KHERA, Sangita (Mrs)
New Citizens,
Accession Number 003637
- Oral History Centre
Source
- 10
Total Reels
- Michele Lim
Interviewer
- 06:09:52
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 10
Metadata
- 29 Sep 2011
Recording Date
- 00:36:28
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Currently citizen of New Zealand (NZ), Permanent Resident (PR) in Singapore. Has been here 11 years. Moved from New Zealand to here – to be closer to India. Here is safe, organised, good mix of eastern and western cultures, right and safe place to bring up children. Husband’s job is here. Studied at St Joseph’s Convent from 1976-1986. Did ‘O’ Levels there. Completed ‘A’ Levels at Hislop College, Science stream. Graduated from L.A.D. College of Technology. Joined PUMA Herbal Cosmetics in 1992. Worked there for 1.5 years. Continued to study – took Diploma in Marketing & Sales Management in Bhawan College, followed by Diploma in Computer Applications. Completed it in 1994. Was married that year. Born, 1970, and raised in Nagpur. Three siblings, brother three years older; sister two years younger; brother six years younger. Father is self-made businessman. Company makes large sheets of glass. Mother, housewife. Conservative grandparents. Mother struggled to get daughters educated in English. Remembers growing up playing. As eldest daughter, was expected to help with housework. Father was eldest son. Lifestyle in Nagpur when growing up and weekend activities. Television arrived in 1982. Movies were disallowed. Watched Hindi movies was a treat. Typical school day – one rickshaw will carry six children. Left for school at 8.20am. School lasted from 9am – 3.30pm. There were two beaks; a 15-min recess and 30-min lunch break). School had huge campus. Language studied: English, Hindi, and a compulsory 3rd language. Took Marati initially, then Urdu from Level 8. Talked about own mindset about education for women, further education for women, expectations for boys.
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Reel/Disc 2 of 10
Metadata
- 29 Sep 2011
Recording Date
- 00:37:05
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Had own scooter at 11th/12th year at school (equivalent to junior college years). Chose to attend co-ed college, best college in science. Wanted to enter medical college but unsuccessful. Studied Cosmetology, something new then. A four-year degree. Typical day in college. After college, was selected for two-month on-the-job training at POND’s India Ltd, manufacturing plant in Madras, South India. Employed with PUMA Herbal Cosmetics Private Limited as cosmetologist for manufacturing cosmetics and shampoo. While working, took part-time diploma in Marketing & Sales Management. Considers self quite feminist then. Diploma was one-year course. Thereafter, took computer science course. Accounted for doing this course. What interviewee did with first pay of 1,500 rupies. Due to social pressure, started thinking about marriage. First met husband-to-be in September 1993. Married in February 1994 at age 23.
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Reel/Disc 4 of 10
Metadata
- 3 Nov 2011
Recording Date
- 00:38:35
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*February to June 1994 – settled down, looked for and found job in June. Started as information trainee in EDS NZ Pte Ltd. Sole female trainee in that team then. Supportive female trainer. New experience: new job and managing home. Adjustments made: Had a maid in India but had to do all household chores in NZ. Husband had Indian and NZ friends. Socialised on weekends. Found out where to get things needed. Culturally, no difficulty adjusting. Kiwis generally friendly. Weather a bit challenging. High chill factor and short days in winter. Indian community in Wellington - from India and Fiji. Spoke English. A few Indian temples in Wellington. Would go twice annually for Holi and Diwali. About 50-60 people in temple hall during these visits. Eldest daughter born in April 1996. Difficult period. No family support. Suffered bad back during pregnancy, leading to complications. Fell during pregnancy. Returned to work in crutches from January-April 1996. Mother-in-law went in March 1996 to help for a month.
Described child birth, missing own mother and home. Kept in touch with mother through weekly quick calls and mail. Returned to India in December 1996 for a few months. Entitled to a year’s maternity leave in NZ. Upon returning to work, negotiated for shorter hours and looked for baby sitter. Moved into larger, two-bedroom home, followed by three-bedroom home when second child was born in September 1998. Second pregnancy was also difficult, with back problem. Mother-in-law did not come over the help. Took eight-nine months off work. Resumed work and hired baby-sitter.
