This biography project is done by Huang Guan 2o112 and Tan Xuan 2o120.
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The life of a determined woman
12th April 1942, a girl was born in an abandoned trench dug during the current World War 2, the third child in the family, this woman was named, Heng Siam Cheng. Born during the unfortunate time of war, no proper medical facilities were present and her birth might be considered an unusual one.
Coming from a humble background, she has a relatively large family of ten siblings and two parents. After the war ended, she was about three years old. Her family did not have a fixed roof over their head and they were financially unstable, having to feed 13 mouths in the house, they usually went without breakfast or dinner, lunch was an almost non-existent occurrence. Their meager income came from doing odd jobs as the roamed the streets. After the Japanese left, their lives took a 180-degree turn.
To speak of education at that time either meant that you were very foolish or very rich. She along with her siblings and other children spent their childhood life wandering on the streets playing or scratching meaningless strokes in the dirt, life was simple back then, no worries no pain.
Back at home, her role was to look after her younger siblings and help her mother as a seamstress, needless to say under her mother’s guidance Siam Cheng became a talented seamstress.
When she got older about twelve to fifteen years of age, she was sent to earn a few extra dollars for her family by taking on odd jobs. She says “The work I usually got was relaying messages or helping out at construction sites although the work was back-breaking and the pay modest I always felt a tinge of pride as I brought home my weekly ‘salary’ knowing that I have done my part in helping my family out.”
As she matured into a young lady, she found a more stable job as a seamstress in the day and attended night classes to improve her educational standard, however this only lasted for one to two years, as a crucial change was about to turn her life around.
At the age of 21, she married a taxi driver and independence began from then. Hardships were aplenty as they were both working hard and long hours to provide well for their children, but like all loving couples they were very happy together.
Her midlife was one of which most people would not describe as interesting and colorful each day past like any other determined to be more boring than the one before it. However Siam Cheng was strict with her children education was a first, at the age of 20 her eldest son had already attained three scholarships to further his studies overseas, to think one generation was all it took for taxi driver to scholar.
In 1982 when she turned 40 years old, something changed her life drastically. Her mother-in-law died causing her to fall in to emotional grief for her loved one. The shock that life could be taken away from her so easily left her stunned for weeks. Siam Cheng drifted like a boat in the open sea with all its navigation gear smashed. Friends tried to help but what saved her was the need to carry on with life, to continue to support her family that was one day she never forgot.
As she approached her last lap of her life, her happiest moments were when her grandchildren arrived they were like bundles of joy, a gift from heaven. She is able to appreciate the joy of having to look after children for the third time in her life but unlike the previous times this time, as a chore, this time it feels more like a luxury to be able to embrace a child again.
The next decade passed without much incidence, sadly to say in 2005 four years ago her spouse succumbed to lung cancer and left her forever. After all those harsh times spent together all the trials and sufferings they faced it seemed fate made sport of them tearing them apart. She said through a tear-stricken face, “After all the squabbling and loving times we had, to look back and say I don’t miss him would be the worse lie ever concocted, I just wish, we had more time.” =(
She is now living in a HDB flat with her youngest daughter and her grandson at an age of 67. Life is full of unexpected twists and turns however she has braved this entire journey coming out battered and scarred but alive. With each passing day, she gets closed and closer to her end yet optimism is obvious a strong point throughout her life, when asked how she has endured these past trying years, she replies simply, “most people live for the past brooding over things they will never have the ability to change, but I live for the future, determined to change what I can.”
Reflections
Through this project, we actually learn many new things such as how to plan questions for an interview which was quite a new experience to us as at this age now, most of the time it would be us going for an interview. After collecting all the data we needed, we planned out our biography and had some problems as we have too much information at hand. Then we proceeded to making this blog which we also faced some problems. we had to choose a suitable theme for our blog so that it actually correspond to our biography. after discussions, we decided on a black, sad blogskin. Making this blog was also quite hard as this is the first time we are making a blogskin. Through this project, we think that we had gain many useful experiences and also tried our best to do it.
