It started at the circus arena in Guangzhou. Watching the stunts, dad mentioned those same acts were part of Singapore life in the 1970s, and a chain of sharing began.
Stories flowed of ancestors who made their way to Nanyang, of fishing villages and rubber plantations where great-grandparents lived simply off the land. Hard labour, humble living, yet none of the stress that weighs on us today. I was there to bridge the language gap between the generations, turning words into something all three could share. More than a holiday, it was memory, history and family woven into one unforgettable experience.
We were at Guangzhou during the June school holidays where 3 generations travelled. It was memorable experiences with interactions that brought all closer together. At the international circus arena, dad was sharing those stunts were present in Singapore during early days of 1970s which intrigued all. It just triggered a chain of sharing from thereon, comparing the old days of China and the modern of today. Remembering our ancestors from China making their way to Singapore and some returned back to China and the familiar Nanyang. Back in those days, fishing villages and farms were where they stay and he worked at rubber plantations to earn a living where great grandparents grow crops and rear fishes and poultry to self sustain our living. Living conditions were simple without aircon and computers. Even though those were hard labour and poor, there are no stresses as compared to what our generation are going through. He acknowledged different difficulties and challenges through the progress of Singapore but it seems that is for the better. These fascinated the third generations which take a long while to correlate back to their history textbook, bearing in mind the language barrier between them. I was present to translate making all interactions meaningful. This trip and experiential sharing epitomised inter generational bonding.