Self Reflections, Chit chats

SHC MEMBERS’ SURVEY FORM – FEEDBACK REQUIRED

With the current operation of SilverHairsClub, do you think changes need to be done? If so, what are the changes that you would like to see gradually in the next 5 to 10 years’ time?

SHC need your Feedback. Kindly click this online survey form to give us your honest feedback. We need to be updated in order to bring SHC forward to the next level.

Do rest assured that all inputs are strictly confidential and we abide by the PDPA guideline. No personal information will be compromised.

We do believe some of our members have received this online survey form and submit it. Thank you for the response. Kindly ignore this message if you have already submitted as we only need one-time submission.

Let’s work together for SilverHairsClub…. Thank you!

DollyL

Digital Photo Management

My monthly library talk in March will be on “Digital Photo Management”. If response is good, I do also organise a “Photo Walk”.

This year, I will also include how you can edit your photo (using free software) to make a Photo Haiku Poem.

Haiku poems are generally consist of three lines of words with 17 syllabuses to creatively express your love, thinking on nature, life and others.

Details of the talk are as follows:

Topic: Digital Photo Management
Date: 10th March 2018
Time: 3PM to 5PM
Venue: Bukit Merah Library (Nearest MRT, Tiong Bahru). Take bus numbers 5, 16 & 851 to Bukit Merah Bus Interchange and 5 mins walk to venue.
Course fee: No charge

Registration with NLB is required. You can register online if you have NLB Mobile App. Otherwise register in person in any library branch.

NB: I do also conduct online (with WhatsApp) tutorials (free of charge) on Scratch Coding (or programming) – for seniors only. For further clarification, my email is hewlee@gmail.com.

hewlee ho

Drink coffee!

Drinking ordinary coffee is a simple pleasure, but now the latest studies on coffee show a strong association between coffee drinkers and longevity! (ST 12/7, pg A18. )Yes, coffee drinkers appear to live longer compared with non coffee drinkers.

For decades coffee was considered an unhealthy drink. I was drinking coffee regularly and of course was worried. However a colleague pooh poohed the whole thing. She said her father-in-law was a coffee addict and drank coffee every day like water. He passed away at age 88years!

My favourite brew is kopi-O lightly sweetened with raw sugar. Sip it hot. Refreshing! If at coffee shop I will order coffee sweetened with condensed milk. Delicious!

Great news about coffee prolonging life.

coffee berries

A time to remember. Happy father Day

In one of the ongoing Whatsapp Chat group, Hou Chong shared this song “Happy father day” with fellow members. On behalf of the Club, Happy Father’s day.

Share with us your thoughts on Father’s Day.

Terence Seah

Music makes the world round. Where were you then?

A song brings back great memories. When we hear a song, it reminds us of where we were, what age we were snd when we heard the song. Songs bring happiness, sadness, love, romance and memories.

Songs bring back our childhood days, as fresh as yesterday. We remember our school fun fairs, the days when we gather with fellow friends at campsites and around the campfire. Songs makes us feel romantic when we met our first love. Sometimes songs remind us of how crazy we have been and how far we go to get what we want. We laughed privately at ourselves.

Here’s an old song? Share with us how you feel?

“If you love me, let me know”, a Olivia Newton John hit, 1974.

Terence Seah

Retiring in Singapore

I used to wonder about retiring in a foreign country. The idea was exciting when I was working and in my prime. However, now that I am semi retired, I feel that Sge is the best place to retire for Sge citizens.

CPF is making sure we have an adequate nest egg when we retire. For needy pioneers the govt provides subsidies for this and that. And medical treatment – no one will be denied medical treatment for lack of money. This govt pledge is really heart-warming.

Our HDB flat is an asset that can be used to earn income should we need cash. Most of us have this asset. At present many elderly including retirees are financially independent and have strong purchasing power. As the country progresses with an aging population in mind, retirees can look forward to a good future – a vibrant retirement life.

Terence is retiring in Thailand and Abel is retiring in Indonesia. The ‘push ‘ factor for both men is strong – both have families in the foreign countries. For me and my circle of friends, the pasture is greener at home!

– A personal opinion.

