Lee and Wang are selling their homemade fruit pies for only$ 19 per drink for the Chinese New Year. Users who want to get the pies if WhatsApp Lee at 91001799 and present themselves.
No asking, as Lee told us:” I don’t know if it might be a fraud guest. I don’t dare pull up calls from unknown numbers because there are so many scam names these days.
Before beginning a second career as a stall, Bobby Lee was a director of quality control. When my company shut down, I was retrenched. At age 50, I believed I could remove my CPF to dwell on. So I had to borrow funds to survive”, he recounted.
He made an effort to find work elsewhere. ” I went for so many conversations, over 100, but it was difficult for a guy my time to find a job. Some businesses may tell me that their work place had been filled, but a while later the same place resurfaced! But I guess even they didn’t want anyone my age”, he said.
Lee left his career options and made the decision to work for himself, selling insurance policies and enrolling in cooking classes at Dignity Kitchen. After giving up trying to find work, I decided to become a stall. No alternative, I need funds to survive”, he pointed out.
His family had been cooking everything for their family at the time. ” He was forced to cook”, Wendy Wang giggled, as Lee deadpanned:” In the beginning, it was very strong. Then, with a bit of adjustment, it’s choice tough”.
The pair, who are now in their 70s, continue to work to pay for their individual costs, such as insurance rates. Our three babies, who we know have their own communities to care for, offer their full support to us, Lee said.
When he’s not cooking at his barn, he also dabbles in healthcare. ” I don’t earn money from it. I try to restrict that to one day a week, only servicing my aged users”, he shared. Wang acknowledged that working for someone their time is challenging. ” We don’t work long hours so we can get collect our children from school”, she said. But she concluded:” Maybe, it’s better for older people not to quit moving”!
The Eastern Makanstall is at 335 Smith Street,# 02-055 Chinatown Complex Food Centre, Singapore 050335. Tel: 9100 1799. Start 11am to 2pm.
This article was first published in 8Days.