HK Influencer Asks Elderly Singaporeans For Life Advice, And Their Answers Are So Amusing

Hong Kong influencer Torres Pit (托哥) shared a YouTube video last week of him hitting the streets of Chinatown in Singapore and seeking life advice from old folks in the area.

The video, titled “Life Advice From Asia’s Richest Elderly People”, saw a few friendly seniors talking about their life experiences, and dishing out some very wise tips on marriage and relationships.

Besides charming us with their special brand of no-nonsense advice, this video also reminded us of how effectively bilingual seniors in Singapore are. We mean, how impressive is it that they can communicate with Torres in English, Chinese and Cantonese? 

Torres first introduced Singapore as a country that was “not a very privileged country 50 years ago”. However, we’ve fast become one of the richest countries in Asia, which made him believe that “the people who have gone through this process” of economic growth would have plenty of life advice to share.

Torres first asked an elderly lady, 80-year-old Susan about her dating life when she was younger.

“You’re so pretty, men must have been crazy for you when you were young,” said the influencer.

Susan chuckled as she said: “Where got lah,” before explaining that she actually “got married late” when she was in her 50s.

“I think first before, whether the man is good or not, (sic)” she laughed. She then said that her husband is “very good” and “very caring”.

Her tip to finding a good husband? “See for yourself, whether the man is good to you. [If he doesn’t] gamble, the man is good. My husband never gambles."

Torres went on to ask the elderly about their greatest regret in life. And it seems like the one thing old folks have in common are concerns about their health.

An elderly man revealed: “I was diagnosed with cancer 20 years ago. The doctors said they can’t treat it. I used to be a heavy smoker."

Susan, too, regrets not being in good health. “[I have] gastric [issues]. I can’t eat anything spicy,” she said.

Another elderly man’s regret is his divorce with his wife. When asked about the reason for his divorce, the old man simply said: “I was born in a poor family. She didn’t need me to take care of her.”

He elaborated: “I gambled too much. I’m into gambling [and] I lost all my money, I was deep in debt.”

Thankfully, he has cleared all his old debts, which amounted to “a couple hundred thousands”. Although he still gambles, he tries to “limit himself”. "Just gamble whatever I have in my pocket lor," he said.

Torres then spoke to a sprightly elderly man who enlightened him on the growth of Singapore. “Was Singapore as beautiful as it is now?” asked the influencer.

The elderly man replied with a scoff: “Are you kidding? How is it possible? We used to have payphones all around. Before Singapore’s independence, it was very rural. Environment [was] very dirty, canals [were] dirty. But our first Prime Minister [Lee Kuan Yew] structured the politics in such a way [where the country could] slowly develop.”

He continued: “Foreigners won’t know what it’s like living in Singapore. The world is very turbulent now, [but] you’re very safe in Singapore. I’m not working, and instead I’m drinking beer. If I’m in your country, I wouldn’t be able to afford a bowl of rice.”

The influencer then sought relationship advice from another elderly man who was enjoying his mug of afternoon beer.

“It’s hard to find a Singaporean wife these days. If you don’t have status, no Singaporean woman will like you. Singaporean women have such high standards now, unlike in the past. Study hard, get a high status. If you don’t have ‘standard’, no one wants you,” he said.

To further prove the elderly man’s point, the vid cut back to Susan, who said “No such thing!” with a flick of her hand when asked if her husband used to write her love letters when they were dating.

“[He] treats me well [and] he buys me food,” she said.

Torres, who recently got married, then asked the elderly for advice on how many children he should have.

“Having children depends on your financial status lah. How would I know how much you make a month?” said an old man.

When Torres revealed that he makes about S$5K a month, the elderly man simply said: “S$5K not enough. One kid is good.”

A lady who witnessed the whole conversation jumped in to share her two cents.

“It’s hard [to raise kids now]. You see, I’m still working at the age of 71,” she first said.

Torres then attempted to pay her a compliment by saying: “You’re 71? You look so young!”

He was immediately met with this reply: “So what? I still have to work.”

When asked her opinion of Singaporean boys, the auntie frowned and shook her head as she confessed: “I dare not say.”

When Torres asked her if she’s married to a Singaporean man, the elderly lady took the chance to complain: “Singaporean men never help with housework.”

“If you could choose again, what nationality would your husband be?” wondered Torres.

The punchy elderly lady then gave the funniest answer of the day.

“I won’t get married!”, she said with a loud cackle, before walking off towards the MRT station. What a mic drop moment.