Page 151 - Stories from our Grandparents

owadays, the idea of matchmaking seems like a thing of Ten years after her arrival in Singapore, my
the past, and youths of this current generation would even grandmother worked in a Japanese factory
consider this concept to be absurd. My grandmother, Vasuki called ‘Rubycon’. She was a production
NManikam an Indian National, was 18 years old when she operator and was employed to fix capacitors.
married my Singaporean grandfather. It was an arranged marriage The reason for her wanting to work was
and my grandmother only saw her groom on the wedding day. so that she could help ease her husband’s
burden. But a greater motivation was to desire
About three years into the marriage, my grandmother to return to India to visit her family.
decided to migrate to Singapore so as to be with her
husband permanently. It was 19 March 1972 when my “My grandmother recalled that her initial work experience
grandmother moved to a foreign land with her young was not easy. There were people who were unable to converse
daughter, my mother. She recalled that she was anxious
as it demanded a complete change in lifestyle – on foreign in English and was only able to speak Malay. She learned to
soil, people speaking a differentlanguage with no friend nor understand the communication through the hand gestures,
family to assist her. Nevertheless, my grandmother fondly but overtime learned to pick up certain words like ‘makan’,
remembered an Indian lady helping her get settled. This was ‘ikan’ and ‘ayam’.”
her first exposure the ‘kampong spirit”.
She told me her 18 years of working experience was not
Slowly she started blending in to the Singapore lifestyle. She easy as the hours were long but she will always remember
shared her personal experience on how people around her was it fondly as she feels that it was all worth it. In 2000, my
always helping her. Initially she had a hard time communicating grandmother stopped working because my parents needed
and adapting to the lifestyle in Singapore, however, through
persistence and determination, my grandmother picked up help to care for their young family. As both my parents need
to go to work, my grandmother decided to take on the
the necessary skills and she even got used to the way food is responsibility in caring for my brothers and me.
prepared in Singapore.
I soon realise that Singapore’s pioneer generation definitely had
to overcome many obstacles and challenges. I have developed an
even greater admiration for my grandmother. I am happy to be
her grandson.

Mdm Vasuki Manickam Born 1950

By T Surendran
Temasek Polytechnic

Grandma Stories 93