This morning we attended a senior citizens’ fellowship gathering. A large group of senior citizens ( 55 althogether, the oldest was 86 years old ) gather weekly in a multi-purpose hall belonging to a church for fellowship and activities.
The session started off with songs accompanied by the old men playing the harmonica and a keyboard. They sang with gusto and joy, swaying to the rhythm and clapping hands.
Next was a cooking demonstration where an invited guest showed how a whole shank of pork could be cooked in 25 minutes, chicken rice in 6 minutes and chicken curry in 2.
Of course he used a pressure cooker! He got the senior ladies involved in the cooking process and they enjoyed every minute of it.
Everyone waited in eager anticipation of the treat in store, including us!
While waiting for the food to cook, the older men played chess while others chit chatted.
Meanwhile the table was laid out with food brought by some seniors and when the demonstration was completed and the food cooked, everyone helped themselves. The chief cook ladled out his fare to the eager ladies and gentlemen who “ aahed ” and “mmm..” over the food in appreciation.
It was obvious that these senior citizens were having a good time socializing.
A young woman who is the leader in this ministry disclosed that the activities they planned for the old folks included visits to other towns, to orphanages, enjoying dim sum ( breakfast of food steamed in bamboo baskets, such as fish ball, pork balls, dumplings, buns filled with roast pork, etc ), some form of aerobic stretching exercises and line dancing. On the agenda is a trip to Mt Kinabalu next month.
It is good that the senior citizens are given attention and programs are arranged for them so that they can meet their peers and interact, otherwise it would be a very mundane existence, each in their own homes. This weekly gathering is something they look forward to and it shows in their friendliness and camaraderie. There is an obvious sharing and caring for one another and one of the objectives is to see that the seniors have a good and happy time during these sessions.
This gathering is open to any senior citizen regardless of whether or not he is a member of the church or a non-Christian. We had an enjoyable morning and discovered an old friend whom we had not seen for 40 years!
Later in the afternoon, I went to a dear friend’s place for Tai Chi ( the simplified form of 18 steps ). Four birthdays were celebrated today
and after the exercise session we tucked heartily into a feast of birthday noodles, pumpkin soup, a sweet dessert of snow fungus boiled with red dates, wolfberries and longan, chicken in wine, meatballs, bird’s nest dessert, fruit, Chinese tea and finally the fresh cream birthday cake. In this group are senior ladies and four young ‘uns ( those still young and working ).
Again the socializing and interaction while enjoying the food was great. This is also a weekly activity.
The 6 pm ‘Cinderellas’ had to leave before the party was really over, myself one of them as I do not drive when the sun is setting and I need to get home before the sky turns dark.
So today was a rainbow day for me! I made new friends and re-connected with old friends.
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