Emerald Hill, a former nutmeg plantation, is a perfect illustration of the relationship between botany and commodities that circulate the Empire. But there is a dark side too. Scientific exploration exists alongside exploitation of new lands. Valuable crops are stolen, smuggled and monopolised. The colonial still haunts us. Take a peek at colonial Singapore though this ‘telescopic view’. The booklet also contains stories of our colonial history in bite-sized snippets and colourful collages.