It's the biggest event in Australia's social media calendar. Over 90,000 people had converged on VidCon Australia 2019 in Melbourne. Stars from YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and more were on hand to hold panels, performances, and meet and greets - but nobody was enjoying themselves more than Hui Jin Wang.
TikTok had only just launched in Australia, but Hui Jin and her grandson Thomas had already formed a hit account, posting as The Chainz Family. Together, they were “Ricky and Granny" and their short-form comedy videos - with Granny in the starring role - were rapidly collecting followers and sponsorships. Now, they'd been invited to speak at the conference to share their knowledge of this newly emerging platform.
"Grandma was taking pictures with hundreds of fans," Thomas, 34, laughs, adding that Hui Jin was in her element. "When we started three years ago, it was crazy. We used to get noticed in Westfield, outside the toilets, in the food court. We were doing really well in that first year and used our money to go out and eat. All the time!”
“Yum cha,” Hui Jin interjects. “She liked a slap on the pokies sometimes too,” adds Thomas with a wink.
As the pair meet with The Weekly today at her flat in Sydney's Maroubra - where she lives with Thomas' aunt Julia - Hui Jin, who turns 96 on April 24, is still clearly the star of the ow. Bright, alert and dressed impeccably, she is using her grandson to translate, but her gestures tell a thousand words.
Esta historia es de la edición May 2022 de Australian Women’s Weekly NZ.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición May 2022 de Australian Women’s Weekly NZ.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Spotlight on Vitamin D
Sunlight is the best source of vitamin D, but safe sun exposure is still essential.
Coming up roses
Driven by a renewed interest in the flower’s power, a rose renaissance is dawning.
'I was given a 5% chance of survival'
When Caroline Laner Breure was hit by a car in an horrific accident on a Spanish holiday with her boyfriend, her body and her dreams were shattered. Somehow she found the will to go on living.
Time to celebrate our mothers
Author Kathy Lette gives a heartfelt thank you to her magnificent mum, Val - a baker of fairy cakes with the patience of a saint.
"I am lucky to be here" ”
Since the day she walked onto the MasterChef Australia set back in 2009, Julie Goodwin has openly shared her life. But in writing a memoir, she had to examine the demons she'd battled privately... until now.
JAMIE OLIVER at your service
Returning to the set of MasterChef Australia to help steer a path through grief and spread happiness, the celebrity chef is also at a turning point - he opens up about failure, love, second chances and his endless reservoir of joie de vivre.
From one mum to another
Princess Catherine's public announcement struck a chord with mum-of-two Jane Gillard. She shares her story of parenting through cancer- and offers hope for the princess and mums navigating their own health journey while raising primary-aged kids.
The courage of Princess Catherine "You are„, not alone"
It was a rare personal address that she shouldn’t have had to make. But with conspiracy theories swirling and the slimmed-down “Firm” under fire, Princess Catherine silenced critics with searing courage and dignity.
THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE
When Tracy Hall fell for Max Tavita, she fell for a mirage. Max was a false identity created by a con man, and Tracy was the latest in a long line of women whose life savings hed stolen.
Amother's GIFT
In December last year, Australia’s first uterus transplant recipient, Kirsty Bryant, gave birth to Henry, a happy, healthy baby boy. The uterus that had made this little miracle possible had been donated by her mother, Michelle. Five months later, their first Mother’s Day since Henry’s birth feels especially precious.
