If I am free

We need to take a step back and take a good look at our attitude.Too often we think of doing something for others only when we have the time or when and if it is convenient to us.If we ;have the right attitude , when someone needs our help we should make time and effort to help.That is sincerity and that is the kind of help which will go a long way. It makes me wonder if comes the time when we need help will there be anyone there for us ? We read , hear and see for ourselves the old folks who are dumped in Old Folks Home by their off springs with the excuse that they have no time for them as they are always busy .This is an example of people who fail to make an extra effort to do something and use something as a convenient excuse to shirk from their responsibility .We used to make visit to the old folks home and it broke our hearts to the old people sitting down there with lost and blank looks in their eyes .When we asked them how come they were there most would answer their children had no time for them. No time for your parents ? These people obviously think of nothing but themselves and have forgotten who brought them up and did everything for them , made sacrifices for them and went out of their way to see to their well being.They fail to value what their parents had done for them and now that they are old and helpless they just cast them away.Can we rate these kind of people? Can we give them even a little bit of respect ?
We talked to one young man at the kopitiam which we frequent and mum asked him a few personal questions like whom he stayed with and his salary etc.He told us he lived with his parents and he gave all his salary to his father and the father would then give him his pocket money .Mum said he is a rare breed as we seldom come across such young who showed such filial piety to his parents.During my time it was kind of obligatory for us to give part of our salary to our parents.That was mandatory as our parents said we owe it to them as they brought us up.We never argued over this and we always allocated a part of our salary for our parents.Today , parents are less demanding and we leave it to the children entirely.Most parents while they can like to be independent and not trouble the children.It is only when they are old and helpless that perhaps we may need to be looked after but then again .... We have to ditch the " If I am free " syndrome and really show our willingness to help those in need even if it means making sacrifices and going out of our way.That is putting other people's interest ahead of yours.We need to find the time and willingness to go out of our way for the sake of others.That is the kind of attitude which we ought to have but sadly enough few people have it and that is why we have people who are uncared for or abandoned because the people who matters have no time for them or fail to make time for them.

Year End thoughts

As we near the end of yet another year a few notes for us to ponder:
1.Husband-wife relationship.
In the olden days ( not that old actually , during our time ) husbands and wives followed certain rules.The man was the breadwinner and traditionally the Head of the house.Being so, he was responsible to ensure that the family is well taken care of .He was responsible for all the household expenses and made sure that he made a financial allocation for the wife so that she had enough pocket money for herself.
What she earned ( if she was working ) is irrelevant ,it was the obligation of the man to share what he had with her.This was the marriage commitment .
Today most women are independent , some even earn more and are more capable professionally and intellectually than the husbands.This should not prevent the man from playing his traditional role.Spouses should be supportive of each other and should be pillars of strength for each other >They should under no circumstances be viewed as liabilities in the family unit.If one spouse turns out to be passive, unreliable and unable to contribute to family well being then he is a liability and the family can jolly well do better without him.
2. Communicating.
I have seen different kinds of people in my life time.Some are able to get their thoughts out to others effectively.Communicating is an art and generally most average people are able to talk. Mum is a great talker whilst I will only say what I need to say.that's why perhaps we are so compatible.In communication one must be able to talk sensibly and intelligently.Shouting especially at kids makes you so inferior because people who shout are unable to control themselves and do not realize what a spectacle they make of themselves .What irritates me most is when someone is eating with his head down on his food talking to you without even looking up.To me , the response is very simple when I come across such people ...just refuse to engage with them and ignore such rudeness.These kind of people do not know about body language and what role it plays in effective communication .
3.Proactive .
Some people are simply not aware or sensitive to environment.If we see a child climbing up a chair or playing with a dangerous toy we should be alert to the next step and take the necessary steps to counter it.that's why accidents happen and its basically due to the carelessness of people .Proactive people are always alert and always look one step ahead .If you are not so , obviously you are in a state of oblivion and will not be outstanding in the things you do.Like it or not , life is about planning and being able to look ahead .Sadly I have come across people who lack this .
4. Stubborn.
Some people cant change no matter what .I cant see how such people can progress in life.Granted, we all make mistakes but positive people learn from their mistakes and therein lies the path to self improvement.Some people never learn which makes me to say either they are stubborn ( in a very negative way), insensitive ,or just plain dumb.
With the coming of the end of the year we should reflect on the year gone by , look at our strength and weaknesses and simply make a promise to ourselves that we will strive to be a better person  in the new year.