The Aftermath

There is so much public outcry against Trump beating HClinton that one gets the impression most Americans voted for HClinton and beggars the question: Where did the tens of thousands of votes for Trump that brought him victory come from?

From the silent majority – Americans who do not benefit but in fact suffer from globalization. This large group of voters HC overlooked but not Trump. He appealed to them and got their votes!

Through the way he planned his campaign, Trump showed his talent – the winning unconventional ideas that conventional thinking people have no inkling of .

It will be very interesting to see what the president elect will do in his first 100 days in office next year.

The zika threat

As if there are not enough problems in Singapore,

The zika came suddenly and added one more!

Amid intense fogging,

The zika keeps surfacing!

It is near impossible to zap mosquitoes;

A fact that adds to our woes.

Though mild the zika disease can be very dangerous;

The virus causes neurological damage to the foetus.

Expectant women are all on tenterhooks,

Fearing their new-born would get the small-head looks.

The latest news: The zika is here to stay!

Now must we triple our effort to keep it at bay.

A “divine discontent”

In his NDR speech PM said someone asked him if God were to offer him three wishes for Sg, what would he wish for Sgpreans. He said he wished for us to have a “divine discontent”. I find this phrase intriguing and wonder why no journalist has commented on it.

PM explained that he wanted Sgpreans to always be not quite satisfied with what we have and to be driven to do better. But why did he use this phrase (divine discontent)? It is not easy to relate to.

PM’s speech is very inspiring and patriotic, but when he spoke about his succession plans – I hope he would lead Sg for another ten years at least. Meanwhile the emphasis on entrepreneurship – that is the way for Sg to go

The other wish of PM’s was for us to be able to “count our blessings”. Spot on!We are blessed.

Back to “divine discontent” – reminds me of “the winter of discontent” (Richard III)

Let’s give our best wishes on Singapore’s National Day

All SilverHairsClub members are more than 45 years, and we remembered Singapore since our independence day.
Today, our country has prospered; our kids have grown up and many of us are either nearing our retirement or have retired’

Every National Day, we bring back memories of National Day Parades, fireworks, the Padang and now Marina Bay. Today, we have songs to energise our younger generation and draw Singaporeans together.

Let’s wish Singapore “Happy Birthday”. Share your thoughts of your past \national Days and what you will be doing this National Day.

And here’s a song for everybody.

Terence Seah

The Straits Times Newspaper

Do you think the Straits Times (ST) newspaper is worth $1.10 and $1.20 for Saturday’s copy?

For me, I find the quality of ST as a respected newspaper for current affairs local and global has declined drastically. Nowadays, I find very few newsworthy reports and articles to read. Domestic news is important but there is not enough of it. Instead there are pages and pages of sports news.

The ST pads up the daily newspaper by having sections and supplements like property, motoring, recruit , scholarships …etc catering to sectors of society but we seniors must also pay for them.

Last Wednesday (May 25) there was a supplement entitled “The doctor is in”. I read the articles on the various afflictions and their cure including beauty treatment before realizing the write-ups were supporting the advertisements of products and services appearing on the same pages. I felt cheated by ST.

If not for the obituary pages, I would have given up buying the ST last year.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Read the write ups with a big pinch of salt!

Lessons to learn

The Phey YK story is a tragedy.* One cannot help but feel sorry for his suffering while he was on the run. Flashback to 35 years ago ….he was such a powerful figure and his greed that led to his corruption. Now old and frail, he decided to turn himself in and ‘come home’ and has been sentenced to five years in jail. No commiseration from the judge. I think he might die in jail.

There are some lessons to learn when a powerful mortal falls from grace and thoughts about life in general. For the latter, it is old age that counts when it comes to evaluating whether one has a good life.

It seems ironical to say take care of your old age when you are young. The cool advice to the young is “just do it!” I shudder.

*ST Saturday Jan 23.

if autumn is here can winter be far behind?

The Monkey is approaching!

I hear the shops playing Chinese New Year songs,

While lively jingle bells is still playing;

I hear the distant sounds of breaking branches,

And realize the Monkey is fast approaching!

