ONG Toh 王桃
Special Project,
Accession Number 003346
- Oral History Centre
Source
- 3
Total Reels
- Jesley Chua Chee Huan
Interviewer
- 02:25:10
Total Running Time
- Hokkien
Language
Copyright Notice
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Reel/Disc 1 of 3
Metadata
- 17 Jul 2008
Recording Date
- 00:54:00
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Born in 1937. Lived near beach area in Jalan Kayu. Colloquial names of various places in Jalan Kayu. There was a market in Jalan Kayu. Furnishings at home. Bathroom was located outside her house. No electricity supply in the village. Had earthen container within the house for hygiene purposes at night. Mentioned instance where vegetable urn was mistaken for night-soil urn. Games played when young. Relationship with neighbors. Mother died when interviewee was four.
Recalled hiding by the seashore during Japanese attack. How her father, uncle and grandfather escaped death from the Japanese. Mother died during childbirth. Interviewee’s younger brother died young. Elaboration on how her father and uncle escaped Japanese capture. Her step-mother used to collect scrapped rice from Japanese homes. Described Japanese houses in Jurong. Witnessed Japanese beating a Caucasian POW( prisoner- of- war). Father rented a room to a Japanese man housing a Cantonese woman. Described air-raid shelter interviewee’s family built.
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Reel/Disc 2 of 3
Metadata
- 17 Jul 2008
Recording Date
- 00:54:59
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Interviewee spent most of her time with her grandparents. Looked after ailing grandfather when she was around 12. Interviewee started looking after her family at the tender age of 10. Did household chores such as cooking, washing, pig and vegetable farming. Interviewee did not attend school. Family reared pigs, chickens and ducks. Interviewee also helped to dig well when young. Described how she cooks her pig feed. Described the stove and utensil used for cooking pig feed. Added coconut bits into the pig feed. Why they need to shower their pigs. Need lights to keep their chickens warm. Why they need to cut piglet’s teeth. How they sterilized their pigs. Why they need to inject their chickens when young.
Described how she planted some of her vegetables. Her typical working hours. Interviewee was matched made and got married at the age of 20. She learnt dress making through observation. Her match-making experience. Lived with husband’s extended family when she got married. She formally worked from the age of 20 to 65 years old.
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Reel/Disc 3 of 3
Metadata
- 17 Jul 2008
Recording Date
- 00:36:11
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Interviewee gave birth to her first child at the age of 21. She continued farming after marriage. Kept pigs and chickens. She built her own chicken coop. Interviewee subsequently joined husband to work in construction site. She and husband left their boss when they realized that they were being short-charged. How they started their first contract work. Her children followed her to the construction site to work. How she ended up selling Western food in a school canteen. Her children were left to themselves when young.
Why she moved to Ang Mo Kio. Her initial fear and worry about resettlement. Her views on HDB living. Felt that one would never be hungry as long as one is willing to work. Why she likes her present house in Ang Mo Kio. How she overcome her disappointment with her husband. Why she did not leave her husband despite her unhappiness. Her philosophy on life.
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