Aditya Gautam
I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land I'm recording from. I pay my respect to the Cammeraygal people and their elders, past and present. I also acknowledge the traditional owners from all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lands. You're listening from Coming
Ting Lim
We always ate out. We never cooked home because eating out was so cheap in Singapore, everyone just ate out. In a span of like 20 years, all of a sudden there's like, three buildings, shopping centres, a police station, a community centre. In a year, like in 20 years, all the green, all the fields
that I used to play on as a kid, like, are all gone. But then I feel like in Australia the values are different. Like, you know, like efficiency is not as valued here. I was an immigrant trying to stay in this country. Integrity is the last thing I have.
Aditya Gautam
Hello everyone. Welcome to Comedy Karma Season 2. I'm Aditya Gautam, your host. and in this podcast series I talk to comedians from all over the world who now live and perform stand up comedy in Australia. In today's episode, I'm talking to Ting Lim. She's a Singaporean, Australian comedian,
actress, writer. she has performed in, Fisk season two and three and thank God you're here. she was the raw comedy national finalist from Queensland and she's been doing sell out shows all across Australia. Today we'll talk about her life in Singapore, her comedy and all sorts of amazing things.
Let's start, the show with one of her jokes.
Ting Lim
If I walk in there and I get to choose how spicy I want my food, not a legit Asian restaurant. You don't get that choice in Asia. They choose it for you. Right? You don't get the pussy out. You play Russian roulette with your ass as you eat that dish, that's what it is. Level up or die trying. All
Aditya Gautam
I love that. Firstly, it's so freaking true, because I remember one of my first experiences when I came to Australia was this going to an Indian restaurant and them asking me what, like how spicy I wanted.
Aditya Gautam
I was like, oh, you want a chicken tikka masala? How spicy? I was like, I don't know, like the way you're supposed to make it. Because in Indian you never ask that question. You know, you give it, whatever. Like if there's.
Ting Lim
Yeah, yeah. You don't get that. But like, yeah, that's the thing. It's like, why wouldn't I want it the way it's meant to taste? Because, there is this thing that I do, this white people barometer where, you know, if you walk into an Asian restaurant and there's like white people there, like heaps
of white people, I just go like, yeah, the food is. It's been changed. The recipe has been changed. There's cheese in it. You know, cheese and things you'd never see cheese in, like sweet and sour pork plus cheese. And you just go, what the hell is that?
Aditya Gautam
That's so funny. I think I do that too, subconsciously with Indian restaurants. I've actually, I've been living in Newtown and there's an Indian restaurant there, and whenever I walk past it, there's so many white people that I haven't gone in and eaten it. I was like, it's pointless if they're
enjoying this. This can't be that good.
Ting Lim
But sometimes it makes me wonder, though, like, do white people do the same when there's a lot of, like, Asian.
Aditya Gautam
In an Italian restaurant?
Ting Lim
In an Italian restaurant, they're like, it's too spicy, we can't eat.
Aditya Gautam
That's true. That's a good point. yeah. Have you. So how long have you been living in Australia now?
Ting Lim
I've been. Oh, God, that's a great question. I. I would say.
Aditya Gautam
14, 14, 13, 14 years. So would you say now your taste buds have Australianized a little and the spice level handling of it has gone down?
Ting Lim
No, I came here when I was like, already an adult. Like, I was like, you know, 23, 24. Like, I was a young adult. But like, I feel like if I moved here when I was 8 or 9.
Ting Lim
Because I was still a child at, ah, 23. You kind of like, have your taste buds formed or like what you, what you're used to? You know what I mean?
Aditya Gautam
Like, what was your favourite, like, food or dish growing up in Singapore? Like, some of the favourite ones, like.
Ting Lim
Hainan chicken rice is a big favourite. Like, a lot of people love that curry, like roti as well. But yeah, when it comes to that, like, I love the, when the, the condiments is Made from actual chilli and not like, you know, out of the bottle. So I'm used that. I'm used to that level of spice where
you could just like adjust it yourself and stuff like that. Or laksa. that's not spicy to me.
Aditya Gautam
Yeah. Is that. Was that usually what was being cooked at home as well? These dishes?
Ting Lim
We always ate out. We never cooked home because eating out was so cheap in Singapore. You just, everyone just ate out. You just eat at the same restaurants. So you kind of, you kind of go out. It's quite weird compared to other countries, but you kind of go out and the restaurant owner is. They
become your family because you just know them. I just know them since I was a kid. We just go to the same restaurant.
Aditya Gautam
That's so interesting.
Ting Lim
And you just go like, oh yeah, how's your school today? Yeah, here you go like chicken rice. I gave you more chicken like because you did well on your exams or something. It was like, it was that and it was just like $2.50, you know.
