More Information / Credits

Our Thanks

Our group would like to thank Ms Catherine Lim for graciously agreeing to an interview. We would also like to thank Mr Patrick Lim for accommodating us and allowing us to video and interview him.

References:

1. Writing Singapore by Philip Holden, Shirley Lim, Angelia Poon
 2. Wikipedia for the biographies of the authors

Catherine Lim

Ms Catherine Lim is the author of Little Ironies: Stories of Singapore. She was born in Malaysia (21 March 1942) and is famous for writing about Singaporean society along with themes related to Singapore and more generally, traditional Chinese culture. The story A Taximan's Story is written by her.

Mr Patrick Lim

Mr Lim is a taxidriver in Singapore. He has been driving his taxi since 2011 and is the main breadwinner for his family. He works for Comfort Delgro and drives up to 8 hours per day.

Mr Arthur Yap

Mr Arthur Yap is a Singaporean poet and writer. He was born in Singapore and studied in National University of Singapore - then known as University of Singapore. He was a very private man and passed away in 2006 due to lung cancer.

Introduction

In this blog, we have brought together a study on The Taximan's Story by Catherine Lim, as well as a small piece on old house at ang siang hill by Arthur Yap.  To present a more realistic touch to our project, we have managed to secure an afternoon with a homegrown "taxi uncle", Mr Patrick Lim, who is featured in our blog as well.

The posts have been carefully crafted and will work best if read in this order:

1. Introduction
2. The Taximan's Story by Catherine Lim
3. An Interview with a Taxi Uncle
4. An Interview with Catherine Lim
5. old house at ang siang hill by Arthur Yap
6. Overall Reflections of D1 Group C
7. More Information / Credits

Overall Reflections - Old versus New & Identity

Doris:
Our exploration of the Singapore Identity through the Singapore literary works of Catherine Lim and Arthur Yap has been an insightful one for me, works both which highlighted the theme of dying traditions in the face of modernity in today's Singapore.

Yap's work, 'old house at ann siang hill' highlighted how old and unique places in Singapore that are rich in heritage became irrelevant and were wiped out during the modernization era of Singapore. Despite the nonchalant and cynical tone that was adopted throughout the poem, Yap conjured nostalgia throughout the poem with images of an old furnished home, ending of with "eyes not tradition tell you this" like how what we see today might tell us one thing, but our heart could tell us another, like how we might feel an emotional loss for the places that once were.

Lim's story, 'The Taximan's Story' on the other hand, was about dying traditional values among the younger generation, such as those of humility and filial piety. The story gave me insight into how members of the older Singapore generation might feel about the younger generation today being less traditional and following more globalized trends.

In any case, our interview with Catherine Lim, as well as our exploration of Ann Siang Hill and analysis of the literary works gave me a deeper understanding of the importance of recognizing Singaporean heritage and traditional values as part of the Singapore identity while embracing the highly modernized Singapore as it is today.


Sophia:
As an exchange student from America in Singapore, this project really taught me a lot about old versus new Singapore. Now, as someone in my early twenties, I am part of the new generation and can relate to other fellow students and Singaporeans part of this new generation as well. We are a generation of increasingly liberal, open minded people with our whole lives ahead of us. With the media and technology available to us in Singapore today, we know about what the world outside of Singapore has to offer and have a natural interest toward western foreigners like the taxi man's daughter in the story.

The taxi man reminds me a lot of my father's generation, a more conservative generation of hard workers who built a life for themselves and their children, us, through sheer hard work and resilience. Ironically, we are able to enjoy the freedom of being this liberal and open because of the hard work of the more conservative, hard working generation before us. The taxi man's daughter is able to have fun with her friends and meet foreigners after school because of her father's hard work.

Right now, we are all living in this grey time where the old and new generations are co-existing and merging. This project helped me reflect on this unique time period in Singapore and understand Singapore much better as an old and new society. Singapore has been born and established by our parent's generation. Now, we hold the power and responsibility to move it forward in positive, innovative directions.

Koh Feng:
Singapore's progress as a nation is remarkable; we have achieved so much in a mere span of fifty years. The Singapore we live in today is very much modernized, and this goes beyond the state-of-the-art technology we have access to or the metropolis the country we have become. Culturally, we are more diverse, but with that comes also some form of dilution. Traditional practices are still observed, but it is not the same as in the past - less strictly adhered to, depreciation of some values or morals, or even shifts in paradigms between generations.

