"Every face has a story to tell and every story seeks to be heard. Take a step into the past, look beyond these pictures and experience the everyday struggles that the early settlers faced to make ends meet."
When I was growing up in Greenwich, Connecticut USA, a place that my family has called our ancestral home for nearly 400 years, there was a map of our section of town hanging on a wall. It is a hand drawn map by the late Roger H. Selchow.
Atop this map are these words:"Our inheritance from those who toiled, wept, prayed and harvested."
In any place of origin or destination we are reminded that all of us -no matter our station in life, our ancestry or culture- start our journey with humble first-steps.
I initially encountered this while visiting Thian Hock Keng on Telok Ayer Street. But once those early settlers arrived in Singapore a new, arduous journey awaited them. That history for the Chinese is portrayed at the Chinatown Heritage Centre.
History is one of my primary passions. The last time I was here I went with a friend who grew up in a shophouse quite similar to this one. We found a near-lifesized photo of his father in one of the exhibits. It is still there.
I was interested in furthering my perceptions of how the early Chinese settlers of Singapore "toiled, wept, prayed and harvested." It was not an easy time for them at all.
This was one of my favorite exhibits. What you are seeing are Chinese clan names using English letters and Chinese characters. By turning a particular block the visitor is given a short explanation as to what the clan name means.
Mead is not a clan name, but it is my surname. What does it mean?
"Mead is an alcoholic beverage created by fermenting honey with water, and frequently fruits, spices, grains or hops...The defining characteristic of mead is that the majority of the beverage's fermentable sugar is derived from honey."
So, I am sweet? Well, well! Some of you know the answer! Ha ha ha!
The objects in this exhibit are associated with Chinese New Year. This is how the exhibit appeared when I used my camera's flash (photos are permitted throughout the Centre).
A moment or two later the lights darkened and the exhibit became ablaze with passionate, crimson red. Note that the lion head's green eyes are lit up!
Singapore's world-famous food culture also started from humble beginnings. This exhibit shows examples.
This is a second-floor view of the neighborhood outside the Centre.
This is an office from way-back-when.
This is an exhibit of what a shophouse based tailor shop looked like in olden days.
You can see just by these few photos that life was not fancy or aristocratic in nature. The shophouses were often dirty, crowded and harsh. There were problems with opium, gambling, and houses or prostitution, too.
I enjoyed learning again about the pastimes many Chinese Singaporeans enjoyed, such as Chinese opera, going to the movies and reading magazines brought in from Hong Kong. I emerged with a less-dimmed idea of just how amazingly far Singapore has come -and how earlier generations sacrificed a great deal to make it that way.
One of the final displays featured "living history" videos. Each featured elderly Chinese residents talking about their lives and their experiences. Most all of the videos were in Chinese language. I had a little help from others who understood their stories and translated for me. While I enjoyed and learned much about early Chinese life in Singapore from the various displays, the videos were a favorite of mine. My experience felt much more authentic -and humbling.
When you hear 'Singapore' it is a name that conjures up words such as 'character,' 'honesty,' 'trustworthiness,' 'steadfastness,' 'preeminence,' 'virtue,' and 'goodness.' What resonated for me during and after my visit was an appreciation for those who came before us. Yes, they wept, toiled, harvested, prayed -and never gave up hope. The older generation had a better understanding of its sense of duty to future generations -but that hardly means that that sense of responsibility is extinct.
Far from it!
I am reminded of just how precious duty and obligation are. That tradition calls on those who follow to be honest and meticulously so.
Through the collective talents of these individuals and families a great nation has been nurtured. From humble beginnings to the amazing place it has become in the 21st century I gained a greater appreciation for the energies, dedication and sacrifices of earlier Singaporean generations.
The many kindnesses Singaporeans showed me throughout my visit came closer to my heart. Championship is not predestined. It takes work and sacrifice.
It caused me to reflect on earlier generations before me in America. My maternal grandmother recently passed away at age 99 years. Each Sunday for years I'd call her on the phone. She and others like her lived through the Great Depression, World War II and history's tumultuous march. Through it all they pulled together. They carried on because they had to. I saw a clear commonality between my grandmother and those of her generation here in Singapore.
I felt connected yet again.
So, to those of you who call Singapore your home -and your heart- I salute your forefathers and foremothers. They never gave up hope. We should not either.
No comments:
Post a Comment