In this episode of The Objects that Made Us, the story starts with a brass steamer used to make idli, an Indian steamed cake. Secondary school teacher Tharmendra’s mother came to Singapore in 1966 from South India. She came from a poor family and the only dowry they could afford was the brass steamer.

After Tharmendra’s father passed away from illness, his mother became a young widow with no source of income. In these dark days, the brass steamer became a lifeline - she used to make idli which she sold to make some money. Coupled with the social welfare aid she received, she managed to feed her children and pull through this period of hardship.

Today, Tharmendra has inherited the brass steamer. Every time he sees the fermented rice and beans transform into delectable cakes in the brass steamer, he feels warmth in his heart, knowing that even the simplest days of our lives can be wonderful and rich.

This podcast is produced by Amy Sim and Yap Seow Choong.
Music and Sound Design by Mandric Tan
Translation by Lim Hui Sin
Voice Over by Lim Fong Wei

This podcast is made possible with the support of the National Heritage Board of Singapore.

Sarongs once worn by her mother, imbued with memories of childhood – familial objects like that informs one’s sense of identity, and are reminders of what one can be proud of.

The most valuable objects found in the home of Cynthia Wee-Hoefer, who has vast experience working in publishing and news, are two century-old batik sarongs. Despite some wear and tear, they remain much cherished for their symbolism, reminders of the Peranakan culture she grew up with.

This podcast is produced by Amy Sim and Yap Seow Choong.
Music and Sound Design by Mandric Tan

This podcast is made possible with the support of the National Heritage Board of Singapore.

For help with cooking three meals a day to feed her family, a Malay woman sat by the radio, pen and paper in hand, over decades, carefully jotting down recipes shared on radio programmes.

The lines of words conscientiously jotted down helped fill her family’s stomachs, and also capture the memories left on their taste buds.

In this episode of The Objects that Made Us, leadership coach Zuzanita shares the Jawi recipe book of her late mother and the tastes of home.

This podcast is produced by Amy Sim and Yap Seow Choong.
Music and Sound Design by Mandric Tan

This podcast is made possible with the support of the National Heritage Board of Singapore.

There’s a special place in the heart of educator Nurai’sha Bte Hassan for the red Malaysian-made Proton Saga that has been by her side through many life events.

As a child, Nurai’sha had seen her cousin driving the same model, as she grew into a new generation of independent and confident Muslim woman. On passing her driving test in adulthood, Nurai’sha knew exactly which practical no-frills car she wanted to drive for her life’s journey, towards the places she wanted to go.

This podcast is produced by Amy Sim and Yap Seow Choong.
Music and Sound Design by Mandric Tan

This podcast is made possible with the support of the National Heritage Board of Singapore.

Local pop music was heavily informed by Western pop in the 1960s.

Many Malay youths in Singapore were crazy about rock ’n roll, and back then, almost all of them wanted to join a band in their kampong, which they saw as a step towards the ultimate dream of becoming a rock star. Theatre practitioner and educator Aidli Mosbit’s father was one such kampong mat rocker.

He formed a band with a few good friends, which toured Singapore and Malaysia. They incorporated the influences of Western rock music with Malay folk melodies and unique vocals, and even wrote a song based on the legend of the swordfish of Bukit Merah.

In this episode of The Objects that Made Us, we look back on this rollicking chapter of our past.

This podcast is produced by Amy Sim and Yap Seow Choong.
Music and Sound Design by Mandric Tan

This podcast is made possible with the support of the National Heritage Board of Singapore.

Copies of unwanted old tabloids chronicle the ebb and flow of bygone eras.

For his study of local culture and entertainment, pop culture researcher Su Zhangkai amassed – and pored through – an extensive collection of newspapers and magazines from the 1950s and 60s. The vibrant Chinese tabloids of the 1950s reflected the lives and interests of ordinary citizens of the time, and also recorded grimier chapters of history in the development of our city state.

To vie for more readers, many newspapers and magazines stooped to sensationalism, crossing the lines of social morals. Even by today’s standards, they were pretty shocking.

In this episode of The Objects that Made Us, Su Zhangkai uncovers the forgotten footprints of time found in yellowed newspapers.


This podcast is produced by Amy Sim and Yap Seow Choong.
Music and Sound Design by Mandric Tan
Translation by Lim Hui Sin
Voice Over by Lim Fong Wei

This podcast is made possible with the support of the National Heritage Board of Singapore.