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Stories from Singaporeans
in Seattle, Washington
This book is dedicated to all our
loved ones in Singapore.
Wang Hao remembering those
Commando days…
It’s been almost three years since I left Singapore for Seattle to attend university. Though many
of the nostalgic memories that took place at home happened many years ago, the vivid details
of those experiences remain particularly close to my heart. As Singapore’s 47th birthday draws
near, I realize that this will be the third time I will be spending Singapore’s National Day in a
foreign land. The second time happened last year, when I remained in Seattle to be enrolled for
summer school. The first happened during my National Service.
My two-year stint in the Army was eventful to say the least; I was drafted as a Commando
trainee. The rumors I picked up prior to entering the army were I would be subjected to one of
the most grueling training regimes the Army would offer. Having personally gone through the
2 years of Commando training, I can certainly attest to the veracity of those rumors. But in
retrospect, those 2 years certainly played a pivotal role in making me who I am today.
Over those 2 years, I had built a bond of brotherhood and a sense of camaraderie with my
comrades-in-arms that was unlike any other friendship I had in the past. To this day, I will still
unequivocally state that if I were to trust my life to any of my friends, I would only trust it to
those that I had gotten to know during my time in the Army. We had crawled through the
swamps of Brunei together, toiled through the sweltering heat of Thailand together, and we
had motivated each other to become better than who we were before.
Incidentally, one of the overseas military exercises I was involved in took place on Singapore’s
National Day. The memory of what happened that day remains so vivid that as I look back on it,
it seems like it only happened yesterday. I shall not delve into most of the details, but what
happened was that towards the end of the exercise, the rigor and intensity of the exercise was
too much for my mind and body to bear, that I collapsed onto the ground and suffered from a
bout of physical exhaustion.
It’s difficult to explain how physical exhaustion feels like, but I’ll give it a try.
In essence, I had completely lost control of all my physical faculties; my arms were curled up
towards my chest, my legs trembling continuously and uncontrollably; and I tried to speak
but my mouth just wouldn’t move and no words would come out.
One of the unofficial mantras that Commandos live and die by is, “Leave no man behind.” A
belief that my comrades clung on strongly. A medic put me on an IV drip (an amusing irony
of this story is that I am a trained medic as well), and following that, my brothers-in-arms
hauled me onto a stretcher, lugging me on their shoulders for a good 3 kilometers, before I
was put onto a safety vehicle that would bring me for treatment in the medical center.
As it all turned out, the IV drip was an elixir for me. After consuming about 3 bags of IV, I was
able to regain most, if not all of my physical functions. So, here I am, almost 5 years later,
telling this story today. To this day, I am still extremely grateful to the medic who provided
firsthand medical attention and to all my brothers-in-arms who saved my life that day. It is
often said that, “what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger”, and I certainly couldn’t agree
more with that.
While I am glad that I don’t have to bear the physical and psychological burden of military
exercises this National Day, I can’t help but think of what happened 5 years ago, which makes
me think of my compatriots who are currently serving their National Service… and I certainly
wish them all the best!
Wang Hao
President, Singapore Student Association, 2010 - 2011
Majoring in Industrial and Systems Engineering
University of Washington
Anthea knows she is a part of a
thriving nation of people united
by a love for their country…
I came to Seattle for school, and I’m currently studying at the University of Washington.
In primary school, the thing I looked forward to the most was reaching Primary 5, because all
Primary 5 students in Singapore get a chance to attend the most exciting event of the year: the
National Day Parade! I remember me and my friends sniggering at the ‘stand-in’ VIPs for the
preview show as they appeared on the big screen, trying to show off our political prowess in
knowing what our ministers look like.
I remember Gurmit Singh as the host (no surprises there). I remember the roar of the F-16’s as
they flew overhead. I remember sweating as I screamed out the lyrics to One People, One
Nation, One Singapore, and I remember the smell of the gunpowder as fireworks exploded all
around the Padang.
