Yvonne Lim relocating back to Singapore next year due to son's fear of earthquakes in Taiwan

Having experienced enough earthquakes in Taiwan for the past nine years, Yvonne Lim and her family are moving back to Singapore next year for good.

While the Singaporean actress revealed her plans to relocate in January this year, she recently told Shin Min Daily News that one reason is because of her son's fear of earthquakes.

"Whenever there's an earthquake, my son and I would be scared and anxious. My son would ask, 'When are we returning to Singapore?'" the 47-year-old said.

Her husband, Taiwanese former boy band member Alex Tien, 44, and their daughter are calmer when an earthquake occurs in Taipei, which is quite frequent, she also shared. AJ is eight while Alexa is six.

Yvonne added: "There would be at least a few earthquakes every year. Although they only lasted for a few minutes, sometimes even less than a minute, it can feel like a long time at that moment.

"The most terrifying thing is, there were once earthquakes for three consecutive days, so my family have prepared survival kits, such as helmets and aluminium foil blankets. When an earthquake occurs, we would put the helmets on our children and hide under the table to avoid being hit by falling objects. The school would also have emergency drills to teach students what to do in the event of an earthquake."

Yvonne said that they are still in the midst of looking for a suitable property here and an interior designer.

Despite the move, they are retaining their home in Taipei as they would still go back during school holidays to be close to Alex's family.

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She added: "I am considering whether to bring the pots and pans that I usually use, because I love to cook. If I don't bring them back, I am worried I won't be used to cooking in Singapore."

Another reason for bringing the family back is the children's education.

While they want the kids to be educated in Singapore, Yvonne also has her concerns, especially for AJ. The medium of instruction in Taiwan schools is mostly in Mandarin as compared to English in Singapore, but she added that her children's command of English is acceptable.

"He is in Primary 4, I am worried he may not be able to catch up, so my husband and I have considered seeking admission one level lower for him," she said.

She is still not too worried about Alexa as the girl will enter Primary 1 when they return.

When asked how her children reacted to the move to Singapore, Yvonne said that both were very happy, especially her son, as he would not have to worry about earthquakes anymore. They also have a good impression of the country.

Yvonne also shared that she would miss her friends in Taiwan when she moves back.

She said: "We would gather every weekend to play basketball, have meals and chat. So when they found out I am moving back to Singapore, they asked, 'What about our gatherings in the future?' It makes me feel a little sad, it's like I am abandoning them."

ALSO READ: 'I missed out on a lot of time with her': Yvonne Lim directs short film based on losing her mother at 13

yeo.shuhui@asiaone.com