SLEC Miles of Smiles

Memories by the old Bedok beach

The Bedok of 79-year-old Mdm Tan Ai Lin’s childhood was full of open doors, with children darting in and out and racing down to the bustling beach – a playground for the kids of Kampung Amber.

Early days of Orchard Road

In 80-year-old Mdm Tulasi’s memory, Orchard was lined with lush green patches between shophouses and colonial bungalows.

Through hardship, into sweetness

Sisters Mdm Yong Siew Kee, 72, and Mdm Yong Siew Kwee, 71, were born in Malaysia, but moved to Singapore when the two nations were still united. The elder, Siew Kee, arrived first at age 11, settling into her grandmother’s bungalow in Katong.

He’s got the chops!

At 67, Mr Wong Teow Moh has retired after more than 40 years of serving up one of Singapore’s most beloved dishes — chicken rice. Born in a kampung in Toa Payoh before moving into a nearby HDB flat, Mr Wong grew up around the bustle of his father’s chicken rice stall in Balestier.

Crafting her own path

Mdm Tong Sui Hong, 78, was born in Paya Lebar before moving with her family to Serangoon. Life in the kampung was simple. People planted whatever they could — tapioca, vegetables — and kept chickens, though these were rarely eaten.

A sportsman by nature

Mr Dollasi Das, 76, grew up in the kampung of Jalan Kayu, among wooden houses, narrow roads, and open spaces where children created their own fun.

A seasoned hand from our early hotels

Mdm Mary Yee, 76, remembers a carefree childhood near Tanglin Halt, where her father worked as a cobbler. She often tagged along with him, entertaining herself with the other children nearby and playing games under the shade of the five-foot way.

Let’s settle! A fierce friend & fearless learner

The eldest of five children, Mdm Woo Ngan Kin, 75, has been fiercely protective since childhood. She grew up in a kampung in Tiong Bahru, near Si Jiao Ting (a Hokkien cemetery). With her mother working as a hawker, she was responsible for her younger siblings, cooking, cleaning, and keeping the household running.

Kelantan Lane’s tight-knit community

Mr Samsudin, 83, and Mdm Habsah, 79, have been side by side through the many chapters of Singapore’s changes. Mdm Habsah grew up along Kelantan Lane, near Sungei Road. In the neighbourhood stood rows of pondok-pondok (huts), where many Boyanese lived.