Category: Self Reflections, Chit chats

Very soon, we will be celebrating Singapore National Day 2010.  For many of us, we have lived on this island for more than 45 years.  We have grown, and so have our children, siblings, friends and relatives.  As we get older, we develop fond memories of the old Singapore.  We have also learnt to love Singapore.

I have picked an old National Day song and movie clip to show on our website banner, and I hope you enjoy it.  Feel free to say or sing your thoughts on Singapore.

Terence Seah

Over the last few years, some of you may have noticed that I have been increasing interested in the Dating industry. I attended courses conducted by SDU and the now SDN; and read tons of materials on dating services in Singapore and other countries. After having attended various courses, I note there were opportunities to develop dating as a service business. However, I have decided not to seek SDN funding, but instead to go along as time and space permit.

SilverHairsClub has been an interesting phenomenon. It was unplanned and definitely unchartered. However, SilverHairsClub has done well, simply as a platform for SilverHairs to meet new and more friends. It was intended as a venue for SilverHairs to meet, and work their way through our golden years.

Obviously, there were pressures to focus on helping single SHCians find soulmates. As this was not its objective, I have resisted this all along, and let natural human forces work its way into our lives.

After almost 5 years, since the start of SilverHairsClub, I think I can work an extra mile to help single SHCian meet its longer life objective. Well, we may not be focusing on the “under 40” group. These are the people who can get married and have babies, and meet the nation’s objective. Finding a soulmate can be a natural process, but a little help would do no harm, if not, to speed up the process.

As dating is not a SilverHairsClub objective, I won’t dwell further on this subject on this forum. However, if you are single, I mean truly single, write to me. I would likely ask you for a lot of details, and find someone meeting your preferences. If and I mean if we find someone meeting your preferences, I would invite the parties to meet. Some details will be informed to you at a later date.

Some SHCians have expressed interested to work with me on this service. I am hoping to move along as we progress in this area. Simply email me, not on this forum.

Meantime, I would be launching something similar for Singaporeans and foreigners working in the Robinson Road and Shenton way areas. Social events will be organised. Single SHCians would be invited too.

So, go easy, and we move on slowly. Email me first at seahks@singnet.com.sg. Confidentially assured.

Terence Seah

We are not allowed to talk about SEX in this forum. Rightly so, or else it will degenerate into an XXX rated forum populated by dirty old man and old cows still in heat. So we will not discuss about the techniques and how best to enjoy SEX. In fact, we should not even use this dirty word. Let’s call it ’IT’.

When we were young and have a question about IT, we were suppose to ask our parents, teachers or any respectable older person. Now that we are all over 45, who do you ask if you have a question about IT?  Your parents may be senile if they are still alive.  You may now be the teacher yourself and suppose to come up with the answers. There are not many older person around, except in Silverhair clubs and the like. That is why I raise these questions here.

Is IT good for the health of older people? We are talking about both physical and mental well being here.

At what age should you stop IT?

Are there any difference between men and women?

Tiger Woods have been extraordinarily successful in golf, up till when he was discovered to have IT with too many women. My golf kakis said, that is why he has been successful and not so now that he cannot have more of IT. There is a report by a doctor who speculates that IT relaxes your muscles, calm your nerves and improves your concentration. But Tiger Woods is a young man. Would we have the same effect at our age and would it have the same effect on women?

It is generally believed that as we get older most of us gets grumpy and listless. But not  all. I wander if there is a correlation between happy older people and IT?

If you believe that IT is good for you, my next question is, would too much of IT kill you?  So how much is good for you?

This thread is not a duplicate of Caroline Gee’s ‘Chinese New Year – When I was a young girl’. There the topic focuses on how we spent our CNY when we were very young.

Here we’ll share our memories (as much as we can recollect) of the lifestyle we had from childhood to young adults. I reckon most of us will remember the Racial Riots, the Robinson fire and the itinerant hawkers.

I used to live in Tiong Bahru and it’s very close to Redhill. It was there when I came face-to-face with parang-wielding people of a particular race chasing after groups of people of another race. I was in the car of my eldest step-sister and we were en route to somewhere when we saw this incident. Needless to say, we were petrified at the sight of people being attacked! People were running everywhere, heedless of traffic on the main road. All the vehicles were cutting lanes and speeding just to get out of the melee. I was in my early teens and that is one frightening episode of a vicious fight between races I will never forget. *shivers*

Coming to food, we had this itinerant hawkers who carried their food on bamboo baskets on both ends of a hardy bamboo pole they heaved on their shoulder. As they pass the footpaths behind the flats they will holler the name of the food they sell. ‘Yong Tau Fooooooo’…..or ‘Lo Kai Yek’ often dragging the last word for impact. As children, my siblings and me will rush to the window whenever we hear the call of the hawkers. Sometimes my mother will buy but as children we got a thrill watching our neighbours ordering their food. For those living on the 3rd and 4th floor of the flats, they have to raise their voice to place their orders. Dialects were commonly used then so we got to know who speaks Cantonese and who speaks Teochew in our neighbourhood. The most interesting memory I have is the method of business transaction used.