As I got older, my excitement for National Day did not really center on wanting to be at the
NDP, but on the general atmosphere itself. I loved hearing Singapore songs at the supermarket,
seeing Hang Ten and Giordano compete for the ugliest National Day shirt design award, and
playing the spot-the-reversed-flag game whenever I passed by a HDB block. My family would
still watch the parade on TV, and I would occasionally rush to the window hoping to catch a
glimpse of the flag-bearing Chinook, or to see a spark of the fireworks in the distance.
In Junior College, it got less cool to be overly patriotic lest we be associated with excitable
primary school kids. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed National Day because the metaphorical goodie
bag that we all received was a nice day off to spend with friends. We would go somewhere as
far away from the maddening NDP crowds as we could get, bring some drinks and snacks, and
lepak-ed the hell out of the night in the cool August breeze.
My junior college friends and I wore our old
secondary school uniforms to The Tea Party
Cafe to get a discount!
My friends threw me an early surprise birthday party
before I left for Seattle, at a prawning park in Bishan. Check
out my fried rice cake. I have very fond memories of that
night.
At the Dirty Dash in Seattle. A 5km adventure
run with mud and lots of obstacles. Exercise and
mud therapy all in one!
Rocking out at Hobuck beach in Washington with my make-
shift crab-on-a-stick guitar.
Taken at 7000 ft, at Whistler mountain's highest peak. Moments later, we nearly died because the easiest run
down was closed due to bad weather. We had to trek uphill a mile in 20 cm visibility to access the next easiest
run down, so as to avoid the double black diamond alternative. We survived!
It has been almost 2 years since I’ve last been home, and 3 years since I’ve spent National Day
in Singapore. Overseas, National Day is treated like just another day. It’s hard to recreate the
same festive atmosphere as there is in Singapore: no sales, no flags, no songs.
But nevertheless, National Day is not forgotten. Come August 9th, I know my friends will fill
my social networks with status updates, patriotic pictures, links to the National Day Rally
Speech, and of course, the complaints that will follow everything (it is the national pastime
after all).
And therein lies the essence of what National Day is all about: community. Whether I am with
my Primary 5 classmates at the Padang, with my family at home, with my friends on a
boardwalk, or thousands of miles away staring at a computer screen, I know that I am a part of
a thriving nation of people united by a love for their country. I now realize that behind all the
festive attractions and celebratory air, what I truly love most about National Day is the
palpable sense of connectedness that is felt by all Singaporeans, at home or abroad. No matter
how many years I spend away, Singapore will always be home. I will always be a part of this
community, and Singapore will never let me forget that.
Majulah Singapura!
Anthea Piong
President, Singapore Student Association, 2011 - 2012
Majoring in English Literature & Philosophy
University of Washington
Nicky will always call Singapore
his home…
April 2010, this picture was taken during my RCC (reconnaissance conversion course)
graduation parade. I have thousands of snapshots like these, moments in time that
transpired during my 24-months stint of National Service.
Some of them routine and mundane, while others exciting and extraordinary. Some I long
to forget and there remain others that I hope will never leave my memory.
As much as I’m glad to have completed my two-year service to my nation, I also dread the
thought of leaving all this behind. The friends I have made, the sense of camaraderie that
I have experienced, the knowledge and respect I gained.
February 2011, 24-months after my date of enlistment, I finally found myself at the end of
my time in NS.
I reached my goal of becoming a leader in the army, a sergeant in the 4th Singapore
Armor Brigade RSTA company, and experienced what many of my friends and family could
not even begin to think about. I fired weapons, hiked through swamps and bashed my
way through the thick jungles in the heart of Taiwan.
I endured the cold, bitter nights in Australia’s Rockhampton desert, with nothing to keep
us warm apart from the radiating heat of our bodies keeping close together.
However, at the end of it all, these are merely memories which would serve me well as
conversation material with friends and family. What I took away from that 2-years in NS is
more than that.
11/11/2011, a date I’ll never forget, I
finally left home for college at the
University of Washington, Seattle.