The Chinese New Year spirit is in the air,

And shops are selling Chinese New Year décor;

The Christmas tree has been safely put away –

Time to buy rhyming couplets for the door.

Chinese New Year goodies are already on sale.

They are quite expensive – shall I go JB?

May be I could bake my signature Marie cake –

But wait! I think I have lost the recipe!

The incumbent Goat is ready to exit,

While the Chinese New Year countdown goes on;

The happy Monkey will soon make his entrance,

While we look forward to more babies born.

The Monkey is approaching!

Happy preparation for the CNY!

Time to spring clean

Some people might have started their spring cleaning weeks ago but for me it is this week. This is the annual year-end cleaning and we are less than two weeks to the new year.

Spring cleaning is a tiring chore for me because of the big amount of clutter I need to get rid of. Why didn’t I throw this outdated stuff away earlier, I would always chide myself. Regret! Regret! A stich in time saves nine…all this ‘wisdom’ on hindsight!

Unless you are not a hoarder, it is a real challenge when it comes to spring cleaning and throwing stuff away. Many of us are hoarders to some degree and it is normal to be a small-time hoarder if there’s such a thing – just hoard some personal stuff for sentimental reason or things to bequeath to loved ones. I’m a 50% hoarder trying to be 10% , so that’s why throwing out white elephants is quite stressful for me.

This year one of my resolutions was to declutter and work towards minimalism. Paiseh to say I’ve only achieved about 20% . The things I find most difficult to discard are the hundreds of old photographs and tens of photo albums. My friend told me she reorganized her photos and kept four albums; the rest of her photographs she cut up and threw away. I have been gearing up for this scary action – cut up and throw photographs .

Wishing all happy sprng cleaning!

Christmas Walk (18-12-2015, Friday)

This is a re-post. It serves as a reminder for those who signed up and also for those who may have missed this post. I am also looking for a “younger” member to take over this annual event which I feel is very meaningful. All we ask for is just “give something back” once a year after taking so much from activities in the forum site. This will be my last such EC Christmas Walk event in this forum and make a graceful exit.

Date: 18th Dec 2015 (Friday evening)
Time: 6.30PM to 9.30PM
Meeting Place and Start Point: Tanglin Mall Food Court (junction of Orchard Road & Grange Road). End Point will be at Somerset or Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station.

Program:
1) Dinner before chat: 6.30PM to 7.30PM: for those who can come early, we can have a dinner together in the food court and getting to know each other better.
2) Fellowship: 7.30PM to 8.30PM: Chat at Mall (free n easy – form your own small group on per table basis). Share what you have experienced this year, your reflections, what you can do better, etc. [Always remember a quote from the late George Carlin on Ageing. Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.]
3) Start walking: 8.30PM to 9.30PM: Start walking and picture taking.

You can use your smartphone or camera to take some pictures.

Size of Gathering: in order not to make ourselves too obvious and attract unwanted attention, registration will close when 20 are reached.
Hewlee (EC)

Those registered coming:
1) Charles Wee
2) Registered
3) Joy Chuang
4) Registered
5) Judy Lim
6) Priscilla Wee
7) Lydia Chin
8) Frisna Tan
9) Shirleen Kao
10) Mary Chan
11) Grace Wong
12) Peter Loo
13)

2016 is coming. What are your thoughts for the new year? And how was 2015.

A good way to get to know one another is to share our thoughts.
SilverHairsClub has been quiet this year; but to many groups, SHC has been active in smaller groups.

Share with us your thoughts on how 2015 has been with you and the Club. And of course, looking forward, how do you see 2016.

If you are new to SHC, this may be a way to introduce yourself. And if you have been an old member, share your thoughts for the new ones too.

December is full of holidays and excitement. So, let’s hear from you.

Terence Seah

Christmas Walk (18-12-2015 – Friday)

It is the time of the year again where we will say goodbye to the Year (2015) and welcoming the New Year (2016). Some of you may be in the middle of a tour overseas having quality time with friends or with family members and others may have no plan this year.

At our twilight (or silver hairs) years, we do not know when we will not be able to or not able to do what we can do best. So, it is timely to count our blessing year by year by meeting with like-minded people to cherish our fellowship and having a simple “Christmas” food court dinner together.

