[ad_1]
Most of us would have a memory from our childhood to remember important people or events in our lives.
For local television host Lee Teng, who was born in Taiwan, he has $ 50 phone cards, from when he made calls to his family in Taiwan after they left him in Singapore at a young age.
On the most recent episode of the meWATCH Hear U Out talk show, the 37-year-old told local host Quan Yi Fong that his parents had sent him here when he was nine, because they were too busy and didn’t have time to take care of him. .
Another reason was that Taiwan was not safe at the time and many parents sent their children to countries like the United States or Australia.
“Singapore was not far away and there was a bilingual education here, so my mother decided to send me here,” he added.
However, at the time, Lee Teng thought that he had come to Singapore for a short vacation. Reality hit him hard three days later when his mother left unexpectedly.
“I suddenly collapsed that night, hid under the covers and cried. I remember crying every night for a week,” she said.
Without cell phones back then, it was also difficult to keep in touch with her family in Taiwan, so the best financial option was public phones and international calling cards.
He told Yi Fong, “I remember my mother would buy six or seven $ 50 phone cards for three months. She had to call home once a week and could make maybe two calls with one card before the value ran out. “.
Lee Teng shared that in the past, children used to collect these calling cards, and since his $ 50 cards were rare, he traded their cards with them.
His collection includes a glittery card from Taiwanese singer Jimmy Lin, who was his idol when he was in elementary school, and a commemorative edition card for Singapore’s 25th birthday.
As for why she keeps her old cards to this day, she said it serves as a warm memory of her childhood and a reminder of how she kept in touch with her family back then.
“It’s kind of a process. Honestly, each card represents me missing my family,” she shared.
Lee Teng is married to Gina Lin.
ALSO READ: ‘Powerless and helpless’: Lee Teng opens up for the first time after his wife’s miscarriage
