PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

Joseph was watching Grandpa putting on his shoes. 'Why do you always turn your shoes over and shake them before you put them on, Grandpa?' he asked. 'Do I?' replied Grandpa. "Why, yes, you shook them just now but I didn't see anything coming out. I have to shake my shoes sometimes to get the sand out.' Grandpa laughed. 'I didn't know that I shook my shoes, Joseph.'

'I must have formed the habit of shaking my shoes every time before I put them on when I was in the military service in the jungles.' 'Why did you do it there?' 'Oh, to shake out any scorpion, centipede or other vermin that might be hiding in them.' 'But you don't have to do it here. We don't have such things here.' 'I know,' said Grandpa, 'but I had formed the habit and now I do it without thinking.'

'Habit is a queer thing, isn't?' said Joseph. 'It is a very strong thing,' Grandpa replied. 'A habit is a chain that grows stronger and stronger every day. A bad habit will grow just as strong as a good one. If you want to have good habits when you are old, you would better form them when you are young.'

'When we have practised good actions a while, they become easy; when they are easy, we take the pleasure in them; when they please us, we do them frequently; and then by frequency of act, they grow into habits.'

TO THE YOUNGER GENERATION

Surveys show that suicide rates in 60's age group are four times as much as in others. Loneliness ranks as the first cause in this unfortunate toll.

Loneliness is the chief misery anyone getting old dreads. Added to other problems - like inability to clean and repair, to shop and cook - comes the main complaint of oldsters: 'No one knocks on my door any more."

'It is easy to forget an older citizen in all this urban upset. They cannot fend for themselves, fight or push. They must be helped."

Young men and women, you can do a lot to help your elder brothers and sisters pull on cheerfully to the end by giving them the much-needed company and understanding. You will win from tears of gratitude besides deserving aptly to be called by them blessed:

Happy are they who understand my faltering step and palsied hand

Happy are they who know that my ears today must strain to catch the things they say.

Happy are they who seem to know that my eyes are dim and wits are slow.

Happy are they who looked away when coffee is spilled at the table today.

Happy are they with a cheery smile who stop to chat a little while.

Happy are they who never say, 'Your have told the story twice today.'

Happy are they who know the ways to bring back memories of yesterdays.

Happy are they who make it known that I'm loved, respected and not alone.

Happy are they who know I'm at a loss to find the strength to carry the cross.

Happy are they who ease the days on my journey Home in loving ways.

Age is a quality of the mind.

If you have left your dreams behind,

If hope is cold,

If you no longer look ahead,

If your ambition's fire are dead,

Then you are old.

IT IS BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

All of us are living on "borrowed time" in this world without knowing when our time will be up. So, make the best of it all while we can. There is a saying which states that "prevention is better than cure". As a matter of prevention, we should consume more vegetables, fruits, grains and fish with less intake of Salt and meat and end up with regular daily exercises to dispel the toxins in order to promote better blood circulation in the body. Like an old Chinese saying that "HEALTH IS BETTER THAN WEALTH." It is indeed very true if we look down deep inside us. I know of an unfortunate rich person who was crippled by a STROKE which restricts his physical movements is always confined to a bed or in a wheel-chair. Even though he has so much wealth yet he is unable to enjoy it.

Coronary Heart Disease which is known as the "SILENT KILLER" is now the leading cause of death in many Asian countries and is the KILLER of some seven million worldwide each year.

Just a few words of awareness shared with us by Jim Hutchison.

SEVEN WAYS TO AVOID HEART DISEASE.

!. Quit Smoking.
Cigarette accounts for 20 per cent of all cardiovascular deaths. But if you quit, your risk of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) drops by a whopping 50 per cents within 12 months. In 15 years, risk of dying from CHD drops to nearly the same as non-smokers.

2. Eat more vegetables, fish and grains.
Foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol can raise levels of cholesterol in the blood and plug arteries. For every ten per cent above acceptable levels, risk of CHD increases by 20 per cent.

