The Straits Times, April 28, 2007
By Radha Basu
Shipyard worker Cai Wendong worked hard, studied part-time, became a PR and bought an HDB flat. And, yes, he's even found love
GROWING up in the eastern Chinese town of Wenzhou, Mr Cai Wendong went to school and fished in his spare time.
When he finished junior high, he found work as a pipe fitter in a shipyard. Life was hard, but predictable. Then some friends decided to work in Singapore and he went along. Life changed forever for the happy-go-lucky youth.
He arrived in Singapore in 1998. He did not mean to stay, but did. He met and married compatriot Fuang Ying, 31, in Singapore. Their first child, daughter Jia Ling, was born last month.
Today, he is a Singapore permanent resident, an officer in a shipyard and the proud owner of a four-room Housing Board flat.
He is living the foreign worker's 'Singapore dream'.
Mr Cai, 29, said the comforts and conveniences here - the lack of crime, low unemployment rates and the 'civilised ways' of the people - made him realise early on that this was his ticket to a better life.
His Singapore sojourn began in 1998 with a six-hour journey by bus to Shanghai for a job interview with Keppel Shipyard.
He was offered a job on the spot and was thrilled with the promise of earning three times more than in China. He declined to reveal his starting pay, but The Straits Times understands the industry norm for such a worker is around $600 a month.
He loved his job at Keppel's Tuas shipyard where he had to fit pipes that carry water, oil and gas into the hull of ships.
The safety culture impressed him. 'We all feared accidents in shipyards back home,' said Mr Cai.
In Singapore, each worker has body shields, helmets, safety shoes, goggles and gloves.
Singapore also felt like home - many people spoke Mandarin and Chinese food was plentiful.
But the early years were also fraught with anxiety. As an economic downturn gripped Singapore in the early 2000s, he worried constantly about losing his job.
'I used to feel sad when my friends were sent back after their contracts were not renewed,' said Mr Cai. 'I hoped that would never happen to me.'
He warded off retrenchment the only way he knew how: by throwing himself into his work.
To impress the bosses, he and some co-workers would work through lunch, chalk up overtime often and offer to work on weekends too.
At the same time, he began enrolling in courses.
'I was young and wanted to learn more,' he said. He upgraded sufficiently to join Ngee Ann Polytechnic and is now on the last stretch of a three-year diploma course in marine and offshore technology. All his fees were paid for by his company.
With the economy looking up and rapid promotions coming his way - he is now in charge of 30 workers - Mr Cai has learnt to relax a little.
He shares an easy camaraderie with his colleagues and staff, and counts Indians, Bangladeshis and Filipinos among his good friends.
'I love roti prata and Indian movies,' he said, breaking into a Bollywood tune.
As a boss, he dishes out the same advice to rookies that his boss once gave him.
'I tell them that when you are young, it is good to attend courses and learn as much as you can,' he said.
The same drive to excel spills over to his recreation. Last year, he took top honours at a swimming and running biathlon for Keppel employees, despite taking up swimming only after coming to Singapore.
His mother has moved here to help look after the baby. 'That way, my wife and I can concentrate fully on our jobs,' he says. His wife works in an electronics factory.
Building up a nest egg is also important, now that he has a family. Like every employee in his company, he received 7.2 months' bonus this year, much of which went into the bank. He tries to save at least $1,000 every month.
He wants his daughter to grow up in Singapore and go to university some day. He hopes she can enjoy a life of comfort that he and his working-class wife never had.
'But for that, we must keep on working.'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'I used to feel sad when my friends were sent back after their contracts were not renewed. I hoped that would never happen to me.'
MR CAI WENDONG, who warded off retrenchment during the economic downturn in the early 2000s at Keppel's Tuas shipyard by working through lunch, chalking up overtime often and even offering to work on weekends
By Radha Basu
Shipyard worker Cai Wendong worked hard, studied part-time, became a PR and bought an HDB flat. And, yes, he's even found love
GROWING up in the eastern Chinese town of Wenzhou, Mr Cai Wendong went to school and fished in his spare time.When he finished junior high, he found work as a pipe fitter in a shipyard. Life was hard, but predictable. Then some friends decided to work in Singapore and he went along. Life changed forever for the happy-go-lucky youth.
He arrived in Singapore in 1998. He did not mean to stay, but did. He met and married compatriot Fuang Ying, 31, in Singapore. Their first child, daughter Jia Ling, was born last month.
Today, he is a Singapore permanent resident, an officer in a shipyard and the proud owner of a four-room Housing Board flat.
He is living the foreign worker's 'Singapore dream'.
Mr Cai, 29, said the comforts and conveniences here - the lack of crime, low unemployment rates and the 'civilised ways' of the people - made him realise early on that this was his ticket to a better life.
His Singapore sojourn began in 1998 with a six-hour journey by bus to Shanghai for a job interview with Keppel Shipyard.
He was offered a job on the spot and was thrilled with the promise of earning three times more than in China. He declined to reveal his starting pay, but The Straits Times understands the industry norm for such a worker is around $600 a month.
He loved his job at Keppel's Tuas shipyard where he had to fit pipes that carry water, oil and gas into the hull of ships.
The safety culture impressed him. 'We all feared accidents in shipyards back home,' said Mr Cai.
In Singapore, each worker has body shields, helmets, safety shoes, goggles and gloves.
Singapore also felt like home - many people spoke Mandarin and Chinese food was plentiful.
But the early years were also fraught with anxiety. As an economic downturn gripped Singapore in the early 2000s, he worried constantly about losing his job.
'I used to feel sad when my friends were sent back after their contracts were not renewed,' said Mr Cai. 'I hoped that would never happen to me.'
He warded off retrenchment the only way he knew how: by throwing himself into his work.
To impress the bosses, he and some co-workers would work through lunch, chalk up overtime often and offer to work on weekends too.
At the same time, he began enrolling in courses.
'I was young and wanted to learn more,' he said. He upgraded sufficiently to join Ngee Ann Polytechnic and is now on the last stretch of a three-year diploma course in marine and offshore technology. All his fees were paid for by his company.
With the economy looking up and rapid promotions coming his way - he is now in charge of 30 workers - Mr Cai has learnt to relax a little.
He shares an easy camaraderie with his colleagues and staff, and counts Indians, Bangladeshis and Filipinos among his good friends.
'I love roti prata and Indian movies,' he said, breaking into a Bollywood tune.
As a boss, he dishes out the same advice to rookies that his boss once gave him.
'I tell them that when you are young, it is good to attend courses and learn as much as you can,' he said.
The same drive to excel spills over to his recreation. Last year, he took top honours at a swimming and running biathlon for Keppel employees, despite taking up swimming only after coming to Singapore.
His mother has moved here to help look after the baby. 'That way, my wife and I can concentrate fully on our jobs,' he says. His wife works in an electronics factory.
Building up a nest egg is also important, now that he has a family. Like every employee in his company, he received 7.2 months' bonus this year, much of which went into the bank. He tries to save at least $1,000 every month.
He wants his daughter to grow up in Singapore and go to university some day. He hopes she can enjoy a life of comfort that he and his working-class wife never had.
'But for that, we must keep on working.'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'I used to feel sad when my friends were sent back after their contracts were not renewed. I hoped that would never happen to me.'
MR CAI WENDONG, who warded off retrenchment during the economic downturn in the early 2000s at Keppel's Tuas shipyard by working through lunch, chalking up overtime often and even offering to work on weekends
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