The Little Red Cliff
1946–1963
by
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Then straight ahead, suddenly the area seemed devoid of earth, and trees - only the blue sky was seen. I was thrilled at what loomed ahead. I laboriously moved higher step by step as my legs were aching. Then the light blue horizon came into view. Then the dark shade of the islands of Indonesia. Next were the many kelongs and their stakes that dotted the sea from left to right in the form of an arc. I saw the ripples of the white foamy waves advancing towards the coast. And finally the panoramic view of whole stretch of the sea and coast. I was spellbound. No words could describe how I felt. The feeling was boosted by the cool sea-breeze brushing past me. I stood there rooted to the ground as I had never seen such a wonderful sight at such a height before. Later I realized that I was standing at the Little Red Earth Cliff which the early cartographer had named.
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About the Book
The Little Red Cliff portrays life in the 1950s and 1960s in Tanah Merah Kechil (Little Red Cliff) in a corner of Bedok District along the eastern coast of Singapore. Author Yeo Hong Eng chronicles the story of his family, the Yeo family, as they struggled to make a living during the lean years after the Japanese Occupation. He describes in detail how his parents developed the land for farming and exploited other available resources, such as sand mining during rainy seasons, until they were forced to leave the land in 1963. He also explains how they processed coconuts into cooking oil and bamboo into food, materials for building trellises, farming accessories, and basic toys. Whether they were working in animal husbandry or in vegetable cultivation, his grandmother and parents used the age-old methods passed down from their parents and grandparents to work with the land and their animals. What’s more, they made sure to take time from their work to celebrate important festivals, entertainment, and the joys and sorrows of everyday life. They attended wayangs (street plays), flew kites, and made their own playthings—shuttles, spinners, sling shots, and musical instruments—with whatever raw materials they had on hand. In The Little Red Cliff, Yeo Hong Eng shares a description of family life in Singapore in the mid-twentieth century—its lows and highs, its struggles and joys.
About the Author
Yeo Hong Eng was born in Tanah Merah Kechil (Little Red Cliff) in 1946 immediately after the surrender of the Japanese Occupations. He retired after teaching in Singapore primary schools for forty years. He is now teaching part-time as he concentrates on writing a second book and contributing articles to the Singapore Memory Projects.