The works of Arthur Yap and Catherine Lim have raised similar concerns; both 'old house at ann siang hill' and 'The Taximan's Story' highlight the conflict between tradition and modernity. Having chosen to focus on this theme amidst the many others that were brought up in our analysis of the two works, I realised that a huge part of why 'tradition versus modernity'/'old versus new' appealed so greatly to us was the timelessness of the issue. It is still present in the Singapore we live in today, and perhaps arguably more so - we are even further removed from these roots of ours than the previous generations has been. Though the immediate issues that we are dealing with are different from that of our elders, we essentially are struggling with trying to find where we stand amidst this conflict, and that brings us to the problem of identity.

The identity of Singapore as a nation has been and still is a contentious topic. We are, in between observing traditions and embracing progress, in the process of solidifying our identity as a country. It is heartwarming to note that this year being the fiftieth year of the nation's independence (SG50), and most of the country have come together - in one way or another - to commemorate this occasion. Extravagant celebrations and displays, the inking of the SG50 logo everywhere (even on driving licenses and debit cards), and initiatives that are in line with the SG50 theme (SG50 time capsule), the nation's fiftieth birthday is a strong cause for the people to identify with the nation. Linking back to the works that we have read, while it is rather saddening that some of these traditions are being cast aside and some parts of our history may not have been preserved, we have to note too that all these things collectively make the nation who we are today. Identity is an issue that will probably stick with us indefinitely; it is always going to change because we cannot remain at status quo. And as we recognize this conflict between tradition and modernity, it should be noted that it is a part of what helps define our identity, and that it is a sign that the country is progressing.

The journey I have had with this project has been immensely fulfilling - an interview with a local writer, looking at these places that I otherwise would not have visited, and exploring some thematic concerns in depth. Embedded in the literature are the rich cultures and traditions that the Singapore of the past had, and reading Singapore literature has provided me with an avenue to understand better life as it was then. As the country continues to progress and evolve, it is in these works where we can find these precious relics that allow us to appreciate Singapore better.

Michele:
I feel very fortunate to have been able to interact with the people featured in our project. Catherine Lim was very pleasant and willing to help us, and Mr Lim was also very accommodating.

On a more personal level, I feel that I understand my country better now that I have taken this module. Before, I could see all the themes that we discusses - post-colonialism, identity, growth, modernity... but I could not really see what they meant or how they had developed. It was like looking in a smudged mirror - the shapes were there, but the clarity was not. Now, I can understand my history more; my struggles with myself and my country as a young millennial is not a new struggle at all. At every step of Singapore's history, the "new" generation of the times felt the same as I do now. They would have gone through the chidings of their elders and found their own niche in history, and would have in turn chided the generation after. Years upon years this cycle has continued, and will likely continue with mine. I will expect myself to be like the Taximan in Catherine Lim's story when I grow older - bemoaning our good times and thinking that the next generation is ruining their lives.

Beyond that, it was very interesting to see how Singapore has developed. Literature is, after all, a mirror to humanity's soul. The thoughts and the energy the authors (all of them!) have put into their stories are infinitely precious, where they did their best to show a side of Singapore and humanity that isn't seen anywhere else. From the concerns of a colonial master in the early days to the fear of change in the early independence days and finally to the young Singapore, struggling to find a place in the world.

All in all, I truly enjoyed taking this module. I feel like I'm more in tune with my parents' generation, and how they lived and saw their world.

'old house at ang siang hill' - Arthur Yap

'old house at ang siang hill' is poem by Arthur Yap, published in his first collection of poems "only lines" in 1971. The poem deals with the difficulty of maintaining tradition and heritage in Singapore as the country begins to develop and grow. In the process of embracing progress, tradition and heritage are seen as secondary; they are pushed aside to make way for the change.

The poem can be found below. It is taken from "Writing Singapore: Anthology of Singapore Literature" published by the NUS Press, 2009, and edited by Angelia Poon, Philip Holden, and Shirley Lim.