3. Reduce the intake of SALT.
Foods high in sodium (such as soy sauces and monosodium glutamate) contribute to high blood pressure, increasing the risk of stroke. High blood pressure is often symptom-less, making it crucial to have a simple blood-pressure test.

4. Get Active.
Two million deaths a year are attributed to physical inactivity. People who exercise - even as little as three ten-minute bouts of vigorous activity a day - can decrease their risk of heart attack by 40 per cent.

5. Reduce stress.
Mounting evidence suggests that job-related stress is a risk factor for heart disease. Find time to relax.

6. Don't forget your kids. "Heart disease does not happen overnight - it takes years for coronary arteries to block up. That means parents are the first line of defence in protecting their children from heart disease later in life by serving healthy food at home and limiting junk food. Helping children maintain a healthy weight by encouraging physical activity instead of letting them sit in front of the computer ot TV means they are likely to carry healthy habits into adulthood.

7. Get a checkup.
This is an advice which is valid for everyone - especially if you have a close relative who died from heart disease or stroke before age 60. You, too, could be at RISK.

ARE DIAMONDS THE GIRLS' BEST FRIENDS?

There was a movie which entitled "Diamonds are the girls' best friends" starred by Marilyn Monroe and was shown at the theatres ages ago. Back in the old days as a child I was too inquisitive asking too many questions as the result my father would scold him. I asked my father why diamonds were the girls' best friends but not for the males. He laughed at me and said that I was too young to understand but perhaps when I grew older, I would know the real reasons.

I would not want to dispute that diamonds are the girls' best friend. In my opinion, I would say that the dogs are the men's best friends. They will wag their tails to greet their masters who come home from work. Not only will they run round and round, expressing their cheerfulness but also smiling and licking their masters.

We have a mixed Japanese dog who has been with us since she was a tiny puppy for more than ten years. She is called Micky and likes to show herself off. After being with us for a couple of years she gave birth to six puppies but we gave four away and keep Daisy and Spot. All three of them are our body-guards stationed at the backyard of the house. Whenever there are strangers moving in the vicinity of the backyard, they will never stop barking and leaping against the fence.. They will bark at other dogs passing by. We have to clean the tiled flooring of the backyards every morning not because of their droppings but their foot marks on the floor. Initially, we had a hard time pulling them one by one into the cage situated at the end of the compound before the cleaning up. They were so pampered and stubborn at first but they are so obedient now. As soon as they hear the sound of water spraying from the hose, they will run to the unlocked cage waiting for us to lock it until we have finished cleaning up the floor. They are so disciplined 'cause they have never wet nor left the droppings on the floor as they will finish their business on the grass. We seldom left them to run on their own for fear of losing them. It was perculiar of Micky that each time when we brought her to Veterinary station, she would do her business by leaving traces of her droppings in the compound as a mark of her presence there. Funny thing about her is that she would leave her droppings in the Animal Centre, a private veterinary, without fail. We felt bad but there was nothing we could do as the clinic is inside the building where there is no place for her to do her business. Micky, the grand old lady likes to travel in a car. She behaves like a human being by looking out the windows impatiently. They seem to be able to distinguish people. They will never bark at nicely dressed friends but they will never stop barking at the people who send the cooking gas cyclinder and strange gardeners.

There is no name given to our pet "cat". My son brought this mixed Siamese cat all the way from Singapore a decade ago. She was quarantined for one month before she was allowed to join us. When she was small, she gave us lots of problems leaving her droppings at any convenient place like the corners or underneath the cupboards where it was so difficult for us to reach. Whenever she urinated, the whole house would stink. So far, she has never left the house except waiting at the garage to catch birds. She is quite destructive as she will sharpen her claws by scratching on the sofas damaging them and doors leaving some undesirable marks behind. There were times when we locked her in the room accidentally. She would scream at her highest voice, crying for help. She would draw our attention by scratching on the door leaving visible marks on it. She still follows my wife like a leech and wait for her inside the loo. Sometimes, when she misses her timing to join my wife in the loo, she will wait outside patiently for my wife to come out. It is her duty to catch lizards and cockcroaches at night. We would expect cats to catch mice but not this one. We cannot accept the fact that she is afraid of mice. On one fine night, there was a small mouse running about in the house. My daughter and her husband watched her movements closely. Instead of pouncing at the mouse, she stayed at one corner, watching the tiny mouse running about in the house. However, there is one good about her. She has replaced the alarm clock. She would make loud noise at about 5.30 in the morning to wake us up. Sometimes, when the door of our room was left opened slightly, she would push the door open and wait there until I left the room. Like a good watch-dog, she would wait until all of us left our room upstairs. Would you believe that cats can also act like weather-cocks? There are many a time when she would curl herself up and sit beside me looking frightened. Her action would prompt to us that it was about to rain. True enough, there was either a slight rainfall or a heavy downpour.

