Ting Lim A Rice Odyssey @ The Laugh Resort
Friday, February 7, 2020
Comedian Ting Lim sheds lighthearted humour on the seriousness of coping with life’s curveballs and finding your feet in this world. A Rice Odyssey is one Asian woman’s story of immigration and all of the odd Aussie quirks that greeted her in Brisbane.
With just a microphone on the stage, she began sharing intricate and intimate details of her life progressing from her childhood in Singapore to life as a minority in Brisbane. Baring her everyday struggles to the audience in such an honest and open way struck a chord with the crowd. The effortless approach she took was refreshing. It was as if she was just talking to her pals, and the laughter that filled the room was organic. We’ve all felt lonely at one point and we’ve all felt like we don’t fit in somewhere. Whether you have never left WA or you’ve immigrated to a new place, you’d relate to what she was saying.
The eye-opening fact that everyone has their own issues they are trying to cope with was a standout take away from this stand-up show. Just by looking at someone you have no idea what they are going through. The anecdotes about her childhood and how her parents influenced the woman she has become is central to the show. She grew up thinking that she would never be like her parents and she pledged to learn from their mistakes. For a show that was all about Lim, it was extremely selfless. Lim explains that with age and perspective, she grew to realise why her parents were the way they were and how that hatred towards her parents that once fuelled her to leave Singapore has turned into clearer understanding.
Joke after joke she had the audience in stitches. Of course, something Lim really shined a light on the reality and difficulties Asian immigrants face coming to Australia. She joked about the rarity of people getting her name right and confessed that she offers out different names, depending on the occasion. To her friends, she is Ting Lim but to the baristas at the coffee shop she is Tina, just to save the hassle. Although she admitted this in a lighthearted manner, the reality that her Asian name makes it harder to fit in here was serious.
An abundance of “Ah crap, that is so me!” moments and laughter that hurts your cheeks are what can be expected from A Rice Odyssey. Feeling like you don’t belong can be hard, but Ting Lim lifts the weight off of your shoulder for an hour of giggles.
BRITNEY COULSON