Many times I’ve heard that leaving home
for the first time, adapting to the various
walks of life in college as an
international student is not an easy path.
Though I was excited, the various
responsibilities bearing on my shoulders
were overwhelming.
Laundry, groceries, academics, finances,
forging new friendships, being able to
adapt to the American culture and
missing home were just few of the many
thoughts racing across my mind as I
stood there alone in the departure gate
waiting on my flight to Seattle.
Having an awesome dinner with my parents on a
final trip to Hong Kong before departing for
Seattle.
However, being in the military has made me more independent and resilient to such
thoughts and emotions. It has made me from what many people quote “ Boys to
Men”. I cast aside these thoughts and looked ahead to my new adventure, my new
life for the next 4 years.
I'd say that the army is a lot like life, but I've only been through 22 years of the
latter, and am in no position to comment. However, I'd like to think that I've taken
away a lot.
There are many things that can be learned outside of the army, but some things
aren't as strongly reinforced and emphasized as they can be in the army.
Bonds forged, experiences shared and lessons learned during ungodly hours and
impossible situations are somehow more indelible then others.
Respect and tolerance for people from different backgrounds and walks of life were
but some of the key values ingrained within me.
The idea of NS as a compulsory waste of 2 years backed by government authority
had somewhat evolved into an experience that is irreplaceable. New perspectives
were uncovered, and important lessons were learned.
These invaluable lessons have made my adjustment to life in Seattle a breeze as I
have experienced much worst situations in the military and just being in the civilian
world is a privilege.
A recent photo where my best
friend from Singapore (known him
since primary 2 till now) came to
visit me in Seattle as he was doing
an exchange program in UBC,
Vancouver. This photo was taken
at Alkai Beach, did a mini-
bonfire/BBQ there and to absorb
the beautiful Seattle city skyline
A snapshot of my close buddies
friends in University of
Washington, Seattle on Red
Square during the Husky Fest
2012
Just me cruising down the slopes
of Whistler's famous Blackcomb
mountain and doing my thing on
my snowboard!
International potluck: A photo of a group of
international students from Korean and Japan
having a potluck at my apartment. Sumptuous
dinner with authentic Korean and Japanese dishes
being made by the students themselves!
My first thanksgiving dinner in America!! I got
invited by my American born Japanese friend,
Monica, to have thanksgiving dinner with her family.
very warm and welcoming family.
On this date, reminiscing the times I had in
the military, if I were to be taken back to the
24th of April 2009 once again, I would
definitely, enthusiastically and somewhat
animatedly, have jumped on this incredible,
life changing opportunity.
Even till today, 1 year from the date I arrived
in Seattle, I will always call Singapore my
home. It is not because of the heat and
humidity, perhaps maybe of the wide spread
of excellent hawker delicacies but more of
the memories forged and irreplaceable
bonds made to this little tiny island called
home.
On this date, 8000 miles away from home, I
wish Singapore a Happy 47th Birthday!
Best Wishes,
Nicky Yo
Officer, Singapore Student Association,
2011 - 2012
Foster School of Business
Accounting & Finance
University of Washington
Venetia can’t imagine what it
would be like to live in Singapore
without its economic stability…
I can’t imagine what it would be like to live in
Singapore without its economic stability, an
organised and safe environment, and the
awesome variety of shiok food that the many
cultures and range of ethnicity bring.
Being at the forefront of science and
technology, Singapore also opens up for us
ample opportunities and possibilities, at the
same time enabling us to easily stay connected
and up-to-date. With the many foreigners we
attract, Singapore has to be a great place to
live.
Since a year ago that I came to the US to pursue
higher education, I’ve always been proud to tell
others I’m from Singapore, and nothing feels
more personal and homely than to be able to
break out in Singlish with other Singaporeans
here. I miss my friends, family and food back
home, and I can’t wait till I next return.
Venetia Chew
Pursuing Masters of Science
Human Centered Design and Engineering.
University of Washington
One of the traits that make a Singaporean
“typical” is our tendency to complain a lot.