old house at ang siang hill

an unusual house this is

dreams are here before you sleep

tread softly

into the three-storeyed gloom

sit gently

on the straits-born furniture

imported from china

speak quietly

to the contemporary occupants

they are not afraid of you

waiting for you to go

before they dislocate your intentions

so what if this is

your grandfather's house

his ghost doesn't live here anymore

your family past is

superannuated grime

which increases with time

otherwise nothing adds or subtracts

the bricks and tiles

until re-development

which will greatly change

this house-that-was

dozens like it along the street

the next and the next as well

nothing much will be missed
eyes not tradition tell you this

The poem suggests that tradition is compromised as a result of the country's pursuit of growth. This is highlighted in "so what if this is / your grandfather's house", as the words "so what" connotes a lack of regard for the place being once owned by the "grandfather". This translates to a disregard for tradition as the house is traditionally seen as a paramount part of the family. Accentuated by the "family past [being] / superannuated grime", the diction of "superannuated" points to the traditions as being no longer relevant. The image created by the "grime" compounds this, as by linking the "family past" to "grime", it is suggested that tradition is unwanted. The expression that one's grandfather's "ghost doesn't live here anymore" implies the diminishing relevance of history and heritage in the context of places in Singapore. Tradition being forced aside highlights a conflict between tradition and modernity; progress in the form of modernity has placed tradition in a less relevant position than it used to. 

'old house at ang siang hill' seemingly adopts a nonchalant tone in its discussion of tradition and modernity; the poem does not come across as emotionally charged (or even to have much emotions) and delivers the lines candidly. However, it is suggested that underneath this facade is a condemnation of the disregard for tradition with the use of imagery in the poem to evoke nostalgia in the readers. By highlighting the furniture as being "straits-born" and "imported from china", the image of the furniture here is one that can be identified with tradition. The deliberate mentioning of the roots of the furniture creates a parallel that suggests the importance of where one comes from. In addition, the image created by this "house-that-was" underscores this, as it suggests that the house will no longer be around then, thus prompting the reader to think of the space where the house once stood. This translates to a sense of nostalgia in the reader and this triggers the readers to think of the importance of the house, and thus by extension tradition. Ending the poem with "nothing much will be missed / eyes not tradition tell you this", the conflict is being explicitly highlighted here, as the "eyes" can be seen as a symbol for the present and modernity. The line "nothing much will be missed" can be taken as a warning; by disregarding and pushing tradition aside and focusing on modernity, tradition will not be missed in the future and readers are prompted to imagine how it would be like then. The stance of disregarding tradition in favor of modernity is thus subtly condemned, and it urges one to reconsider the importance of tradition. This poem was published in 1971, an era where HDB flats were increasingly built and Singapore urbanized, and Yap probably wanted to highlight the loss of unique places and heritage of Singapore.

To have a better understanding of the inspiration behind the poem and the importance of Ann Siang Hill to our history, we went to Ann Siang Road and took a look at the place. A few of the photos are shown below.

Picture 1: The entrance to Ann Siang Hill Park.

Picture 2: A board showing the history of Ann Siang Hill. It was named after Chia Ann Siang after he acquired both Ann Siang Hill and Mount Erskine.

Pictures 3 and 4: The houses that are found near Ann Siang Hill, along Ann Siang Road. The buildings are low-rise, and reflects the one described in the poem.

"tread softly / into the three-storeyed gloom"

"dozens like it along the street / the next and the next as well"

The trip to Ann Siang Hill has helped us to visualise better what the "old house" referred to in the poem is. It was also interesting to learn that the hill was named after a person who had bought the hill. Taking a walk along the roads of Ann Siang Hill has given us a glimpse into the neighbourhood that the poem is set in, and it was definitely enriching.

'The Taximan's Story' - Catherine Lim

Published in "Little Ironies: Stories of Singapore" in 1978, 'The Taximan's Story' is a short story written by Catherine Lim and it is a first-person narrative written in the form of a monologue. Centred on the taxi driver, he is the main character and the story is told from his perspective.

'The Taximan's Story' depicts the problems and observations of a taxi driver, revealed to us as he engages his passenger in conversation. However, we're only shown the taxi driver's part of the exchange and not the passenger's. As the story progresses, he begins to share more and it develops from his personal background ("my father cane me, I was big enough to be married, and still, got caning") to his experiences in driving the taxi ("as taximan, I know them and their habits") and climaxes when he reveals the problem he has with his daughter ("I rush up to this wicked daughter and I catch her by the shoulders and neck and slap her and she scream, but I don't care"). The story ends with him dropping off the passenger at her destination, before saying that he "must go off to Hotel Elroy" where "there [are] plenty [of] young people to pick up". It leaves us at this point where the taxi man ironically is profiting off the youth who are behaving in the way that he has condemned his daughter for.

'The Taximan's Story' appealed to us, and we decided to explore it in more depth. Below are a few pictures and videos that we took as we tried to recreate and identify some of the scenes that are in the story.

Picture 1: Mr Lim is seen gesturing. He could be sharing some of his views with the passenger and is instinctively waving his hands to prove his point.

"Long time ago, Singapore not like this - so crowded so busy."

