17th Jan Visit! :)
Posted by CSC T.H.E. Seniors on Saturday, January 17, 2015 with No comments
17th January 2015 was the first weekend of the academic semester - inadvertently, the new semester meant some re-adjustment to new modules and subject matter. Most crucially, it was adjusting back to the rigour of lessons and studying. Sometimes, despite having already gone through the same cycle of learning for almost two years - there were still new challenges to encounter and yet, new things to discover.
During the above visit, I visited mdm. H. It seemed rather recent than I visited her, but I went hoping to know something new about her - and I sure did! After the routine (but meaningful) bout of cleaning for her home, we managed to sneak some time to sit at her feet (literally) and hear from her. Despite having seemingly heard her significant 'milestones' in life - I was able to discover new things in her adolescent to teen years!
At the tender age of around 8 years ago, she began working with her father to harvest latex from rubber trees. This was in Malaysia, and lasted all-through her early teen years. Having a rather arduous living environment - at the age of 16 - she proceeded to live with her aunt in Malacca. Although she did not go into much details, she articulated that she helped her aunt make and sell putu piring whilst in Malacca. For the uninitiated, putu piring refers to a traditional snack of malay origin - with steamed rice-flour cakes encasing gula melaka within, and served with shredded coconuts!
Subsequently, around the age of 20 - she and a friend took a risk and came to work in Singapore. According to what I inferred, she worked as a ticketing staff at a certain 'park' in Singapore (probably a combination of an amusement park and 'pasar malam' styled stalls). She mananged to meet her future husband at that job! And after a few years more of working at the job, she married and proceeded to become a homemaker.
Alas, despite having known mdm. H for almost a year - there was still so much I did not know about her! After all, we're looking at decades upon decades of experiences. Furthermore, I realized the occupations she took on are (more or less) extinct in Singapore in current days. Although there may be slight variations of hawkers and amusement park attendants, they are not entirely similarly to those she mentioned. Interesting stuff!
It was a refreshing visit (and we celebrated her birthday in advance!). Glad to have spent my first weekend of the semester in such a manner :)
-Weifeng
During the above visit, I visited mdm. H. It seemed rather recent than I visited her, but I went hoping to know something new about her - and I sure did! After the routine (but meaningful) bout of cleaning for her home, we managed to sneak some time to sit at her feet (literally) and hear from her. Despite having seemingly heard her significant 'milestones' in life - I was able to discover new things in her adolescent to teen years!
At the tender age of around 8 years ago, she began working with her father to harvest latex from rubber trees. This was in Malaysia, and lasted all-through her early teen years. Having a rather arduous living environment - at the age of 16 - she proceeded to live with her aunt in Malacca. Although she did not go into much details, she articulated that she helped her aunt make and sell putu piring whilst in Malacca. For the uninitiated, putu piring refers to a traditional snack of malay origin - with steamed rice-flour cakes encasing gula melaka within, and served with shredded coconuts!
Subsequently, around the age of 20 - she and a friend took a risk and came to work in Singapore. According to what I inferred, she worked as a ticketing staff at a certain 'park' in Singapore (probably a combination of an amusement park and 'pasar malam' styled stalls). She mananged to meet her future husband at that job! And after a few years more of working at the job, she married and proceeded to become a homemaker.
Alas, despite having known mdm. H for almost a year - there was still so much I did not know about her! After all, we're looking at decades upon decades of experiences. Furthermore, I realized the occupations she took on are (more or less) extinct in Singapore in current days. Although there may be slight variations of hawkers and amusement park attendants, they are not entirely similarly to those she mentioned. Interesting stuff!
It was a refreshing visit (and we celebrated her birthday in advance!). Glad to have spent my first weekend of the semester in such a manner :)
-Weifeng
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