The friendly uncle
A candid afternoon with a senior who tells us about his breakthroughs and perspectives in life.
by: Yeo Kai Yuan and Trisha Sng
On a typical day, Uncle Choo can be found at the coffee shop below his block, sipping his favorite kopi and chatting relaxingly with his friends.
Uncle Choo, who has stayed in the Boon Keng area for over 20 years, knows the people in the area very well, and he says they are beloved friends who have kept him company for the past few decades.
“I really cherish the friendships and bond I have with them,” Uncle Choo said sincerely in Mandarin.
Uncle Choo takes a beaming shot with Caretalyst's volunteers
Uncle Choo has never married, because he was too poor to find a wife. “No money, no honey, no dreams,” he said jokingly with a sigh with his limited English.
However, when he got more financially stable in his thirties, he started travelling quite often because it was something he loved to do. He visited mainly Southeast Asian countries, such as Indonesia and Thailand, and continued to do so until one fateful event - his heart bypass.
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Since then, he started to attend church regularly to believe for healing. At that moment, Uncle Choo excitedly took out his phone to play a video of the Christian song ‘Rose Again’, because he believes that Jesus rose on the third day.
“Technology like this has brought us much convenience,” Uncle Choo said, as he recounted how he witnessed Singapore change from a small fishing village to the skyscrapers of today.
Uncle Choo, we wish you the fullness of health and happiness!