All three of them are our faithful companions. They are a very friendly lot for without them the whole house will remain very quiet. My conclusion is based from our experiences that our dogs and cats are our best friends.

Is money the root of all evils???

"Is money the root of all evils"???. Well, I agree to a certain extent but if it was properly managed then it could be the contrary. Most attractive distractions normally would not escape the eyes of the rich 'cause there was always the tendency to pick up things randomly which would later add to their collections of "redundant things" found lying in the house collecting dust. I know of a rich friend who would lavish and shower the kids with branded clothes, travelling first class, eating at the posh restaurants and staying in the five-star hotels. His passion for earning fast money to meet the undying demands and maintain the rich status for his family drove him to invest his extra money with a Swiss bank initially "promised" quick returns. As a family man, he thought that he was doing the right thing after being pestered coupled with much persuasion from his friends who assured him that the scheme was not a SCAM. He was very much impressed by the testimonials shown to him that some investors earned ten-folds of the amounts invested. He waited for almost a year, hoping against hope, for his handsome returns but it never come. Suddenly, he realised that it was a SCAM by then there was no turning back. He entrusted that huge investments to those friends/introducers. When he tried to locate them, they had disappeared into thin air with his money. His greed turned him into almost a pauper and is living on a very tight budget with no more frills like before for the family.

There were several top government servants and some rich people whom I have heard of even borrowed money from the Banks to participate in the "become rich overnight" schemes. They too were conned by the SCAM and had lost thousands and thousands of dollars. These people might have the means to repay the bank loans but those middle-class borrowers charged their land titles as securities just absconded but later faced the legal actions from the Banks.

During the weekends, the punters could be seen at the Horse Racing ground looking for tips from the horse-owners and jockeys. This is one place where even the labourers and low-earners could try their luck. The reason is that even punters with as little as $10.00 can place their bets on their favourite horses for five races as each ticket costs at $2.00 only. In order to discourage the punters from betting, I would suggest that each ticket be sold at a minimum price of $10.00 to prevent some die-hard labourers and low wage-earners from placing their bets.

This is another place where not only the low wage-earners, labourers but the rich as well would frequent the betting counters most for the "4-Digits bettings". The bet per ticket is only $1.15 including the government and service taxes. I heard of some house-wives pinching part of the daily allowances for buying foods to try their luck on the 4-Digits bettings which are held three times a week. One can read in the newspapers that these organisations are reaping in millions of dollars yearly at the expense of the punters. The Government should address this issue by not only allowing special draws to be held during the week-days but also to reduce the number of draws per week. Just like in the case of the horse racing bettings, they should increase the betting to $5.00 per ticket which may not be within the means of some punters as a means to check them out.

