The "shau Pau" or longevity Pau
100 year old birthday boy looking intently while the video was being shown.
Excerpt of my Brother tai Hou's speech at the Birthday reception:
I WONDER HOW MANY OF US HERE WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE OUR OWN 100TH BIRTHDAY. VERY FEW I THINK. MAYBE EVEN NONE. BECAUSE IT IS NOT EASY TO REACH 100. SO HOW DID HE DO IT? WHAT IS HIS SECRET FORMULA?
I AM GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME ASPECTS OF HIS LIFESTYLE SO THAT THOSE OF YOU WHO WISH TO LIVE A LONG LIFE CAN GET SOME IDEAS ON HOW TO ACHIEVE IT.
FIRSTLY, NO LATE NIGHTS. HE HAS NEVER BEEN KNOWN TO SLEEP LATE. HE GOES TO BED BY 9.00 PM AND WAKES UP AT 5.00 AM EVERY DAY AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER AND THAT IS A LONG TIME AS YOU CAN JUDGE BY MY GREY HAIR.
NO PUBS, NO DISCO'S, NO LATE NIGHT SUPPERS. HE EVEN HARDLY GOES TO THE CINEMA. THE LAST FILM HE SAW WAS "BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI". HE STILL SAYS THAT THAT IS THE BEST FILM EVER MADE. THE ACTORS AND ACTRESSES HAVE LONG GONE BUT HE IS STILL AROUND.
SECONDLY, EXERCISE. IN HIS EARY YEARS IN HAINAN, CHINA, HE USED TO DO HAINANESE KOON TOW. YES, THERE WAS SUCH A THING AS HAINANESE KUNG FU THOUGH I SUSPECT THE ART IS LONG GONE. HE USED TO DEMONSTRATE IT, SOMETHING LIKE A CROSS BETWEEN SHAOLIN AND SILAT.
WHEN HE STARTED SCHOOL IN KUALA LUMPUR HE PLAYED BADMINTON AND TABLE TENNIS. HE CLAIMED HE REPRESENTED METHODIST BOYS SCHOOL IN TABLE TENNIS. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS TRUE BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT HIS BADMINTON WAS EXCELLENT. WE USED TO SEE HIM SEND MUCH YOUNGER MEN SCURRYING
ALL OVER THE COURT WITH HIS DEFT FLICKS AND TOUCHES. THE SCORELINE WAS USUALLY 15 - 0, 15 - 0. AS KIDS WE USED TO MARVEL AT THE SIZE OF HIS RIGHT FOREARM WHICH WAS TWICE THAT OF HIS LEFT.
HE ALSO PLAYED SOME TENNIS WHEN HE STARTED WORKING BUT UNFORTUNATELY HE HAD TO GIVE THAT UP DUE TO LACK OF AVAILABLE COURTS AS HE WAS TRANSFERRED FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER IN THE COURSE OF HIS WORK.
BUT IT IS HIS LOVE OF WALKING THAT IS LEGENDARY. EVERYDAY AND TWICE A DAY ON WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS. EACH WALK COULD TAKE 2 HOURS AT A BRISK BUT COMFORTABLE PACE. WE BELIEVE THAT HIS WALKING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR THAT DETERMINES HIS LONG LIFE.
WHEN WE WERE LITTLE KIDS BACK IN PARIT BUNTAR, WE USED TO ASK HIM TO TAKE US ALONG ON SATURDAY MORNINGS. AT TIMES HE OBLIGED, OTHER TIMES HE SAID WE NEED TO SLEEP. WE HAD TO GET UP AT 5.00 AM AND WALKED AND WALKED TILL 7.00 AM. IN THOSE DAYS THE ENVIRONMENT WAS STILL PRISTINE AND I REALLY ENJOYED THE EXPERIENCE OF THE COOL MORNING AIR WITH THE SIGHT OF OWLS STILL FLYING AROUND OR STOPPING TO ADMIRE THE FISHES IN THE STREAMS AND CANALS. FISHES THAT CAN ONLY BE SEEN IN AQUARIUMS NOWADAYS. THESE EXPERIENCES MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE GAVE ME A DEEP IMPRESSION AND NURTURED MY ONGOING LOVE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE GREAT
OUTDOORS.
MY MOTHER USED TO TELL ME THAT WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER AND STAYING AT BRICKFIELDS , KUALA LUMPUR, THERE WERE OCCASIONS WHEN HE WOULD WALK TO PORT KLANG AND BACK. IT WAS PORT SWETTENHAM IN THOSE DAYS. DO YOU KNOW HOW FAR THAT IS? BY PRESENT DAY MEASUREMENTS, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN
KL AND PORT KLANG IS 39.8 KM. BUT IN THOSE DAYS WE DID NOT HAVE THE LEBUH RAYA WHICH IS STRAIGHT. THE ROAD WAS A WINDING ONE AND UP AND DOWN THROUGH RUBBER PLANTATIONS. SO IT WAS MAYBE TWICE AS FAR THEN AS IT IS NOW.
AS YOU CAN SEE FOR THOSE OF US WHO WOULD LIKE TO LIVE TO 100, IT IS A VERY HARD ACT TO FOLLOW. BUT IF YOU CAN FOLLOW IT AND ENJOY IT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT YOUR DIET. YOU CAN EAT ANYTHING YOU WANT BECAUSE MY FATHER'S DIET WOULD MAKE ANY NUTRITIONIST CRINGE IN HORROR.
HE HAS 2 HALF BOILD EGGS EVERY MORNING AND HE ALWAYS ADD EXTRA SALT BECAUSE NOTHING WAS SALTY ENOUGH. HE IS THE ONLY PERSON I HAVE SEEN WHO DIPS HIS FRIED SALTED FISH IN SOY SAUCE. HE LOVES NOTHING MORE THAN LOTS OF FAT ON HIS MEAT AND BATHES IT IN CINCALUK BEFORE EATING. HE BELIEVES THAT SALT AND FATS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR WELL BEING.
HE LOVED HIS DRINK TOO, BEING ABLE TO FINISH ONE BOTTLE OF BRANDY IN ONE SITTING. BUT HE HAS GIVEN THAT UP AS HIS SYSTEM CANNOT HANDLE IT ANY MORE. BUT HE USED TO SAY THAT ALCOHOL IS GOOD FOR HEALTH AS IT MAKES THE BLOOD RUN. WHO ARE WE TO SAY THAT HE IS WRONG?
BUT ON A MORE SERIOUS I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY, ON BEHALF OF MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, TO THANK MY FATHER AS WELL AS OUR LATE MOTHER FOR BRINGING US INTO THIS WORLD AND BRINGING US UP. WE DO NOT REALISE IT THEN BUT WE DO REALISE IT NOW HOW TOUGH IT ALL WAS.
“To understand your parents' love you must raise children yourself.”
A Chinese Proverb
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