Picture 2: Mr Lim is again gesturing, but this time more wildly and more rapidly with his hand. He could be excited by what he is sharing with the passenger.

"But these young girls and their boyfriends don't bargain, they just pay, pay and they make love in taxi so much they don't know if you go round and round and charge them by meter!"

Picture 3: This is a photograph taken along Orchard Road near Orchard Towers, and is where Mr Lim pointed out today's equivalent to the sleazy areas of Orchard Road that existed in the past.

"I go and wait outside Elroy Hotel or Tung Court or Orchid Mansions, and sure enough, madam, will have plenty business."

Picture 4: A picture of Orchard Towers, an infamous place with a reputation not unlike the places that the taxi driver has mentioned in the story.

"Must go off to Hotel Elroy - there plenty young people to pick up."

Video 1: Mr Lim recalls his experience with some tourists from Sweden. In particular, he corrects the way that they were trying to flag down the taxi, as we do it in a different way here.

Video 2: Taking us around for a drive, Mr Lim showed us the parts of Singapore that are considered more sleazy. He also recounts his younger days and how Singapore was like back then.

'The Taximan's Story' highlights several concerns that the Singaporeans of those days faced. One of the most striking themes in the story is the conflict between tradition and modernity.

To the taximan (the narrator in the story), tradition in Singapore is losing its place as progress is made and the country begins to embrace modernity. The narrator laments that the young people today are "not like [them] when [they were] young", implying that the current generation is somewhat lacking and inferior in terms of morals. This is further emphasised by how he claims that "[his] parents say [do not] do this, [and they] never do" - in essence, the taxi driver believes that the youngsters in his generation are more filial, more obedient, and more morally upright.

His tone is disdainful and dismissive throughout the story as well. His repeated lexical choice of contrasting words such as "today" versus "ago" in his monologue shows that the taximan is very aware of the changing times, where he can compare between one time period and another. In fact, after many instances of "today" comes the taximan's comments on the younger generation - they are less than their forebearers.

Tradition versus modernity is particularly interesting to us because it is an issue very much still relevant today, even though we may be dealing with different traditions than those of that time. The struggle to embrace both our roots together with progress has brought about this conflict, and while many of us are still trying to find a balance, it is inevitable that change has very much deterred us from being able to find an equilibrium for them. 

In order to understand the story better and hopefully gain more insight to the issues highlighted, we interviewed Catherine Lim as well as Mr Patrick Lim, who is a Comfort Delgro taxidriver. They have provided us with their perspectives, and they can be found in two other separate entries.

An Interview with A Taxi Uncle

Following the interview with Catherine Lim, we asked Mr Patrick Lim, a taxi driver with Comfort Delgro, for his help for the project. We asked him to read 'The Taximan's Story' in preparation for the interview. These were the questions we asked him, in brief.

1. His background
2. His opinion on the story
3. His own observations
4. His experiences as a taxidriver

Below is the the interview:

Mr Lim agrees mostly with what he has read in 'The Taximan's Story', and proceeds to share some of his own observations. His sojourn with the story seems to have brought back some of his memories about those days - such as how he worked in the day and how he had had a few encounters similar to the one shown in the story. When asked about change in Singapore and whether the values of those days still apply, he concurs with what he has read. He reminisces fondly about some of the traditions and practices of the past, but seems to readily embrace this change that Singapore has been going through.

The interview with Mr Lim gives us a more modern context for 'The Taximan's Story'. Even though it was written decades ago, the sentiments expressed in the story are still held by more "modern" taximen. The parallel between the fictional taximan and our real taximan are many - both are middle aged Singaporean males and both have daughters and have been driving a taxi for a while. Through the course of the interview, we also can see how similar their views are. 

When we compare his input to that of Catherine Lim's, we noted that their views are congruous to each other's. Both note that there is change in Singapore; it is now different from when they were younger. The progress that Singapore has made through the years has eroded some of the traditions that were emphasised in those days, and both Catherine Lim and the taxi uncle hint at the sadness that they are now no longer as practised, especially for the value of respect for the elderly. The conflict between tradition and modernity has also been discussed, and both agree that it is an issue still relevant today. Mr Lim's observation that the change comes with progress is echoed also by Catherine Lim. Citing examples of traditions being not as stringently enforced as it was in the past, the taxi uncle suggests laughingly through a joke that some traditional values are only seen when there is a pragmatic driver behind it (such as receiving a red packet). Catherine Lim points at the same thing, as it "almost pains [her] to see the elderly resigned, sighingly deferring to the young", suggesting a practice not tolerated in the yesteryears. Tradition and modernity are still struggling to find their place in society as the country progresses tremendously through the years, although it is now manifested differently.

