4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Your S'pore Story: ‘Our love story started with bubble tea'
In the thick of the Covid-19 pandemic, a small act of kindness sparked a lasting connection between these two healthcare professionals
From socially distanced gestures to shared resilience, Ms Rebecca Fam and her husband Mr Coeway Thng's relationship took root in the heart of a global crisis.
Bubble tea in a hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic – that was how their love story began.
It may not be the kind of romantic synopsis most people dream of, but for Ms Rebecca Fam and her husband Mr Coeway Thng, both currently in their early 30s, their workplace set the scene for an unlikely connection.
Watch their video here.
In 2020, they were both healthcare workers navigating the uncertainty of a global health crisis. Somewhere between masked hellos in hospital corridors and the occasional shared glance, something quietly began to grow.
What followed were days of socially distanced affection – from exchanging encouraging messages to thoughtful gift packages passed along by a helpful cleaner.
Now married with a new addition to the family, Ms Fam shares her side of their love story – and how their relationship blossomed during one of Singapore's darkest chapters.
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The couple is now writing the next chapter of their lives as parents to their eight-month-old daughter.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
'Our love story started with bubble tea. I was a junior physiotherapist at the hospital when I first noticed Coeway, who was then a junior doctor.
Although he looked sloppy, there was a gentleness and kindness about him when he spoke to patients and allied health workers – it was hard not to notice. This was two to three years before the pandemic happened. At the time, we didn't know each other well.
Our paths crossed again during the Covid-19 pandemic. I found out that he had volunteered to help out on the front line and I thought that was very brave of him.
I was surprised when he said 'hi' to me one day in the hospital lobby and even remembered my name. We didn't really exchange conversation then, but he dropped me a Facebook message asking me if I would like bubble tea. This was during the circuit breaker period, so nobody else had bubble tea in Singapore!
I'm lactose intolerant and couldn't drink it, so I thought the conversation would just end there. But we continued chatting online for a week.
Since then, we'd send encouraging messages and photos of little gift packages to each other. We couldn't meet in person, so I got an aunty who worked as a cleaner at the hospital to pass Coeway a note and some chocolates. Thank you, aunty, for facilitating our love!
It was nice to have those moments to look forward to during that period. Now that we have an eight-month-old baby, we are in a new phase of our lives – everything is so different but we will never forget where it all started.
Sometimes we do lose focus – we are both workaholics, and there are times when Coeway can't reply to my messages because he's in surgery. But as healthcare workers, we understand each other's daily struggles better.
Coeway has been doing such a great job being there for the family. He's kind to his patients and gives his 100 per cent to everyone he knows – and is the most loving husband anyone could ask for.'
