Page 64 - Stories from our Grandparents

y grandmother is eighty-four
am Goh Guek Eng and I was
Mdm Goh Guek Eng
Born 1949 I Min East Java, Indonesia.
years old. She was born in
born on 23 October 1949.
My father was from China
1934 of a Baweanese dialect
By Ella Tan Jin Woon
and he came to Singapore.
Bukit Batok Secondary School
My mother is a Singaporean She is affectionately known as Mak Mdm Maah Binti
and I was born in Singapore. Ah in our family circles. Her parents Mohamad nadir
migrated to Singapore soon after
My parents and I lived in a small town in Singapore. We reared she was born. However, her growing By Dhaniya Atikah Bte Mohamed Ali Born 1934
some chickens at our backyard. I would catch some earthworms up years was short-lived when the ITE College Central
with my bare hands and feed the chickens, as I was not bothered by Japanese invaded Singapore in 1942.
the dirt. I still remember when Singapore had floods, my home toilet
would get clogged up and it was very troublesome. “She recalled the harrowing experienced of how her parents

During Chinese New Year, my family would put up small firecrackers has to move and hide from one place to another even in
and that was my favourite scene while I was young. It was a joyous the most unconventional place like the cemetery in order
occasion. My neighbours and I would be there cheering and fooling survive from being seen by the Japanese. In the midst of all
around. Those were some unforgettable moments. uncertainties and chaos, my grandmother was separated from

I studied in Nanyang Secondary School her parents.”
and was Chinese educated. My teachers “When I grew older,
wore a qipao and heels, and had a hair based on my friend’s This was the turning point in her life as she became so called ‘orphan’
and alone. Fortunately, she was adopted by a family and raised her.
length above shoulders, just like how recommendation, I took
you would picture a typical Shanghai up a job in a factory that She vaguely remembered her growing up years with the adopted
lady. Back then, I would only get $0.30 family in Nassim Road. In her adult years, she vividly recalled the
as my pocket money and I would spend manufactured 3D pop up momentous event from the radio when Singapore separated from
Malaysia in 1965. She felt an air of uncertainty but was hopeful.
$0.20 on a bowl of noodles. books. I was a supervisor
and I supervised people She believed that hope has brought success to Singapore now. She cited
Now, Singapore is a prosperous country
with a fast growing economy. Thus, the pasting the cartoons on the a few examples of how our housing and public transport has improved
living conditions for Singapore is high book. After that, we would by leap and bounds. She look backed when buses were the main mode of
and working may be stressful. I hope make a hard bound for transport in Singapore. She believed that all these changes and developments
are for the good of Singapore. She noticed how Singapore has become
that one day, Singapore would establish the book. I earned $70
more charity organisations and may per month.” technologically advanced. She gave examples of how we can communicate
there be no poverty in Singapore. via mobile phones and don’t have to meet in person. She is thankful of what
Singapore has achieved so far and hope that the young people are able to
embrace new technology in the future. She ended by stating that the young
generations needs also to value the family as a bedrock of Singapore success.

6 Grandma Stories