Self Appraisal

Every now and then we should take a step back and take a good look at ourselves.and see where we are at this point of time.This should be taken from several perspectives,
1. Career wise .
How do we rate ourselves in our careers .Are we climbing up the job ladder ? Are we one of the key people in our organization ? Do we play a significant role in our company ?
How can we better ourselves in the organization and what do our superiors think of us ?
These would be some right thinking people think about.On the other hand if you are a deadwood none of these items would make sense.they are contented to plod on, tolerate the bosses who do not think highly of them and suffer whatever inconveniences which may come with a job.
They have no initiative to explore other opportunities or take positive steps to better themselves.They have no self pride , no motivation in life and are like robots ...unthinking and mechanical.
2.Personality wise.
What sort of a person am I ? how do others see me and how do I see myself ? Do I have the personality which others can look up to or am I just what people would call a " dead loss?".Am I sensitive to people and my responsibility as a member of a family or as a member of society ? Do I listen to others and do I take note of their comments about me ?
Do I make efforts to improve and do I make an effort to reduce people's criticisms of me ? How do i think people rate me? ... inconsiderate ? " a no point talking to guy?", hopeless ? irresponsible ? cannot be relied on ? bad listener ? never learn type and finally do people describe you as a Deadwood ?
If you answer positively to all these then a change surely would be in order.this is what right thinking people would do , this is how self appraisal becomes meaningful.This is what makes the difference between quality and hopelessness.

3. Character.
An important element in one's personality .What sort of character is mine? Do I know how to listen ? Do I know how to be thankful and be considerate to those who help me ? Am I able to let people understand me ? Do I consider my  bad habits and make an honest effort to correct myself ? Do I persist in continuing with my bad habits despite being told so many times ?Or bottom line am I really a Deadwood ?

4.Goal Setting .
Do I set goals for myself to guide me along the way ? Can I improve my time management ? My family responsibility ? My career path ? Where do I see myself in the organization in a couple of years time or in future ? Do I make attempts to be more competent and improve my standard of performance? Do I give enough time to my family? Am I an asset or a burden to my wife ?
All these are potential areas of improvement and surely one will be a better person if just a few of these are given some attention.

As a teacher we can look at a person and quite quickly size him up. I have seen people who make genuine efforts to improve themselves and also people who do not. The do nots are hopeless and unresponsive to any form of stimulation.You can nag them , scold them , advise them and at the end of the day nothing happens.There is only one way to describes such people ..either they are incompetent, do not measure up , have no drive in them ,Others dont matter to them as they are caught up in their own little world so that they become self centered , or you may just want to say they are plain Deadwood.

Filial piety

To the Chinese being filial is one of the most important traits a person should have.the Chinese have always believed that just as our parents must bear the responsibility of bringing us up so must we the children respect and honor them when they are with us and even when they are gone.Paying respects to your parents irrespective of whether they are around or not is an important Chinese tradition.
If you fail to do that you are being un filial and this comes with a lot of adverse effects. Some believe that  if you are unfilial you will be affected by all sorts of bad feng shui and that the cycle will come back to you ie if you are not filial to your parents so will your children be to you.
There are many ways of being filial,. Amongst them is to respect your parents and listen to them.Of course , loving and honoring them are part and parcel of filial piety.Too often we take parents for granted and too often we think more of ourselves than them .Sad, but true.
We never think of the things our parents do for us when they are around and if they are gone sometimes we even forget.remembering your parents come in the form of having them in your thoughts all the time and manifesting it by paying respects to them in their final resting places.sadly enough though there are people who do not find time to visit their parents graves during All Souls'day or Ching Ming .These are annual affairs designed to allow the off springs to show their respect to their parents and if you cant even spare one day in a year for this purpose then it speaks very little of you as a person.
Young people are so wrapped up in their daily routines that they forget to think of the old people who are with them.I just wonder why on certain days they cannot be a bit early so that the elderly can get on with other chores ? Why must they be so late that by the time the poor old person leaves its already dark  and dont they realize that it is a strain for old people to drive in the dark, more so if there is rain ?This is where a little consideration would go a long way and it is but one of the many ways we can show filial piety.
Today only me and mum do our filial duty by paying our respects annually to our dearly departed and it has always occurred to us that one day when we are gone will our descendants do the same from us.Judging from the trend now , looks like we have reason to be concerned but I have always told mum that once we are gone this does not matter anymore ,just the thought that after all she has done would it be to much to ask to be remembered ?