As with any other years, this is a good time and opportunity to stroll, after dinner, along Orchard Road and try your night photography skills with your smartphone and/or camera. For those interested, please see details below.

Date: 18th Dec 2015 (Friday evening)
Time: 6.30PM to 9.30PM
Meeting Place and Start Point: Tanglin Mall Food Court (junction of Orchard Road & Grange Road). End Point will be at Somerset or Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station.

Program:
1) Dinner before chat: 6.30PM to 7.30PM: for those who can come early, we can have a dinner together in the food court and getting to know each other better.
2) Fellowship: 7.30PM to 8.30PM: Chat at Mall (free n easy – form your own small group on per table basis). Share what you have experienced this year, your reflections, what you can do better, etc. [Always remember a quote from the late George Carlin on Ageing. Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.]
3) Start walking: 8.30PM to 9.30PM: Start walking and picture taking.

You can use your smartphone or camera to take some pictures.

Size of Gathering: in order not to make ourselves too obvious and attract unwanted attention, registration will close when 20 are reached.
Hewlee (EC)

Those registered coming:
1) Charles Wee
2) Registered
3) Joy Chuang
4) Registered
5) Judy Lim
6)

Imagination

What mind would think of doing a 140km trek over four days in Sge? And sleeping in a lorry!*

An imaginative mind! A mind that animated the idiom “walk the talk” in such an unexpected way; a mind that introduced a new kind of adventure that could be adapted to a learning experience for students now that Mt Kinabalu is out of favour.

Imagination, not knowledge, according to Einstein is the true sign of intelligence. We need imaginative people who can think outside the box –new ideas to solve problems that cannot be solved by the old ways. We need more people with imagination.

And of course imagination is needed to write a best seller. Poor Snoopy!

*ST, Nov 13, pg B8

Towards simplicity

less is more

It was a pleasant surprise to read that decluttering is an exercise in identity discovery and that the impulse to simplify life, according to a simplicity expert, is the fruit of decluttering: emotional tranquillity*.

Yet it is not easy to throw away one’s things. In her Sunday Times article “In praise of the things in your life”**, the writer just could not part with her white elephants though the desire to declutter was there. Decluttering is an emotional thing.

But there will come a time when the impulse to simplify gets strong enough for the simplifier wannabes to take concrete action – just like one finally gets one’s will done, and the advance medical directive (AMD) too.

*S.T. Nov. 6 pg A32 ** Sunday Times, Nov 8, pg C6

These Hazy Days

The haze is exceptionally bad today;

The sky is a uniform sea of grey.

Nothing in sight save a still volleyball of chrome yellow;

At 9.30 a.m. is it the moon or the sun so mellow?

Heavy hangs the still, ashen air;

Still leaves on trees stoically bear.

Now the haze has got worse – the PSI is more than 300!

School is cancelled; outdoors is unsafe – life’s disrupted.

But happy the schoolkids – their ignorance is bliss.

Guilt-free forest fire perpetrators continue to get away;

Across the sea, haze victims a change in wind direction pray.

Precious collection

This is the heading in today’s Sunday Times about a jewellery shop, in commemoration of SG50, presented a Peranakan-inspired jewellery collection. I looked at the pictures of the jewellery and immediately thought of my own small collection of Peranakan jewellery encrusted with intan (diamond chips).

Under the influence of a good friend years ago, I started buying some pre-owned kerongsang, earrings, etc. I liked and still like their intricate designs. Twice I thought of selling them and took them out of the safe deposit box, but twice changed my mind when I looked at those exquisite things of beauty!

The jewellery shop chose to promote the Peranakan-inspired jewelley pieces with an updated version. Mine are the old originals. So happy!

The man who planted 20000 trees

All the stories published under ‘Impact Journalism Day’ in the *Straits Times are inspiring, but the most impactful one for me is “The man who planted 20 000 trees.” I thought this is such a meaningful and good life and wondered how one can live a meaningful life, like Kartik’s , an ex-barber who has planted 20 000 trees and now at 75 years old is still planting trees.

