SingaporeMotherhood | Parenting
May 2014
Meet My Mum! : Andrew Lua
This Mother’s Day, we asked local celebrities to tell us about the First Lady in their lives – their mum. They say that behind every successful man stands a woman. In Andrew Lua’s case, that’d be his mum. The multi-talented DJ, actor, and presenter — he even worked as an apprentice chef in a fusion restaurant while studying in Australia — credits his mother, Joyce Ng, 62, a Chinese teacher, for his mental toughness: “The best lesson I learnt from her was the strength to be a caregiver to my cancer stricken father for two years till he passed on, and the strength to carry on living life to the fullest.”
[banner][/banner]
What is your first memory of your mother?
At age four or five, waking up from my nap, wandering to the kitchen door and seeing my mum cooking. When she knew that I was there, she turned around and smiled.
What characteristics have you inherited from your mother?
I got my mental toughness from her. She may be meek but she is a very strong lady. Unfortunately I also got her height!
How do you celebrate Mother’s Day with your mother each year?
We’d usually have a home cooked meal together (by yours truly) or if we are feeling lazy, it’s a nice family meal out depending on her cravings.
Which is the most memorable and why?
I wouldn’t say it’s memorable in the conventional sense but she refuses to splurge on herself so one year, my sisters and I bought her a spa and massage package just so she would be able to indulge a little.
What is the best lesson that you have learnt from your mother?
The strength to be a caregiver to my cancer stricken father for two years till he passed on, and the strength to carry on living life to the fullest.
If you were to interview your mother, what would you ask her?
She has always been an open book to us and she wears her heart on her sleeve. I’d ask her how she is able to be so openly fragile, yet love so fearlessly.
Artiste image courtesy of Joel Low
I really love it when my mum… surprises me with herbal concoctions after a long day of work. There are days when I end rehearsals or filming late and arrive home exhausted. But seeing the drink tumbler on my table reminds me of her concern for me despite the fact that I’m a grown man.
My mum always says to me… Stop working so hard. There are days when I don’t see her at all because when she wakes up to go to work, I’m still sleeping, and by the time I arrive home after a shoot, she has already fallen asleep.
It makes her happy when… I surprise her with her favorite snacks like durian or pastry from her favourite confectionary. She eats simple meals and seldom indulges herself. So when I walk past anything that I know she enjoys, I tend to get it for her.
My mum loves to relax by… the beach. I believe she enjoys the serenity and the calmness of strolling with the sea breezes blowing, and looking out at the horizon.
Her favourite TV show is… She doesn’t really watch television, she prefers watching theatre and dance performances.
When my mum shops she likes to buy… shoes, bags and clothes. She is a woman after all. She loves dressing up and looking beautiful as women do but being a typical Teochew lady, she is very thrifty and would rather save than splurge.
I like it when she… smiles. For a 62-year-old, she still looks young, and she has a beautiful smile.
The best thing she cooks is… Her bitter gourd pork ribs with black beans. You’ll have to try it to know why!
If she could go on a trip my mum would go to… someplace scenic. She loves nature and my sisters and I would love to bring her to Bhutan or Santorini.
All content from this article, including images, cannot be reproduced without credits or written permission from SingaporeMotherhood.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram for the latest article and promotion updates.
