My grandfather’s name is Show Mok Chong and my grandmother’s name is Tong Pu Apu. My grandfather is 73 years old and my grandmother is 70 years old. I go to my grandparents’ house every Sunday before I go out.

Life was hard and bitter when they were young, they were only children when World War II broke out. Grandfather was about 8 when WWII broke out. He lived on Pulau Ubin, life was very hard. At a young age ,he had to work as a rubber tapper to help support the family. Every morning before dawn, he would make his way to the rubber plantation in the darkness and start work. He would make slits on the bark and tie tin cans around so that the sap will drip into it. All the liquid would be collected after a few hours, then sold for a small sum of money.

Grandmother was about 5 during the Japanese Occupation. She does not remember much about the war though she recalls life being hart then. She lives in Malacca with her family Like Grandfather, she and her siblings would dig for root vegetables and pluck fruits to supplement their meals. Like many other children during that time, she did not attend school because the family was too poor.

Although they were hungry and poor, they still lived a happy life until now. Sometimes when I am bored, I will ask them some history and how they survived. It is very interesting and sometimes I learnt a lot of things from them.

I feel that the future is much much better than the past and Singapore is the best country I have ever known.