From the story I distilled these pre-requisites:

Serving others is the mission of life. The ex-barber would save some money from his earnings to buy the seedlings to plant his trees. He has never collected payment from anyone for his work.
Philosophical belief learnt from his father who told him: “…If you just plant a tree, that will bring you far more blessings than any pilgrimage…” To me this is equivalent to “faith with work…”

In a materialistic world where consumers are kings, it is not easy to not work for money, but on the road less taken, where money is secondary, where serving others is priority, life can be very meaningful and fulfilling.

*ST Sat 20 June.

High Tea (Small Group Gathering)

Over a cup of coffee/tea, drink or with snack, we have two solid hours of networking and getting to know each other better. All are welcomed.

The details:
Date: 18-July-2015 (Saturday)
Time: 3.00PM to 5.00PM
Venue: Swissbake Cafe @ Marina Bay Link Mall
Meeting Place: After coming out of Raffles Place MRT Station, turn left, up escalator and wait nearby Jollibean Stall.
(We will start walking to the cafe at 3.05PM)
[For those who missed us, you can meet us at the cafe itself at 8A, Marina Boulevard,
#B2-47]. For those who still have time to spare, we can have our dinner either at Marina Bay Sands Food Court or Chinatown Complex Foodcourt along Smith Street by New Bridge Road.

To make the gathering effective, we will limit the number of participants to not more than eight.
hewlee (EC)
Those registered coming:
1) Hewlee
2) Joan Ang
3) Gabriella Chua
4) Charles Wee
5) Peter Loo
6) Gingko Tay
7) Registered
8) Registered
Registration is now CLOSED.

LPA – Some thoughts

A friend passed me some notes and forms on the lasting power of attorney (LPA). Because of the *abuse of the LPA by the China tour guide, I took a closer look at the powers granted to the Donee ( (person appointed by the Donor to make decisions on his behalf) by the Donor ( person who makes the LPA), and felt shaken by the ABSOLUTE power the Donee has over the welfare and assets of the Donor – shaken in view of the fact that the China tour guide was also the sole beneficiary of the rich widow’s (the Donor’s) will.

Very often the fiduciary role of the Donee is taken for granted and there lies the loophole for abuse. But then the Law will say that onus is on the Donor to appoint someone he can absolutely trust. I feel this is dangerous for the Donor as it assumes every Donor is wise enough to pick the right Donee. What if the Donor was under duress or undue influence of the Donee to make the LPA (as in the *case of the China tour guide)? Another case of challenge to the LPA has surfaced.

As the present form of the LPA is not foolproof, I hope the Office of the Public Guardian will refine the LPA and ensure that it is 100% foolproof.

*The China tour guide has not been convicted of the charges brought against him.

LPA – information and forms

The concept of the Event Organiser EO

10 years ago, when the idea of SilverHairsClub started, I was thinking how to keep SHC alive for a long time. At that time, there were few activities, although the monthly gathering was what kept many members coming. The concept of the Event Organiser EO developed over the years, and today, I see EOs as the key reason why the Club does not have a management committee.

Over the years, we have tried having a management committee, but this ideas has not been successful. One reason which I have observed is our general membership tends not to respond to or accept a management committee. Many have voiced staying on with the EO concept. The other reason which some members have silently and behind the scene told me is “The reason why the management committee failed was because I did not enpower the committee members”. There is some truth with this viewpoint.

However, over the years, I have come to accept that a management committee does not work in SHC, although we can see successful management committees with most other Clubs. This explains why you see a less structured organisation within SHC in recent years,

Personally, I would like to see a committee work within SilverHairsClub, I am receptive to the committee idea, if someoneoffers to take the lead. My business travel has made it almost impossible to spend more than a few days each month in Singapore.

In the meantime, what has worked so far is our EOs have kept SHC alive and going.

Please share your thoughts. No right and no wrong. You have your viewpoint.

Terence Seah

Kiasu and the Paper Rush

Last Friday there was news about parents’ anxiety over the PSLE and that was the reason MOE decided to have actual past PSLE Exam Papers (four subjects) printed to give the anxious parents an idea of the PSLE standard. It also said the Papers would go on sale the next day (Saturday).