While I’m certainly guilty of that myself, I
choose to instead remember how far we’ve
come together as a nation and count our
blessings as we celebrate our nation’s 47th
this year, and I’d like to urge my fellow
Singaporeans to, too, do the same.
Wee Ling was so glad to find her
Singapore community in Seattle…
Hi, I am Wee Ling! Grew up in Singapore and spent 10 years in St. Nicholas Girls’ School. I
remember the days when celebrating National Day meant spending lots of time rehearsing in
school for various celebration activities, singing songs of my generation at that time, “Stand up for
Singapore,” “Count on me, Singapore.” My parents always made sure our family came together at
5.30p.m. around the TV on 9 Aug to watch the National Day parade, ending with fireworks.
In 2008, I had the opportunity to relocate to Beijing with Microsoft and I had the experience of
celebrating National Day at the Singapore Embassy with fellow Singaporeans. We had plenty of
fireworks & plenty of food especially Singaporean food while watching National Day Parade live.
After celebrating 3 years of National Day in Beijing, I relocated to Seattle in 2011. I was glad to find
my Singapore community in the first week on my arrival through the Singaporeans Meetup group
during Chinese New Year celebration. Hooray!! I wished we had similar celebrations here in Seattle,
but I understand the community is smaller & time zone is a challenge.
Volunteering an afternoon hiking
& having fun with China exchange
students
Learning to live & drive in
snow
Enjoying the outdoor living
Life in Seattle!
Cannot find Chwee Kway in Seattle!!
So, my friends brought me cai por
from Singapore & I had to learn to
cook it myself. Wished there was a
Singaporean restaurant here.
I wish the nation a happy birthday & may
we continue to bring the new generation
good education & living environment!
Wee Ling, Yong
Group Finance Manager
Microsoft
Chui Seng will always be proud
of his country…
With the Singapore Recreation Club hockey team in 1984, departing for a tour to Amsterdam.
My family and I have lived in
various places since 1998. We
moved out of Singapore because of
work.
Through my 18 years with Asia
Pacific Breweries I had stints in
London (England), New York, St
Louis, and now Seattle.
My daughter left Singapore since
she was 3 years old. Migrating to
another country was never part of
our plan when my wife and I got
married.
My daughter, Lynn Ong celebrated her 2nd
birthday
while we were still living in Singapore
I did hope for overseas working
experience. Hence because of my
fortunate working circumstance we
now have Green Cards to live and
work in USA.
In fact we used to hold UK permanent
residence status as well.
Singapore will always be our first
home. Seattle is our home away from
home.
I will always be proud of my country.
It is the birth place which prepared
me for what I have achieved today. I
was very young(7 years old) when
Singapore got her independence.
Whilst we may be critical of what
Singapore is today, I am also
sympathetic.
In fact, I am of the view that
Singaporeans are better off than many
other nationalities.
However we are humans, we are not
easily contented.
For me, the exposure of living overseas has resulted
in appreciation of what Singapore has to offer. It is
by no means perfect and of course it can be better. I
am always proud to show off Singapore to my
overseas customers. Many marveled at the
efficiency, the cleanliness and the ethnic diversity.
The most common feedback is things work. Of
course this is in comparison to where they live.
I believe this will be our first Singapore National Day
celebration overseas. The significance of this day is
how far we have progress as a country. A country
with no natural resource, a country based on pursuit
of excellence, a country based on merit because
there is no easy hand out and this makes me really
proud to be a Singaporean. We are also blessed to
be able to share the occasion with other
Singaporeans (current and former alike).
For the future, I pray for Singapore as a country to
exercise grace amongst ourselves and to our
neighbors. May God continue to bless Singapore!!
Ong Chui Seng
Vice President
Tiger Beer USA Inc.
Ex-journalist Peter Yeo Toon Joo
reminisces…
Some older folks, like my wife,
Rosalind, and I, end up living
abroad because of our children.
My daughters came to the
States as students, stayed to
work after graduating from
college, married Americans and
remained in this country.