Aditya Gautam
Like it's not interesting because that's not like obviously that's obviously not how it is in Australia, but that's not even how it is in India. It's a bit like in India. I remember like growing up, obviously eating out was cheap, way cheaper than it is in Australia, obviously. but it was still a
very occasional thing for our family. Like it would be only on birthdays or like some celebration that we would go out. Otherwise it was just always eating at home. my mom's cooking all the time.
Ting Lim
Oh no. My family was a two income household. but we like eating like eating at the Kopitiam, which is what they call it, which is like the hawker centre. That's like street food. It's not expensive. But if you think about going out to restaurants, then yeah, that's a treat.
Ting Lim
That's different. We don't go to the restaurant every day, sure. But like, or kfc like my family, I think that's more for health reasons. We can't eat kfc, but we have KFC maybe like once a month. And it would be like this massive treat. It'll be like, oh yeah. Because family food is a massive thing
in Singapore. So sometimes when they release this like new thing and everyone's like, oh, what's that? It tastes great. The government will have to go like, all right, here are the health risks. If you do choose to pursue this, that's on you.
Aditya Gautam
What was this? So when were you, what year did you Come to Singapore... Sorry, I have not a polite question to ask, but how old are you and what was.
Ting Lim
How dare you, honey. No, that's fine. I'm 38. That's what I'm.
Aditya Gautam
Okay. So you were growing up. It was, late 80s, 90s, early 2000s. That was the time. Time that you like.
Ting Lim
Yeah, like, kind of like you as well.
Aditya Gautam
Yeah, yeah, exactly, exactly. Okay, interesting. it was, okay, actually, this. This leads really well to the next joke of yours, so I'm just going to play that. what I wanted to ask you.
Ting Lim
Next, that it wasn't banned. When I was growing up, I had chewing gum. Right. And then in 1992, they banned chewing gum because some idiot actually stuck gum on the train sliding doors, causing the whole train to break down. The government was like, I had enough of trains breaking down. Bang. it's
crazy. That's like saying prostate cancer is killing our men. Get rid of all men.
Aditya Gautam
is it. How was it growing up in like, 90s, early 2000s, in a country where there's such strict rules around, like, chewing gum and such laws? Because I was thinking about it when I heard this joke of yours. My upbringing was so different. Like, I grew up in India, man. It was free for all. You know
what I mean? Yes. I don't know if you've been to India. It was like, there's no such thing as rules.
Aditya Gautam
you just make your own rules whichever way you want to. It was. I. I'll tell you this small incident which sort of encapsulates it. When I turned 18, I went to get a driving licence in this town that I was living. I lived in a town right next to Delhi, was almost considered part of Delhi. and I went
to the transport office to get my driving licence. And you just had to pay someone to get it. You didn't have to do anything. which. Which is fine. But then this guy said, oh, you have to go inside the office once and come out. That's. There's. That's part of the process. I was like, do I have to?
He's like, okay. So I went inside and everyone inside was going in front of this officer, and they were raising their hands and walking out. It was finally my turn. And he told me to raise my hands. I raised my hands and he, like, told me to get out. I went back to that guy and he's like, oh, now
you can get your licence. I was like, what was the need for that? He's like, oh, because it was he's a new licencing officer. Last one got fired last month. Gave the licence to someone without hands. This one checks with everyone before giving them the licence. I'm not making this up. This is a real
Ting Lim
So why can't he look at their hands?
Aditya Gautam
It was like he was just making sure they have hands. Just, everyone come show me your hands. Move out.
Ting Lim
Hey mate, like, if you have no legs, go ahead, don't step on the brake. Just keep going, brother.
Aditya Gautam
It's so bizarre. So, yeah, how was it growing up in, in an environment like that with like, rules are pretty strict.
Ting Lim
I love that question because I feel like for me it's very like different. The. When I say that, what I mean is my mum is Malaysian and in Malaysia the rules are kind of like a free for all as well. I'll tell you, I'll tell you this one story that I really brought to light. The difference, right?
Singapore is very regulated, but in the 80s it wasn't- 90s, it wasn't. I'll go, I'll expand on that a bit further. But I remember one time I went to Malaysia with my mum and this was after, this was my first time and we were in a taxi and the taxi driver refused to like start the metre, right? And
he was, for $50, I'll take you to this place. And my mum was like, no. She walked onto the next taxi and she was like, $30. The guy was like 35. And she just kept haggling like she went down to the entire rank. when we were on the, at the last taxi, she was like, all of them were like, she, I don't
know, she spoke Bahasa. I can't speak Bahasa. And she got this guy to lower his rate to $20 and he dropped us halfway. Like he dropped us at the gas station. And as he was driving us, like, my mum just casually said, oh, you know, for $3,000 you can bribe the cops and get away with running someone
over. Just like, just, just like a conversation you have with a 12 year old kid, you just go like, oh, it's great to know that. Oh, wait, why do you know that as well? Like, what the hell are you on? And then I, growing up with that and then going back to Singapore where everything is like, oh, you
know, if you, if you cross the street, if you jaywalk, yeah, $500 fine. If you have chewing gum, you know, there's this. And then my mum just like, oh, yeah, this is how the world works.
