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Goodbye My Kampong!
Sequel to Josephine Chia’s 2014 Singapore Literature prize-winning book, Kampong Spirit - Gotong Royong: Life in Potong Pasir, 1955 to 1965.
Kampong life in Singapore did not end in 1965 with her independence.
In Josephine Chia’s new collection of non-fiction stories, the phasing out of attap-thatched villages, the largest mass movement in Singapore, is set against the backdrop of significant national events.
Weaving personal tribulations—her teenage angst—and the experiences of villagers from her kampong, Josephine skilfully parallels the hopes and challenges of a toddling nation going through the throes of industrialisation and rapid changes from 1966 to 1975.
These delightful, real-life stories, sprinkled with snippets of her Peranakan culture, reveal the joie-de-vivre of gotong royong or community spirit, despite impoverished conditions, in the last days of kampong life.
Kampong life in Singapore did not end in 1965 with her independence.
In Josephine Chia’s new collection of non-fiction stories, the phasing out of attap-thatched villages, the largest mass movement in Singapore, is set against the backdrop of significant national events.
Weaving personal tribulations—her teenage angst—and the experiences of villagers from her kampong, Josephine skilfully parallels the hopes and challenges of a toddling nation going through the throes of industrialisation and rapid changes from 1966 to 1975.
These delightful, real-life stories, sprinkled with snippets of her Peranakan culture, reveal the joie-de-vivre of gotong royong or community spirit, despite impoverished conditions, in the last days of kampong life.
- GenresNonfictionMemoir
274 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2017
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About the author
Josephine Chia
16 books30 followersMs Josephine Chia is a Peranakan and is proud of her heritage. She writes both fiction and non-fiction. She has eight published books, including Frog Under A Coconut Shell, which has a second edition in 2010 and is currently being translated into Bahasa Indonesia. Josephine was one of the winners of UK's Ian St. James Awards in 1992 and has won other literary prizes.
Josephine runs Creative Writing Courses and is Mentor to aspiring young writers.
Josephine runs Creative Writing Courses and is Mentor to aspiring young writers.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 23, 2018
Living in Singapore as an expat I found this book very helpful in terms of understanding the current state of the Singapore culture. Particularly the background behind the demolition of their Kampongs and a lot of their nature with it. Then the consequential construction of the Housing Development Board apartments. For anyone interested in Singapore history/culture I would highly recommend.
March 17, 2022
I enjoyed this trip down memory lane with Josephine's recount of all the changes Singapore went through in the late sixties and early seventies. She describes her family experiences in the context of Singapore's development, and the parallel timelines helped me recall some events in my own life that I had nearly forgotten, and in fact helped me understand their historical significance, which escaped younger me at the time.
Certain descriptions and events really touched me: the brief mentions of Robert, the disabled but happy brother, the saving up to buy a birthday present for Mak, her wonderful mother, her excitement at buying storebought undies with the first money she earned, the villagers' shared viewing of the moon landing, the lost friends. I was left with a deep sadness about Mak's refusal to try newfangled ways to cook, though I knew many old peranakan ladies were the same. Singapore made great progress, moving with startling rapidity from third world to first, but not without many individuals and families paying a personal price.
Certain descriptions and events really touched me: the brief mentions of Robert, the disabled but happy brother, the saving up to buy a birthday present for Mak, her wonderful mother, her excitement at buying storebought undies with the first money she earned, the villagers' shared viewing of the moon landing, the lost friends. I was left with a deep sadness about Mak's refusal to try newfangled ways to cook, though I knew many old peranakan ladies were the same. Singapore made great progress, moving with startling rapidity from third world to first, but not without many individuals and families paying a personal price.
May 29, 2025
I picked up "Goodbye My Kampong" by pure accident through the Libby app—and ended up finishing it in just few sittings. What started as casual browsing turned into a heartfelt and eye-opening journey into a world I’ve only heard about from stories.
Reading the author’s memoir gave me a vivid glimpse of what kampong life might have felt like. Her personal reflections helped me piece together the fragmented memories and stories shared by my father, grandfather, uncles, aunties, relatives, and even friends’ parents. The way she wove in those daily kampong details—whether it was bathing by the well, sharing food with neighbours, or the simple joys of communal living—made the past come alive for me.
I especially appreciated how she used contemporary references to relate to her kampong experiences. It made her reflections accessible and relevant, even to someone like me who never lived through that era. The author is also a testament to how education can open doors—her journey from kampong girl to educated woman is inspiring and humbling.
