The actress says she had a rockstar reception while promoting her new drama You Can Be An Angel Too. Co-star Elvin Ng and her gatecrashed a wedding and ended the trip on a somber note, visiting a home for sexually abused or trafficked girls.
- POSTED: 28 May 2015 20:38
Zoe Tay and Elvin Ng got a warm welcome from their Cambodian fans during their promotional visit for You Can Be An Angel Too. (Photo: Channel 8)
Over 100 fans greeted the pair at the airport, and more than 600 fans attended a special fan meeting in Phnom Penh to meet Tay and Ng. Tay told Channel NewsAsia in a recent interview that getting to interact with her Cambodian fans was the highlight of her visit.
“I haven’t been there for over a decade. Cambodia has changed a lot. It has become more modern and the people are more prosperous. The fans were very warm and very friendly. It is a beautiful country with beautiful people,” said Tay.
Over 600 Cambodian fans turned up at a special fan event to meet Zoe Tay and Elvin Ng. (Photo: Channel 8)
She added that she was impressed by the VIP treatment they received there, and was very grateful to their host, Cambodian cable network PPCTV, which will broadcast You Can Be An Angel Too in Cambodia on May 30.
“We were chauffeured from the airport in a limousine. It felt like we were superstars! I noticed we hardly ever stopped and the journey was very smooth. I later realised there was a police officer on a motorcycle ahead of the limousine clearing the way!” said the actress.
Elvin Ng (left) and Zoe Tay (right) have a spot of fun acting like they are partying in their limousine. (Photo: Channel 8)
Apart from promoting the drama about the lives of a group of nurses at a hospital, Tay also managed to squeeze out some time to see the sights, sample the local cuisine, and even gatecrash a wedding.
“This is actually the first time I had the chance to really explore Phnom Penh. When I visited Cambodia in the past, I was always too busy with work. This time, I managed to taste some of the street food and local cuisine. The Cambodians make very good bread and their mangoes are the sweetest!
“We also had the chance to crash a wedding. While we were going for a meal one day, we saw a couple getting married, and decided it would be fun to join in, and maybe even photobomb them. We asked them if we could get a photo taken with the newlyweds, and they actually recognised us! Then their relatives all approached us to have their photos taken with us,” said Tay.
Celebrity wedding crashers Elvin Ng and Zoe Tay pose for a photo with the newlyweds. (Photo: Channel 8)
Towards the end of their trip, Tay and Ng visited Somaly House, a home set up by the non-governmental organsiation AFESIP Cambodia, which takes in girls who have been sexually abused or have suffered at the hands of human traffickers.
“We met these girls, some of whom are just 3-4 years old, who were victims of sexual abuse and human trafficking. They performed a song for us. I started crying uncontrollably when I received the translated lyrics of the song - It was about a girl calling out to her mother, but she could not hear her,” said Tay.
“As a woman, I just felt very deeply for them and I couldn’t stop myself from going over and hugging some of the girls. Their stories are tragic but sometimes also uplifting. There was this story of a four year-old girl who contracted HIV after being forced into prostitution by human traffickers. When she was rescued, the doctors said she would not survive, but she is 15 now and studying with the help of the organisation.”
“They suffered at the hands of human traffickers, and sometimes, even their own relatives. They are just so young, but have faced such hardship!”
Zoe Tay hugs the girls at Somaly House. (Photo: Channel 8)
Although a few days have passed since her visit to the home on Monday (May 25), Tay said she still thinks about her meeting with the girls, and has been thinking about ways to do more for them.
“I think the visit really fits the theme of You Can Be An Angel Too, as it makes you think about what it means to truly care for others,” said the actress. "I promised them I will come back next time and encouraged them to be positive, to have hope. I will definitely go back.”
- CNA/ha
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