Due to COVID-19, Goh Chok Tong Clapped Out Birthday Candles Instead of Blowing Them Out

The pandemic has led to us having to adapt to new changes and cook up new innovations, such as elbow bumps in place of handshakes, homemade bubble tea, and extra-secure packaging for our ice cream sandwiches. 

And in the latest in a string of innovations, our Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong has come up with a creative way to snuff out birthday candles while keeping COVID-19 at bay. 

Mr Goh celebrated his 80th birthday with a giant cake in the shape of an Ang Ku Kueh. 

But instead of blowing his birthday candles out the usual way, he clapped his hands before the cake. The flames were extinguished with two swift claps, rivalling the finesse of a martial artist. 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Goh Chok Tong (@mparader_)

Personally, I’m all for normalising this new way of snuffing out birthday candles, because let’s be real—we’ve all had reservations about digging into a birthday cake that has been sprayed with saliva by the overly enthusiastic. 

As long as you remember to wash your hands thoroughly before you clap away, though! 

ESM Goh’s Brilliant Birthday Cakes 

Mr Goh’s impressive Ang Ku Kueh cake, which was made by his daughter’s best friend from school, bore an uncanny resemblance to the Nyonya delicacy. 

When cut open, it revealed a light sponge cake with blueberry filling. 

However, that wasn’t the only cake he had to usher in his 80th year. 

Mr Goh also received a longevity peach cake complete with his own likeness in the form of a fondant figurine, emblazoned with the message “Standing Tall, Happy 80th Bday ESM Goh”. 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Goh Chok Tong (@mparader_)

In the Instagram caption accompanying the photo of the cake, Mr Goh said that he sought “good health, warm family relationships, genuine friendships”, as well as “purpose through serving the country and community”. 

He also sincerely thanked everyone who extended birthday wishes to him, expressing that he was “touched” at the care of so many. He concluded by wishing everyone “good health and more good years”. 

Indeed, happy 80th birthday to Mr Goh! 

Ice Cream Uncle Sold Ice Cream Sandwich with Extra Wrapper for Takeaway

Aside from snuffing out birthday candles through clapping, one of the latest innovations created to adapt to COVID-19 regulations includes selling ice cream sandwiches with a cardboard wrapper around the block of ice cream.

A customer took to Twitter to share his bizarre yet comical experience purchasing an ice cream sandwich from an ice cream uncle. 

He found that the uncle had placed the rectangular block of ice cream in the rainbow bread, but the ice cream block was still packaged in its cardboard wrapper. 

Apparently, according to the uncle, serving the ice cream without the wrapper would constitute “dining-in”, which would be a breach of the new COVID-19 regulations as part of Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) which prohibits dining in. 

You can read more about this highly amusing incident here.

Featured Image: Instagram (Goh Chok Tong)