Aditya Gautam
That's so bizarre. Man.
Aditya Gautam
That's so interesting. So. So your dad's Singaporean?
Ting Lim
My dad is Singaporean. My mum is Malaysian. I think, like, Singapore gets a very bad reputation. But honestly, in the In the 90s, not early 80s, that was when I was just born. But the 90s, it wasn't that bad. It wasn't as regulated as it is now. Definitely it was starting to get there. You could
see, like, things amping up, but there was still a lot of freedom. The, Because Singapore, if you think about it, it's only 50 years old. Yeah. It's not like a. Ah, it was a very young country.
Ting Lim
So, like, when I was growing up, that was at the. That was when things were starting, you know, like, there was so much land.
Ting Lim
Like, I would go. We would go out to the fields. We still had fields back then. We could go.
Aditya Gautam
You remember that? You. You actually remember seeing just fields.
Ting Lim
Like, if I. If I looked out my window, they were all fields. There was. There was only one bus terminal. Right. And in the span of like, 20 years, all of a sudden there's like three buildings, shopping centres, a police station, a community centre. In a year, like in 20 years, all the green, all the
fields that I used to play on as a kid, like, catch, like, caterpillars and spiders are all gone.
Aditya Gautam
Oh, wow. So you saw a very freaking crazy transition, to Singapore. That's very interesting. And. And that. That part about being so close to Malaysia and having a link and seeing the. Because Malaysia sounds like India, now that you've telling me that story again. In India also, there's a price
that you can get away with any murder.
Aditya Gautam
Yeah. You can just bribe people in. We have such popular cases of these big actors being involved in accidents where people died and they got away with it because they just paid someone or whatever. so, yeah, there's a price for everything. And you always. In Delhi, you always haggle with taxi
drivers and auto rickshaw drivers. They'll never turn on the metre. Like, just like that guy. They'll just tell you a price and then you have to haggle. And that's just how it is.
Ting Lim
Like we used to get the. A Greyhound, like a bus service to Malaysia. Right. And what they would do is, back in the day, I don't know if they do it now is you pay them a fee, like 50 bucks. Because they have, like, operators and usually they have like seven of them. So you can haggle. Like the bus
fare. My mum haggles. I don't know what the what she does, but she's. She's a. She's great at dodgy, right? And then we get on this bus. We're meant to go to Kuala Lumpur. They were pulled up at this bus depot, and they'll be like, get out. And I'm like, why are we getting kicked out of the bus?
They will swap passengers because sometimes the bus drivers will be like, yeah, I'm not going to Kuala Lumpur today. I'm going down to, like, this. I'm going down this way instead. And then they would sell the. They will oversell the bus because it was like 12 hours. So what happens is we will swap,
and then we'll be standing on the bus, and my mum is, This is what I love about my mum She's like, I'm not taking shit. And I'll be there with her, and she'll be screaming at the bus driver, she's. I paid $20 for this. There's no way in hell I'm standing on the bus for the next six hours with my
child. And she'll scream to the point where a family would actually give up this. And she's like, yes, this is my right. I'm, It's like when you're 12, you just go, like, why?
Aditya Gautam
Stop embarrassing me. But that's the man. I really like your mum already, like, you. You will have to be like your mum to survive in India as well. Yeah, yeah. You have to. Otherwise you'll just get walked over.
Aditya Gautam
Yes. Do you think you've taken any of that from your mum? And is. Is that in some level that that hustle is part of you in some form?
Ting Lim
Like, I would say, you know, like, when you're younger, especially when you're a teenager, you just go, like, are they, like, such losers? I don't know why they do things like that.
Ting Lim
But then, I would say, yeah, I do have some of that in me. Because coming here, I. I, really, I used to be very. Like, in Singapore, everything is so regulated. but there's also. Because of that regulation, there's very little room for you to explore or, like, you know, start your own business. It's
very difficult to do that. You need to come from money, and I don't come from money. So, that hustle spirit is definitely not encouraged in Singapore in the 90s. Like, my experience. Right. So coming over here and growing up with a mum who came from, I don't know, like, a country that. Where rules
are kind of like suggestions and My dad, who is like, you know, like grow. He grew up in that environment. That, that dichotomy just made me realise that sometimes there's the things that you have to do in life and things that you go through that make you the person you are. And there's a lot of
things that I definitely learned from my mum like in terms of how she navigates the world because the only people only act to act that way to survive. People don't, I don't think people will want to do that. But because they have to survive, they have to put themselves first. They kind of have to
act in a selfish way. Like the way we see it in a country where everything is so equal, it's easy. You just go like, why are you like that? You know? So I think I see both sides of it.
