The world of Tzu Chi (Vol.111)

TZU CHI 111 07 The neighbourhood fix-it-all Armed with an indefatigable will to help others and quick-witted candour, volunteer Ng Mee Hong is the glue that holds the neighbourhood – and the Tzu Chi volunteers in the community – together. A firm believer in mobilizing the community to do good, she is often found spreading the word on Tzu Chi’s values and missions in between hairstyling sessions at her hair salon. Translated by Ong Mooi Lin the influence of Tzu Chi’s values has equipped her with the wisdom and tact to counter gossip and negative vibes with constructive advice to comfort the weary souls who pass through her hair salon, transforming the premises into an avenue for spiritual enrichment instead. Amemorable encounter Born in Pulau Pangkor, Perak, Mee Hong, 51, is the youngest of nine siblings raised single- handedly by their mother. She has been her mother’s trusty little helper from the tender age of 8, assisting her mother with her business. Once, her mother’s mobile stall was shoved into the sea by an ill-intentioned troublemaker, spurring a young but intrepid Mee Hong to confront the aggressor after witnessing her non-swimmer mother braving the deep waters in a tearful attempt to salvage her stall. Mee Hong is fond of her mother, whom she is fiercely protective of. She has developed a feisty attitude from her sense of obligation to shield her mother from being harassed or taken advantage of. She left home at the age of 15 and spent 14 years working as a hairdresser’s apprentice in Singapore, and eventually married her husband at 28. After starting a family, she returned to her hometown to live with her mother and earned a living fromthe hairdressing skills she had acquired during her time as an apprentice. In 2006, she relocated with her family to her current residence in the Taman Salak Selatan apartment after her mother-in-law suffered a stroke. With her easygoing, jovial disposition, Mee Hong has formed an easy camaraderie with her neighbours. She is known for her booming voice, resounding through the entire block. “I like to cook up a feast for all to share. Whenever food is Inspiring Stories from a Friendly Neighbourhood