Now, with four grandchildren
here as well, the prospect of
returning to Singapore for good
appears remote.
We love the wide, open and free spaces of this
country. The choice is between enjoying a huge
continent and joining the crush of 5+ million people
on less than 700 sq. kilometers of land.
Singapore, pimples and all, will always remain my home;
few can ever tear themselves away from the place they
grew up in.
My Singapura used to be really hospitable. Not so now,
with hordes of aliens and their un-Singaporean ways. It
has also become too expensive for those not in the upper
20%. Still, I hope one day to go home – provided I do not
end up as a minority in my own homeland.
My ba ba grandmother My mother (left) and my cousin from 2nd aunt
I have many happy memories of Singapore. I
was born in 1945, last year of the cruel
Japanese Occupation of Singapore. During
the early post-war years food was scarce and
such a daily staple as rice had to be rationed.
Later, economic conditions gradually
improved. We were more blessed than other
families as my father became a rich rubber
merchant in the early 1950s. His office cum
godown was at Boat Quay, now a tourist strip
of restaurants and bars. His shophouse is
still there but transformed into an
entertainment establishment.
Alas, my father did not remain rich as the
bottom fell out of the rubber market.
Growing up even in those conditions was
fun. Games we played in our neighborhood
were make-shift: we forged our own hockey
sticks and softball bats, discarded soap
boxes became go-karts, borrowed gloves
were used in boxing bouts in the back alleys,
and the streets were our roller skating rinks.
Our entire family, with all 5 siblings; I am the one in
between my father's legs. Anthony is being carried by
my mother.
None of us could afford to own a bicycle; I periodically splurged 10 cents from my piggy
bank to rent one from a neighborhood bicycle shop. 10 cents got you 20 minutes, but I
would ride it for hours, then dump it in front of the shop and bolt!
Though poor, my father still managed to put our 4 siblings through school, but only up to
Senior Cambridge School Certificate (equivalent of GCE ‘O’ level). A fifth, my younger
sister, had died as a toddler. Infant mortality was common.
An elder sister became a dental
nurse. My eldest brother worked for
many years in low-paid clerical work
before he became a lawyer; he
supported himself through college.
Youngest brother, Anthony Yeo
Toon Yong, became a respected
counselor.
He financed his post-grad studies in
the States partly by working at
shoveling snow and cleaning
windows.
My late parents, with my siblings and eldest brother
Albert's (right) beautiful and buxom girl friend (standing,
middle). The girls liked him.
I was the only male sibling who did not go to college
(not counting my later foray into bible college). I
went to work as a newspaper journalist after
Secondary 4, acquiring my Higher School Certificate
(equivalent of GCE ‘A’ level) only some years later
through self-study. An adopted younger brother, my
first cousin, became a senior IT person in a bank.
Understandably then, there was no such thing as
music lessons, despite my passion for music. Joining
The Boys’ Brigade of Singapore gave me the
opportunity to play not one but several musical
instruments. Because of the Boys’ Brigade , I
marched and played in the band in past National Day
parades in Singapore.
Those parades were exciting but not as elaborate or
choreographed as now. As a teenager, I played the
flute with The Boys Brigade’s Battalion Band, then
the bugle and side drum with the Singapore Military
Force’s combined brass band (SMF, 1st SIR, and SVC
Corps of Drums) in N-Day parades.
In the earlier N-Day parades, we marched from the
Padang and on the streets, all the way to Kallang. So
everyone in Singapore could watch the parade. It
was truly a Singaporean’s National Day.
Yup, that's me. With a full head of jet black
hair, probably at 14 or 15 years old
National Day celebrations used to be a highlight of my year. Now, perhaps because I am older
and away from Singapore, they no longer excite me as they did before. It could also be because
they have become too orchestrated an entertainment spectacle – a spectator event, and not a
spontaneous citizens’ celebration.
Still, like many other Singaporeans and even ex-Singaporean citizens, I think of Singapore and
National Day with many fond and stirring memories.