What stood out to me was how she linked key milestones in her life with Singapore’s broader history. These connections grounded the personal in the national, reminding us how individual lives are shaped by, and in turn shape, the society around them.
This book is more than just a nostalgic look back; it’s a reminder of how far we’ve come and the values we should carry forward. I’m grateful I stumbled upon this book—it made me reflect, connect, and appreciate a part of Singapore's past that’s slowly fading but still deeply rooted in many of us.
Reading the author’s memoir gave me a vivid glimpse of what kampong life might have felt like. Her personal reflections helped me piece together the fragmented memories and stories shared by my father, grandfather, uncles, aunties, relatives, and even friends’ parents. The way she wove in those daily kampong details—whether it was bathing by the well, sharing food with neighbours, or the simple joys of communal living—made the past come alive for me.
I especially appreciated how she used contemporary references to relate to her kampong experiences. It made her reflections accessible and relevant, even to someone like me who never lived through that era. The author is also a testament to how education can open doors—her journey from kampong girl to educated woman is inspiring and humbling.
What stood out to me was how she linked key milestones in her life with Singapore’s broader history. These connections grounded the personal in the national, reminding us how individual lives are shaped by, and in turn shape, the society around them.
This book is more than just a nostalgic look back; it’s a reminder of how far we’ve come and the values we should carry forward. I’m grateful I stumbled upon this book—it made me reflect, connect, and appreciate a part of Singapore's past that’s slowly fading but still deeply rooted in many of us.
December 30, 2024
Singaporean memoir of the author leaving her kampung - it could easily be about the price of progress (leaving her rented home, and the ending where people just disappeared after having to move out was just painful).
She goes from a lively community to a HDB flat - losing contact with the neighbours she grew up with. But she also gains news about the modern world, modern plumbing, modern flats.
One poignant moment: a law is repealed to prevent women from working after midnight. Then: “All over the country, teenage girls and boys, women and men, crawled out of the home in droves to start work in the various manufacturing factories around the island. … Suddenly, any able-bodied man and woman in the village was no longer unemployed. There were jobs for everything.” And then: “The old languid way of doing things, wandering around the village with time on your hands, was becoming a thing of the past. Except for homemakers and caretakers, the other villagers were now cycling and walking faster, their strides long with the determination to get to work.”
It’s also interesting to get a sense of the vibrant local culture - especially about P Ramlee’s death.
Worth reading as a look into Singapore history, though I was a bit suspicious of the constant “Lee Kuan Yew said this and delivered”. Not untrue, but I just am generally suspicious of such unfettered praise.
She goes from a lively community to a HDB flat - losing contact with the neighbours she grew up with. But she also gains news about the modern world, modern plumbing, modern flats.
One poignant moment: a law is repealed to prevent women from working after midnight. Then: “All over the country, teenage girls and boys, women and men, crawled out of the home in droves to start work in the various manufacturing factories around the island. … Suddenly, any able-bodied man and woman in the village was no longer unemployed. There were jobs for everything.” And then: “The old languid way of doing things, wandering around the village with time on your hands, was becoming a thing of the past. Except for homemakers and caretakers, the other villagers were now cycling and walking faster, their strides long with the determination to get to work.”
It’s also interesting to get a sense of the vibrant local culture - especially about P Ramlee’s death.
Worth reading as a look into Singapore history, though I was a bit suspicious of the constant “Lee Kuan Yew said this and delivered”. Not untrue, but I just am generally suspicious of such unfettered praise.
September 25, 2022
What an eye opener to me personally. I've never thought that Singapore once a struggling nation too, although thinking about it, which nation did not struggle after being colonized? That change is hard and ugly. That leadership in a politician can truly bring a nation forward, this is really hard to believe these days. Lucky I'm not a politician, if I were one, I would have been slapped so hard by this fact, especially since my country is longer established than this neighbor of ours. :)
August 19, 2025
A sincere and poignant account of the life and times of the author, post-independent Singapore. I enjoyed seeing a young Singapore through her eyes - a past which, as a millennial Singaporean myself, I would never know.
July 18, 2022
Very apt timing since National day is coming. Nice bring-back to Singapore's early struggles. Was an easy read. Heart warming, and reminds present day Singaporeans on how lucky they are.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2023
Shed tears when everyone had to move out one by one from the kampong. But I felt more connected to the developments of Singapore since it is my homeland
August 9, 2024
I have never lived in a kampong before but I can relate to the author’s bittersweet memories of yesteryears given that Singapore’s landscape is changing too fast. Wishful fantasy that the author was able to keep in touch with her fellow neighbours
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews