Siblings

A rare visit from second brother Tai Kam who migrated to Melbourne some 30 years ago, now working in Manila, and soon will be working in Jakarta. Although he comes home to the country quite often, I think he last visited me in the house probably about 7 or 8 years ago! He was accompanied by sister Wan Lan and her husband. We had a pleasant dinner in a Chinese-Thai restaurant not far from the house.

I remember he was always my late mother's favourite. In fact at bed time, he always got the coveted spot right next to her, having to hold onto her arm tightly before he could even fall asleep. That was more than half a century ago but some memories will always be with us.

Our siblings. They resemble us just enough to make all their differences confusing, and no matter what we choose to make of this, we are cast in relation to them our whole lives long. ~Susan Scarf Merrell

My White Lady Anthuriums in full bloom

Pictures of my White Lady Anthuriums in full bloom !

All flowers have a meaning. The Victorians used to use flowers as a symbol to express their feelings. White Anthuriums, it seems, mean "Think of Me". :-) ke...ke...ke..

If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom. ~Audra Foveo

Recycling 1 ton of newspaper saves 17 pine trees!

Today as on every Sunday third week of the month, I send my recyclable materials to the SS2 recycling collection point. Here one can see many selfless volunteers who sacrifice their precious Sunday, receiving and sorting out the various types of recyclables, ranging from old newspapers, old clothes, bottles, alluminium cans to computers.

Many of us feel that environmental problems are beyond our control. Of course problems such as global warming, hazardous waste, loss of rain forests require government and global intervention. But there are some things we as individuals can do. Our waste reduction and recycling efforts can make a difference.

Do you know?

• Recycling a 4-foot stack of newspaper produces as much paper pulp as a 40-foot pine tree.
• Recycling your daily newspaper for one year would provide the pulp equivalent of 2/3 acre of commercial forest.
• Recycling one ton of newspaper saves 17 pine trees.
• Recycling just one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for 3 hours.
• Manufacturing cans from recycled aluminum produces 96% less air and water pollution than manufacturing cans from raw material (bauxite).
• More than half of all garbage produced by a household can be recycled.
• Plastics are made from petroleum, which is a limited, non-renewable resource. 5 recycled two-liter plastic bottles make enough fiberfill for a ski jacket.
• Each pound of aluminum recycled eliminates the need to mine 4 pounds of bauxite ore - another of our valuable natural resources.
• For every pound of steel that is recycled, enough energy is saved to light a 60-watt light bulb for over a day.
• Tin and steel are sold to manufacturers who produce bicycles, automobiles, refrigerators, steel beams for construction and other materials.
• Making new glass from recycled glass uses 32% less of the energy needed to make glass from raw materials.
• Using recycled glass to make new glass cuts related air pollution by about 20%.

Extracted from http://www.louisvilleky.gov/SolidWaste/IWantTo/Know+the+Benefits+of+Recycling.htm

They would bend his toes back until they heard his toes crack!

In North Florida, USA, a Baker County court found Martin and girlfriend Suzette Stevenson guilty of child abuse and sentenced them to 15 years in prison.

Martin and girlfriend Suzette Stevenson were first arrested in November 2007 after the boy, then seven years old, was found wandering the streets in Osceola County with injuries consistent with severe child abuse. He was admitted to the hospital in a critical condition.

Detailed reports of the abuse say they would tie the boy by his wrists to light fixtures on the wall to force him to stand up for several hours each time. Food was withheld from the boy and he was forced to drink shampoo as punishment. They would bend his toes back until they heard his toes crack and he was kept out of school for fear teachers would see the marks and injuries on the victim’s body.

"This is one of the most horrific cases of long term abuse I’ve seen," said Sheriff Dobson.

Read the full article: http://www.northfloridanewsdaily.com/News/2008/0915/crime_and_punishment/175.html

The child's eyes had chemical burns!

In Salt Lake City, USA, a man, Derrick Lee Crispin was charged in what police termed one of the worst cases of child mistreatment they had seen.

Crispin was arrested in January 2008 after doctors found multiple cuts and bruises, broken bones and missing patches of hair on a 2-year-old girl, who was Crispin's girlfriend's daughter.

