Ong Teng Chai and Vinoth Mannan

Ong Teng Chai:

Have to bring water in pails for drinking.

Have to cut wood for firing & cooking.

Old kampong house then.

This is how the olden days street looks like.

Vinoth Mannan:

It was the year 1998 when I came to Singapore. I was 10 years old. My parents came in the year 1996. I was waiting inside the flight sitting down all alone after all the passengers left the flight. Finally the air-stewardess had to escort me down to the arrival hall where I met my parents. This was my experience in Singapore.

Over the next few weeks, I happen to go through textbooks of English and Mathematics for Primary 4 syllabus. My parents tried very hard to get an admission in the schools nearby our housing neighbourhood. We rented a flat at block 101, Bedok North Avenue. After some hard persistence, one of the schools agreed to offer me an admission on a condition that I should pass a test, sitting for both Maths and English.

Having studied Tamil back in India, English was still an alien to me at that point. In a completely new environment, facing new people, new formats of exams, I failed miserably in English. I barely made it in Mathematics. I had completely lost hope at that time. My parents were furious at me for such a performance on a school test.

The principal came in and looked at the test results. She was not convinced to place an admission in Primary 4. But she permitted and offered an admission for primary 3 with a firm commitment that I would improve my English. My father was so relieved and accepted it with no other choice.

She was none other than Ms Elizabeth Poey, who was the Principal of Bedok North Primary School. If not for her, I wouldn’t have dreamt a life in Singapore. I owe my sincere regards and thank you to her through this short story. Singapore needs more and more Elizabeth Poey. My big salute to her!