I mentally made a note to buy them on Tues (today). However, on Saturday, all the Papers sold out, island-wide! Why so kiasu, I thought. The PSLE is in October –no need to start practising the Papers so early.

This morning I went to a big bookshop to ask about the Papers. They were out of stock! I asked about new stocks and the sales person said tomorrow coming. I quickly told him I wanted to reserve the 4 sets of Papers and to pre-pay for them. I was afraid they might all be snapped up before I arrived. He said cannot reserve but can leave contact number so the staff could inform me when the new batch of the Papers arrived. I wrote my contact on a piece of paper and saw him pin it among numerous pieces on the board. Wah, so many people also wanted to be informed!

I went home, planning how I could be ready to dash out to the bookshop the moment I got the alert. Then I realized I had been acting kiasu myself. Lol!

The Paper Rush…

Some news are better not known; can we as a club do something to help ourselves?

Do you sometimes think that the SilverHairsClub is all about fun? And that most of our activities center around eating, eating, dancing, keeping fit, travel and enjoying the world. And that all these activities are part of getting old.

Then, there are times when among us, members pass away; some quietly, and some, we rather not know about it. Then, there are others who suddenly suffer a stroke, diagnosed for cancer, or met with an accident; all of which affect painfully our fellow members and their families. For these unfortunate members, if they have many close fellow members as friends, they get to receive moral support and help. For the quieter ones, we forget about them over time.

Sometimes, not knowing any bad news is better. We already have a lot of our own personal problems. Many of us are short of time, dont have all the money in the world and too many things to worry about.

What do you think? Perhaps we can do something small. Just thinking aloud, share some of your thoughts.

Terence Seah

A Slow & Tedious Chore

Uncluttering is a difficult task for hoarders. It often takes two or three rounds before the ‘junk’ finally leaves the house. I think it is because uncluttering for the hoarder is an emotional thing.

In the first round of uncluttering an area in the cluttered, disorganized storeroom, a lot of white elephants did not leave the house. The hoarder threw one bag of stuff out and looked at the storeroom. Oh no. After more than an hour of uncluttering, the storeroom looked no difference – still too cluttered. The hoarder felt a little desperate …how to rid the rest of the house of clutter at this rate?

After a day or two, the hoarder, trying to be practical, ruthlessly threw out two more bags of the ‘junk’ he had cleared in the first round of uncluttering. And then worked like a beaver at uncluttering another part of the junk-full storeroom, struggling hard to overcome the reluctance to throw out his ‘beloved junk’!

Uncluttering is a slow and tedious chore!

Hmmm…a related story:

More than twenty years ago, a big fire razed a row of double- storey shop houses near the former Newton Circle, to the ground. My friend was at work when her room went up in smoke. All the victims of the fire had only the shirt on their back – nothing else. The next day when the rubble had cooled down, the victims went back to look for their jewellery which did not melt.

The govt. gave them priority in applying for new personal documents and allocated them new flats. My friend and her relatives got flats near Upper Aljunied Road.

WE always sympathized with our friend for losing all her belongings in the fire and she was also feeling miserable, but – a few years later, she said to me it was good that all her clutter went up in smoke! She appreciated the chance to live in her new place without any old clutter! Is this not a little irony in life? …

I sometimes think of a fire when I’m having a difficult time uncluttering. Lol!

Airline Safety Rankings -2015

…according to Jet Airliner Crash Data Evaluation Centre (JACDEC)

I was dismayed to find that SQ is not among the top 12 safe airlines! SQ has got one of the world’s youngest fleet and yet…even little-heard-of airlines like Hainan and JetBlue made it to the top 12.

Here are the rankings of the top 12 airliners out of 60 for the safest airline for 2015 according to JACDEC.

1^stplace – Cathay Pacific 6^th – Air New Zealand 11^th – All Nippon

2^nd – Emirates 7^th – Qantas 12^th – Lufthansa

3^rd – Eva Airlines 8^th – Hainan

4^th – Air Canada 9^th – JetBlue

5^th – KLM 10^th – Etihad

Malaysia Airlines fell to 57^th (From 34^th last year) because of its two major air disasters.

*Just sharing info and reflecting on SQ…