Ting Lim
And I just pick the ones that resonate with me. But also where my life experience just goes like, actually this is what you need to do now.
Ting Lim
Because you're forced to grow up when you come to Australia. When I came here, for me, I was by myself. I had no safety net. I came here with friends, but then they left. And not having safety net, not understanding how things work here, you know, like that really forces you to grow up. Like, you
know, like I have to get a washing machine, I don't have a car friends, I'm not going to get washing machine. Like you know all these things. Like so you just kind of grow up very quickly. And I'm glad that I did that as well.
Ting Lim
So like a lot of the things that I do now, like my sister makes fun of me a lot. She's like, you're so much like your mum And I was like, yeah, you can't use a laundry machine, you know, I mean.
Aditya Gautam
Yeah, that's also, I think, I think you're right in the way that you, you pick and choose. But also sometimes what happens now with me is that I'll do something and, and it'll. And I'll go, oh, I'm being my dad and I'm being my mum And I didn't even realise because I think it starts happening by the
time you're our age. You start realising that this, this person that you kind of didn't want to be like most of your life.
Aditya Gautam
Now you are like them, you just.
Ting Lim
Morph over because there's that thing of nature versus nurture. Right. And I think like, yeah, like who I become is like a bit of both of that. Yeah. Like, like nature as in like, you know, I'm, I am also an immigrant now and my mum is an immigrant. So there is a lot of similarities in the way we
handle stuff just because of what we had to go through. Like she came here, she went. She immigrated to Singapore by herself. But she was, she did something crazier which was she gave up her citizenship. Right.
Ting Lim
And moved to Singapore with no family.
Aditya Gautam
And this was in 70s or. Yeah.
Ting Lim
Around there. But like you could go back to Malaysia but you, but you weren't a.
Aditya Gautam
Citizen anymore, which is a big risk. Yeah, obviously.
Ting Lim
And then I'm not.
Aditya Gautam
And Singapore wasn't necessarily doing very well economically back then either. Right. It's do. It started doing really well In I think 80s, 90s and stuff. Right.
Ting Lim
Yeah. But Singapore, I feel like gave more promise, gave my hope. And I think like in Malaysia then, because of the racial bias in, in terms of the policies, people who were victims of that didn't necessarily want to be in that country because you want to, you, you want to be in a country where you
feel like, okay, if I'm Chinese or Malay or Indian or white or whatever, I still get a shot at the same thing. But in Malaysia is very clear that it's segregated.
Aditya Gautam
Yeah, yeah, I've heard that a lot. Oh, okay, so that makes sense. So she moved for that reason and man, it's a good call. Singapore friggin did well, didn't it? In that whole region. It just, it's just like a small.
Ting Lim
For a small island to go. Like, yeah, we're gonna do it this way. And everyone else was doing something different. I was like, you guys are mad.
Aditya Gautam
True to lose.
Aditya Gautam
have you done much Stand up in Singapore since you started doing stand up?
Ting Lim
I did, like, I. When I moved to Brisbane and accidentally discovered comedy wasn't a thing that I set out to do. the comedy scene in Singapore kicked off. It just started and then I. By a guy from Brisbane and I was living in Brisbane doing comedy. Just imagine, like, that's such a weird
coincidence. Yeah. I did comedy in Singapore, but I think, like, the, like, you know, with comedy, like, rooms, they come, they go, and bookers come and go and stuff. So, like, the scene that definitely has changed a lot. I think, like, last 10 years seen a lot of growth. And also there has been a
lot of stuff that has happened with censorship.
Ting Lim
And what comedy can actually do and the fear that the government would have over that. Right. Free speech.
Ting Lim
Because free speech, as we both know, it's not a thing in Asian countries.
Aditya Gautam
Oh, yeah. 100.
Ting Lim
There's no way. Yeah.
Aditya Gautam
It's a bit of a illusion. but yeah, I've heard from some Singapore comedians that you have to give, like, a transcript, if you're doing a show.
Ting Lim
Oh, yeah, yeah. There is no. Singapore is censored as much as, or even more as other countries. Like Southeast Asian countries. Yeah. I never experienced that personally.
Ting Lim
But that is only because I've never been there long enough.
