Page 130 - Stories from our Grandparents
P. 130

We were all scared but we knew we had to alert the adults.
                       We shouted for help while some ran to find an adult nearby.
                       Soon enough, the police came and pulled the body out of
                       the longkang. The body belonged to a boy that was about
                       our age and he was crippled. He was just an acquaintance
                       but it was saddening to see that he passed on that way. Up
                       until now, no one knows how he ended up like that. Since
                       that incident, my mother told me to be careful when playing
                       near the longkang as the spirits of the boy may return. Upon
                       hearing that, I was frightened. Other than that incident, my
                       life was pretty simple.
            In school, I would buy my favourite curry puff with
            my allowance of 5 cents. My parents were not at                                            The Singapore today has developed very quickly in every aspect of
            home most of the time because they had to work to                                          life since my childhood. Tall buildings fill the city skyline and transport
            support the family. This resulted in my siblings being                                     is very convenient. Most people are educated and technology has
            independent at a young age. At the age of nine, I                                          advanced quickly. I am amazed at how easy it is to purchase things
            have learnt how to iron my clothes and cook food for                                       without going out. However, I feel that too much technology is not
            my siblings. I also had to take care of my siblings.                                       good. The generation today is always on their phones, calling and
                                                                                                       chatting with their friends. That is called bonding to them. They
                                                                                                       should interact with each other physically and talk face to face, not
                                                                                                       talk behind a screen. The younger generation must never forget their
                                                                                                       mother tongue, their culture or where their family originated from, no
                                                                                                       matter how much technology has progressed.



                                                                                                  “Our children are blessed with these
                                                                                                  privileges that people from my generation
                                                                                                  could not enjoy. They should be grateful for
                Getting a job was tough and one had to get recommendations from                   what they have now and treasure how far
                others. My two older sisters were lucky and worked as hairdressers                Singapore has come.”
                to help my parents earn money. They had to stay at the shop and
                could not return home much, just to earn $10 a month.









           72    Grandma Stories                                                                                                                       Grandma Stories  73
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