Success and failure

Steven Covey's "7 habits of successful people " makes for interesting reading.The book has been in the market for quite some time and we discussed it at length during my learning and training days.Going through his message, it boils down to a simple premise , that before anything can happen for the better we must make changes within ourselves.To do this , an honest self analysis needs to be done .Questions like ; What are my objectives  in life ? How am I going to achieve them? What are my strengths and weaknesses ? How to build on my strengths and improve on my weaknesses ?
To answer these questions and to be able to do something about them makes the difference between success and failure.
One would know about one's weaknesses surely as along the way there would have been people who have pointed them out to us in good faith.If you are proactive and sensitive you would think of how to handle these.I have noted that the are people who moan and groan about traffic jams.So ? Dont they realize that traffic jams are part and parcel of life in the city .Do they ever consider how pathetic their groans and moans seem to thinking people.? People of substance would think of how to cope with such a situation instead of moaning and groaning .If you expect pity or sympathy from people , forget it as they will only recognize how ineffective you are as a person.Life is about choices and we are blessed that we can make choices.What matters is if we know how .
Steven Covey made his point very clearly that successful people never let circumstances control them but they control the circumstances.I can give lots of examples but I feel it would be belaboring the obvious.
If you cant manage your personal life how can you manage the external forces which are part and parcel of your life ? Success comes with constant reminders , countless determination to improve and constant efforts to improve.We have our weaknesses >the difference between the successful person and the failure is the one recognizes them and keep on working to get rid of them whilst the failure just moan and groan and never bother to think of ways and means to improve.There is nothing so sickening as to tell someone something and watch him do nothing or even make an effort to consider what input has been given to him.

The superior and the Mediocre

We see a lot of young people trying to make the best of their lives ,making a living, building a home and work for a future for their children.In the process we see the different kinds of young people and there is definitely a clear line of distinction between the superior and the mediocre.The superior is ambitious, works hard and has a clear cut sense of direction.he knows what he wants and knows what it takes to get it.He is all the time alert , listening and digesting information and making use of what he has picked up.
The mediocre will not even listen and if you hope that external input and stimulus will motivate him or even make him spare a thought , you better think twice.I call these people "Deadwood ". They are dead to any kind of stimulus , are complacent and live in their own comfort zone.They will not budge or try to make a difference in their lifestyle.They watch things happen and flow with the tide .you would not expect them to make things happen because they are not sensitive to any sort of stimuli .Looking at their body language will tell you a lot about them.When in a group , they do not participate intelligently and can only be good enough to make some obvious remarks from time to time.An example would be ,if they see someone back from somewhere they seek to ask " You just came back from ...? ". So obvious a question that it needs not be asked and even asking it makes you sound stupid.
Superior people if they have nothing to ask will just listen and absorb  what is being said and learn from it.talking to a mediocre person is like talking to a wall and what makes it so annoying is that they never seem to listen .People change and change is the impetus for improvement >If you do not change your way how can you improve.Of course change is not necessarily for the better but if you are sensitive enough when somebody points out your weakness you may see the need to make a change.If not, who can blame you for being called a "Deadwood ?"/
Life is about betterment and improvement .the superior person will always be self analytical and be sensible enough to make changes.There are people who live in traffic congested areas and only know how to complain about traffic jams.Given, that traffic jams are a way of life , there are certainly ways to circumvent it if you are proactive and intelligent enough. If need to , leave at 6am and be back off peak hours.There are other alternatives like change jobs, change place of work but for these options to work one must be thinking individuals and not people who just moan and groan without making any real efforts to circumvent the problem/Consider, going to work early and coming home late and what this will make your employer think of you.
The difference between the two types of people will be seen in terms of the responsibilities and trust given to them and the high level of confidence which people will tend to have of them .Its time to look at ourselves and assess which category of people we want to be in.

A matter of character.