杨敦裕 Toon Joo Peter YEO
Boys' Brigade battalion
band marching in front
of City Hall on National
Day in 1968;
I was no longer in the
band then...too old
already.
Playing the clarinet with our BB Alumni Band at
Orchard Hotel in 2005 or 2006 at our Singapore BB
anniversary dinner. and
Playing the trumpet (see, I told you I always blow my
own trumpet!) when I was captain of a BB Juniors
Company at Townsville Primary School in 2003.
Clement remembers his first visit
to Singapore…
The roots of Tien Wah Press (TWP) go back to 1935 when my grandpa, Wong Lin Kwong purchased a small letterpress
printing shop in Upper Cross Street from a friend for 3,000 Malayan dollars. Having survived World War II, the
management of the company was taken over by my eldest Uncle, Tik Yun, who is credited with having built the
company into a major international business concern.
TWP soon became one of the two largest printers in Singapore. The company took the lead in introducing four-colour
work, producing cartons, labels and commercial brochures. From there, it ventured into producing bound books, and
earned the distinction of being one of only two printers in the world to have produced pop- up books in 1978.
By the 1990s, TWP was an international business, equipped for book production with major international clients and a
reputation for quality. This global reach has resulted in its being a leading exporter of books with international offices
opened in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Europe.
My dad came to the US from Hong Kong, while my mom from Singapore. They met as students in
New York and got married there. I was born in New York and raised in Ohio for over 30 years.
I first visited Singapore in 1972 where I celebrated my 8th birthday. My mom is the youngest of
14 children thus we had hordes of aunts, uncles and cousins welcoming us whenever we visited
Singapore and stayed at my grandparents home at Bishopsgate Road. Since Singapore’s national
day coincides with summer school break in the US, we found ourselves soaking in the national day
atmosphere in Singapore occasionally.
My grandma whom I fondly called “Por-por” (婆婆 ) enjoyed playing mahjong with her daughters. I
watched and learnt the game. Whenever one of my aunts needed a break, I would fill in the
vacuum. That was how I managed to play mahjong well enough today, to make money out of Ai
Lin’s friends in Singapore.
I dislike the hot and humid weather in Singapore till today. As kids, my brother and I enjoyed our
swim lessons at the Singapore Island Country Club to get respite from the heat.
One of my favorite food stalls was 加哩鸡面 (Curry Chicken Noodles in Cantonese known as gali-
gai-min) along River Valley Road. I enjoyed walking across the street to buy my own food.
I also enjoyed eating bak kwa (肉干) so much that my grandma had to hide it from me being
concerned that it was bad for me. However, her domestic helpers (also known as “amahs) who
wore white shirts and black pants at work always marveled at how I could find the bak kwa
eventually. My mom was raised by one of these fiercely loyal amahs from young.
My brother and I were often asked to ride in the car to make up for the requirement of having 4
persons in the car to avoid paying a charge to enter the restricted zones. We did this to
accompany my Por-por and the driver to take her to the hair salon.
Going to Newton Circus was
another enjoyable pastime as
there were little stalls selling
comic books, tidbits, toys, and
trinkets.
I also enjoyed eating bak kwa
(肉干) so much that my grandma
had to hide it from me
One of the ugliest uniform I
thought was from Nanyang Girls’
High School.
My cousins used to come to Por-por’s home in their school uniforms. One of the ugliest uniforms I
thought was from Nanyang Girls’ High School. Never would I have guessed that I would one day
marry someone from that school!
I met Ai Lin in the Year 2003 through mutual friends. It didn’t seem possible for us to marry each
other then as I wasn’t planning to live in Singapore while she was so comfortable with her closely-
knitted family, career, church and Girls’ Brigade commitments in Singapore.
We reached a compromise and planned to live in Singapore for the first 3 to 5 years after we got
married. However, things didn’t turn out as planned and we moved back to the US a few months
after we got married in November 2003. It was very difficult for Ai Lin to adjust to life in the US
initially. She missed Singapore tremendously! She struggled with the limited food selections in the
US, differences in customs, cultures and learning not to speak Singlish so as to be understood!
