Page 15 - Stories from our Grandparents

was a four year-old kid when was in secondary four when Singapore separated from
Malaysia in 1965. I did not know anything about politics.
the World War II commenced. I
My family lived at the Boat Although we had families and relatives in Malaya, my
IQuay area during that time. parents decided to make Singapore their home.
I remember my parents yelling – My family was very poor then and my only dream was to complete
‘run towards the kampong’ (near
Mr Goh Leng Chwee BORN 1937 Jurong area) to escape from the my GCE ‘O’ Level and start work so that I could support my big
family. I have eight sisters and one brother and I was the eldest.
Japanese Army. Every day posed
By Bernice Tan new dangers and all parents were Immediately after secondary four, I started doing odd jobs just to
make sure that I could support my family.
worried about their children’s
ITE College East
safety. Food and water were During my younger days, I often visited my uncle who lived
scarce and had to be rationed.
I studied in a government school for my primary education and attained at the Royal Air Force (British RAF) Changi quarters and had
my highest educational achievement of Secondary 3 from a private school. always been fascinated by the aircrafts at Changi Air Base.
I spent most of my time in school playing basketball with my friends. When Eventually in 1967, I joined the Singapore Air Force. It was one
I was ten, my parents made it clear that I should be ‘independent’ in life. of the proudest moments of my life. My parents and siblings
were overjoyed. It was a dream come true.
I began my career as a car salesman. I was not interested
in the job and the income was not adequate to support my At the Air Force, I was assigned to the Logistic Unit. Over the years, I
family. Years later, I chose to be a ‘Taxi driver’ which I enjoyed was deployed to various units in Singapore, Thailand and Philippines.
much better because I could meet people from all walks My duties range from logistic maintenance, provision of supplies, to
housekeeping of the specialised units and general stores.
of life. I met many interesting professionals like doctors,
engineers, lawyers, teachers, and scientists. My first pay was $200, which was a considerable
amount back then. As we have twelve mouths to
In comparison with my childhood days, Singapore has transformed feed in the family, luxury wasn’t within our reach even
significantly. We have fabulous infrastructure and our children are with my considerable high monthly pay. We had to
smart, well-educated and bold. However, one observation worries me live frugally to ensure that my $200 can last through
a lot - the bond between children and parents is dwindling. the month.
Many ambitious career-minded parents are busy chasing
their own goals without realising that spending quality time Today, I feel that young people have more
with their children is important. At the same time, there opportunities to pursue their career goals. In fact,
are some who over compensate for lost time by being too they are spoilt for choice as there are so many
friendly with their children without instilling discipline. varied pathways that they can choose from.
While I agree that parents need to communicate
with their children on friendly terms, it is
important to teach children to respect their Mr Kishen Kumar Nanda
parents and elders. BORN 1947
By Hareen s/o Saravanan 15
ITE College East Grandpa Stories