'$5 a meal only': Mimi Choo explains why she prefers living in Singapore instead of Hong Kong

While the cost of living in Singapore has been a cause for concern to many, it has been a source of comfort for Mimi Choo.

The veteran singer-actress spoke with Hong Kong media yesterday (March 28) and explained why she chose to remain in Singapore the last few years.

"There are no jobs for me in Hong Kong! Everything in Hong Kong is expensive. In Singapore, I take one meal in the afternoon and it costs less than S$5 (HKD$30) with soup noodles and a cup of coffee."

Mimi was in Hong Kong to host an elderly gathering in a restaurant in Hung Hom, where she performed and sang classics like The Bund and The Season of Wind.

The 68-year-old also told reporters she had only one job offer in Hong Kong during the Covid pandemic, and it did not turn out well.

Elaborating on her sole assignment — the TVB Chinese New Year programme Feng Shui for the New Year — she shared that there were a total of six episodes, and she filmed three episodes before contracting Covid-19 and was unable to do the rest.

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It was her first time getting Covid-19 and it was a tough time for her because she was so ill she could only stay in bed and take water and medicine.

Malaysia-born Mimi developed her showbiz career in Hong Kong and Singapore and is known for her engaging live concerts as well as appearances in TVB and Singapore dramas.

Her children were educated in Singapore and she owns a house in Upper Thomson. She recently revealed she has stopped acting in Singapore due to a negative filming experience with a local director.

Recently, TVB issued a profit warning, advising the stock market that the company's profits will be lower than expected. When asked if she has received any remuneration for her TVB job, she expressed: "You reminded me! I have not checked yet. I will update my passbook after this show! I need to check first, and would have forgotten if you had not reminded me."

Mimi had her fair share of money problems last year too. She was originally supposed to hold a concert in Hong Kong in September last year, but she realised she had trusted the wrong person and almost signed a toxic contract, so the concert was cancelled in the end.

She revealed in the recent interview that the contract issue has been resolved and she could be performing in Hong Kong as early as September this year, if her application succeeds.

When asked if the other party has apologised, she said: "There is no need to. Since I know their character, I will take note of it in my heart. If you were to talk about revenge, I am not such a person either, look how kind I am! But I might be hiding a knife behind my back!"

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAitv2huXIk[/embed]

ALSO READ: 'I'm the stupid one': Mimi Choo almost scammed by 'friend' into toxic contract

jolynn.chia@asiaone.com