Tan Wu Cheng and Cindy Goh
Tan Wu Cheng:
Childhood Days: In the fifties. Primary school, Khalsa English School - Private school and neighbourhood. Double promotion in Primary 1 and 2 because of average. Good classmate and kind to me. Generous as well. Return kindness if able.
Young Adult: House-to-house selling encyclopaedias - good experience interacting with people. Wide spectrum of human beings, some kind and some not so. Helped me to know how to interact with different people in the 60s.
Community Work: very rewarding in terms of experience, giving back to society: helped those in need. Bonding among neighbours to build a nicer community.
Material things are not so important as one ages, more important are the important values one holds in terms of integrity, kindness toward people. Try to show good example at all times.
Like to see the future. 20/30 years down the road, society to level up. More help for lower income groups in terms of education, wages, and recognition of work. People are more compassionate and care for each other. Fun place to be in and not just work i.e. work-life balance.
Cindy Goh:
Childhood: I was born at East Shore Hospital (Presently known as Parkway East Hospital) and continued to live in the East Side of Singapore till present.
[Photo 1 - Page 6] Here is a photo of my Nainai and I. She is the greatest connection I have to Marine Parade. Yeye’s greatest gift for our family was being successful in his ballot for a unit in Marine Crescent. Sadly, he never got to stay in our flat as he had passed away prior to moving in. He was 48 years old.
[Photo 2 - Page 6] Whilst our time here, my younger brother and I would often play outdoors. Our parents would bring us to places where we could run freely. Here is a photo of us at East Coast Park. The dress I had on was handmade by Nainai. Nainai is known for her skilled hands; she could create anything!
Schooling Years: As a child, I was very shy and quiet in new environments yet cheerful amongst my friends. I had attended Rosyth School (I remembered that the first year was spent at the old site at Parry Avenue, followed by the current site in Serangoon North). I continued on at Compassvale Secondary School and it was there that I found myself enjoying learning. I felt that I had become more confident in my abilities - with the greatest outcome being awarded the Student of the Year at graduation. I move on to Nanyang Junior College briefly before continuing at Trinity College followed by the University of Melbourne. This stage of my life has been the most memorable so far as I was exposed to people of different nationalities, cultures and backgrounds. I was now a minority member in a foreign country in contrast to being a member of the majority race in Singapore. This was also the start of thinking about what it means to be Singaporean?
Young Adult: Job hunting was not easy. I was fortunate to be converted to a permanent staff after being in a contract role. One of the greatest skill that I had to quickly adapt to as an adult and still continue to learn is Nunchi - defined as the subtle art of the ability to gauge a situation to communicate effectively with people. Having an opportunity to study abroad was helpful in building on the cultural intelligence needed in a work environment.
Work had its ups and downs but I was constantly reminded by this saying - “Tough times never last, but tough people do”. COVID-19 pandemic came like a bolt from the blue but continues to stay like a gum. Many things changed overnight. At this moment, I am writing this from my WFH (work-from-home) setting. Assembled quickly with an IKEA table and chair in an existing bedroom, surrounded by clothes and storage items.
There is opportunity in every crisis. In the span of a year, I had the opportunity to experience a rotational role at work, dabble in activities I had wanted to try but never got around to do it, as well as being a more active volunteer in my community. I am now continuing with an MBA course at present.
Current: Since WFH, I have signed up to be a regular volunteer at MPS. It has been a humbling experience as I continue to be exposed to and learn how we can assist the resident on the issues that they are facing. I think that it is very important to have purpose in life. Thus, I hope that Singapore will continue to be a place where Singaporeans can be involved in creating and being involved in meaningful employment as well as volunteering opportunities.
Future: I am heartened that many of us are speaking up and taking action on issues that need to be addressed; Integral balance between Singaporeans and Foreign residents, Inclusion and Diversity in every sector of our society (Public, schools, workplaces, etc.), Reassessment and improvement on penalties meted out on tackling misconduct (e.g. employment misconduct, sexual misconduct), Educating and creating a sustainable system for our mental health and living environments.
What does it mean to be Singaporean?
Personally, I think that it means being resilient - to have the ability to continuously adjust and thrive amidst a changing environment, to be generous yet tactful in guiding fellow Singaporeans in need to achieve better in life.