Ting Lim
I only do spots and I have never been asked, like, what material are you doing? But neither. But I. I also go in with, like, a white man's confidence. I'm just like, they're not going to arrest me. What are they gonna do? Like. But I might be very wrong because, like, to me, like, when they ask,
like, oh, is there someone working, some department in Singapore, the ones that. The one that senses you. Right. They go like, oh, okay, I'm gonna not talk about this. I don't care about that. I don't ask. I just do it.
Ting Lim
And I. I don't think that's necessarily, like, the smartest way.
Aditya Gautam
That's true. but you. You're obviously. So you're dual citizen.
Ting Lim
No, no, no, they don't have those citizenship.
Aditya Gautam
Oh, they don't. Like, same in India also, we don't have dual citizenship.
Aditya Gautam
So you're just an Australian citizen.
Aditya Gautam
Oh, you haven't taken Australian citizenship.
Ting Lim
No, I. I'm a permanent resident and I'm fine with that.
Aditya Gautam
Oh, okay. That's interesting. because obviously you can if you want to. It's. You've been here for a while.
Ting Lim
Yeah, but I have to take an exam I do.
Aditya Gautam
That exam is easy.
Ting Lim
You? I don't know.
Aditya Gautam
It's really easy.
Ting Lim
You should see my results in school. Then tell me.
Aditya Gautam
Oh, that's so interesting. You haven't. So you don't plan to either, or is something you might consider in the future getting Australian citizenship?
Ting Lim
The only reason why I didn't is because Singapore doesn't allow it. Like, I don't want to give up. Like, my whole family lives in Singapore, you know, and it's.
Aditya Gautam
Is the. Is the strongest passport in the world. Like, it's literally. Yeah. I think a month ago, they came up with the list of strongest passports. Singapore was number one. I think Australia was number eight or nine.
Ting Lim
Yeah. I mean, I love Singapore. I want to go back. Like, if that's in an ideal world, I would be citizen of both countries.
Ting Lim
But due to that limitation, I would retain that passport just because the rest of my family is in Singapore.
Aditya Gautam
Yeah, that's fair. Okay, cool. we play your third joke. which is,
Ting Lim
right, my name is. Ting, and it is a Chinese name. Like, every Chinese name has a unique meaning, right? Like, my sister's name grew. It means, may peace and harmony surround your life. And that's a beautiful name. My name means food court.
Aditya Gautam
Is it, like, what's the essence of the name? Like, is it, like, lots of different kinds of foods? Or what's the.
Ting Lim
Well, M. Mean, T. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. No, no, it means food court.
Aditya Gautam
Oh, yeah. Legit. Like, food court.
Ting Lim
But, like, that. That joke came from, me. The. The reality of that joke is my name actually is Tingy-i and if you combine those two words, it means integrity and loyalty to family. but if you just get Ting it means food court, and I shortened my name to Ting, and I just did that as a joke.
Aditya Gautam
Ah. okay, got it, got it.
Ting Lim
But that's the truth behind it.
Aditya Gautam
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. Got it, got it, got it. do you. Do you think, these, your name has had an impact in the way you are? Like, your personality? Because our names are so loaded with meanings and stuff. Right. Like, my name means the sun God, and, the sun God.
Aditya Gautam
Well, I. I love the sun. I don't know if that.
Aditya Gautam
Has anything to do with it. Like, I moved to Sydney just because I hated the weather in Melbourne. but you think your name and the meaning. you very. Do you have a lot of integrity thing?
Ting Lim
No. I was an immigrant trying to stay in this country. Integrity is the last thing I have. but loyalty to loyal. I'm A very. I would like to think that I'm obviously a loyal person, especially to family and friends that I consider family. I do have that. Yeah. Yeah.
Aditya Gautam
Okay. do you, how does your family feel about you doing comedy?
Ting Lim
They. My mum loves my. My mum didn't understand comedy for a while because, like, you know, comedy didn't exist when she was growing up. but she's, she's real funny. So she will, just look at a clip and she'll be like, like, pretend to laugh. She's like, I get this. And then she'll like it. And then
she'll load up. She'll go on Instagram and just look at my Instagram. And she'll be sitting next to me while doing it. And then she would have a phone and she's like, like. And I'm like, mum I'm right here. She's like, I'm being a fan. I'm like, you don't have to do it right now, you weirdo.
Aditya Gautam
You could be a fan in your own time.
Ting Lim
She's like, see? And I'm like, yeah, yeah, good point.
Aditya Gautam
That's very cute. has she seen you live?
Ting Lim
Yes, she has seen me live. Yeah, she came a couple of times.
Aditya Gautam
Did she laugh out loud? Was she.
