Good Morning Yesterday: Growing Up in Singapore in the 1950s and 1960s

Congratulations to Lam Chun See, who started the blog Good Morning Yesterday, for having published his latest book Good Morning Yesterday: Growing Up in Singapore in the 1950s and 1960s.

Life in the Singapore today is very different from the life in Singapore in the 1950s and 1960s. How was life in the kampong (i.e. rural area) in those days? How did people relate to one another in those days when Facebook, mobile phones and smart-phones were non-existent? How did children entertain themselves in the days when there were no computer games and iPad? Where did family go to in those days when air-conditioned shopping malls were not the norm?

In Good Morning Yesterday: Growing Up in Singapore in the 1950s and 1960s, Lam Chun See embarked on his significant project to share the stories from the past. The book is a compilation and reorganization of the stories that Lam Chun See has written about what it was like to grow up in a Singapore that was vastly different from today.

Keeping the Singapore story alive through writing about memories from past.

Who may enjoy this book?
The author wrote in the introduction section, that the positive feedback from the faithful readers of his blog gave him the much-needed courage to embark on the project to work on getting this book published. This book is as such, definitely a must-have for faithful readers of his blog.

Anyone who is doing research about life in Singapore in the 1950s and 1960s may also find this book an invaluable resource as it is written from a direct personal perspective.

Lam Chun See is an alumnus of the Chong Boon Primary School, Anglo-Chinese School and National Junior College. Existing students and alumni of these schools are likely to find it intriguing to read about school life in the 1950s and 1960s.

This book is also a worthwhile souvenir for anyone who wishes to have a glimpse of Singapore's past. The book contains numerous photographs that were taken decades ago. Grandparents may find this book an apt gift for their younger ones who are eager to learn about the good old days of the past.

At the soft launch of the book.

The relationship between this book and the Prime Minister's National Day Rally speech:
Interestingly, I learnt that our Prime Minister, Mr Lee Hsien Loong, had played a part in motivating Lam Chun See to write this book. Lam Chun See wrote in his introduction how a part of the Prime Minister's National Day Rally Speech a few years ago had reminded him of the necessity for our young generation to know the heart of the Singapore story and the stories of Singapore's past.

Where to get a copy of this book?
If you are, like myself, all geared up to get yourself a copy of Lam Chun See's Good Morning Yesterday: Growing Up in Singapore in the 1950s and 1960s, you will be pleased to know that the book is available from selected Kinokuniya and Times bookstores. The recommended retail price for each copy is $18.

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Note: The publication is supported by the National Heritage Board's Heritage Industry Incentive Programme.

Acknowledgement: A heartfelt thanks to Lam Chun See for inviting me to the soft-launch of this publication. It was held at the Peranakan Museum on 4 Feb 2012. Many thanks to National Heritage Board for organizing the soft-launch too.