Page 81 - Stories from our Grandparents

WIP

Mdm Lee Ho Yong
Born 1945
By Grace
ITE College West

y grandmother’s name is Lee Ho Yong, she was born in 1945 Food was scarce and they had to plant sweet potatoes as this was the
towards the end of World War II. Currently, she is working at easiest and most nutritious food around. Public transport was relatively
MacDonald’s. She shared that growing up, the most memorable cheap, each bus trip would cost approximately 10 cents to 25 cents
Mmemories she had were those where she and her siblings depending on how far you travelled. My grandmother started working at
played with the chickens and dogs of the village. Those days if you the young age of 11 to help supplement the family’s income. When she was
wanted to feed your own family, you farmed and raised your own or you 20 years old, she got a job as a clerk in an optician shop. At 30, she quit
worked for it. She and her father (my great-grandfather) raised chickens this to become a service staff at Macdonald’s. She shared that she wants
to support themselves. Thus without much playmates, my grandmother to continue to work to keep herself active. My grandmother shared that
played with the livestock, whilst at times she would plant vegetables Singapore has changed a lot over the years. She felt that as a modern city, it
while her siblings worked as maids to support the family’s needs.
has become more convenient for her as a senior to travel around. She hopes
Luckily my grandmother was born in May 1945, when World War 2 was that younger Singaporeans can continue to work hard to maintain and grow
about to end and she did not personally face the atrocities of the war. Singapore’s success.
However, the aftermath of the war was still fresh to my grandmother.
In conclusion, through interviewing my grandmother, I realized that
Singapore’s history is very important for me. I also realized that as part of
Life was tough as there were still ruins and bodies all over the the next generation, we need the wisdom of seniors like our grandparents to
streets. My grandmother and her siblings were told to be very guide us.
cautious then as there were still bombs lying around that have
not exploded.

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