A Tiger Remembers: The Way We Were in Singapore

by Ann Wee

Born in the Year of the Fire Tiger, Ann Wee moved to Singapore in 1950 to marry into a Singaporean Chinese family, entering into a new world of cultural expectations and domestic rituals. She went on to become a pioneer in Singapore’s fledging social welfare department and is often described as the founding mother of social work in Singapore. In A Tiger Remembers , she draws on her decades of experience getting to know the many shapes and forms of the Singapore family and witnessing how they transformed since the ’50s.
 
Wee’s talent is for remembering and paying homage to the things history books often deem insignificant—things that can contain some of the most illuminating details about the day to day inner workings of families from many backgrounds, such as terms of endearment; the emotional nuance in social relations; questions of hygiene; the stories of convicts; tales of ghost wives and changeling babies; anecdotes from rural clan settlements and migrant dormitories; and the migration of families from squatter settlements into public housing. Affectionately observed and wittily narrated, with a deep appreciation of how far Singapore has come, this book brings to life generations of social change through a focus on the institution of the family.
 

166 pages, Paperback

Published April 15, 2017

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had often heard Mrs Ann Wee described as the Pioneer of social work in Singapore - reading this book shows the reader exactly why she was so well respected in the sector. She was a living legend, there to witness and help shape our little city state from a third world migrant community to the cosmopolitan city it is today.

Her memoires meander through the last 50 years of our history. As a social worker on the ground, Mrs Wee had a front row glimpse into the various cultural practices of both the straits born and china born Chinese, of the Kong Si clan associations that supported many foreign labourers who came to Singapore to make a living, and of the emergence of the “Slums of hope” and how a generation was determined to grasp all opportunities to climb out of poverty and make something of themselves.

Throughout the book, Mrs Wee’s gentle sense of humour permeates the pages. In particular, I found it very funny to finally understand why so many of my parents’ generation have the English name “Baby”.

Even after her passing, Mrs Ann WEe is still teaching the next generation of Social workers what it means to walk the ground, to connect with the clients, and to serve with the head, hand, and heart. Rest in peace, Mrs Wee.

[Fern · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and absorbing read of Singapore of the past through the eyes of an 'ang-moh' (foreigner) who was deep into social work during an era of steep change.

Many of the traditions and practices which may have seemed common place are seen in a different light. As this book is part memoir, she also shares her own upbringing and experiences in the local scene. One bit that struck me was how open-minded her parents were, in the colonial times of the 50s, to expose her to work as a volunteer in a military hospital during world war II to get her out of her 'middle-class comfort zone'.

These true stories that she brings in, including the ones working in the Singapore social sector, really add to making this an enjoyable read.

[Ling Chiam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mrs Ann Wee’s humility and heart for people really shines through in her book. Her deep knowledge of local cultures/customs of different ethnic and dialect groups is something to be respected. I love that she included snippets that the standard history texts/narratives may exclude for whatever reasons. Her sharp observations of local culture juxtaposed with her background as an English person make this a fascinating read.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this would make great supplementary reading material to our Singapore Social Studies curriculum!

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely delightful! Actually I think I might recommend it as the best book to encapsulate the Singapore story... how far Singapore has moved over the last 50+ years; written from a woman's perspective, with a close, sharp view on the family.

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

Notes on family structure and social dynamics in Singapore over the past century or so, told by “the founding mother of social work education in Singapore”. I don't really know anything about Asian family structure, so I found the variations between the different social/ethnic groups of Singapore particularly interesting reading. There are some good chapters on living conditions before and after the post-colonial drive by the HDB to provide affordable but good-quality housing for all – and how this negatively affected social structures and agricultural work. Also, plenty of anecdotes from the author's experience growing up in wartime Britain and marrying into a Singaporean Chinese family. A nice mix.

I found myself reaching for my phone to look up Singapore-specific terminology. For example, the term “HDB” – Housing and Development Board – was explained several chapters after it started getting casually dropped into sentences. I don't think I am the intended audience, though, so fair enough!