Data collected from our interview
When were you born?
April 1942 (time of world war 2)
How old are you?
66 years old
How many immediate family members do you have?
12 immediate family members 2 parents 4 brothers 6 sisters
How many family members do you have?
2 sons 2 daughters 3 grandsons 3 granddaughters
Position in family (how many siblings older/younger than her)
3rd eldest in family 1 older brother & sister rest are younger
Where were you given birth?
I was given birth in a trench dug during the war it was still in use, at that time there were no proper medical facilities and extremely limited supply of medicine
How was your family situation like?
I came from an extremely humble background, both my parents were uneducated, financially we were not able to support ourselves fully, some days we went without breakfast or dinner, lunch was a rare occurrence. Main income came from my parents doing odd jobs and the elder ones had to look after the younger siblings. After the Japanese left we managed to find a house and provide the bare essentials for out family.
Did you have any formal education?
Only the very rich at that time could afford education of any kind. Most of us the common folk could only play under the sun or scratch meaningless strokes on to the dust. I could not be blessed with education, as I had to look after my siblings.
What was your role in the family as a child?
My role in my family was mainly to look after my siblings and help my mother with her work, which was usually making clothing for others, needless to say people of our time were quite talented as seamstresses as it was the only skill we could pick up.
What did you do when you grew older?
When I got older about twelve to fifteen years of age, I had to go out to earn a few extra bucks for my family. The work I usually got was relaying messages or helping out at construction sites although the work was back-breaking and the pay modest I always felt a tinge of pride as I brought home my weekly “salary” knowing that I have done my part in helping my family out.
What kind of life did you lead as a young adult?
As I became a young adult, and my family had became more stable, I worked as a part time seamstress in the morning and in the night I attended classed to get my taste of education, however I only attended school for a year or two before dropping out.
When did you marry?
I married at 21 years old, which my mother said was a suitable age to marry
What hardships did you face after you were married?
After I married my husband earned a living by driving a taxi and I stayed at home making clothes for others or for my own family members, our life was a hard one but we were happy, hardships like working for long hours were a common thing for us we wanted to work hard so that we could provide well for our children.
Do you think that you have fulfilled your role as a wife to her husband?
I believe that I have fulfilled my role as a wife to my husband. First and fore mostly I have stuck with him through thick and thin after all the problems we have faced together further more, I believe that whatever we have been through together, we have been happy.
Now that you have lived for almost 70 years, what things have left the deepest impact on you (happiest/saddest)
Happiest moment- grandchildren (able to appreciate the joy of having to look after children but unlike the previous times, as a chore, this time is more of a luxury and to be able to enjoy the warmth of a child.)
Saddest-40 plus years old mother-in-law died (cried for many days and night as it was a huge emotional blow to me, my mother-in-law was very close to me)
What do you regret in your life?
To busy working to support the family, unable to enjoy life until later part of life when family has settled down
Not being able to have a proper education
Wish that I have been able to bring more joy and happiness to my siblings during those trying times
What are some of the decisions that you have made that have impacted your life greatly? If given a second chance to would u make any difference?
Of course the first most important decision I made was marrying my husband, with regards to that I feel that that was one of the best decisions I made in my life. My husband was a wonderful person who tried to inject humor into me when I was down and out; given a chance to redo my life this is definitely one decision that I will stay adamant about.
During the later part of my life, when I had three children already and the fourth one was expecting, we were unsure whether we wanted to have that many children, however we decided to keep the child. Many years after this has happened I have never regretted this decision, I was very happy with my four children and never once have they disappointed me in any way.
What do you think a suitable conclusion for your life might be?
I am already contented with my current life, my children have all graduated and made a name for themselves, my grandchildren although still young have already turned responsible and are extremely well behaved, I feel my life has been full of ups and downs but after all my trials I look back and realize this might not be the perfect life that I want, but it is definitely the life that I chose to live.