She could hardly cook back then and did not have many friends in the US.
However, after a few years, she could make marvelous Singapore/Malaysia spicy dishes like laksa
and mee siam, sometimes even better than her mom. After almost 9 years of our marriage, Ai Lin
and I still spend a great amount of our time each year in Singapore with our family members.
My hopes and wishes for Singapore: No more COEs, ERPs and HDB coupon parking! Cost of living
to be slashed by 50%! Hopefully one day durians will be banned just like chewing gum! Oh, please
ban Singlish too!
Clement Eng
Cruise Consultant
Expedia CruiseShipCenters, Bellevue
Charles Lim, an old soldier
recalls good old days….
"Old soldiers never die, they just fade away”, April 19, 1951, General Douglas MacArthur
This photo, taken in July 1977 when I (5th
from left, last row) served in HQ 3rd
Singapore
Infantry Battalion S4 as a Staff Sergeant holding the appointment as Weapons Ammunition
Officer (a respectable appointment that was not usually awarded to non-commissioned officers
unless capable). I had fond memories playing scrabble with the then Capt. Lee Hsien Loong (3rd
from front row left).
I have warm memories of my school days at St Anthony's Boys’ School, my experiences around
other parts of the island as a kid, and watching people go about with their daily activities. Many
my age may remember that Singapore was already a very well organized city state, under very
efficient British rule. There were good schools, in Singapore and Malaysia. Housing, even
though not as many were SIT flats, Chinese villages and Malay kampongs.
One memory difficult to forget was my experience in 1954. It was the coronation of Queen
Elizabeth & I was about 7. There was a large crowd milling around the Padang facing City Hall.
The man in charge of Singapore then was Governor Sir Robert Black.
My father worked for the Singapore Telephone Board, and my sister was a telephone operator
there too. Dad, as a phone technician, considered his humble work a respectable occupation
because he had access to many important citizens' homes or offices. Owning a phone was a
huge luxury in the 1950s. So these phone owners would often be nice to him, because
whenever their phones were out of order, they needed him to come for service. So if my dad
were to work according to rule, many phone owners might have ended up waiting for eternity
for him to appear since phone technicians were not very few in those days.
We lived at 60-A Bali Lane. So, walking to City Hall was a breeze. In fact, even without the
celebration, we would take walks to the Centopath (War memory stone) along Beach Road in the
cool of the evening. There, we kids would play and roll on the beautiful grassy lawn nearby.
You can credit the Brits for their impeccable lawns!
Today, Bali Lane is gone, to make way for a highway. It's neighbor lane is Haji Lane and now it
has become a celebrity lane. Haji Lane used to be famous for roti prata which cost between five
and ten cents, and 'roti franchis' (French loaf) at fifteen cents for a large loaf.
Strangely, in those days, 60 years ago, it was really cool in the evening. The esplanade was not
reclaimed yet, so we could always feel the sea breeze. We used to call the esplanade Ghor-
chang-chew-kar (aka underneath the five trees). Probably there were five big trees which
provided folks with lots of shades. Visiting there for 'cheng-terng' and rojak was a big deal for
the family. As children we looked forward to my father's weekly pay day, to enjoy such treats.
Nearby was Beach Road. There were numerous trees, as it was not so developed then. In the
evenings, satay vendors carried their wares slung on poles by balancing two small boxes which
doubled as containers for their wares and tables. We would be seated on small wooden stools.
Though we were not rich, we were not poor either. My dad would give my brother and I twenty
cents each, for satay most evenings. Being older, I made more visits than my kid brother who
was not a satay fan. So from Bali Lane we merely walked to Beach Road where the old Alhambra
Cinema was. The satay vendor would spread a big plate of his freshly charcoal-grilled beef or
mutton on a plate. We hardly heard of chicken satay. It sounded so lame to eat chicken satay,
unlike today. Another plate would be filled with sliced cucumbers and large chunks of onions.