All households in my neighbourhood will have a rattan basket with a long rope – one end is tied to the handle of the basket. The basket with money placed in it was then lowered to the ground floor. After the hawker has collected the money and placed the food into the basket, it was then hoisted up manually by pulling the rope. It had to be done slowly or else the basket might tip over and the food will be spilt.

Another fond memory I have is of the round ice balls. You know, the one where the Ah Poo Neh Neh (no offence to Indians) grabs a chunck of shaved ice, used his fingers to make a depression and filled it with boiled red beans and then add more shave ice and finally using both his palms to press the shave ice into a ball? He would then pour flavoured colourings round the ice ball and add condensed milk too, if requested.

The joy was in slurping all the sweetness of the flavourings in the ice ball and asking the APNN for more. Sometimes when he was in a good mood he would oblige but if not, he’ll cuss us in his language waving his hands to shoo us away. He could cut the ice ball in half so it can be shared.

There are so many wonderful memories all of us will have and it’s good to share before we forget them all. What we went through our children will never experienced even if they want to.

Oh! I forgot the water bombs! Hahahaha…Fill those plastic bags with water, tie up the end with rubber band, wait for courting couples walking on the street below and aim the water bomb at them after they’ve passed by. The intention was to shock not to drench them. Hehehehe

What can you remember? Perhaps we have similar experiences that are funny, naughty or plain nostalgic?

S-H-A-R-E

Ros

About a year ago, I met a guy in Perth.  We have since accepted one another as friends.  During the time of our meeting, we talked and joked about an idea of "Hire a Husband" as a means to find househelp.  I didn’t know what the idea was all about; until he brought me some Western Australian newspapers classifieds section.  Inside the classifieds was a section on "Hire a Husband".

Initially, I was eagerly looking for another section on "Hire a wife"; but cannot find.  Only got "Hire a Husband".  Well, this is a househelp section where you can find someone to help you buy the groceries, fix a broken lamp, walk the dog or even to feed you if you cannot hold a spoon.  Keeping one company appear to be one of the accepted tasks too.  Sounds very professional work.

In SHC, we have some guys and gals who have raised this topic before, ie help with SHC.  Well, this is Hire a husband.  Sounds fun, eh?  Let your thoughts run wild; and once  you have an idea, share it here.  We may be able to develop this "Hire a Husband" into something worthwhile doing as we get further into our SilverHairs years.

Terence Seah 

I am pretty certain that many SHC members fall into one or more of the above categories, and from time to time, might like to share some of their experiences. 

I fall into all of the above 3 categories; mother of 3 daughters, mother-in-law of one and grandmother of one, second one due in April.  From my own experience, it is a breeze being a mother-in-law, easy enough being a grandmother as my daugter has great parents-in-law who absolutely dote on their first & only grandchild and hardest of all, being a mother.  Like most mothers will agree, you will never stop worrying about them, regardless of how grown-up they become, maybe more so, if you have daughters. 

That said, I think that once they start working,  it is important we make time for ourselves to pursue our own interests.

The year 2009 will very soon come to an end. All of us will be one year older and one year closer to death.

When we were young we look forward to a new year and cannot wait to be old enough to date and party. Than as we grow up, we compete for a position in society and accumulate wealth. Now that we have counted our money and keep ourselves comfortable enough to have the time to log in this forum, I wander what next.

Do we still need dreams and embition to give us drive and energy to live on. Many of us have worked hard when we were young, so that when we get old, we can be comfortable and enjoy life. But now that we are here, what is it that we should be enjoying. If we eat too much we die. If we exert ourselves too vigorously, we die. If we just rest and sleep we also die. There are many enjoyable things which the young do that our body cannot follow. But if we do nothing death comes earlier.

So what is it that we should wish for in 2010?