Ting Lim
She, she, one, like a couple of times she heckled, but I don't think she realised what heckling is. She flirted with the booker, which was very, very embarrassing. She was like, I got some attention. I'm like, you calm your tits woman. And then she's a character. And sometimes she'll be like, yeah,
I'm always giving you material. I should be getting royalty. And I'm like, what the hell, man?
Aditya Gautam
I love your mum I think you need to do, like a podcast with your mum Like, she sounds so interesting.
Ting Lim
She's a charact character.
Aditya Gautam
How was the idea of comedy growing up in Singapore, like, again in 90s, early 2000? What was comedy like? What was your exposure to comedy?
Ting Lim
I honestly, I didn't know what comedy was. I think, like, I would watch like, Ellen DeGeneres, like the show. This was not in the 90s. This was like 2000s. She, would do the monologues and I loved it. I always thought it was so funny, like the greatest thing in the world. I would, I would look at
the monologues of, like, the TV hosts or the late night shows. Yeah, yeah, I would love that. I would laugh at that. I don't. I had no idea that that was like Script writing. I just love that. Cuz I thought it was so funny. It just like sums up what's happening in the world and it was interesting.
But that is pretty much like a form of comedy, right? And yeah, I would watch, Everyone Loves Lucy, I think that show, and she was quite iconic. She's not necessarily a comedian, but a funny person.
Aditya Gautam
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Ting Lim
I watch a couple of funny shows because back then Singapore, only had one TV station.
Aditya Gautam
Okay. Which was like the government station or.
Ting Lim
Yeah, but they were really broke because we just got kicked out of Malaysia after the merger. The failed one.
Ting Lim
And they had no money. So what they would do is they would just replay the tapes they had from the days where the British colonised us.
Ting Lim
And they were just old English shows like Everyone loves Lucy, like Mr. M. Bean.
Aditya Gautam
That's interesting. So you, so you were just a lot of Mr. Beans and a lot. All British shows were being.
Ting Lim
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Ting Lim
There was only one TV's channel, so there's not a lot you can do. Yeah, they only had like a couple of programmes and it was old English like TV shows.
Ting Lim
And they had that, they had funny mono dialogue in it and I loved it.
Aditya Gautam
Was it. Was there like some local, Singaporean TV and comedy in some form or the other?
Ting Lim
Yeah, they started filming that, but that was very limited. That was limited to the prime time. Like 7pm you get one show.
Aditya Gautam
So was it like show as in like a, Like a series sort of thing?
Ting Lim
Yes, series. But usually with the series, they, they always had a message back then. So it would be like, oh, ah, this series, in this, in this thing is. It's kind of like a, ah, like a parable in a way. It's just like, all right, at the end of this, you will love your mum mummy is the best. Like,
you know, or like never treat your enemies like, you know, with vengeance or like, you know, some silly message.
Aditya Gautam
Sure. But it was shit or was a decent sum of.
Ting Lim
Really depends on the TV show.
Aditya Gautam
Oh, okay, okay.
Ting Lim
But there's only one. Like, the thing is, it's so funny if you think about it, right? There's only one station with one bloody TV show. No one is gonna go, yeah, that. And then they rip it off.
Aditya Gautam
Sure, sure, yeah, yeah. What are you gonna do? Just shut up and watch it.
Ting Lim
Yeah. They're like, we have nothing else. It's this or the sky that's over. but the first live comedy show that I saw, it would be, I think it was Robin Williams.
Ting Lim
Ah. Before he passed away.
Aditya Gautam
Yeah. that's a good one to start. He's freaking genius. There's a lot of act out and a lot of freaking physicality.
Ting Lim
You know what was interesting, though, he had a guy with a board. And this was when he was having his brains. Like, he was losing his memory. Right. And we were at the conventional hall, so it was massive crowd. Anyway, there was a guy with a board. You couldn't see it. And he was. He was like, in
the performance and you were, like, captivated. And then all of a sudden, it was like he lost. He forgot where he was. And he was, like, where am I? Where am I? And there was a guy with a board and he was like, you're here. He had someone holy to show him where he was, because I think he hit that.
Ting Lim
I feel like as a performer, you don't want people to know.
Ting Lim
And he was trying his best and then he just. It just caught up and he just forgot. And he was so apologetic. He kept apologising over and over again. And then it was like, all of a sudden he had this switch, right? It flipped. It was like, oh, like. And then when they were like, you're here. He
Ting Lim
And I saw that. I love the fact that I saw that, because as a performer, like, every time you see something on Netflix as perfect, you know, it's a completed product, you don't see. But that was like a guy who was doing a completed product, like. Like a polished set. But you see that human side of
him, like, where he's like, oh, you. You're also doing this.
