Someone wrote this story:
I helped out my dad for a short period while he was a hawker.
I have to say you feel more motivated to study hard, graduate and earn more money to care for your parents.
You feel stressed that your parents are extremely stressed out plus the fact that people who comment "how come so expensive" when they buy food from your stall gets on your nerves.
You will see every weekday, after they close the stall, your parents doing lots of prep work and waking up early around 4am to bring food to the stall to prepare.
Every weekend without fail, your dad will get up early to buy food in bulk, prepare them for Monday. Worrying about utilities, gas, food expenses stressing them out, my dad was in a mess, his temper was at its worst.
I washed my share of dishes. I hate washing dishes and especially hate getting dirty, but I had no choice. I had to clean the floor, learn how to sell economical vegetarian rice, memorise the prices and hope to give correct change.
But on the other hand, whenever my dad cooked food I like, I had first grabs. I got fatter due to eating all the time. Time spent with my parents after we closed the stall was nice, seeing my dad cycle while mum sat on the back seat of his bicycle made me want to find a guy like my dad (simple, hardworking, showing his love through actions not words).
Luckily the bad/good times didn't last, we couldn't afford to maintain the high rent, and moved out of the hawker centre. Life is a bit better with me working currently. I hope it lasts.
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