Mrs Vijayam Balakrishna Sharma was a full-time educator and retired as a principal in 1992. As a distinguished Carnatic singer, she performed frequently at temple festivals and was conferred the Kala Ratna Award by the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society in 2016. Residing at Kirk Terrace, Mrs Vijayam enjoyed the company of delightful neighbours from diverse racial and religious backgrounds. Together, they exemplified the kampong spirit of community and togetherness. Mrs Vijayam was interviewed for National Archives of Singapore’s Community-driven Oral History Project in 2018. “Stories from Our Communities” is a video series to mine these rich interviews for heartfelt anecdotes of an earlier era of Singapore.