WANG Yan 王燕
New Citizens,
Accession Number 003765
- Oral History Centre
Source
- 4
Total Reels
- Lulu Ong
Interviewer
- 02:16:51
Total Running Time
- Mandarin
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 4
Metadata
- 22 Oct 2012
Recording Date
- 00:37:06
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Born in Shenyang. Mother was from Shenyang, father form Nanjing. Middle child. Father was in the military, stationed in Shenyang. Returned to Nanjing at age 4. Chose not to go to kindergarten, as it was not compulsory. Spent childhood wandering around the streets while siblings went to kindergarten. No issue on safety then. Describes primary school life. Walked 45 minutes to school. Public transport was not convenient then, stops few and far between.
Relatives did not live in Nanjing, only saw them on special occasions. After high school went back to Shenyang to visit mother’s family and also travel to Beijing with friends. Expressed interest in travel even then.
Had a number of relatives overseas who went overseas, particularly to the US. Had an influence on her desire to go overseas. Talks about taking the TOEFL examination in China.
Describes university examinations. Wanted to re-take the examination as she was not posted to the university of her choice. Jobs were hard to get then, and required entrance examinations too. Describes her successful application for Nanjing Panda Electronics Factory, felt that it was better than getting into university, as that was a first grade enterprise with excellent benefits for employees. Allocated to work at the childcare centre within the factory. Was happy with the arrangement. Factory sent her for teacher training first. Describes work life at the factory’s childcare centre. Teacher student ratio was 38 to 2. Describes stringent requirements for childcare teachers, including being able to play musical instrument and sing.
Talks about her own music education. Music lessons not common in China then. Many could not afford the instruments, only got to learn piano when she was at the early childhood training centre. Father played brass instruments in the military, sometimes composed for and conducted the military band. Often involved in official military parades in Beijing.
Talks about when television was introduced in the 1970s, a 9” state-provided television set was shared by 300 people. Comments that in her early days in Singapore, there were limited TV programmes here too.
出世于辽宁省沈阳市。母亲是沈阳人，父亲是南京人。家里有哥哥也有妹妹,父亲是军人。四丶五岁时搬到南京。小时候选择不读幼稚园。当兄、妹上学时，自己在南京市到处逛。当时治安不是问题。形容上小学的经验。当时交通不方便，走路到学校需要四十五分钟。其他亲人不住在南京，只有办喜事或特别节日时才见面。
谈高中生活,高考制度已成立，学习相当紧张。要上大学，竞争激烈。高中以后回过沈阳探亲，也和同学到北京。表示对旅游有兴趣。亲戚陆陆续续到国外,受他们的影响，也想出国。谈在中国考托福。
谈考大学的过程。分配到不想去的大学,打算下一年再重考。当时找工作不容易，也得考试。考上南京熊猫电子厂，是全国一级企业,福利优厚。大家都认为是南京最好的厂。被分配到托儿所去工作，当时觉得比考入大学更好。工厂派她去上幼儿师范学校。谈在南京熊猫电子厂工作的情况,两个老师带三十八个小孩。托儿所对老师的要求高－要会弹、会唱。
回想小时候学小提琴的经验。当时学音乐 的人很少。学钢琴的更少，到了幼儿师范才有机会学钢琴。 父亲在军队里吹号，也作曲、指挥。常到北京做检阅。小时候没有电视。回想开始有电视的时候,三百多个人一起看一台九寸的电视机。联想起刚到新加坡的时候,华文电视节目也不多。
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Reel/Disc 2 of 4
Metadata
- 22 Oct 2012
Recording Date
- 00:34:35
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Describes audition and interview process in order to get into early childhood training progamme. Audition included a dance component. The written examination included math, science and language subjects. Usually entry to this institution is after junior high, so she was older than other students and found the academic subjects easy, so she could concentrate on subjects directly related to early childhood education. Studies at the centre were full-time and it was a boarding school. Was the first batch sent to the institution as the State usually did not give much emphasis to childcare centres that were attached to factories.
Describes daily routine at the child care entre, and how the activities focused on games and language development. There was also and emphasis on thinking skills and using drawing as a form of expression.
Describes process of applying to go overseas. When she first left, the factory kept her job for her for six months. People around her felt that giving up that job would be a pity. Talks about how she met her husband, and how her husband was by his professor for a postgraduate scholarship at NUS. Most of his peers at the time went to the US. No one came to Singapore.
Describes her move to Singapore and how she spent her time here in the early days, adapting to the environment. Noted that commuters on the MRT did not scramble for seats. Talks about living in rented accomodation and how landlord did not allow them to cook in the premises. As a result, had to eat out often. Not used to it. Describes initial reactions to local food and how she adapted to it over time.
