Kampong Spirit

Josephine Chia

Description

The most significant aspect of living in a kampong was its kampong spirit-or gotong royong. Though deprived of modern comforts like electricity or running water, multi-racial neighbours lived harmoniously with each other in their attap villages, had a wonderful zest for life and a strong sense of community. Kampong Spirit brings to life the colourful characters of the villagers with whom the Peranakan author, Josephine Chia, grew up at a kampong in Potong Pasir. The period 1955 to 1965 was also a dramatic era for Singapore. As the country struggled towards nationhood, the social and political events of this time and their effects are seen through the eyes of the common folk. This collection of delightful, real life short stories will take you through Singapore's history and heritage at a human level. For some, it will be a journey of discovery and for others it will be a time of reminiscing for those nostalgic years.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Memoir
• Singapore
• Singapour

Informations

• Publié par: MarshallCavendishM
• Date de parution: 05 février 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9789814435253
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

This loving, nostalgic memoir of a crucial decade in Singapore s history, 1955-1965, weaves personal with public events. Josephine Chia links happenings in her family to her kampong friends in Potong Pasir to national and international events. The family-kampong events include the coming of TV to Potong Pasir, the national includes Lee Kuan Yew campaigning there and the international impact of the news of the assassination of President Kennedy. In this way, the author imbues the seemingly small things with social significance, fusing drama, comedy and tragedy into a poignant tale of a child growing up. In addition, as she matures, she becomes aware of her Peranakan and feminist heritages, and how her mother empowered her by sending her to an English school. If you want to know what it was like for Singapore to progress exponentially from the third to the first world, this book is an essential document. It is an invaluable companion to her earlier book Frog Under a Coconut Shell .
Robert Yeo,
Author of ONE - The Anthology, poet, playwright and novelist
This book gives a fascinating insight into life in a Singaporean Kampong during the transition from British rule to self-government with comparisons at different levels of living conditions. Josephine s remarkable recall of childhood memories is fascinating ... This is a very well written book with vivid descriptions that are believable. It could be a useful reference book for students of the history of Singapore.
Jennie Lisney,
Vice President of UK s Society of Woman Writers Journalists

KAMPONG SPIRIT
Gotong Royong
Life in Potong Pasir, 1955 to 1965
Josephine Chia
2013 Josephine Chia
Front cover: Bernard Go Kwang Meng
Published 2013
Marshall Cavendish Editions
An imprint of Marshall Cavendish International
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National Library Board, Singapore Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
Chia, Josephine.
Kampong spirit gotong royong : life in Potong Paisr, 1955 to 1965 / Josephine Chia.
- Singapore : Marshall Cavendish Editions, 2013.
p. cm.
eISBN : 978 981 4435 25 3
1. Communities - Singapore - Social life and customs. 3. Lifestyles - Singapore.
I. Title.
HN655.2.C6
307.095957 - dc23 OCN823784086
Printed in Singapore by Markono Ltd
This book is dedicated to my grandchildren
Jeremiah, Emmanuel, Amelia and Mattheus,
and to all the children of Singapore
who hold the future of our nation in their hands.
Contents

