if you’re trying to sleep. In vain I erected force fields of blinds again this “light trespass”, which is what the Dark Skies website calls it. Dark Skies campaigns against light pollution globally as much of the lighting we are subjected to it is not only unnecessary but is detrimental to health of humans and animals. And it does nothing in our fight against global warming. I have wondered why it this condo has to be lit up like a Christmas tree. Perhaps it was a marketing thing, trying to get remaining flats sold? Or just maybe it was to keep away ghosts? Apparently ghosts can’t stand bright light. As any of us know who have lived in Asia for any length of time, ghosts are part of the landscape. Next month will be the Festival of the Hungry Ghost when the spirits of the deceased visit the land of the living. They must be entertained with elaborate meals and paper effigies of clothes, jewellery, and other desirable goods must be offered lest they become hungry and thus malevolent.

A group of us saw a ghost in action at recent performance of “The Woodshed” at the Teochew Puppet Museum in Armenian Street. The museum celebrates the traditional art of iron rod puppets which the Teochews brought with them when they migrated from Canton province during the nineteenth century. Rod puppets are livelier in movement than either marionettes or glove puppets and a skilled puppeteer can even make them turn somersaults. They have detachable parts – the heads, limbs, breasts, and shoes can all be removed and exchanged so if want to change a character, you just move the head and distinguishing features to a new body, which means you can change a scene very fast.

But as the action of “The Woodshed” seemed to take place solely in, well, a woodshed there wasn’t much need of that. The story, in a nutshell, was of a travelling merchant arriving at an inn to find there was no room for him. Offered a woodshed to bunk down for the night (albeit one with a rather splendid four poster) he has a thoroughly bad night. There are bumps and squeaks and jolts. There is obviously something nasty in this woodshed. Finally he realises the cause – a woman is in his room. At first he takes her for a real woman and rather prudishly tells her to leave so has not to compromise her reputation but he fi nally realises she is in fact a ghost. She tells her story – as an orphan she was sold into prostitution by unscrupulous relatives and her freedom was finally purchased by a man from Yanghou but when he absconded with her money and abandoned her at that very inn, she committed suicide. She is now a very hungry – and angry – ghost. The resolution of the action is that travelling merchant agrees to take her to the magistrate in Yanghou to lodge a complaint against the man who abandoned her and to receive justice.

It’s actually quite a contemporary theme as women (and men and children) are still sold into slavery and prostitution and trafficked in many parts of the World. Apparently there is a sequel to the show which covers the complaint that the ghost makes to the magistrate. The evening was organised by former IWA President, Sandie Lenton, who thought it was important that we expats knew more about the culture of the land we are living in. However our presence as audience wasn’t really necessary that night. The puppeteers perform the shows for the gods, and humans are invited along as a courtesy. We were grateful for the invitation.

Well, anyway, I have discovered blackout curtains which have rather a Second World War ring to them. They work and I am happy to report that they have entirely blitzed my ghosts of sleeplessness.