Thebarefootfoodie

  Remembering Jenny NOVEMBER 13, 2021 BAREFOOT MEMORIALS ,  EULOGY Beautiful Inside and Outside There are those who go gentle into the goodnight but they leave behind a legacy of a life well lived and well loved. Jenny was one of them. She was born in Penang and grew up together with my Mum and her siblings. Orphaned at a young age, Jenny was originally cared for by a Malaysian relative who wanted to abandon her in a brothel. My Granny, who was the family matriach, would have none of it, She took Jenny under her wing and brought her up as her own daughter. Granny also gave Jenny an affectionate nick-name ” Siew Sum” which means Smile that lights up the Heart . Biker Girl My Granny moved to Singapore with the rest of the family and with her when she was in her late teens. She got to know Peter, her soul-mate as pen pals. Later, when she stayed with my Uncle at Happy Avenue, Peter also “happened” to live in that estate. So we grew up calling her” JIe Jie” or older sister; and he...

  Goodbye to B JULY 9, 2015 BAREFOOT MEMORIALS This morning, I went to Mandai Crematorium to attend a funeral. It is always one funeral too many. Death has a cruel finality even as the stark reality hits hard when you say goodbye. He was a devoted dad and husband to a close friend. In a eulogy given by a friend of the family, a Catholic nun asked a group of doctors – What is the opposite of death? One doctor said glibly – “life”. It was the wrong answer. Birth is the opposite of death and life is what happens between birth and death. L, his wife, was my class-mate at Montessori School. I had no clue on mothering and took up the class to learn more, textbook style. L was a luminary both  in  and out of class. Together with B, they made parenting seem like a breeze. L was, and still is, my role model as a mother and a woman of outstanding character. “Our Kampung” was started by L, a pre-school for her own children and a handful of others, including mine. It was so named bec...

  Thank You, Mr Lee, Sir MARCH 23, 2015 BAREFOOT MEMORIALS ,  BAREFOOT THOTS A time to remember, a time to honour I hoped this day would not come but waited with resignation for its eventuality. When the news broke of his passing, my heart grew heavy, then the tears flowed as I watch PM giving the live address to the nation, struggling hard to keep his emotions in check. I was a child of the 60s, growing up in an age when Singapore herself was a newborn, grappling with issues of racialism, political divide, nation building, trying to find her feet in a rather hostile neighborhood. I remember the clashes over race, questioning the rationale learning Malay as our “National Language” ( why isn’t it English? ), experiencing the sights and smells of pig swill and farms, my carefree childhood without tuition or enrichment classes, running around barefoot along HDB corridors with my cousins, enjoying school, gawking at the first screen shot on a color TV, catching longkang fish in a ...

  In Memoriam – Yee Cheong, the best uncle I ever had. Posted on 10 May 2012 When the night is at its darkest, and the music fades, All that remains when you have to say that final goodbye on earth To someone who is loved, treasured and was a significant adult in your childhood and teenage years… Thank you for your legacy of wisdom, grace and blessings which you have imparted to me. As a little girl, growing up in Balam Road, I looked upon you with awe; But would take little liberties to be cheeky, knowing with full confidence you are firm, but always fair. After a day’s worth of playing with Mei, I would sneak over next door to linger around some more, Watching you read the Chinese newspapers, occasionally humming a Chinese melody, Or breaking out in the loudest yawn I’ve ever heard, which never failed to send me back in stitches. You were ever the father figure, true to your four children, a vicarious one to me. Sure, you had your share of quirkiness, finicky about tidiness, and ...

  Eulogy to Grandma – from Russell NOVEMBER 28, 2014 BAREFOOT MEMORIALS I am Russell, the youngest grandson of Mama. I am saddened at her sudden death. She has made a very big impact on my life and also has set a good example for me to follow. I remember when I was younger, Andrea and I would always tell her that we were watering the plants in the garden, but what we were actually doing was just playing with the hose. she would repeatedly tell us to stop playing but we didn’t really listen to her. There were also many times I saw her coming home from the market carrying many plastic bags of plants with colourful flowers in her hands. She would then plant them in the garden and water them with care and concern until there were many other flowers. I also remembered the time when we caught a  caterpillar in the garden and she allowed me to take care of it for her. Whenever she saw that I was not giving it enough food or water, she would always guide me patiently even when I didn’...

  Eulogy to Mum – from G, delivered by D NOVEMBER 28, 2014 BAREFOOT MEMORIALS Dear Family and Friends, My name is Darren, and I am the eldest grandson of Maggie Leong. For those of you who were at the Memorial Service, you would have noted that my Dad had wanted to say something, but was too choked up to be able to say much. And so, this morning, with the years of military training behind him, he activated the contingency plan – and that is, ME. And so, I will be delivering this Eulogy on behalf of my Dad, written in the first person. When I started to court Yvonne, she was living at Thomson Ridge. As some of you would know, I got to know Yvonne whilst I was in my second year in university, in UK. And so, during my summer break back to Singapore, I spent quite a lot of time at Thomson Ridge. From the first, both Yvonne’s Mum and Dad welcomed me with open arms, and made me feel at home. Indeed, in those early years, Thomson Ridge became like a home to me, as I would be here on most ...

  Eulogy for Mum NOVEMBER 28, 2014 BAREFOOT MEMORIALS Mummies are very special people. The children come in all shapes and sizes, big or small, warts and all. But here’s the secret – every mummy will think her baby is the best of all and love that child each and every day of her life. My Mummy was a tiny lady with a chirpy voice and a big heart. She has always been a nurse and looked rather cute in her white uniform. She was know to many as ” Sister Leong” or “Mee-See” My Mummy spent 20 years of her best life at the Cheshire Home. During this time, many of the residents also called her their mummy. She was selfless in her devotion and care to them, and they, in turn, loved her. In her gentle way, she left a mark on all who knew her, from the car mechanic to the handyman, right up to her nearest and dearest. My Mummy had no mean bone in her body. She was kind and generous with her little treats and big treats. The two loves of her life were jackpot and mahjong. This seems to run in ...