Ting Lim
I felt bad for him. But at the same time, like, as a performer, I just go, like, that's so good to see.
Ting Lim
In a way, because you just go like, no matter at what level you are. Yeah, that. That's. That still happens.
Ting Lim
You know what I mean?
Aditya Gautam
Yeah. Even with someone who's a genius, you see their human side.
Aditya Gautam
And you then see them being a genius again. And it's like that contrast.
Ting Lim
Yeah. Because he. He apologised. He was so good. He was just like. And then he was like, oh, my God, I'm so sorry. Where am I? Blah, blah, blah.
Aditya Gautam
That's so interesting.
Aditya Gautam
Yeah, it's sad. But very, very interesting that you noticed, that, Okay, I'm gonna play the last joke.
Ting Lim
Why do you have to make up the drop bear? Like, you have the brown snake, Right. The red widow Spider, you have Pauline Hansen. You're fine. You don't. You don't need to make this up, right? The koalas, they have chlamydia and you guys are like, fuck it, make them murderous. Let's go. They deserve a
fair go. Why not? I was like, people told me about Drop Bears okay? No one ever told me about the bloody magpies. Like, what the hell?
Aditya Gautam
Yeah, Drop Bears, man. I remember the first time I ever heard about Drop Bears. I genuinely thought it was real because the way I'd heard it, I think it was some sort of a YouTube video or something. And I was like, oh, shit, this is scary. and I genuinely was like, oh, man. Like, I don't know.
Like, I guess you can't go in their forests and stuff because they have these crazy creatures on the trees that come down and start eating you. How was. How was it for you, like, coming here? and, like, the first few years in Queensland, too, it's such a different freaking contrast to Singapore in
Brisbane. were you in Brisbane the whole time?
Ting Lim
yeah, yeah, yeah.
Aditya Gautam
How was the first few years of adjusting? Like, you alluded to it, that it was hard, obviously, living, by yourself. At some point, were you, like, I'm gonna go back. I remember for my first year here, I had a few moments where I was like, ah, nah, this is not worth it. I'm going to go back. Yeah.
But I stayed, obviously, for me, like.
Ting Lim
Singapore is so, westernised in a way. It's not that different from Australia. I think the biggest difference, is that, culturally, Singaporeans, they. They love efficiency and promptness and they value career and, any, like, materialistic things or, you know, stature. But then I feel like in
Australia the values are different. Like, you know, like, efficiency is not as valued here, but, you know, you can send out an email and wait a month before someone bloody replies. It's just like, where's my Internet, bro? Like, come on. and, like, I feel like they value life, like, differently.
Like, they value, like, work, life balance, like, you know, activities outside of work. Whereas in Singapore is more like, work is life.
Ting Lim
like, as for, like, dangerous animals, I think, like, cane- like, I know I. I never knew any of the dangerous animals. Like, I never looked it up either, like, the red back or like, the brown snake. And Queenslanders are so cavalier about it as well. I remember I saw a red back one time in the
backyard because, I was in a house share and there was, like, a bunch of people from Rockhampton and They were like, yeah, it's fine. It's a red back. I'll kill it. And I was like, what are you gonna kill it with? I thought it would be like, a broom or something.
Ting Lim
She took a kettle, like, boiled a kettle of water.
Ting Lim
And poured it over the spider.
Ting Lim
And I was like, what. What are you doing? And she was like, I'm killing.
Aditya Gautam
That's such a weird way to kill it.
Ting Lim
I was like, we got pesticide, man. Like, why are you boiling water? And she was like, we gotta kill the babies. I'm like, I. I don't know what you've been through in life, but I feel like there' like, man, that's such.
Aditya Gautam
A psychotic way to kill something.
Ting Lim
But I feel like that's how they are. And then there was this other mate who saw a brown snake in, like. And they're very lethal. Like, one bite can kill you. Right?
Ting Lim
And in the backyard, and she was just sitting on the camping chair. This is very Queenslander. And, she was just drinking, like, a beer. A can of beer. And she just sat there. And I just walked in because she wasn't answering. And I was like, what are you doing? And she said, I'm looking at the
brown snake. I'm trying to make sure that it doesn't enter my house. And I'm like, so you just gonna sit here the whole day? And she was like, yeah. And I'm like, what? Just call somebody? Get the move. But the funniest thing about the drop bear, though, was, the. I remember when I was living in the
house, share. We always get, like, exchange students coming in, like, European students, because they just tell them about the house. We had this Irish couple that came in, and she was like, four months. They come here for six months to a year. She came in and she was. She said she was gonna hike.
she was going hiking along Mount Ngungun And that was this where this joke came from. and she said when she was working at the restaurant, people were telling her about the Drop Bears. And I knew about the drop Bears because someone else played the prank on me. And I was like, yeah, they are real. I
jumped on the bandwagon, right? And she actually loaded it up. Google. And she was like, drop bears. And I swear, shit you not. The first. First result that came out came up, it was like a Wikipedia page. She clicked on it, and it was like, someone spent so much time on this article, they even,
like, Photoshopped, like, a picture of a koala thing with fangs.