In the next few days, I shall be flying to Bangkok, and begin a 10 day holiday, travelling Central Thailand.  Joining me will be my wife Nok and son Alex, Mary, Stephen and grandson Julyan.  Also a Thai family whose son is likely to study in Perth together with my son in 2011.  On Christmas day, early morning, we will drive to Phrae, and then westwards to Tak, near the Burmese border.  Along the way, we will stay in cool mountain resorts, river houses, and villagers houses.  It’s the time of the year, where we visit villagers and give toys and clothes away. 

Christmas isnt widely celebrated in provincial Thailand, but the year end mood just catches on with the rich and poor, young and old.  Pently of drinking, singing, dancing and eating.  We shall finally reach Korat, North East Thailand where we will head for the rice fields, and celebrate my father-in-law’s 88th birthday.  It’s a poor village, where food is mainly leaves from the trees, fishes from the ponds and chickens running around the back of the house.

I am back on Jan 4, but I shall give you some live commentaries along the way.

Terence Seah

Well, am I glad I joined Silverhars Club where I get to know so many new friends. Throughout this year I get to learn new dances and get to practice them in the various jams. A sort of exercise in wriggling my almost worn out body but it was so much fun.

The other good thing was to take up a challenge to reduce my intake of foods and perhaps lose some weight and in the process feeling and looking good!

Let’s hear from all of you.

Dan

This year, Ben Foo took some time to share with us his knowledge on equities and online trading.  I am sure a number of us have benefitted from the knowledge share.

The year 2009 is coming to a close, and 2010 is just round the corner.  We read about the Dubai debt wores, and its impact on global markets.  Some SHCians feel the Dubai debt is not significantly lare enough to plunge the world into another recession.  For others, they may consider liquidating to avoid another exposure.

We have a number of SHCians with long experience and background in various industries.  I think it is nice to hear from them their views.  And for some of us, who are recovering from the early 2009 shock, we may have questions.  Go ahead, and again, dont be shy.  What’s your view?

Calling Ben Foo, Roger Lim, Tian Soo, Ronald Wie, Jonathan, Nina,  …..

Terence Seah

Some of you may remember the post on "What is your secret to looking good and feeling good?".  If you have joined the activities organised by fellow SHCians, you will probably understand that looking good and feeling good is very important, especially when we enter our SilverHairs years.  Feeliing good and looking good depends on a number of factors.

But, one factor which I like to start with is looking good.  Let start with height and weight.  There is such a thing as ideal weight.  Last one month, I realised that I increased my weight to 69 kg when my ideal weight for a height 164 mm should be 65 kg.  Likely due to too much eating.  And, there are many reasons why we cannot reach our ideal weight.

So, let’s help one another.  Go ahead and tell us and everybody what is your height in mm, your ideal weight (in kg) and your current weight (in kg).  On 16 Jan 2010, tell us again your height, your ideal weight and your new weight.   When another SHCian reads your wish, he/she can offer you a prize for meeting your ideal weight.  We all need incentive to control weight, altho we know it’s good for health.

So, let’s hear from you.  Don’t be shy.  Let’s the SHC community help you to reduce your weight, so that you can look good and feel good.

Register your participation here.

Terence Seah

Registration for the SHC weight loss program:

          Name           Height (cm) – Ideal weight (kg) – Current weight (kg)

1. Terence Seah – 1.64 m – 65 kg – 69 kg
2. Mary Lee – 1.59 m – 58 kg – 66 kg
3. Mary Chan – 1.59 m – 57 kg – 58.5 kg
4. Yew Kwong – 1.73 m – 70 kg – 70 kg
5. Henry Lim – 1.64 m – 58 kg – 64 kg
6. James Tan – 1.67 m – 63kg – 64 kg
7. Sam Goh – 1.73 m – 65 kg – 95 kg
8. Steven Ng – 1.75 m – 63 kg – 63 kg
9. Tian Soo – 1.65 m – 65 kg – 71 kg
10. Lily Ho – 1.58 m – 52 kg – 53 kg
11. Caroline Gee – 1.60m – 57 kg – 60 kg
12. Amy Soon – 1.55 m – 55 kg – 65.5 kg
13. Lisa Ong – 1.63 m – 60 kg – 82.7 kg
14. Abel Tan – What is  your height, ideal weight and current weight?
15. Christina Pan – 1.65 m – 55 kg, 64.5 kg
16. Robert Quek – 1.75m – 70 kg – 82 kg
17. Veronique Lee – 1.62m – 53 kg – 50kg
18. Dont be shy, register here.

When you read or browse through newspapers in the morning, you will agree with me that the world is racked by fighting, killing, scam, fraudulence, hostility , the world peace is beyond our control but there is plenty an individual can do, any input?