It really irks me to see people turn scruffy .Wearing clothes which are not well ironed and failing to groom oneself are annoying things to discerning people.I cant figure out why shaving is so difficult when indeed it should be a matter of daily routine.Imagine facing your boss and clients with scruffy , untidy growth on your face .What will be the impression you give to the people whom you have to face ?I had a teacher under me who once came to work with his " whiskers " growing haphazardly on his face  and I told him in no uncertain terms to go home and have a good shave before he faces his students.From that day on he was always cleanly shaved and presentable as befitting a man of his status.
Personal grooming is something which in a way will differentiate the quality man from the mediocre.If you have to face people ,you have to understand that they are  quick to criticize and judge .Imagine talking business with hairs sticking out from all over your face .What will others be thinking of you? There will be some who fall back on the premise that " It does not matter what others think of me ".If you have this kind of attitude then you might as well be a Robinson Crusoe or Tarzan who happily wears a loin cloth .We cant run away from the fact that we are social animals and like it or nor people's impressions of you count.
How can people think highly of you if you cant even manage yourself? When employers think of a candidate for promotion what do they look at ? For one, I am sure they would consider your personality , how you carry yourself , how you present yourself ,other than your job attitude , job knowledge, team work and etc.If we were to consider someone for managerial positions these factors will certainly count.A well presented individual would certainly give confidence and be a good symbol of corporate image.
My previous employer in the Renong Group of Companies would ensure that all executive staff representing the company be attired in coat and tie and this rule makes sense as our clients would then look at us with some kind of admiration for we were properly attired.In the government too all senior officers must be at least properly attired with shirt and tie.This is image and certainly at first impression image goes a long way.A bit of self appraisal , a good look at oneself in the mirror from time to time will go a long way to boost up your character.

Doctors

The year 2015 is special in terms of medical encounters.I have seen quite a number of doctors to treat my various ailments.Most of them were seen at the insistence of my dear wife who would happily recommend to see various doctors.
Other than my cardiologist whom I have been seeing for the past ten years I have also seen the following :
1.Dr. Ernest who did the operation to change my pacer battery.He is in his forties and quite an efficient surgeon.He did the operation in less than 40 minutes and I had only to stay one day in the hospital.
2,Dr.Shamila , kidney specialist.I know her from the time she was a little girl and in the same school as the twins.She saw me to make sure that my kidneys are in good condition with all the medication I am taking.
3. Dr.Ainon from Sime Darby Hospital.She treated me when my sugar level suddenly shot up and did my blood tests and etc. She was my doctor for three days when I was hospitalized and she managed to get my sugar level down.
4.Dr.Ong , bone specialist son of an old friend whom I consulted for my back problem.
5. Dr. Nadarajah an endocrinologist whom I saw recently to check my diabetes.
6. Chinese Sinseh A who treated my back problem .
7. Chinese Sinseh B who did acupuncture on me for 6 times .No result or improvement.
8.Chinese Sinseh C who did a bit of bone stretching and biometric treatment plus acupuncture.
Seeing 8 doctors within the year has made me summarize :
a) no two doctors will diagnose the problem similarly.
b) doctors will try to get you to undergo all sorts of treatment so they can make more money out of you.
c) they will ensure that you keep coming back to see them.
d) they will use you as a guinea pig to ascertain their diagnosis and the treatment which they prescribe.
e) most doctors seem to have forgotten that they are doctors basically to treat sick people and save lives.
This experiences have made me lose a bit of my faith and trust in doctors.

Random thoughts

I cannot help but notice the people around me these days and have to comment :
 1.Dress and grooming. Looking at young people nowadays i cannot help but say that they have no dress sense .They wear clothes without giving a thought to color match, clothes suitability, their own physical make up and lots of other things which go with good grooming.
Its good to know the difference between dressing up and dressing down.A person who can differentiate this and know how to do so accordingly will go a long way..Too often we see people dressing sloppily and put on such an untidy appearance.Its good to look at ourselves critically in the mirror once in awhile.
People somehow will look at you from your outward appearance .How you dress, what type of dress you wear and the quality of your wardrobe goes a long way in people's assessment of you."Clothes maketh the man " is food for thought.Everyone will appreciate a clean cut young man and certainly not one who projects an image of untidiness and sloppiness.
Sad to say personal grooming has gone to the dogs .To me a persons grooming from head to toe counts.When I interview staff one of the things I look at is the condition of his shoes .A pair of well polished and clean shoes will tell us a lot about the person .
2.Manners.
What happened to good manners, politeness and courtesy ? I have come across many students who dont know how to greet people and when I come across such people I deliberately say " Good Morning , afternoon or evening " as the case would be .then they would look sheepishly and say the same thing.
3.Habits.
I cant imagine having dinner without first having a good shower.I suppose this is due to the home training which we had when we were young.My parents would always make sure that we were clean whenever we sat down at the dining table.I believe this was good training but today many young people do no seem to have this habit.Table manners seem to be a thing of the past and sometimes its painful to see this happening right before your eyes.
 4.Sensitivity.
People do not know how to listen.Advice given by the elders are hardly noted .If you dont know how to listen and open your mind how can you learn and how can you improve ?
5. In search of excellence.
I have always taught my students to aim to be the best and excel in whatever they do.We see a lot of young people bitten by the complacency bug and they seem to have no drive or aim to excel.Seemingly they lack the motivation and self esteem to want to be the best..

