The Year 2018 Part I of VI - The Beginning
A new year has just arrived. What will the year 2018 be for us? No one actually knows. We make our New Year resolutions and we hope that we can live up to our own expectations. We seldom did - never a hundred percent of such expectations, never.
This year I have changed the topic of “New Year Resolution” around and instead I ask myself: “Which year in your past is the most significant?” I search for an answer to this question. There are many, yes, many years of significance in my life and a brief summary of these significant events can be read in this six-parts series. But first, let me describe my first three New Year Resolutions (more to come in the other five parts to this saga coming soon, here during this month). Watch this space!
Resolutions:
Resolution # 1: Bury the hatchet
This year marks the seventieth year of my prejudice against Japan. But, my family members had asked me over the years to think again and I did. And this year 2018, I shall be visiting Japan for the first time.
Why am I prejudiced? The reflections in the following paragraphs further down this page will provide the answer.
What happened during the last decade that shaped my re-think? First I now know that Japanese as a race and as a culture are gentle and soft, full of grace and customs. Those soldiers sent to war during the Japanese Occupation of Singapore, were actually those people, of Chinese origin, from Korea, and from Northern China, who were colonies of Japan in the past. Second, Japan has made great strides in many technological inventions - cars and televisions, for instance, and then there are many kitchen equipments produced from that country.
I cannot help but say that I have to live by my Christian faith and think of forgiveness for the wrongs Japan did to us Singaporeans and former Singaporeans.
Resolution # 2: Keep Listening and Learning
I have always a keen mind to pursue the acquisition of knowledge. I have self-taught myself in many areas of modern technology and I shall thus continue to do so in the coming year.
I like to listen to the views of others and then to re-consider these views, adopting those that I find useful. I shall continue to have dialogues with all whom I shall be meeting - old or young, rich or poor, educated or uneducated, Muslims or Buddhists.
One of the most valuable lessons I acquire during the course of my life-long learning process is not to talk TO others but talk WITH them. How? Try using my method of eye-to-eye contact. Yes, try to lower yourself to the eye level and talk while maintain eye-to-eye contact. Attention will immediately be struck between you and your subject and you can rest assured that you will learn something from him or her.
You can perhaps join me in my next series of e-courses at www.udemy.com
Resolution # 3: Start up further teaching classes via the social media.
It is of no use to human development if we just keep on learning, and learning without then trying our best to spread the knowledge around.
“Spread the Jam,” reads a signboard on one of our highways. I shall continue in the year 2018 to “Spread what’s Learnt,” through the social media. I have successfully started several groups in the teaching of the English Language to Chinese new migrants of New Zealand and I shall be extending this to other areas for the coming year.
Any worthwhile suggestion as to what topic should I be extending into?
Reflections:
1940 Sept. Birth.
1941 Dec. (15 months old) Lost father through the Japanese Occupation of Singapore when he was taken away from my life through “Sook Ching” massacre.
1945 (5 years old) (month unknown - scars at left ankle reminded me of this event) run over by a car and left ankle almost crashed.
1948 (8 years old) (month unknown - grandma’s tale) It was raining. As a young boy in Pearl’s Hill Primary, I crossed South Bridge Road to meet Grandma. The roadside drains were covered in flooding waters. I thought that I could cross the flooded waters by walking through the stone-built passage in the middle of one of those shops. I was wrong, perhaps mis-stepped. I fell into the deep drain and was carried away by the water flowing down the road. An Indian road sweeper had the sixth sense of jumping down the drain a little further away from where I fell, and rescued me. What a narrow escape from death!
1950 (10 years old), topped the class and the standard (four classes at Primary 3) in term 1 only to be near the bottom of the standard in term 3. Because I am from a poor family with no English speaking advocate acting on my behalf at the time, I was made to repeat a second Primary 3 year in 1951. I still remember
1951 March (11 years old). Ran away from home for several nights before returning home (of my Grandma’s) because of hunger. During this period, met several street urchins who became friends. They were part and parcel of Chinatown’s Gang or Traid 08 and they had helped to change my way of thinking and my life for a long time to come.
1951 right through 1962 (11 to 22 years old). (1) Gave tuition in mathematics to children of gang leaders in Chinatown. (2) Did bathing at the local Yan Kit Public Swimming pool every day to save water at Grandma’s home. In the process, became the school’s swim champion for a number of years. (3) Assisted in translating government documents for the lower social groups in the community, like hawkers, restaurant owners, taxi drivers.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/chap-ji-kee-十二支-francis-lai/
My mentor during these formative years was a person whom I shall call Ken Lowe. He was was one of the leaders in the 08 Group. He taught me to be patient, to treat everyone with respect, and not to prejudge any situation or any person at first sight. Later, he became one of the many political leaders of the People’s Action Party (PAP) and he assisted the Prime Minister of the day, the Honorable Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, in building the Party’s support in the Tanjong Pagar electoral ward.
1958 Nov. (18 years old) Graduated from high school (Cambridge School Certificate First Division) at Victoria School, Jalan Basar, with distinctions A1’s in two subjects, and high credits C3 in four others. My family had no money to support me in school and thus the year 1959 and the best part of the year 1960 saw me studying at Patterson Road’s Teachers’ Training College and teaching at the Bukit Merah North Primary School.
Then a big change in my career history was in the making, as things unfold in the very next year 1960. Read this Part II coming soon.
TO BE CONTINUED: Part II - The important Years 1960 to 1969
Video Below: Victoria School in the 1955 - 1965 years
The Victoria School Song:
Victoria School Principals - M Campbell’s unrentless insistence on diligence has shaped my life ever since 1955.
Don’t miss the next five episodes in this series.
1960’s
1970’s
1980’s
1990’s
The Present