Facebook user Larry Lai previously shared about an elderly uncle who makes less than $300 per month selling ice cream outside Sim Lim Tower.
He appealed to TikTokers not to take advantage of the elderly uncle, sharing that some of them took videos of the uncle under the pretext of helping him for views on their TikTok videos.
However, when Lai went to check on the elderly man’s stocks, he found that the number was still the same and it hadn’t moved.
Here is what he said
Paiseh. Thousand apologies.
Don’t mean to spam you with ice cream man Boon news but many message me on his well being and also on whether is he a illegal hawker. So I will clarify here.
Boon has a valid license. I masked his ic number in the picture below. We will help to renew his license for next year soon.
His type of license is not issued to new applicants anymore. In Singapore there are 8 of them itinerant hawkers left. If Boon die then there will only be 7 of them left in Singapore.
Boon can sell ice cream anywhere. Many ask me why don’t he sell elsewhere. He wanted to sell in Orchard Road. Any of you guys gonna cycle for him from his house in Geylang Bahru for him? And back.
Last time he cycled to Sim Lim Tower he already kena langa and got knocked down by lorry already. To Orchard Road even worse. And manoeuvring a ice cream cart is not as easy as it looks . Those who have pushed wheelchair before will know what I mean.
He also don’t want to go to Si Beh Lor. Waterloo Street. There more people plus he old man people sure buy. But as there is already a Magnolia ice cream vendor there, he feels it is unethical to go compete for customers. How many of you can be so noble. In a cut throat world, such gentlemanly behaviour is rare.
When he finishes at the end of the day, he will go Berseh look for Aunty Chia who will bring him to MRT station and sometimes, home. He can read without reading glasses. At 90. Assuming you live till 90, I am sure your eyesight will not be as robust as his.
He was already there cleaning his cart, rearrange his stock and repacking his dry ice at 7am this morning when I visited him. Today he don’t want kopi o so I went Chinatown buy him porridge before I go to work. If any of you guys are around do ask him if he need a drink. He seldom accept food as he don’t eat a lot.
And my appeal to tik tokers, please don’t take advantage of him. Do video with him as a prop and pretending to sell ice cream for him while videoing yourself . I went check his stock and they are still the same. Minimally buy $20-$30 from him mah. And stop sticking your label on his cart. If need to do so please talk to Aunty Chia.
Today we also arrange a social worker to go visit him at his home. I will not share the arrangements made but I can tell you that Irene Woon has given him a walker and did some great arrangements for him. Thanks Irene
Ok end of short update. I don’t think I can live till so old. But here is a 90 year old man (he is older than his ic age), who is so independent, robust for his age (though he is getting weaker after he was C+) and really manifests the spirit and strength of the Silver Generation.
That’s why his life journey is so compelling.
*Ding Ding Ding. Please buy an ice cream. Sim Lim Tower near the OCBC ATM from Ng Teak Boon.
Namaste
UncleBeard