As we see it young people are not made of the stuff which the older generation are and it makes one wonder how come this has happened , what with all the technology and knowledge available today as compared with the olden days ?

Fighting the battles.

As I reach the 75th milestone life becomes more challenging and to a certain extent interesting as I find myself in  a few battles which I have to win in order to reach the further milestones:
1. The battle against diabetes.
Since I discovered that the sugar level shot up like crazy after the Chinese New year its necessary to try to overcome this.the battle strategy is to diet , be selective about food and  drinks and to have lots of exercise.
Food control means an almost sugarless diet ,with the same stuff almost everyday .It also means abstaining from the food I love, like noodles, sweets ,ice cream and white rice.Food taken is generally bland but mum uses her creativity to come up with edible dishes .This make life much easier and her support and care are invaluable in times like this.
It also means medication which must not be avoided and at the end of the day it is discipline which sees one through.
2.The battle against back and leg sprain.
I have been suffering from this for more than two months ever sine I twisted the back during one of the golf games.Its painful to walk especially climbing up the stairs.From the car park to my office its 44 steps and double that if I go out for lunch.This journey is difficult and painful but there is no choice as this route has to be taken.
The strategy here is to get traditional treatment which includes acupuncture.I have never done acupuncture before and it was only out of desperation that I tried it.Its quite traumatic to say the least and each time you kind of wince anticipating the penetration of the needles on your nerve points.It last for about 45 minutes and this time is filled with discomfort and stress.
After 4 visits it seems to be getting better as the doctor says he has to realign the nerves and veins or whatever.My aim is to get well asap so I can return to my golf  as soon as possible.
3.Battle 3.
Thoughts of getting back to golf were dashed when it was discovered that my pacer battery has to be replaced soon .The process involves an operation to take out the pacer and put in a new battery .As a result it will take 3 months or so for the pacer to settle down and the wound to heal so there goes my golf.
These are some of life's battles which need to be faced and must be won.Losing any one of these would make life difficult and perhaps lead to unforeseen circumstances.Fortunately I am not fighting these battles alone as I have the support of the family and friends which will definitely provide me with all the encouragement and strength needed to fight some of life's battle.

In sickness and in death

As we grow older we are afflicted with all types of sicknesses in body and mind.Recently I discovered that my sugar level shot up from 4.2 to 29 an astronomical jump. Hospitalization was necessary to bring the level down and part of the treatment was being jabbed by the insulin needle a few times a day.the doctor said that this could be a norm.I cannot imagine having to jab myself with a needle every day so I asked what other options are available.The doctor said ", Control, Exercise and a lot of discipline " a tall order but not something which cannot be done.Mum was there with me to listen to what the doctor said . From thence on she would make sure I have the proper breakfast , ( low sugar ) ,pack my lunch and make sure I had the right stuff for dinner.Not an easy task as she had to plan the menu and make sure I followed it strictly.Not only this, she took the trouble to find out traditional remedies and asked me to try them out. knowing the trouble she went to I of course obediently ate and drank whatever she made for me.Undoubtedly it was troublesome for her but she did all these without any fuss and at times it looked to me , happily.Her support in my difficult time was inspirational and I knew she was worried even though she did not show it.I lost weight and did not have the normal appetite and was easily tired .This of course I kept from her as it was unnecessary to make her more worried. Besides this, she has to monitor my sugar level almost every other day.the process involved pricking the finger and testing the blood and each time she read the level she would comfort me though I could see that at times when the level went up she would be worried though she tried hard not to show it. The problem is made so much easier knowing that she is around to ensure that I am well taken care of .This, she does with a lot of loving care and its a great feeling knowing that in times of difficulties your spouse is right there by your side.