My twenty cents could pay for one stick of satay and one ketupat. We kids would dip into the
sauce, ate up the cucumber and the big ketupat, and plonked the money onto the plate.
Life was not so worldly then. It was simple. No hassle. We were very happy people. School days
were fun too.......playing with rubber bands, marbles and sword fighting using wooden rulers.
Charles Lim Mah Thuan
Invited by his daughter, Ai Lin to share his story and photo
Ai Lin, the immigrant, from
Malaysia to Singapore and to
the US….
I was born in Malaysia and my family moved to Singapore when it was time for my brother to
go to Primary One. With their busy-ness and anxieties of relocating across from the causeway
and settling my brother into Kay Siang Primary School, my parents forgot to register me for
kindergarten. In the end, I managed to enjoy only 8 months of kindergarten education at the
PAP center near to our home in Queenstown.
National Day celebrations as a primary school kid were simple affairs. Our form teacher would
ask our mothers to make fried fish-balls, bee hoon (vermicelli), fried-rice, etc for our class
parties. A few “unlucky” ones would be selected to perform a dance or a recital that often
involved arduous hours of practicing.
National Day affairs were more elaborate when I joined The Girls’ Brigade, 9th
Singapore
Company at Nanyang Girls’ High School. My first parade was marching along Mei Ling Street,
Queensway and culminating at Queenstown Stadium with the then Deputy Prime Minister Goh
Chok Tong as the Guest-of honor.
I continued to be involved in more NDPs through the years, when I joined the National Junior
College Choir. While I didn’t enjoy the rigorous hours of practices and combined school
rehearsals under the sun, the thing I looked forward to most was the fireworks at the end of
the evening. When we all sang patriotic songs like “Stand Up For Singapore” and “Count on Me
Singapore”, I was often overwhelmed by the pride and joy of being a Singaporean.
The pride of being a Singaporean was more pronounced whenever I went on work trips
overseas. Compliments about Singaporeans’ diligence, intelligence and perseverance were
often reverberated in meeting rooms and project sites wherever I went for work. Undoubtedly,
accolades were sung about our globally respected Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew. I did take a
lot of good things in Singapore for granted until I moved to the US. I have become more
appreciative of the efficiencies and conveniences of our tiny island.
When I was Captain at The Girls’ Brigade, 7th Singapore Company at Pioneer Secondary School. I
continued to be involved in National Day events both at the school and national levels.
While we do enjoy the spaciousness and beauty here, many of us Singaporeans residing in the
Pacific Northwest region in the US, still feel the connection and bond over a bowl of laksa peppered
with our lahs, lors, mehs or hors.
I have the privilege of working in Singapore but living in the US. I spend about 50% of my time per
year in Asia. Thus, I really don’t have a reason to miss Singapore food. I often brought spices and
goodies from Singapore, much to the dismay of my husband and the checkpoint officers to share
with my friends in Seattle. Coming back from Chinese New Year celebrations in Singapore, I would
pack in bottles of kueh bangkit, pineapple tarts and fried hay-bee rolls.
Having experienced the loneliness and agony of being an immigrant, I am always eager to fry up a
wok of mee siam, stir up a pot of laksa or roll a few good popiahs and sit down for a good chat
with my fellow Singaporeans.
“Every immigrant leads a double life. Every immigrant has a double identity and a double vision,
being suspended between an old and a new home, an old and a new self…. Home is one's
birthplace, ratified by memory.” (from "Home Is Where You Are Happy“ by Henry Grunwald, June
24, 2001).
May we continue to celebrate the successes of the
Little Red Dot.
But let’s not forget in Mike Norton’s words, “It is
not what you can do for your country, but what
you can do for all of mankind.”
Ai Lin, Lim
Organizer
Seattle Singaporeans Meetup Group
We, Singaporeans are known to be very serious with food. With Ghim and Karen Ryan in Seattle, we have
no lack of yummy and authentic Singapore food.
