{"id":99408,"date":"2026-11-14T12:34:01","date_gmt":"2026-11-14T04:34:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=99408"},"modified":"2026-11-14T12:34:01","modified_gmt":"2026-11-14T04:34:01","slug":"former-teacher-60-becomes-canteen-stall-owner-at-same-school-after-leaving-10-year-career-singapore-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=99408","title":{"rendered":"Former teacher, 60, becomes canteen stall owner at same school after leaving 10-year career, Singapore News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>A former teacher who left her 10-year career to run a canteen stall at the same school has opened up about her decision and said that she wanted to find greater peace and happiness despite a move that could be seen as taking a step backwards.<\/p>\n<p>Meiling, who shared about her career transition in a TikTok video posted on her account @buildwithmeiling, said she spent about one-and-a-half years contemplating her resignation before eventually leaving her teaching job in her late 50s.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to AsiaOne, she revealed that she submitted her resignation letter three times before her boss finally agreed to let her go.<\/p>\n<p>Her boss initially rejected her resignation out of concern for her financial stability, instead offering her a half-load arrangement so she could continue earning an income while looking after her health.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I really appreciated her concerns, and I also wasn&#8217;t quite ready to let go,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p>Her biggest fear was being unemployed without a steady income, particularly given her age and uncertainty over how easily she could find another job.<\/p>\n<p>Her siblings also showed concern, given the physically demanding nature of the work.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;And of course they asked a very practical question: Can you earn a living by running a canteen store?&#8221;, she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>However, her friends in the culinary industry encouraged her to give it a try.<\/p>\n<h2>Leaving a decade-long teaching career<\/h2>\n<p>With about 10 years of experience as a chef instructor, Meiling said teaching allowed her to share her knowledge and practical skills while equipping students with the skills to become independent.<\/p>\n<p>After resigning, she explored home baking while taking time to rest and look after her health. She eventually received a message from her former school about a vacancy at its canteen after the previous stallholder left.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a different environment. But why not I give it a try?&#8221;, she questioned.<\/p>\n<p>Having run a cafe before, she decided to give the opportunity a go and successfully secured the stall. She now serves Western food to students at the same school where she once taught.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"dx-token\" data-dx-oembed=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@buildwithmeiling\/video\/7703189169048210709\"><iframe height=\"578\" width=\"325\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/player\/v1\/7703189169048210709?embed_from=oembed&#038;music_info=1&#038;description=1&#038;autoplay=1&#038;muted=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen loading=\"lazy\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Adjusting to life as a canteen stall owner<\/h2>\n<p>The transition, however, has not been without its challenges.<\/p>\n<p>Meiling said the long hours of standing, carrying heavy loads and preparing food could be exhausting. She initially struggled to find a store assistant and ran the stall alone for at least one school term.<\/p>\n<p>Her day typically begins at around 5am, when she starts preparing and cooking ahead of the students&#8217; recess periods.<\/p>\n<p>On full school days, the last lunch period can end around 1pm, with students arriving in quick succession during recess.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;At the end of the day, I was already exhausted. I didn&#8217;t want to wash dishes or prepare for the next day,&#8221; she recalled.<\/p>\n<h2>Finding fulfilment beyond the classroom<\/h2>\n<p>Despite the physical demands, Meiling said interacting with students has become one of the most fulfilling aspects of her new role.<\/p>\n<p>Students who were previously under her charge still call her &#8220;Cher&#8221;, while those who did not know her as a teacher address her as &#8220;Auntie&#8221;. One particular interaction has stayed with her.<\/p>\n<p>A student once told her: &#8220;I want to be like you.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I didn&#8217;t know that I can inspire somebody, even though I am a canteen auntie,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p>She added that whenever she feels overwhelmed by the workload, she thinks back to that moment and reminds herself that she still has a purpose in what she does.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s about choosing to work in a place that makes you happy, where you find your purpose and enjoy what you do,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<h2>Embracing new skills at 60<\/h2>\n<p>At 60, Meiling is not planning to stop learning. She hopes to pick up more digital skills, particularly artificial intelligence (AI) tools, as she prepares for retirement.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Learning is not limited by age,&#8221; she said, adding that while people may not be able to master everything immediately, they can always start somewhere.<\/p>\n<p>For those considering a mid-career switch, she advised taking time to understand why they want to make the change and being realistic about the challenges involved.<\/p>\n<p>She also encouraged them to explore their options before making a decision, reminding them that they do not need to know everything before taking the first step.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t stop learning,&#8221; she added.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"dx-token\" data-dx-entity=\"751069\">[[nid:751069]]<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.asiaone.com\/singapore\/mailto:asyiqin.nadzri@asiaone.com\">asyiqin.nadzri@asiaone.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.tiktok.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><br \/>\n<center><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.asiaone.com\/singapore\/former-teacher-career-switch-canteen-stall-owner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article At Source <\/a><br \/>\n<center\/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A former teacher who left her 10-year career to run a canteen stall at the same school has opened up about her decision and said&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":99410,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2611],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-99408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-buzz-headlines","wpcat-2611-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=99408"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99408\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/99410"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=99408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=99408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=99408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}