Cannot afford to buy air ticket by himself to HK to see his mom! Must rely on public donation! What is wrong with NWC?
BY HOE PEI SHAN REPORTING FROM HONG KONG
She turned the corner and stopped in her tracks.
Ms Mary Seow, 60, could not believe her eyes.
Her only son, whom she had last seen in person more than four years ago, was sitting on a bench just metres away.
The single mum had abruptly sold the flat she shared with her son, Mr Edward Goh, some five years ago.
She then became uncontactable shortly after leaving for China for business in 2011.
Mr Goh filed a missing person's report later that year. He found out only last week through news reports that his mother was living in Hong Kong as a McRefugee — a homeless individual seeking overnight shelter at 24-hour McDonald's outlets.
He planned a surprise visit to Hong Kong with the help of several kind readers of The New Paper, which reported on Ms Seow's struggles as a McRefugee and the challenges Mr Goh, a 28-year-old invoice processor earning $2,000 a month, faced in trying to get her back to Singapore.
Unlike their video call on Tuesday, when they saw each other and spoke for the first time in more than four years, there were no tears at their reunion yesterday.
A stunned Ms Seow took a moment to process the first sight of her son in person, then rolled up a piece of paper in her hand and swung it at him, as a beating for making the unexpected appearance.
Mr Goh played along, yelping and trying to dodge the blows, as smiles flashed across both their faces.
He had been worrying that his mother would refuse to meet him if she knew he was travelling to Hong Kong.
"I was shocked, not angry," said Ms Seow afterwards.
"How can I be angry, he is doing this for my good."
The mother-son pair later splurged HK$120 (S$22) on claypot rice and egg waffles for lunch — luxuries in Ms Seow's McRefugee life.
''I've been in Hong Kong for so many months but never had a proper meal on my own. How to afford?'' said Ms Seow.
Read the full report in our print edition on Nov 21.
- See more at: http://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore-ne...ugee-mum-visit-hong-kong#sthash.H15RkhML.dpuf
BY HOE PEI SHAN REPORTING FROM HONG KONG
She turned the corner and stopped in her tracks.
Ms Mary Seow, 60, could not believe her eyes.
Her only son, whom she had last seen in person more than four years ago, was sitting on a bench just metres away.
The single mum had abruptly sold the flat she shared with her son, Mr Edward Goh, some five years ago.
She then became uncontactable shortly after leaving for China for business in 2011.
Mr Goh filed a missing person's report later that year. He found out only last week through news reports that his mother was living in Hong Kong as a McRefugee — a homeless individual seeking overnight shelter at 24-hour McDonald's outlets.
He planned a surprise visit to Hong Kong with the help of several kind readers of The New Paper, which reported on Ms Seow's struggles as a McRefugee and the challenges Mr Goh, a 28-year-old invoice processor earning $2,000 a month, faced in trying to get her back to Singapore.
Unlike their video call on Tuesday, when they saw each other and spoke for the first time in more than four years, there were no tears at their reunion yesterday.
A stunned Ms Seow took a moment to process the first sight of her son in person, then rolled up a piece of paper in her hand and swung it at him, as a beating for making the unexpected appearance.
Mr Goh played along, yelping and trying to dodge the blows, as smiles flashed across both their faces.
He had been worrying that his mother would refuse to meet him if she knew he was travelling to Hong Kong.
"I was shocked, not angry," said Ms Seow afterwards.
"How can I be angry, he is doing this for my good."
The mother-son pair later splurged HK$120 (S$22) on claypot rice and egg waffles for lunch — luxuries in Ms Seow's McRefugee life.
''I've been in Hong Kong for so many months but never had a proper meal on my own. How to afford?'' said Ms Seow.
Read the full report in our print edition on Nov 21.
- See more at: http://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore-ne...ugee-mum-visit-hong-kong#sthash.H15RkhML.dpuf
