Anonymous 28
Women through the Years: Economic & Family Lives,
Accession Number 001799
- Oral History Centre
Source
- 10
Total Reels
- Lai Ah Eng (Dr)
Interviewer
- 04:40:21
Total Running Time
- English
Language
Copyright Notice
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Reel/Disc 1 of 10
Metadata
- 22 Nov 1996
Recording Date
- 00:30:21
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- For background information only
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Personal, family and Eurasian backgrounds; surviving child; father's and mother's backgrounds. Raised by aunt - father left family; mother left to live with Scottish planter; their romantic life; how spent school holidays with them. Background of half-siblings. Family life with aunt; siblings and closeness; wonderful Christmases, e.g. dresses, mulligatwny soup. Education - CHIJ boarder; boarder's life; lack of family life.
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Reel/Disc 2 of 10
Metadata
- 22 Nov 1996
Recording Date
- 00:30:55
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- For background information only
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
House in Oxford Road. Life, food, children's play, disease, incident during Japanese Occupation. Memories of Occupation. Mother's work as "Miss Burma" Daitowa?. Identity crisis because raised by aunty and mother's place and absence in her life. Mother's negative treatment of her - lessons learnt regarding meaning of wife, mother, career. Why wanted career and independence. Strict control by aunty; aunt's treatment of the children and her temper; living in terror; incident of colour pencil box. Why did not want her children to go through what she experienced in childhood.
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Reel/Disc 4 of 10
Metadata
- 29 Nov 1996
Recording Date
- 00:30:40
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- For background information only
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Aunt's influence on religion; idea of a punishing and fearsome God. Positive things learnt from aunt - fruitcake, family involvement, gift-giving, Christmas celebration. Education & work -description of teacher training 1956 - 1958; chronology of teaching career by schools; subjects trained in and taught. Difference in treatment of graduate and non-graduate teachers; feelings about disparity. Assessment of schools, principals, their attitudes towards staff and students. Art training, sports and in-service courses taken. Many black marks in teaching career, never promoted. Did not enjoy teaching because of bureaucracy; enjoyed teaching children. Why was mother figure and had rapport with "street" children - similar backgrounds. Description of "street" and gangster schoolchildren in schools. Teaching rewards in ex-students' recognition. Retirement after 32 years.
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Reel/Disc 6 of 10
Metadata
- 29 Nov 1996
Recording Date
- 00:30:55
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- For background information only
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Took Higher School Certificate as pregnant, mature student-teacher. How felt with first child's birth - did not know what to do. Hired childminder; experiences with new baby; how she and husband coped at night; succession of helpers. Lacked parenting skills and opportunities to acquire them. Learnt family planning technique but did not calculate properly; number of children; miscarriage; sickly children; children's spacing. Why confidence in live-in maid; arrangements with hired help when husband on night duty. Husband left home roles to her; her expectations of his help; her attitude of taking charge and enjoyment of home. Incident of son's education; attitude towards children's education regarding supervision and self-discipline.
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Reel/Disc 7 of 10
Metadata
- 9 Apr 1997
Recording Date
- 00:30:20
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- For background information only
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Routine with schoolgoing-children and without maid. Importance of children's self-discipline. Falling back on teaching background for parenting. Most difficult parenting issue - helping children decide career path. Priority in children's education and determination about children's tertiary education. Why people should not be teachers unless a vocation; key to being a good teacher in knowing a student well. Worries about adolescent children; how monitored children's company and friends. Parenting responsibilities not over with grown children; worries about their jobs and relationships. How managed with finances for children's tertiary education.
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Reel/Disc 8 of 10
Metadata
- 9 Apr 1997
Recording Date
- 00:31:03
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- For background information only
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Why son went to Canada, how he financed his studies. Why proud of children's educational achievements and careers; importance of affirming children when growing up. How she felt about children leaving home and letting go; keeping in touch through telephone, e-mail, visits. Children's ideas about marriage nowadays. Husband - background to marriage; relationship with in-laws; falling out and reconciliation with father-in-law. Her major decision-making over house and children. Joint decision in money matters and joint head of household. Learnt from mother to have own account and career in case husband left family. Why glad to have had to take charge at home. Happy family's ingredients of good communication, acceptance, love and affirmation. Knew when to let go of children.
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Reel/Disc 10 of 10
Metadata
- 9 Apr 1997
Recording Date
- 00:05:18
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- For background information only
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
If relived life, wanted a family setting for growing up, further studies, not so much error and misjudgement, no marriage, travel. Retirement - focus on faith and relationship with God, exploring creativity through painting and pottery, enjoying house, renewing old friendships, travel. Plans for small business in painting and pottery, for books for teachers-to-be and family history. Meditation, prayers and church activities. Chair of family life action group. Why life should be lived with passion and not waste time. Why there were no ugly trees. Differences between now and then for women and children. Then - lesser pressures for women, fewer distractions and less school competition for children.
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