Good Morning Yesterday - Capturing the Past for Future Generations
Yesterday, I attended the launch of Good Morning Yesterday, a publication by long-time heritage and nostalgia blogger Lam Chun See who has a well known blog by the same name. A labour of love supported by the National Heritage Board's Hi2P Programme, the book documents Chun See's reflections of what life was like in the 1950s and 1960s during his growing up years as a young boy in both rural and urban Singapore. It was heartening to see some 20 to 25 Friends of Yesterday.sg (FOYers) and their friends attending the cosy function, showing their support to Chun See's maiden effort (yes, he does have a second title in mind).
As I caught up with both old and new friends at the book launch, my mind raced back to the year 2005 when the idea of launching a heritage, museum and nostalgia blog first hatched itself in my mind. Back in those days, blogging was perceived as a fearsome force, espousing radical ideas and spouting anti-authoritarian values that were viewed with some trepidation. However, I could also see that social media will only grow in influence - ignoring this huge societal shift will certainly be at our peril.
Capitalising on the opportunity for social media then, we decided then to "democratise" heritage while encouraging ordinary Singaporeans to share their stories with us. This eventually led to the launch of Yesterday.sg - Singapore's first heritage and museum blog which will be celebrating its 6th birthday this March. This was followed by various platforms like a Facebook page, Twitter account, Youtube channel and more.
To me, the best part of this national narrative is the growth in our passion for heritage in Singapore. Chun See's latest literary achievement is symptomatic of how much we cherish and care for our way of life, our memories, our culture and our home. Collectively, society's love for old things have seen a new peak, no doubt powered by the collective reach of the social web.
We now have multiple blogs, Facebook pages, and mailing lists capturing various facets of heritage, nostalgia and culture in Singapore. Other than the FOYers, wonderful folks like Chua Ai Lin, Jerome Lim, Belinda Tan, and Victor Yue have put in much ongoing work in sustaining our love for heritage. Some of these efforts have culminated in books, publications, exhibitions and even galleries proudly presented by Singaporeans of all ages. The latest endeavour is the ambitious Singapore Memory Project spearheaded by the National Library Board.
While I am no longer directly involved in Yesterday.sg, I am very happy to see that what we started as a tentative experiment has blossomed into a growing and pervasive movement. Several FOYers like Wee Kiat and Victor Koo have been especially prolific, publishing books marrying the love of philately with history and nature. I am especially glad to note how the friendships forged have withstood the test of time and grown stronger with multiple meet-ups and gatherings over the years.
Congratulations once again Chun See! May you continue to bring many warm happy feelings to Singaporeans and friends of Singapore with your stories of Singapore past, immortalised on print and the web for all future generations to enjoy!