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Reel/Disc 5 of 10
Metadata
- 3 Nov 2011
Recording Date
- 00:37:33
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Period: 1994-2000 in NZ. People planned day based on weather forecast. Friends in NZ, especially Indians, e.g. baby-sitter; colleague from Malaysia. Difference between Indians from Fiji and Malaysia. Applied for citizenship in 1994. Original plan was to work two years and return to India. Application process and citizenship ceremony. Felt attached to NZ after kind treatment during and after pregnancy. Husband switched a few jobs. Interviewee stayed in same job. Change in eldest daughter after starting school. Husband wanted Indian values for their children, was concerned about adopting Western values, e.g. calling parents by name, having relationships with more than one partner, co-habiting. Difficult for both their parents to live in NZ and help bring up the children. Husband considered moving closer to India. Having been to Singapore before, he found it a good mix of eastern and western cultures.
In 2000, moving here was a vague thought. Towards middle of 2000, husband became serious. Interviewee reluctant to leave NZ. First encounter here, in 1996, two-day stopover when visiting India. Was not impressed with Singapore. During India-NZ leg, spent a full-day on her own with Sonica. Stayed at Albert Court Hotel. Did not have good impression. Everyone recommended Mustafa shopping centre. Tough time getting there, weather too hot, difficulty navigating a pram, crowded. Had chance to stay in HDB apartment with a family during one stopover. In June 2000, husband succeeded in application for work here. Started packing in October. Moved during last week of December 2000. A reason interviewee agreed to come: husband said she could have a maid.
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Reel/Disc 6 of 10
Metadata
- 16 Jan 2012
Recording Date
- 00:37:24
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Family moved here in December 2000. Husband did all the paperwork. Entered Singapore as dependent. After three to four months, obtained PR status within April 2001. Gained peace of mind in terms of work and schooling for daughters, then aged four and two. While enroute to India in November 2000, had stopped over here for a day or two to househunt. What was looked for in a home, houses looked at. Compares rental rates between here and NZ. Chose apartment at Tulip Garden (Farrer Road). While in India on holiday, husband came here earlier to start work. Described search for kindergarten for eldest daughter, Sonica. Chose Maris Stella Kindergarten. Second daughter enrolled in play school at Serene Centre. Buys groceries from Mustaffa’s, Cold Storage. Did not own car for first years. Described typical day in initial years. Different nationalities of residents in Tulip Garden.
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Reel/Disc 7 of 10
Metadata
- 16 Jan 2012
Recording Date
- 00:37:23
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Different places visited for leisure, e.g. Singapore Zoo, Bird Park, Underwater World, Singapore Science Centre, Singapore Botanic Gardens. With PR status, started looking for work, initially in IT. Realised that only part-time work is possible because of long hours in full-time work. Decided to move into IT training. Looked for work in the newspapers. First training job – taught in a school to group of 40 primary four students. Later, taught at different schools. Training conducted – from IT to English, public speaking, social etiquette. Looked for a maid/domestic helper while looking for job. First experience at maid agency. Eventually, got mother to look for maid in Nagpur. Talked about the Indian maid and her adjustment to life in Singapore. Maid stayed for three years. Went through agency for Indonesian maid.
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Reel/Disc 10 of 10
Metadata
- 16 Jan 2012
Recording Date
- 00:32:04
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Reason for not sending daughters to Indian International School here. Described own practice of religion here. Different deities, religious practices and festivals in India. Attends Laxminarayan Templed behind Race Course Road. Celebrates the Navratri Festival as Hindu Punjabi from Central India. Difference between Punjabi and Sikh. Takes lead in religion and faith at home. Meet up regularly with four friends from same school in India. New friends made here who are not from India. Choice of houses lived in here largely children related – Tulip Garden, Maple Woods Condo (Bukit Timah Road), cluster housing (Shelford Road). Reason for not buying house here. For now, home is here. Daughters have sense of belonging here. They are NZ citizen and PR here. Leaves it to them to decide their nationalities in future. Unsure about self and husband. Daughters have been to National Day Parade here. They watched it yearly. Ensures daughters watch it. Thoughts about General Elections (GEs) and Presidential Elections. Sad that SR Nathan stepped down as President. Choice of daughters’ schools after PSLE jointly decided by parents and daughters. About Singapore as their home.
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