The child's eyes had chemical burns and were swollen shut, and she also had missing teeth, prompting one police official to remark that it looked as if someone had gone after the toddler with a weed-whacker. The child, who has since turned 3, is now in the custody of her biological father.

Read the full article:
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700259146,00.html

You were my teacher?

Reproduced from http://www.sticksite.com/old_folks/index.html

Have you been guilty of looking at others your own age and thinking... surely I cannot look that old? If so, you may enjoy this short story.

While waiting for my first appointment in the reception room of a new dentist, I noticed his certificate, which bore his full name. Suddenly, I remembered that a tall, handsome boy with the same name had been in my high school class some 30 years ago.Upon seeing him, however, I quickly discarded any such thought. This balding, gray-haired man with the deeply lined face was way too old to have been my classmate.

After he had examined my teeth, I asked him if he had attended the local high school "Yes," he replied. "When did you graduate?" I asked. He answered, "In 1971. Why?" "You were in my class!" I exclaimed.

He looked at me closely, and then asked, "What did you teach?"

The World's Like a Flower

My refurbished terrace garden. Instant garden. :-) ke...ke...ke...

The World's is like a Flower

Reproduced from http://www.send-flowers-india.com/flower-poems.html#my-pretty-rose-tree

The world’s like a flower

Either fallen or grown

The leaves cover secrets

And the pedals are shown

We're like a flower

The world's like a rose

Every rose has its thorns

If we make a mistake

The skin gets torn

We're like a flower

The world's like a daisy

Pretty and bright

We all have our colors

But in a way we're just right

We're like a flower

The world's like a flower

All the thorns will pass through

The world's like a flower

Just waiting to bloom

The whole context of old age is being transformed

The following is an extract of an interesting article on changes in the context of old age, based on an international survey released recently.

Society must adapt to change in retirees

Retirees have changed and their exploding numbers require that both society and businesses evolve. That is the conclusion based on results from the AXA Retirement Scope.

The AXA Retirement Scope is an international survey with the objective of exploring and understanding the attitudes of the population towards retirement and compare its image to its reality. The sample is made up of more than 18,000 retirees and the survey was carried out in 26 countries.

The survey found that the whole context of old age is being transformed and society should fully recognize and actively seek and facilitate the contribution of these "young" retirees. Businesses will also want to understand the new context in order to adapt their products and services as well as their way of doing business.

In the past, retirement meant the beginning of old age. Today, it is the loss of autonomy or illness that heralds this beginning. Canadian retirees can now expect to enjoy 21 years of retirement before turning old... at 79!

A consensus remains: the social role of retirees is to transfer knowledge and skills. A supporting role in caring for the children also continues to be universally recognized.

58% of active Canadians would like to pursue a remunerated activity after retirement. The message is clear: working beyond the retirement age is fine, but it should remain a personal, not a forced decision. Interestingly, 92% of retirees consider themselves able to provide quality work. It will be up to employers to tap into this rich source of experienced workers, although at the cost of offering more flexibility.

Increased life expectancy will most probably force retirees to care for their aged parents: the fastest growing population segment in the world today is that of the 85 and older!

keiro no hi - Respect for the Aged Day!

It is heartening to know that in Japan, today, September 15 is a national holiday,declared since 1966, specially dedicated to older members of the population. Something we can adopt here to bring back the culture of respect for the elderly in our society.

The folowing is an extract of an article produced in Japan Times dated 2 September 2008

Please read the full article So is it respect for the aged, the elderly or the seniors? by By PETER BACKHAUS

As it is every September, people in Japan are looking forward to keirō no hi, the coming national holiday dedicated to the older members of the population. Respect for the Aged Day provides an annual opportunity to visit one's elderly relatives, get involved in various welfare activities or just stay home in bed and rest.

Given that more than 21 percent of Japan's population is 65 years or older, it seems reasonable to have something like Respect for the Aged Day. The origins of this holiday, however, date back to when Japan's population was much younger than it is today, and when the holiday had another name.

On Sept. 15, 1947, a small town in Hyogo Prefecture first celebrated a day for the elderly, then called otoshiyori no hi ("day of the elderly"). In the following years, similar festivities were held in other communities throughout Japan until, in 1963, Sept. 15 was officially established as rōjin no hi ("day of the old people"). It settled to its present name, keirō no hi, only after the government declared it a national holiday in 1966.

My life has not been so bad after all

Views from my bedroom window.

As I sit here thinking of my life among this beauty and quiet time
Remembering the good times along with the sad
I realize my life has not been so bad
I have used the blessings that God has given me
The gift of sight, to enjoy all this beauty
We have been offered in this world
The gift of hearing, so many different sounds to be heard.
My babies first words,the songs of the birds
Many things that are music to our ears
The gift of taste,to enjoy all the bounty
We have been provided with
The gift of emotions so many and varied
The greatest gift is life itself
We have been given the chance to enjoy it all
My life has not been so bad after all

Source: http://www.geocities.com/kssdreams/Tranquility.html

Tie a yellow ribbon 'round the old oak tree

I'm coming home, Ive done my time

Now I've got to know what is and isn't mine

If you received my letter telling you I' ll soon be free

Then you'll know just what to do

If you still want me

If you still want me

Whoa, tie a yellow ribbon 'round the ole oak tree
It's been three long years
Do ya still want me? (still want me)...

In 1973, Tony Orlando recorded Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree. The song was number one for the year, became Orlando's theme song and grew into an American anthem of hope and homecoming, reunion and renewal. The yellow ribbon has welcomed home POWs from Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, the hostages from Iran and the troops from Desert Storm. Veterans are honored each Veterans Day, November 11th, in Branson with the Tony Orlando Yellow Ribbon Salute to Veterans.

Born Michael Anthony Orlando Cassavitis to a Greek father and a Puerto Rican mother, Tony Orlando, now 64, was raised in Manhattan's then-notorious Hell's Kitchen.

Information above sourced from http://www.tonyorlandoonline.com/?mod=biography

How true that no entertainer can move and excite an audience like Tony orlando, one of America's most endearing and enduring stars!

Enjoyed the rare opportunity of seeing Tony Orlando live in Genting, at the invitation of good old friend Mei and husband, my friends for 40 years.

Mei and me on the left

Mei and husband, also known as Mr. and Mrs White, on the right.

Want to be happy? Get old !

Reproduced from http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews

April 2008

Happiness increases along with age, according to findings from a three-decade-long U.S. survey.

Between 15 percent and 33 percent of 18-year-old Americans were likely to say they were very happy, with women happier than men and whites happier than blacks.

The older people got, the more likely they were to report being happy, with slightly more than half of respondents in their 80s saying they were very happy.

"With age comes happiness. That is, overall levels of happiness increase with age, net of other factors," wrote Yang Yang, a University of Chicago sociologist, in a report on the survey published in the American Sociological Review.

The study drew its conclusions from interviews conducted between 1972 and 2004 by the university's National Opinion Research Center, which each year asked between 1,500 and 3,000 people: "Taken all together, how would you say things are these days -- would you say that you are very happy, pretty happy, or not too happy?"

Yang said the study confirmed a hypothesis that improvements in self-esteem and other traits that contribute to well-being tend to come with age.

The differences between genders and races when it came to a subjective sense of happiness decreased as people grew older, as access to health care evened out and people adjusted to similar losses in terms of relationships.

People tended to be happier during economic good times, Yang said. But those born into the crowded and competitive "Baby Boom" generation from 1946 to 1964 were the least happy -- probably because some did not get what they wanted out of life, he said.

So, want to be happy? Get old ! :-) ke...ke...ke...!

No longer playing by my side

Celebrated Deedee's birthday last night in Grand Blue Wave Hotel, together with my sons and daughter-in-law, joining in the huge Buka Puasa crowd.

My little girl is 26! Who would think that my little, almost waif-like daughter, will now be a busy Marketing Executive, spotting interests such as paintball, rock climbing and happiest when she is with her friends somewhere else?

I was so busy through the day, I didn’t take the time to play.
When you brought your dolls to me, I told you “Not now,” and quietly,
I cleaned the house, I’d iron and cook, and when you brought your story book,
And ask me to sit and read to you, I’d say, “I have too much to do.”
I’d tuck you in your bed at night, I’d dim the light.
Too quickly I’d pass through the door, I should have stayed a minute more.