Ting Lim
And she was like, oh, my God, this is real.
Aditya Gautam
I think that's exactly what happened to me. I did. I might have seen the same article. I'm like, oh, shit, this is real.
Ting Lim
And there were, like, three articles. It wasn't just one. Like, like, the whole nation just build, like, this. This. This, like, portfolio of, like, parking articles. And then she clicked on the other one and she's like, oh, my God, they are. They are a real thing. And she kept clicking on it, and I
just kept laughing. And she was like, why are you laughing? This is real. I can't go hiking anymore. I bought, like, a tent from Kmart. Blah, blah, blah. And then she kept clicking and I was like. I was laughing because I was amazed by how much resources. About the drop there.
Aditya Gautam
Yeah. How long it was taking to realise it's not a real thing. I think the exact same thing happened to me. I went. I was like, oh, this must be real, because there are articles out there. It's talking about it. Big. Real.
Aditya Gautam
Yeah. okay. I've asked this question to a lot of guests. I'll ask this to you too. what is your least favourite thing about Australia and your most. Like, what do you hate about Australia or not? Hate is a strong word. Least favourite thing and most favourite thing about Australia.
Ting Lim
My least favourite thing about Australia. That's a great question. Honestly, it's just more like the trading hours. This is very specific to Brisbane. It's like, why the hell can you not extend the trading hours of, like, the, you know, groceries and. And all the other stuff? It's like nine to five.
People work nine to five from a Monday to a Friday. How the hell am I supposed to get any done?
Ting Lim
You know what I mean?
Ting Lim
That's the thing I hate the most.
Aditya Gautam
It annoys me a lot, too. Yeah, that's. And a lot of things are like, shut on a Sunday. I'm m. Like, I'm free on a Sunday. Things should be open on a Sunday. Like, a lot of, like, hair saloons, like, barbers are closed on a Sunday. I'm like, are you stupid? Like, you should be open on a Sunday.
Ting Lim
Like, I need to cut my. They're like, all right. Cut your hair when you are not when you're at work. And then you can't cut your hair when you have time off. I'm like, bro, am I supposed to take a day off for a haircut?
Ting Lim
That really annoys me a lot. The thing that I love about Australia. I definitely, like, really appreciate the freedom of speech here and also the, I, I think like, work life balance, I feel like that is in. That is not as prominent, as as before because inflation has kicked in severely. But, you
still get a bit of a work life. You know, you could, you could still like, go to the beach and go like, oh, this is nice. Like, you know. Yeah, maybe you drive an hour, but it's still nice. You get this greenery. There's, there's all that, that I really love. I like the outdoors a lot more than the
city. That's why I love being in Brisbane. Because you get that good balance. Yeah, that's why. Because it just resets you.
Aditya Gautam
Yeah. 100%. Yeah. But, yeah, thanks. Thanks a lot for doing this. Was great talking to you about, everything that we spoke about. Just, what, what are your social media handles for whoever's watching and what are your plans for next year? yeah.
Ting Lim
Oh, my social media handle is my name Ting T I N G L I M M for Mary Ting Lim Comedy. So that's my handle for Instagram, TikTok, Facebook. Really? And my plan for next year, I'm gonna be doing a tour for next year. if, things sync up, I might be international as well. That just depends on a couple of
Ting Lim
And I'll announce that on my Instagram. And apart from that, just, I have a few things, that I'm working on. Hopefully they take off, but with anything it always depends on, there's always like a couple of players.
Ting Lim
So I'll just announce it when it, when it happens.
Aditya Gautam
Awesome. Please follow you on social media. and you're obviously always on in the festivals, performing. So if, anyone's watching, if you're in a city, if there's a festival, just look her up. other than that, thank you.
Ting Lim
Thanks for this chat.
Aditya Gautam
It was really fun for me. Thank you.
Ting Lim
Thank you. Thank you. I enjoyed this.
Aditya Gautam
Thank you. Comedy Karma is an SBS original podcast. It was created and produced by me, Aditya Gautam with editing help from Tarun Tyagi. I would like to give a huge thanks to the SBS teams at the Melbourne and Sydney offices and to Joel Supple for her guidance. You can find Comedy Karma on SBS or on
any other platform where you get your podcasts. Go listen to more episodes and listen to more jokes. Go do it.
