My Longkang

Pic is courtesy of sivinkit.net however the original photographer is eechia.blogspot.com

Have you started agonizing about retirement? What will your life be like after retirement. Surprisingly, many people I asked thought of life after retirement with dread. A particular exception was one guy who purposely went to the PPC ferry terminal to wish us good-bye as we set off for work and went back to sleep. However he did turn up at the office to visit us a few days later ostensibly because he was bored.

Plan your finances well. Life actually could start after retirement. There are possibly many long years ahead. So, do not spend like there is no tomorrow and use your credit-cards with caution. Have you made investments to cover your expenses after retirement? Will your children take care of you? For the single person, this will be a particularly stressful time.

Another case I would like to mention is the case of pre-war shophouses. After the government removed the controlled-rent status of prewar shophouses, many families had to move out.

A grandmother was warmly welcomed by all the children as she was perceived to be useful with the housework and taking care of the kids. The father cried when the children played musical-chairs with him as he, the former tailor who had provided for them had become superfluous. The eldest and only son who was driving a Mercedez needed a room for the Indonesian maid. The daughter-in-law couldn’t cope with another person in the house.

What initiated this post?

Canadian media has reported that the world’s oldest woman Julie Winnefred Bertrand has died at the ripe old age of 115 in a Montreal retirement home, Read here

Emiliano Mercado del Toro of Puerto Rico remains the world’s oldest person, born 26 days earlier than Ms Bertrand.

The oldest person I ever met was a 95-year-old-woman. She had served as a nanny for a family when she first arrived from China. The phrase used in hockien is chabokan.

After her mistress died, her daughter took over her nursing home bills. Later the grand-daughter had to take over the nursing home bills. She still had beautiful skin as she was a vegetarian and seldom went any where without an umbrella. She was unfortunately bed-ridden. However she always acknowledged visitors with a smile.

Tomorrow will eventually arrive. In the meantime, eat, drink and be merry everyone .