SINGAPORE — For award-winning Australian actor Don Hany, Singapore is more than the place where he filmed the HBO Asia/ABC TV drama, Serangoon Road. In the 10-part series, Hany plays ex-soldier Sam Callaghan, who works with Patricia Cheng (played by Joan Chen) in her detective agency.

“Singapore is a real mystery because many people see mainly the touristy side,” he said. “Most people know it as a town with good shopping and where you can’t litter — but I love being here. It is a great example of how diverse a society can be. And it would be great if Singapore, as a concept, could be exported — this concept of tolerance that extends socially, politically and racially.

“Everything that I know about Singapore is because of this project,” he added. “And I am excited about learning more, there is so much left to discover about the town. It is in a state of flux that Singapore has always been in ... which makes it a fascinating town.”

In fact, the actor compares this little red dot to other places such as Nepal or Hungary. “I was in Nepal 10 years ago (and) in the same way that Singapore is caught between the east and west, Nepal is caught between the Indian and Tibetan ways of life,” he said. Hany, who is of Hungarian and Iraqi heritage added: “There is a deficit where those two cultures meet. I was recently in Hungary, and Budapest is an interesting place to examine this cultural shift because everyone my age there wants to leave because the opportunities there are far fewer. It is a country with so much history and it is unique that no one in that region speaks that language or history. It’s a place where the Russian and European fronts meet. I am interested in places which are in a state of flux.”

Q: Do you travel often?

A: For work I do. I worked in the States a couple times. I have been throughout Asia not only working as an actor, but for a travel show too. I would love to work in Asia a lot more. I think there’s nothing more exciting than being a foreigner! You feel that anything is possible. The prospect of a new experience, picking up a bit of a new language, meeting people, seeing how people live, understanding the way people look back at us. It all just energises me — there is no better reflection of oneself when you learn how people in a different country look at you. It’s the best way to learn about other people too. There’s no better way to breed tolerance than by exposing differences as something to be celebrated.

Q: What do you like about travelling in Asia?

A: The food is something I am a big fan of, especially Chinese food. I think a lot of people lump Asian food into one category but there is so much variety in this region.

Q: When you travel, is there anything you always take with you?

A: I have a lucky blue toothbrush with me that I feel naked without. I think it does need replacing but I haven’t had the courage to do that!

Q: What do you take away when you travel?

A: I remember that I was travelling with my dad in Turkey and I frustrated him so much because I was taking photos the whole time and not really absorbing where I was. There is this disconnect — we have become so obsessed with this sense of ownership, of owning these digital photos, that we have forgotten about the hard copy — or in fact, the heart copy, even. We have neglected appreciating the feeling of the moment, the experiential thing. No one goes travelling without a camera anymore, some even have two, a small snappy one and a big-lensed one. People are just viewing their destinations through the viewfinder on their camera. Technology has definitely shifted the way we experience travel.

Q: Is there any place you have travelled to where you have felt unsafe?

A: Not exactly, but when I was in Dubai for a week on my own and just walking around, the call for prayer came and I was around the mosque taking photos and admittedly I was being so naïve about it. At some point a guy came out and asked what I was doing and told me to get out, and said it was dangerous for me to be there. You hear stories in Dubai about white tourists being abducted and having their passports taken. And that was one time that I did feel a little threatened. I do think in some ways, the days of travelling around on your own and just exploring things are gone, especially in the Middle East.

Q: What is one thing you’ve taken away from this project that you have learnt from?

A: Everything is done in a different way in Singapore than Australia, logistically and culturally. I learnt a real appreciation for team work and the stunt team was exceptional. They truly lifted the show. And in terms of the show’s storyline, it’s amazing how much one learns through the hard times in your life. Because of this role, I’ve learnt that the grief in your life can be the best opportunity to discover new things about yourself and other people, simply through patience and tolerance. But I would still love to see Australia take more of an example from Singapore in terms of tolerance. I wish there weren’t all those differences but I understand it.

JEREMY GOPALAN

Serangoon Road airs on Sunday 9pm on HBO/HBO HD (StarHub TV Ch 601/655).