HSU, Teresa
Women through the Years: Economic & Family Lives,
Accession Number 001481
- Oral History Centre
Source
- 20
Total Reels
- Annie Chua (Reels1-18), Patricia Lee (Reels 19-20)
Interviewer
- 09:59:50
Total Running Time
- English
Language
Copyright Notice
All rights to the recordings and transcripts on this website, including the rights to copy, publish, broadcast and perform, are reserved. Written permission is required for any use. If you have any queries, please contact nas@nlb.gov.sg
Reel/Disc 1 of 20
Metadata
- 25 Apr 1994
Recording Date
- 00:30:39
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Personal background. How she came to be named Teresa. Origins of her ancestors. Her parents' marriage. Her father got teaching post in Swatow. Her siblings. Learning to make lace as young children. Growing their own food. Collecting fuel, washing clothes. Village was like one big family. Menfolk went away. Making their own cloth.
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Reel/Disc 2 of 20
Metadata
- 25 Apr 1994
Recording Date
- 00:31:25
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Her childhood. Adults in family. Communal sharing. Her position in family. What children wore. Using leftover cloth. Catechism at Sunday School. Her questions on Christianity. Conversion to Roman Catholicism. About her name 'Teresa'. Family's own language system. Description of father as intelligent and mother as loving, conscientious.
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Reel/Disc 3 of 20
Metadata
- 25 Apr 1994
Recording Date
- 00:31:25
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Parents were loving couple. Moved to city. Father sent family away. Her relationship with parents. Went to Penang. Did not know of father's desertion. Stayed and worked in church. Her brother - a priest. How she came to Singapore much later. Her sister Ursula's support. Education in Penang. Ursula and she topped examinations.
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Reel/Disc 4 of 20
Metadata
- 25 Apr 1994
Recording Date
- 00:31:36
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Mother's joy at their examination results. Her relationship with Ursula later. Interviewee did not want marriage. Her life in Penang. Ideas about welfare still vague. Why she left for Hongkong. Various jobs. Job interview with journalist. Worked as confidential secretary. Left for Chongqing. Her work there. Disgruntled with censorship. Joined Quakers.
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Reel/Disc 5 of 20
Metadata
- 28 Apr 1994
Recording Date
- 00:30:59
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Became independent adult. Took on teaching job, commercial courses. Then other jobs. Compassion aroused especially when after sumptuous meal she met beggar. Decided to help poor. About thrift and a loving god-like figure. Places she visited on way to England. Meeting different nationalities. Sharing her pay with poor in Hongkong.
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Reel/Disc 6 of 20
Metadata
- 28 Apr 1994
Recording Date
- 00:31:45
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Allocated her pay to expenses and helping poor; how she located them. Romance and frivolities. Journalist's work. Hiding in caves during bombing. Meeting distressed Japanese women. More about her work, with Quakers. Worked as 'House Mother' and Finance Officer. Quakers transported supplies to army. Applied for training in nursing.
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Reel/Disc 7 of 20
Metadata
- 28 Apr 1994
Recording Date
- 00:30:27
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Chose nursing to serve poor better. Experience of war critical. Reincarnation, and not religion, as explanation for her compassion. Saint Teresa's quiet selflessness, rather than mother's, inspired her. Returned to family in Penang. Her dedication as trainee nurse. Her application letter moved matron. Allowance and days off. Midwifery and district nursing. Joined Bruderhof.
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Reel/Disc 8 of 20
Metadata
- 28 Apr 1994
Recording Date
- 00:31:18
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
How she heard of Bruderhof. Described training, Bruderhof and her work. Why Bruderhof moved to England and Paraguay. Her posting to Paraguay. Her work for International Service for Peace. Cycled in France. Set up sanatorium in Paraguay. Trained Paraguayan girls. Facilities in sanatorium.
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Reel/Disc 9 of 20
Metadata
- 29 Apr 1994
Recording Date
- 00:30:30
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Further elaboration of sanatorium. Made sanatorium beds, mattresses herself. Grew own cotton, learned weaving. Grew food too. Major illnesses. Treating tapeworm patients. Stayed at villages. Sanatorium's medical supplies. Sterilising instruments and clothes. Her comments on Paraguayans; their way of serving tea. She was their friend. Why she left Paraguay. Returned to Penang.
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Reel/Disc 10 of 20
Metadata
- 29 Apr 1994
Recording Date
- 00:31:31
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Family in Penang moved to Singapore. Worked for Assunta Foundation, Petaling Jaya. Fetched Father from Hongkong. Other welfare involvement. More about her work at Assunta. Her sisters paid fares for her. Was matron at Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital in Singapore. Her differences with staff and committee. Why she wanted to set up home for aged sick.
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