Strive to be happy always.

Last night was a fairly good Wednesday work shift for me and not only that, the very first passenger that I picked up from United Square taxi stand, a most personable and charming young lady who was going to Suntec City to attend a lecture on Telemarketing. She impressed me with her 'super-duper' memory recollection of Singapore's past because her father always brought her along here and there when she was still very very young, to see old buildings such as, the former National Theatre, the Van Cleef Aquarium both along River Valley Road as well as the Killiney Road hawker centre (opposite Centrepoint) even the 'bombing' incident at Macdonald House at Orchard Road and many other places of interest. Little did she know that I had just posted a blog in respect of the Big Fire in Bukit Ho Swee and she became evidently excited as we talked about Singapore's heritage because she had been doing lots of research into the history of olden day Singapore and when I told her about my website and what she can find out and discover even more from it, she immediately told me she could hardly wait to get home to check it out. She exclaimed and showed great enthusiasm about it. We talked and talked as though we had known each other for 'centuries'. I am most fortunate to be able to enjoy and share lots of laughter together with my passengers everytime I get the conversation started on each trip. I love my job, it makes me happy.

Pride and Agony.

Throughout last night, whilst at work, my mind kept returning to old photographs. Together with a black and white live video footage, especially that of the tragic Big Fire at Bukit Ho Swee on 25th May, 1961. Here is James Seah's memory of the fire and video below:



Remember, I was browsing through Singapore's heritage yesterday and was caught fully engrossed in stories and old photographs of yester-years gone by when I got stuck trying to write a new blog?
Its come back alive again, those pictures in my mind.
Yes, I was there at the scene of the Fire.  I was then in Sec.4 (Outram Secondary School) and also a member of the School's Red Cross Society. I cannot really recall how I came to be there at the scene on that fateful day, but I can remember vaguely though, how I helped carry a skinny old Chinese woman 'piggy-back' style from her hut to safety. I also remembered attending to those slightly hurt as well as assisting many others to safer grounds with the fire still raging everywhere. It was truly an unforgettable first time experience for me to be 'engulfed' in such a huge crisis. As I write, visions of more vivid incidents at the scene keep flashing through my mind, such as a half burnt monkey yelping, jumping about, and trying frantically to escape while still chained to a tree with me watching helplessly at the sickening tragedy. I was shocked and stunned then. But now, somehow or other, I have just felt a great relief after sharing this bit of history.

Feelings of despair

I have ferried many different foreign nationals all over Singapore, and each time I have not failed to ask of those who are helpless working here and having their families suffering at home, and not being able to be with their loved ones in their plights, and wanting to know if their families are safe, as you read and learn of great tragedies, famine and sicknesses happening everywhere around us. 
The recent earthquakes in Sumatra, tsunami in Samoa, typhoons, great floods in India and Philippines where whole villages are wiped out, buried alive and so many thousands in cruel and unsuspecting deaths, and much more. 
We in Singapore are indeed blessed and everyone of us should spare a thought for those who are less fortunate than us. I have heard of fear and desperation and anguish from many of my passengers and even hear them sob and cry. I don't feel good and have wished many a time that if I were there I could help out a bit, and there are so many helpless 'ifs'. 
I remembered a time long, long ago, when there was this big fire at Bukit Ho Swee and I was there and did carry this frail old lady left alone outside her burning attap hut to safety and also guided many away from harm. At that time I was also a member of my secondary school's Red Cross unit. In my primary school days, I had always wanted to lead and was a Sixer in the Boys Cub and then a Patrol Leader in the school's 91st Boys Scout troop. Therefore fetching passengers who are unfortunate to have families involved in accidents or down with all kinds of sicknesses, feelings of despair and helplessness or in deaths, makes me feel for them and I know and understand their predicament. 
Driving a taxi can also get you involved with helping out some passengers in need of immediate assistance. I love this job because I get to meet with all kinds of different personalities, characters, learning and hearing of different lifestyles, of all sorts of problems, and me being able to help out in some ways such as by giving a bit of advice here and there or to counsel those who need it. Never deny hope to anyone, it might be all they have.....