By Emily Ni (20S03C), Kelly Leong (20S07C), and Ng Ziqin (20S03H)

Friday, 31 May 2019. The school was teeming with the restless energy of staff and students who were counting down the minutes to (relatively more) freedom. This very date marked two lasts. For the staff and students, it was the last day of school (until Term 3 started in a month’s time); for the RI Yong Tau Foo aunties, it was their last day of operations.

Like most RI students, the writers of this article were devastated when we found out that the Yong Tau Foo stall was closing. One rapid cycle through the five stages of grief later, we made the journey down to the Yong Tau Foo stall on its final day of operations to speak to staff, students, and of course, the Yong Tau Foo aunties.

By Megan Soh (20A01B), Mah Xiao Yu (20A01B), and Coco Liu (20S06L)
Photographs courtesy of S Rahul (19S06A) and Ting Hou Yee (19S03S) of the Raffles Photographic Society

24th April 2019 was a special day. Red and white balloons lined the staff lounge windows, flowery decorations hung from the walls, and a mini-buffet with an array of Chinese snacks was set up in the middle of the lounge. In one corner, teachers unabashedly belted out Mandarin songs into a microphone. Others milled around with drinks and snacks, occasionally exclaiming at the sight of old friends and colleagues who had left the school. It was like Chinese New Year, only come two months late.

Continue reading “A Love Greater Than Words: A Tribute to Auntie Ah Huay” →