Saadiah Othman and Ryu Ja
Kerja Keras: A lesson in life.
Saadiah Othman:
This is me when I was 16, an approximation of the first ever studio photograph I had taken after saving up enough. A privilege in those days, when most people who did this were marrying.
Since I was a teenager, I had helped my father with Singapore's first halal Yong Tau Foo stall. We had started selling 50 cent noodles and nasi rawon before expanding the menu into what it is today. The hours were long and hard; work began after dawn prayers and ended near dinner time. We moved from old Geylang to the new Geylang market now, but so many of my friends are gone… many lessons learnt… Of which the most important was to ‘simpan duit’. This means keep money.
My parents were very poor, and I never knew what a life of luxury meant. There was no pay for the work I did at the stall, until my husband helped out. Each day, I was given $1. To save up, I would walk home instead of taking the bus. I had seven children to feed.
One of the few things I splurged on were trips to visit my family in Johor and Malacca, as well as the Haj. I miss Bukit Timah Railway. So popular back then, we were happy to get on the hours-long train ride. Dusty, with the seats all cracked and smelling of leather, and smelly. I brought my granddaughter with me once. Now, only the memories are left. I had to work very hard to pay for these trips myself.
My granddaughter has it easier than me. She is well-educated and she, too, has been working since she was a teenager. I am so proud of her, of how hard she works. I always tell her, this life is rewarding only for those who ‘kerja keras’. To fulfil dreams, hard and endless work is pertinent. No one will do your job for you. Hard work matters. They help you succeed in life.
Ryu Ja:
Forward 20 odd years later, and my grandmother still stresses the work ethic needed to be successful in life. The stall still stands, and has been my part-time job in the summer of 2020 before the new academic year in my undergraduate studies at National University of Singapore (NUS) begins. Unforgettable!
In a comic format, let me share why not being wasteful is another significant life lesson related to hard work. At the ‘kedai’ (shop), the daily commercial food waste must be minimised. That occurs from the moment I arrive by 7am at the stall, to the time after ‘kedai tutup’ (close shop) and prepare diligently for the next day’s work, as above.
Hawker culture is alive and well, but hard work and wastefulness is taken for granted. Even first-hand experience to the amount of food that must be rid sometimes is not enough to make good lifestyle habits change. Still, change we must! What can one do? BYOB indeed…
Hard work and wastefulness is also related to time and my hobbies. Perhaps more importantly, the work ethic my grandmother inspired and still inspires in me means I crazily pursue many things at once: Debate. Working while studying (Since I was 15/16). Drama. Baking and cooking. Active volunteerism.
It is a privilege, and my pride, to say and know that I am hardly idle, and am always trying to be more sustainable. The life we lead is not ours alone. The planet we are on, is also for future generations. So, work hard, and waste less. This is not the end, as there are always more ways to live better!