With the perspectives of Catherine Lim and Mr Lim, we are able to appreciate 'The Taximan's Story' better than when we first came across it. There is a deeper understanding of the concerns raised through the story, and while perhaps it should be a little worrying that they are still issues in Singapore today, we are now more aware of some of the views that the older generation may have of us. 'The Taximan's Story' grows on us a little more every time we read it, and the opportunity to explore the perspectives in the story has been extremely interesting.

An Interview with Catherine Lim

In an effort to have a more wholesome understanding of 'The Taximan's Story', we emailed Catherine Lim to request for an interview, which she graciously granted. The interview is reproduced in full below.

1. What was the inspiration of Taximan, and how much of Taximan was inspired by your own experiences? Little Ironies: Stories of Singapore seem to suggest that it may be drawn from personal stories.

It wasn't a single, specific incident that had inspired my story. Rather, the taximan in the story was a composite of the many interesting taximen I had met, who made each trip very pleasant by their readiness to chat, gossip, exchange views. I suppose that's the way taxi drivers relieve the tedium of their many hours on the road! They would tell me about difficult passengers, kindly passengers, their personal, family problems, their members of parliament who were very/not at all helpful, etc.

2. What is the significance of the lexical choices that you have made with regards to Singlish and its various nuances?

I don't think I made any conscious, deliberate lexical choices. All I was aware of was that, for the taximan's story about his errant daughter to come across most authentically, I simply had to make it a first-person narrative, using exactly the kind of Singlish that most of them spoke. Indeed, it seemed to me that as I was writing the story, the taximan's actual words, tone, inflections were ringing in my ears, and all I had to do was to transcribe them!

3. Do you think the themes and observations touched on in Taximan (tradition v modernity, morality, etc) are still relevant in Singapore today?
 

Yes, the theme of tradition vs modernity pervades my short stories in 'Little Ironies'. Although the book was first published nearly 30 years ago, the theme is still relevant in modern day Singapore, although, of course, the way it is manifested has changed. For instance, parents today probably do not have the kind of control that the taximan had, since their offspring are far more educated, sophisticated and articulate, but the generational gap, since it is rooted deep in psychology and biology, will always be around. The various ways by which it can be bridged are far more complex than the simplistic device of imposing a curfew on the errant child. Indeed, I've had taximen today telling me that their teenaged sons and daughters often out-talk and out-argue them! It almost pains me to see the elderly resignedly, sighingly deferring to the young, as I believe that while traditional forms of behaviour (such as the parental cane) should be a thing of the past, traditional values such as respect for the elderly, family unity, self-discipline, hard work, etc. should be a permanent part of our lives.

4. It has been a while since Taximan has been written and published. With the luxury of retrospect, would you have changed any part of the story, or written it differently?
 

No, I wouldn't have changed any part of the story - or any story in 'Little Ironies' - simply because it was forged, warts and all, from a single stream of creative energy, so that to change a part would affect the whole, and cause the story to lose its cohesiveness.

5. What is your opinion on the state of the Singaporean literature scene (poems, plays, etc) right now, and how has your personal experience with it been? How is it different from the past 20 years or so?

I have to admit that I've not been following the development of Singapore literature over the years, as I seem to be too busy catching up with other things (including a self-study program of those sciences and humanities which I had completely missed out on, in my school and university years). But I must say that I'm very glad that there are now many more novelists, short story writers, poets and playwrights than there ever were in my time. The literary scene in Singapore is definitely alive and well!

6. What is the most important thing you would want someone to take away from your story, and what was the greatest takeaway you had while writing this story?

The most important thing for a reader to take away from 'The Taximan's Story' , or any other short story, is enjoyment. Regardless of whatever else the reader may have gleaned, such as a new insight into human nature or some moral theme, I would like him/her to say 'Hey, I enjoyed that story!' or even better, 'I couldn't stop till I came to the end.'

Catherine Lim's responses have been invaluable in understanding the context and background of the story. One surprising nugget of knowledge from the interview that us students did not expect was that Catherine Lim made a conscious choice to embody themes of tradition and modernity throughout her book, "Little Ironies", and not just this one story. And beyond the thematic and moral takeaways, she simply wants her story to bring enjoyment to the reader. For us personally, reading 'The Taximan's Story' was interesting and enjoyable, and we hope that others who read it will enjoy or have enjoyed it as much as we did!