Page 20 - Stories from our Grandparents
P. 20

ccording to my grandfather, people                                                      rowing up in Delta Avenue       Mr Nagappan Mahalingam
                    engaged in more outdoor activities                                                      in a government quarters,
                    rather than staying at home in the past.                                                I attended Delta East          By M Kalaiselvi                BORN 1956
           AMy grandfather used to be notorious                                                   GPrimary School, which                  Millennia Institute
            for his expertise in playing “Dum” which is today known as Checkers. He               was a 15 minute walk from my home.
            recalled fondly, “I would go every other day to the market in Yishun to play          Everyday, I would carry a green
            Dum to earn some side income and it is also a good way to bond and talk to            cloth sling bag and walk to school.
            my friends.” He also recalls those days when cycling was a common means
            to commute to work, shop and even to the houses of his relatives whom he                   My sister used to go to school at Bukit Ho Swee
            would usually send some of his wife’s cooking which was well-liked by them.                Secondary School. I used to eat light snacks such as
                                                                                                       kachang puteh and even laksa at times which cost only
                My grandmother said that this idea of trading and exchanging food                      about 10 to 20 cents then.
                was very heart-warming because she felt connected to her relatives
                especially during Ramadan season. As they were not used to living in                                          I used to catch male
                such a modern fast-paced lifestyle, they lament the loss of the good old                                      spiders with my friends and
                times. “Back then the issues were different,” she said. She recalled that                                    would let them fight against
                there used to be a lot of gang-related fights and crime during the 1960s
                and 1970s when Singapore was less stable. She added, “You would never                                       each other.
                have imagined the things I have seen. Unfortunately, it is not appropriate                               One of my favourite hobbies was also catching
                for me to share.” Local films used to be more appreciated in the olden                                  guppies at the drains along Alexandra Road. I
                days. My grandmother said that she was once asked to act with the                                  used to run down to Beo Crescent Bazaar to buy
                famous P. Ramlee. She said, “I was sitting down at a park one day and                         Kway Teow with an egg my mother gave me. It cost 20 cents.
                there was filming going on. As soon as I wanted to leave, P. Ramlee
                came up to me and asked me if I wanted to act with him. I rejected him            I loved enjoying my bowl of Yew Char Kway at the night market.
                because I was too shy to act but I regretted that decision later.”                I used to grind spices for my mother using the traditional grinding stone.
                                                                                                  My father used to cycle to the National Library at
            Both of my grandparents said that they had a really wonderful time growing            Stamford Road with me in tow.
            up in this small but interesting country. I asked them what is one thing that
            they would redo again.  Grandmother - “One thing that I would
            redo again is to walk around the old Geylang Serai where I met
            your grandfather.” Grandfather - “I want to hang out with my
            friends and do the things that we used to do when we were                                                             We used to watch films in an open
            younger, like swimming in the canals.”                                                                                field with a huge white cloth acting as

                                                                                                                                  a screen and  we would bring our own
                                                                                                                                  mats to sit on the grass field.
                                                 Mr Mahat Bin Ahmad               BORN 1940&1950                                  I dearly miss my childhood days.
                                                 Mdm Sariyah Binte Ismail


           20    Grandpa Stories                                                              Courtesy of the National Library, Singapore              Grandpa Stories  21
                                                  By Nurkhaliq Bin Dali
                                                  Millennia Institute
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