When Jessica's #BYElingual video got viral, not everyone reacted the same way! While many of us were laughing our heads, many of the older folks may be stumped! In case you missed the memo, this was the video:

Original Source: TikTok

Jessica roleplayed as a pilot who boasted her proficiency in Chinese, only to struggle in her task when she needs to speak in Mandarin. This video garnered more than 3.7 million views and has gotten more than 739.2K likes on TikTok alone. The video has also made its way into Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, where it was shared countlessly with many others.

Who is @jimmy12345_jim?

The real name of @jimmy12345_jim, or @meermu on Instagram, is Jessica Chan. She is a well known TikToker from Singapore who has amassed more than 188K followers. Her most notable TikTok videos include her debut Colgate video, as well as her #BYElingual series, where she speaks Mandarin to her best of her ability. When she is not making TikTok videos, she paints professionally. Here on Sendjoy, she has been booked to send people "Byelingual" greetings before she made it viral on Tiktok, as she wishes people all the best for festive seasons like Chinese New Year and O Levels Mother Tongue exams.

The day we needed Jessica's help

Before Phase 2 (Heightened Alert), I went to this stall, Sincere Kitchen, nearly every day to grab 梅菜扣肉饭 (which is Rice with Chinese Braised Pork with Preserved Vegetables). Aunty, who manages the store, enthusiastically showed me Jessica's video one day. She mentioned that her daughter has shown it to her and she was alarmed by her Mandarin. I was pretty shook. As a proud Gen-Z that doesn't watch TikTok except for work, I can't believe that Aunty is actually watching TikTok. I went like "Wah, Aunty, wu yia bo, you got watch Jessica one ah?"
(Editor's Note: wu yiao bo is the Hokkien equivalent of "Are you for real?")

Since Jessica is on SendJoy, we thought that it would be interesting that Jessica can send her a video response. We thought that this would also be the perfect opportunity to extend our appreciation to her for her amazing food and her warm gestures! We decided to send the following request to her:

How did the video go?

First she greeted the auntie and explained why she was doing this video. She also mentioned who ordered the video, i.e. me, who was dubbed as "The Boy who orders 梅菜扣肉".

Then Jessica explained that she had already tried her best and asked her for her help to teach her Chinese!

Jessica then thanked Aunty for our behalf and asked if she could try her food too, before she realised that she has said the dish's name wrongly the whole time.

Jessica then said that when her Chinese improves, she will read the entire menu and help to promote her stall! Jessica also asked Aunty for her permission to be her daughter's friend before ending the video!

Watch the full video here!

Aunty's Reaction

After Jessica finished the video, we found a day to head down and show Aunty the video that Jessica prepared. She was in disbelief when we first showed her as she thought that we had edited a video for her.

She was convinced by us when she heard her shop's name! When she heard Jessica said the dish's name "梅菜扣肉" wrongly, she was amused and laughed!

Her response? She agreed to help Jessica with her Chinese!

Between parents and children, it's normal to have a generation gap as our perceptions and communication methods are different. For Aunty's daughter, the initial video was a funny one that represented her Chinese abilities but for Aunty who speaks Mandarin as her mother tongue, it was shock and disconnect. However, with this video response from Jessica, the gaps between their perspectives are bridged and they found a commonplace to continue the conversation.

How to book a personalised video from Jessica (@jimmy12345_jim)?

You can book a personalised video from Jessica from Sendjoy (sendjoynow.com). There are also other celebrities and content creators on the platform.

How to book Tiktokers for personalised videos?

With the pandemic ravaging, it is not impossible to get any celebrity physically for an event. However, you can book a video instead for your birthday party! Follow these simple steps:

Step 1: Visit sendjoynow.com using a browser like Safari or Google Chrome.
Step 2: Search for the Sendjoyer of your choice amongst the 200 celebrities and content creators.
Step 3: Book your Sendjoy video by filling up the booking form.

We hope you enjoyed the story. In case you are a foodie, you've must been wondering:

Where is Sincere Kitchen?

Sincere Kitchen is located in #01-25 of Timbre+, 73A Ayer Rajah Crescent, JTC Launchpad, Singapore 139957. They are opened on Monday - Saturday, 7am - 6pm.
(Editor's Note: Their 梅菜扣肉饭 (No.26 Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetable) & 鼓汁排骨饭 (No.27 Pork Rib with Black Beans) are highly recommended! Do support them!）

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If you'd like to find out more about sending joy on your loved one's birthday, check out our Birthday Gift page.

Cheers,
Kong

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