Acknowledgements
Foreword
Balik Kampong
Days Of Darkness (1955)
Clarion Call Of Hope (1956)
Freedom From Tyranny (1957)
Going For Gold (1958)
Music For Togetherness (1959)
A Sense Of Identity (1960)
The Burning Question (1961)
Changing Times (1962)
Those Who Dared To Dream (1963)
Dying To Be Free (1964)
The Lion Must Learn To Roar Again (1965)
About the Author
Acknowledgements
I WISH TO thank National Arts Council (NAC) for their generous Arts Creation Fund which made it possible for me to concentrate on writing this book. I am also grateful to the NAC for giving the publishing grant to Marshall Cavendish to publish this book.
I would also like to thank the National Archives for permission to use some of their photographs. Photo credits and thanks also go to Mr Lim Kheng Chye and Mr Han Chou Yuan.
The first incarnation of Balik Kampong was published in the Peranakan magazine, by the Peranakan Association; and its second incarnation was subsequently published in National Library Board s Singapore Memories archives.
I wish to also acknowledge the use of a couple of books which helped to refresh my memory and confirm some of the facts. These are:
Singapore - An Illustrated History, 1941-1984, Text and Edited by Daljit Singh VT Arasu. Published by the Information Division, Ministry of Culture.
Chronicle Of Singapore , 1959-2009 , Edited by Peter HL Lim. Published by EDM and NLB.
Non-specific Articles from NLB Singapore Infopedia, newspaper articles and from the National Archives.
The quotation by Mr Goh Chok Tong is taken from Our place in Time - Exploring Heritage And Memory in Singapore , edited by Kwok Kim Woon et al. Published by Singapore Heritage Society,1996.
The lyrics of P. Ramlee s song Getaran Jiwa is taken from the film, Anatara Dua Drajat by the Shaw Brothers. Its English translation was gleaned from various translations on the web.
I have been lucky to get two excellent editors for this book. Jennie Lisney, United Kingdom, came in when the manuscript was still under the NAC Arts Creation Fund Process. Tara Hasnain was appointed when Marshall Cavendish accepted the manuscript. I am amazed what good editors can pick up when the writer herself is blinded by her own words. So thank you both!
Foreword
E VERYONE WANTS TO be happy. Only the degree differs. How avidly one wants to pursue this happiness depends on how much it matters to the individual. This quest starts from satisfying the basic needs of having a home, nourishment, good health and family. Yet somehow it morphs into an obsession to possess more and more things, as if somehow material acquisitions can satisfy the inner longing of the spirit.
Modern Singapore has all the trappings of material success.
This is not something to belittle, as it has taken hard work, dedication and good leadership, for our country to transform itself from a swamp-infested island, where many people lived below the breadline, to a striving metropolis where the majority of the population are in comfortable housing and living well. And yet there is a growing sense that this never-ending race to acquire all the material comforts isn t giving us true happiness. People are beginning to look at other worthwhile pursuits that would satisfy the deep yearnings within their psyche.
It surprised many modern Singaporeans to discover that the Singapore folk, particularly those who had lived in our now-vanished kampongs with their lack of material comforts, of proper sanitation, of running water in the houses, of electricity and even food, had still seemed rather happy with that life. What was the quintessential quality that these rural people had, which had helped them get through their challenging lives with smiles on their faces and gratitude in their hearts?
It was the Kampong Spirit : Gotong Royong .
Gotong Royong is a Malay word which describes the coming together of the community to help and sustain each other. Multi-racial communities lived in the kampong like an extended family where everyone s doors were kept open, neighbours kept a look-out for each other, and the children played with one another without any thought of discriminating against the others for being of a different race. This is kampong spirit at its best.
Everyone needs someone. When the kampong spirit is in evidence, nobody needs to feel alone or abandoned. This warm feeling of being cared for mak es life meaningful and brings happiness. And being happy, one possesses a stronger foundation, better able to take the knocks of life more easily.
The stories in this book show how the villagers of Kampong Potong Pasir coped with their deprivations and their challenges. Though having little, their joy was expressed because they lived together in a real community, in the spirit of sharing.
Each story has its own title and can stand alone without reference to the others, except for the first story, Balik Kampong, which acts as a kind of introduction and a general umbrella for all the other stories. The second story begins in 1955 and then the stories move progressively through the years till 1965.
This book will evoke memories of old Singapore for those of you who have lived through it. For the young, these stories will provide you with a view of the foundation your heritage is based on, and show you how far Singapore has come from its colonial days, and therefore you can be proud to celebrate your belonging to this marvellous nation.
Happy reading!
Josephine
Balik Kampong
F OOD CONSTITUTES A major part of the average Peranakan s life, whether it is cooking, eating or talking about it. It certainly is in mine! It is interesting how the memory or smell of a particular dish can evoke a strong response. Especially for a foodie like me. (Or you can say piggy !) The availability or lack of a particular food in one s childhood can be deeply ingrained in one s memories. And so it is with me.
I am amazed at how the memory of the smell of a specific food can pull me back to my childhood in Kampong Potong Pasir . Even though it might be snowing heavily outside my window in E