Page 139 - Stories from our Grandparents

I
am Luo Soon Ma, born in 1940.
I am currently 78 years old.
I worked in a factory which
Mdm Lim Siam Cheng
produced photo albums for
Born 1948 originally from Singapore. When Mdm Luo Soon Ma
By Kasper Tan over 20 years ago and was
Ping Yi Secondary School
I was young, I used to work in
a factory which collected old Born 1940
Queenstown Secondary School
wooden boxes and my job was to By Tan Si Lin, Cheryl
y name is Lim Siam Cheng. “These days, I enjoy ensure that the nails in the boxes
I am 70 years old this year. attending activities were removed for the resale
I am currently a retiree. I used
Mto work as a flooring expert. with my friends in the of the pieces of wood. I lived through World War II, however, since
My past work was not limited to a single gathering sessions with I was very young during that period of time, I do not have many
place. It took me around Singapore, where the other elderly folks recollections of the situation then. However, I vaguely remember
they needed me to fix the floors of places in the neighbourhood. that my grandparents had to take care of me and my siblings.
or buildings. I was from a poor family and
decided to work as someone who fixed The kampong days in “I used to reside in a home with a metal roof and walls
the flooring for HDB. Not many people Singapore are always a made of wood. It sat on top of stilts located around
wanted to do the hard work, but it was fond memory. In those the sea called ‘ya da wu’.”
something that I really enjoyed doing. days, people form closer Since I spent most of my days taking care of my children at home, I was not

I live in Chai Chee now. Previously, bonds and they reared too busy to keep up with the changes that were happening in Singapore
I stayed near Boat Quay area. One chickens and pigs. That during the early years of independence. My past job in a photo album
of the most memorable childhood was something I really factory was recommended to me by my friends. I used
memories is playing the Chinese liked during the early to work under the department which required me
four-colour card with friends. to stick on the album cover for each photo album
We really enjoyed the game and years in Singapore.” using a manual machine that required the use of
each other’s company in simpler my foot to operate. Also, during the New Year, I
times. During the early years of remember that I would receive special bonuses for
Singapore’s independence, there me to spend it on my family.
were still kampongs and double story
shophouses. I saw a lot of rickshaws Singapore is now wonderful as most of the citizens have managed to
and trishaws in the past, but most escape poverty. Moreover, it is cleaner in present times than the past
trishaws are for tourists now. as there are more cleaners now to help clean up the streets. Majority
of Singaporeans are also able to find jobs now as compared to the
My hope for the future generation is for them past, where jobs were scarce. Now, even the seniors are able to find
to study hard and value the importance of jobs much more easily than in the past. These days, Singaporeans
education. It is a privilege that I did not have live a better quality of life as they are able to afford quality foods that
in my own childhood. were considered costly back then. A message I would like to convey
to the future generation is that they should study hard, work hard
and be good citizens.
80 Grandma Stories Grandma Stories 81