A man's legacy

The passing away of LKY has brought along with it many tributes about his contribution to Singapore and family.Not withstanding this of course there are also critics who did not like his style of governance and what he tried to do for his country.That aside , I have not seen or read about people who criticized him as a person , a loving husband , father and grandfather.His legacy to his family , to me , should also take prominence. To the Chinese , leaving this world is inevitable but leaving behind something which will last for generations is something else.the Chinese believe that every man worth his salt will leave behind the home which he built for the children.The house is usually built through the sheer effort of the man without any help most of the time. It is the symbol of his achievements and the need to provide a roof over the heads of his family.The house represents all the efforts of the man and is something which he proudly leaves for his children and grandchildren. Sad to say , sometimes the children feel that the house which the man built is not good enough so as soon as he is gone they tear it down and destroy the vary fabric of the home.In the case of LKY its fortunate neither one of the parents is around so they cant see what will happen to the house which they both built being torn apart.Can you imagine how one partner will feel if he is around to see the children tearing down the house.They say the soul of the man will always come back to his house but what happens when he does so and finds a totally different house.Where is the respect for him? , where is the sentiment which should be attached to the house ? and where is the consideration for the feelings of the remaining spouse? I am sure that LKY's family will want to ensure that the house which their parents built and spent so much happy time will not be touched and I am quite sure , out of love and respect for their parents they will retain as much of the things in the house as possible.This is what the Chinese call filial piety and holding dear all that was precious to their parents. Yes, LKY's legacy is the values and principles which he lived by and its a learning eye opener for us all.Respect, filial piety , consideration for the feelings of the elders are age old values which must not be lost.I feel that what we should learn from LKY is not so much about the way of governance but how to be a true man and how despite being so busy he was able to run his family and impart the values and principles which one should live by.

New lifestyle

Since my sugar level went up I had been hospitalized, and give immediate treatment.But the treatment process is slow and hence the doctors advised strict control of my lifestyle which means first of all a complete change of habits.No sugar based food, exercise and of course discipline. To stay away from all the things which one wants to eat is not easy but with the right mind set its not that difficult.Just dont look at these types of food and you will be able to control.Eating the right food is not easy as if you want to avoid a less sugar diet , you will find that almost everything contains sugar and so its a matter of cutting down which means eat less of certain food .I have also been trying all types of traditional cures and getting opinions from those who are suffering from this illness.Drink coconut water, blend fruits and vegetables especially bitter gourd , go on vegetarian diet ...the opinions are varied and quite confusing.But if you are sick and if you want to return to normal your mind tells you to give everything a shot , which is what I am doing now. I assume the right formula will be found through trail and error and through a period of time. Looking back , the diabetic problem started when I had a craving for isotonic drinks and fruit juices which I consumed in quite big doses.The thirst was different and on top of that I could not sleep well at night as there were too many toilet breaks.This made me decide to go for a check up and when the doctor read my sugar level he said " Uncle , you should go to the hospital immediately".The way he said it scared me and so I went to the hospital and they immediately admitted me. I am now at the recovery period and must lead a life of discipline with no indulgence in food which to me is not a big issue as I dont eat much anyway.the only problem is with the controlled diet you are hungry all the time .This is something which I have to cope with I guess .Just hope that the sugar level will come down .

New Year, New Challenges

2014 has come and gone and we welcome 2015 with hope of better things to come. As we welcome the new year we should make new resolutions, set new goals and be prepared to face new challenges.For me the biggest challenge is good health and it does not come with just wishing.We have to work towards achieving this goal. It means leading a more disciplined lifestyle with lots of exercise , rest and avoiding unhealthy foods.I have given up on fast foods , excessive eating and my diet is now absolutely free of fizzy drinks especially coca cola which is proven to be non beneficial with long term negative health effects.I take a brisk morning walk every morning, go to the driving range at least twice a week and a full round of golf at least once a week. Occasionally , I give myself an extra round if the situation permits it.Somehow I still feel guilty about playing during working days .This is probably the result of having worked all my life . Work wise, the contracts have been extended for another 3 years whilst a new one is signed for two years and there is one coming up for another 5 years inclusive of the construction period .Looks like ,as Mum says " You are going to work until 80 or until you drop".I prefer the second option as I cant imagine a life without purpose or a sense of achievement.As long as health permits probably I will go on and on .Though the memory tends to fade at times and the eyes do not see so clearly I believe thare a re still a few more good years left in me. Recently some of the students whom I taught had a gathering in Teluk Intan and I was with them .It feels good to be remembered by your students and better still to see them turning into useful people .What really touched me was that they remembered me with respect and told stories ( I cant remember ) about how I made a change in their lives and how proud and happy they are to have me as their teacher.Guess these are things which only teachers can enjoy..to be respected and revered by our students.What was important was that I am still able to drive to the place and back.This is a blessing which must never be taken for granted. The New Year brings with it the cycle of life again, the Chinese new Year, Ching Ming, work, see the grandchildren grow up and doing all the things which you had done in 2014 and over and above all this is the blessed feeling that you are able to do it again. This is something which I really treasure and will do so for as long as I can.