When were you born?
April 1942 (time of world war 2)
How old are you?
66 years old
How many immediate family members do you have?
12 immediate family members 2 parents 4 brothers 6 sisters
How many family members do you have?
2 sons 2 daughters 3 grandsons 3 granddaughters
Position in family (how many siblings older/younger than her)
3rd eldest in family 1 older brother & sister rest are younger
Where were you given birth?
I was given birth in a trench dug during the war it was still in use, at that time there were no proper medical facilities and extremely limited supply of medicine
How was your family situation like?
I came from an extremely humble background, both my parents were uneducated, financially we were not able to support ourselves fully, some days we went without breakfast or dinner, lunch was a rare occurrence. Main income came from my parents doing odd jobs and the elder ones had to look after the younger siblings. After the Japanese left we managed to find a house and provide the bare essentials for out family.
Did you have any formal education?
Only the very rich at that time could afford education of any kind. Most of us the common folk could only play under the sun or scratch meaningless strokes on to the dust. I could not be blessed with education, as I had to look after my siblings.
What was your role in the family as a child?
My role in my family was mainly to look after my siblings and help my mother with her work, which was usually making clothing for others, needless to say people of our time were quite talented as seamstresses as it was the only skill we could pick up.
What did you do when you grew older?
When I got older about twelve to fifteen years of age, I had to go out to earn a few extra bucks for my family. The work I usually got was relaying messages or helping out at construction sites although the work was back-breaking and the pay modest I always felt a tinge of pride as I brought home my weekly “salary” knowing that I have done my part in helping my family out.
What kind of life did you lead as a young adult?
As I became a young adult, and my family had became more stable, I worked as a part time seamstress in the morning and in the night I attended classed to get my taste of education, however I only attended school for a year or two before dropping out.
When did you marry?
I married at 21 years old, which my mother said was a suitable age to marry
What hardships did you face after you were married?
After I married my husband earned a living by driving a taxi and I stayed at home making clothes for others or for my own family members, our life was a hard one but we were happy, hardships like working for long hours were a common thing for us we wanted to work hard so that we could provide well for our children.
Do you think that you have fulfilled your role as a wife to her husband?
I believe that I have fulfilled my role as a wife to my husband. First and fore mostly I have stuck with him through thick and thin after all the problems we have faced together further more, I believe that whatever we have been through together, we have been happy.
Now that you have lived for almost 70 years, what things have left the deepest impact on you (happiest/saddest)
Happiest moment- grandchildren (able to appreciate the joy of having to look after children but unlike the previous times, as a chore, this time is more of a luxury and to be able to enjoy the warmth of a child.)
Saddest-40 plus years old mother-in-law died (cried for many days and night as it was a huge emotional blow to me, my mother-in-law was very close to me)
What do you regret in your life?
To busy working to support the family, unable to enjoy life until later part of life when family has settled down
Not being able to have a proper education
Wish that I have been able to bring more joy and happiness to my siblings during those trying times
What are some of the decisions that you have made that have impacted your life greatly? If given a second chance to would u make any difference?
Of course the first most important decision I made was marrying my husband, with regards to that I feel that that was one of the best decisions I made in my life. My husband was a wonderful person who tried to inject humor into me when I was down and out; given a chance to redo my life this is definitely one decision that I will stay adamant about.
During the later part of my life, when I had three children already and the fourth one was expecting, we were unsure whether we wanted to have that many children, however we decided to keep the child. Many years after this has happened I have never regretted this decision, I was very happy with my four children and never once have they disappointed me in any way.
What do you think a suitable conclusion for your life might be?
I am already contented with my current life, my children have all graduated and made a name for themselves, my grandchildren although still young have already turned responsible and are extremely well behaved, I feel my life has been full of ups and downs but after all my trials I look back and realize this might not be the perfect life that I want, but it is definitely the life that I chose to live.
Biography
Reflections
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