Each year flies past, my little girl grew up so fast.
No longer playing by my side, for me to nurture and to guide.
The books and dolls are packed away, no longer are there games to play.
That all belongs to yester-year.
My days once busy now are calm, the hours empty and too long.

Source: http://www.poem-and-poems.com/poemmotherdaughter.html


She makes the best of the small room she owns but abuses the wall! :-) Ke...ke...ke...

The rewards of the simple life

My little terrace garden in a complete mess.

At this stage I almost gave up!


Looking decent after 6 hours of toil today.





The beautiful view from my terrace garden

To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter; to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird's nest or a wildflower in spring - these are some of the rewards of the simple life. ~John Burroughs

My Mother the shopper "possessed"

Went shopping with my sister yesterday for a mirror. Instead I ended up buying a chair and a set of cooking pots, while my sister ended up with one candle lamp, a lot of candles and 3 pots of plants, 2 rose plants plus an orchid plant.

When we were looking at the flowers, somehow our conversation went to our late Mother. She used to have green fingers, she loved plants, especially roses and hydrangeas. She used to plant them rather successfully in our garden in PJ. We know she would have loved the beautiful flowering plants being sold there.

We also remember that our Mother used to be quite a "compulsive" or "obsessive" shopper. For things she really liked she just went like crazy. Besides flowers, we recalled that she used to like going to Kuala Selangor to purchase fish straight from the sea. We could almost see her adrenalin rising on the sight of the freshest fish and prawns. And, when she visited Chinese sundry shops which sell traditional Chinese food products like abalone, shark fins, dried fish stomach, etc. she would be almost like a woman possessed, like she wanted to buy them all.

These are some special memories of our late Mother that only we as her daughters, have the benefit to share and keep.

A mother loves her children even when they least deserve to be loved - Kate Samperi

If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours!

If you had a bank that credited your account each morning with $86,400, that carried over no balance from day to day, and allowed you to keep no cash in your account, and every evening canceled whatever part of the amount you had failed to use during the day, what would you do?

Draw out every cent of course!

Well, you do have such a bank, and it's name is "time". Every morning it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it rules off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. If you fail to use the day's deposits the loss is yours.

-Unknown

Reproduced from http://www.corsinet.com/braincandy/qtime.html

Time is a Great Healer

TIME IS A GREAT HEALER BUT A LOUSY BEAUTICIAN! :-) Ke...ke...ke...

Reproduced from http://www.oldpeoplearefunny.com/

Fasting a healing process for the body and the spirit

Picture of the famous Grand Mosque in Xian China, built in 742 during the Tang Dynasty (618-907).
Source: http://www.lonelychina.com/xian/great-mosque-xian.html

Today is the first day of Ramadan. As ordained in the Quran, in the month of Ramadan the Muslims begin the day with an early breakfast and stay without food or drink until dusk. For the Muslims this is a month of self-regulation and self training when we learn virtues of piety, humility, are aware of God and fear Him, in the hope that this discipline will go beyond the month of Ramadan.

I understand that in many religions, there is a system of fasting.

In Buddhism, fasting is recognized as one of the methods for practising self-control. The Buddha advised monks not to take solid food after noon. In Buddhism, fasting is an initial stage of self-discipline to acquire self-control.

The Hindus believe that fasting is a means of showing that one can deny one’s physical needs for the sake of spiritual gains. The Hindus believe that fasting brings about a harmonious relationship between the body and the soul. The Hindus usually fast on new moon and annual festivals; practices vary, sometimes 24 hours of complete abstinence from any food or drink but more often an elimination of solid foods with occasional drink of milk or water; enhancement of concentration during meditation or worship, purification or a sacrifice.

The Baha'i abstain from food and drink sunrise to sunset during month of Ala from March 2-20; to focus on love of God and spiritual matters.

The Catholics fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. I was told that they take two small meals and one regular meal, with meat forbidden. Catholics believe that fasting teaches self-control, penance and solidarity with the poor.