‘No one has ever celebrated my birthday like this’: Temasek Poly canteen uncle moved by student’s sweet surprise
A Temasek Polytechnic student returned to campus during the school holidays to surprise her favourite canteen uncle with a birthday cake, after learning that he did not consider his birthday important.
Speaking to Stomp in a written interview, 17-year-old Chloe said she first met the canteen uncle, whom she affectionately calls “Uncle Heng”, in April.
Their most memorable interaction took place on Sept 18, when she stopped by the polytechnic’s Business Park Canteen for breakfast at around 8.30am after a morning run.
Chloe recalled sitting down with Heng, who is in his 60s, and interacting with him while he folded rubbish bags, hoping to get to know him better and have some company over breakfast.
The pair chatted casually about their personal lives, including his plans for the future, best friends, and his health conditions.
“We had a lot of fun, and I was surprised to learn that the uncle still remembered my name and birthday when I celebrated his birthday with him,” she said.
After chatting for around one and a half hours, they parted ways.
“I was touched by how the uncle was still working so hard to earn money for his family, yet never forgetting to bring a smile to his face every time someone returned their plate,” she said, adding that he would often be stationed at the tray return area.
During their conversation, she learnt that his birthday was on Oct 2.
Although Heng did not think much of his birthday, Chloe decided to make the occasion special for him.
Uncle moved by birthday surprise
On Oct 2, despite it being the school holidays, Chloe returned to the canteen with a birthday cake to surprise Heng.
Footage of the surprise was uploaded on her TikTok page on Oct 6, showing her presenting her “favourite canteen uncle” with a slice of cake topped with a candle while singing him a birthday song.
Heng accepts the cake with a smile, saying in Mandarin: “No one has ever celebrated my birthday alone before.”
He adds that his church community had celebrated the occasion with him in the past.
“I’m very grateful for you, thank you,” he tells Chloe.
The clip then cuts to a selfie of the pair, with an on-screen caption reading: “Thank you Temasek Poly’s BizPark uncle Heng for never failing to bring a smile to everyone’s faces every time. We love u!”
When Chloe returned to the canteen a week later to chat with him, Heng told her that more people had started recognising and greeting him.
Some even showed him her TikTok post.
“He’s very appreciative of everyone who came by to say hi to him,” Chloe said.
She added that Heng encouraged others to show the same appreciation for their own canteen uncles and aunties.
Student hopes to celebrate uncle’s birthday every year
The post garnered more than 113,100 views and 19,200 likes, with netizens gushing over the heartwarming interaction and thoughtful gesture.
Temasek Polytechnic’s TikTok account left a comment with multiple emojis: “All I do on this app is cry.”
Another netizen wrote: “Awwwww.. may my daughters grow up to be kind n sweet as u. Keep spreading kindness.”
Others described the surprise as the “most beautiful thing” and a “kind gesture”.
For Chloe, the celebration was more than a one-off surprise.
She plans to continue celebrating Heng’s birthday every year and would even consider returning to campus to do so after she graduates.
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