谈上幼儿师范学院面试的过程。需要准备唱歌、跳舞。也考数学、科学和语文。在学员当中，年纪比其他学生大，因为其他学生是初中毕业以后就派到幼儿师范。因为其他科目读过了，所以能把精力放在幼儿学方面。读书是全职的，要住校。以前工厂的托儿所不被注重,是第一批被送到幼儿师范训练的老师。
描述在托儿所一天的活动：培养语言和游戏方面。也注重思维和画画。画画能认孩子表达自己。
形容当时办出国手续的过程。来新加坡时，工厂还替她保留了职位。周围的人认为放弃这份工作很可惜。说起如何认识先生,先生后来如何办出国手续。先生的教授推荐他来国大读硕士学位。当时他们的圈子中，没有人新加坡来留学，多数去美国。
谈搬来新加坡的过程。刚来新加坡的时候日子怎么过, 如何适应环境。出门搭地铁时，观察到地铁车里没有抢位子的现象。租的房子，不能在家开伙食,常常在外吃，很不习惯。 谈论对本地料理的反应，过后如何适应口味。
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Reel/Disc 3 of 4
Metadata
- 22 Oct 2012
Recording Date
- 00:31:27
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Worked at a tuition centre, weekends included. Described how off-days dring the week were spent. Looked for more work to keep herself busy so that she would not miss her daughter as much. The tuition centre had just been established, describes how she worked with the principal to develop the centre. Says that she learnt a lot from working with the principal. Was asked to focus on primary school curriculum rather than early childhood. Noted that there was not as much focus on hanyu pinyin then. In China, children are taught hanyu pinyin first to ensure correct pronounciation of words. Describes her students at the tuition centre and talks about the pressures at work.
Returned to China for the first time after three years in Singapore. Describes changes in lifestyle after daughter arrived together with her mother. Rented entire HDB flat and could enjoy homecooked food once again. Proceeded to purchase flat once PR application was approved.
Describes birth of second child in Singapore and compares the experience of childbirth and hospitalisation with that of her first daughter in China.Describes confinement month in Singapore. Gives reasons why they chose to stay in Singapore. Compares accomodation in Singapore and back in China. Shares that after living here for a while, was not used to life in China when visiting. Discusses factors they considered when applying for citizenship, and plans for looking after aged parents.
周末在补习中心工作。谈平时休息的时间如何打发。多找工作,麻醉自己不要一直想家。补习中心刚成立不久，形容如何和校长一起“打天下”，从中学了很多。 校长要求她学习小学的教学法。表示当时本地的小学课程中， 没那么重视汉语拼音。相比的， 在中国，一上小学先教汉语拼，发音才会准。形容补习中心的学生，也谈工作上的压力。
来了新加坡三年以后才第一次回国。谈女儿和母亲来了以后,生活上的改变。租了整套的组屋，又能吃家里煮的菜。申请了永久居民，马上买房子。
谈在新加坡生第二个女儿，比较在新加坡生孩子和在中国生孩子住院的区别。谈坐月的习俗。谈论选择留在新加坡的因素。比较在新加坡和在中国的住宿。表示来新加坡住了以后，回中国反而觉得不习惯。谈拿公民权所考虑到的因素，照顾年老父母的计划。
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Reel/Disc 4 of 4
Metadata
- 22 Oct 2012
Recording Date
- 00:33:43
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Describes her work at the tuition centre. Required by work to speak only Mandarin, not much change to interact with other races. Husband’s colleagues are of different races, from different countries. Interacts with them at social gatherings. Felt that her standard of English dropped after moving to Singapore. Describes her daughters’ interest in the language, although elder daughter became more comfortable with English later on. Younger daughter represented Singapore at language competition in China. Discusses her thoughts on the system of bilingual education in Singapore.
Explains why she decided to go for further education in early childhood teaching, and her reasons for eventually leaving the tuition centre to teach at a kindergarten again. Feels that there is more room for creativity in early childhood education. Compares her worklife at the kindergarten, tuition centre and the childcare facility back in China. Feels that it is essential to be able to speak more than one language at kindergarten, and how she got to use English more at the kindergarten. Describes becoming familiar with local dialects.
Discuss impact of SARS on her family. Relative arrived to stay with them on a flight where one of the passengers was suspected of having SARS, and had to be quarantined. Describes the quarantine measures in practice. Talks of her observations on how Singapore has changed over the years. Gives reasons for hiring domestic helpers. Summarises her thoughts on her life in Singapore.
谈在补习中心工作经验和感想。在补习中心都是讲华语,很少机会和其他宗族交流。丈夫的同事就来自各国、各宗族，有时有聚会才有机会交流。来了新加坡以后，英语发的腿部了。谈两个女儿对华文的兴趣。大女儿后来英语比华语强。小女儿曾代表新加坡到中国参加汉语大赛。简谈对新加坡双语制度的感想。
解说去教育学院上夜班的原因。提升进修幼教课程。也谈后来回到托儿所当老师的原因。觉得幼儿教学发挥的空间比较大。谈回到幼儿园当老师的感想。比较幼儿园、补习中心和中国托儿所工作的环境。认为在托儿所一定要会讲多种语言,英语又有机会重新应用 。也谈在新加坡学听一些方言和其他语言。
谈非典型性肺炎事件对家庭的影响。刚好有亲戚来她家住。同一趟飞机的乘客怀疑被感染，所以被隔离。家里被隔离，对日常生活如何被影响。谈自己所观察到新加坡多年来的变迁。谈请女佣的原因。总结在新加坡生活的感想。
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