All these boiled down to all forms of gambling like playing the slot machines, buying shares in the stock markets, placing bets on the horse racings and 4-Digits numbers, etc. A few millionaires, middle-class working people and even politicians spent almost 24 hours addicted playing the slot machines (known also as the one armed bandit) in the Recreation clubs throwing away their "easy come and easy go money" whereas there are some who threw away their "blood" money earned with sweats. Most of them lost so heavily in the matter of days thus forcing them to dispose of almost everything in their possessions. For some rich gamblers, they would dispose of their few big bungalows and expensive cars but the poor ones would have to borrow money from the illegal money-lenders who would charge them with very high interests to pay off gambling debts. This was not the end of it, if they were unable to repay the debts to the "Alongs", some would end up committing suicides leaving the trails of unaccountable debts behind as legacies for their poor families. These so-called illegal money lenders or "Alongs" would continue to harrass the victims and their family members by hurling abusive languages, throwing red paints on the cars, painting huge vulgarish words on the walls of the houses. Some of the victims were beaten up physically for failing to pay daily/weekly high interests to the Alongs on time. There is always a question which remains "unanswered". Why have the local authorities never stopped issuing nor renewing permits/licences which would act as a deterrent to check but instead allowed new applications for more slot machines to spring up like "mushrooms growing overnight" in some towns. Another source which contributes such MENACE is the "Alongs" or illegal money lenders. No doubt, one may say that the prerogratives lie with the borrowers. If there were no "Alongs" or so-called "financial assistances" providing "easy to borrow money" to these people then the ideas of re-couping the losses would not arise. When the gamblers are in the heats of losing money, they could not think straight thus exposing themselves to irrational, irresponsible and selfish thoughts and actions..

The Local Government Ministry should tighten up controls to eradicate such illegal activities deployed by the Alongs from causing more destructions to the lives of those bread-winners (some to the extent of committing suicides) and the break-ups of some innocent peace-loving families. Stern actions should be taken to eradicate the existence of the "Alongs" who are lending out "easy money" on the spot with or without securities (as the Banks would take a few weeks to approve the loans after sighting the securities only), to reduce the number of slot machines at the Recreation clubs, to impose more strict and stringent restrictions by allowing ONLY THE TOURISTS to enter. Then, at the end of the day, I believe the families will live in peace and harmony. These illustrations are based on actual facts.

Money could be said is "not" the root of all evils provided it is managed well and proper but compulsive gamblings such as investing in "get rich overnight schemes" frequenting the horse racings, uncontrollable bettings on 4-Digits, playing the slot machines (one armed bandits) and the likes are the ones responsible for destroying many happy and innocent families.

"Slow thinking may cause permanent disability".

Things would not have been the same after two mild strokes. Most of my friends told me that I was very, very lucky to be able to survive the second stroke though it was considered mild but on that very first day, I was partially paralysed on the right side of my body, right from my face down to the feet. I was unable to hold a comb, a ball-pen nor any object then. It was very visibly that the right side of my mouth was slightly uneven thus causing my speech to be slurred. I could feel the numbness on my right leg as the result that I could not even stand up let alone walk. After the first stroke, my son told me if I ever experienced the second stroke don't ever delay but get myself admitted soonest to the nearest hospital before the conditions turn for the worse. With that in mind, I asked my wife to send me to the General Hospital. My son called from the States warning me not to wait any longer but get immediate medical treatments without fail. Initially, I was kind of stubborn, not realising the urgency and danger of the deadly stroke. I thought that it was like the first time when it would slowly ease off but later on I realised that it was unlike the first time where there was a pain in the chest only. This time, there was not only pain in the chest but also numbness on the right side of my body.

I told my wife that this time, I felt like going to hell. Only with God's blessing would I be able to pull through. I was admitted to the Emergency ward that late morning, when I was put on a drip. My blood pressure reading was very abnormally high with 185/130. Even with some solution dripping for the night, the blood pressure reading remained the same the next morning. For a moment, I thought that God was taking back my life. However, after the specialists gave another two injections, followed by one daily, my b.p. reading had returned to almost normal.I was on the drip for another two days before I was discharged. During the short stay in the hospital, I went through the brain scanning, ECG and MRI (though it was done very much later). Thank God, the results were normal. Today, with proper medical assistances and regular intake of medication, massages and physical therapy, I felt the sensation on the right side of my face, mouth and hand was coming back though I am unable to walk normally.

If not for their encouragements and sufferings endured by my wife, daughter, her husband, my son and his wife, I believe that I would still be bed-ridden, perhaps, for the rest of my life.

From these experiences, I would like to share with my fellow brothers and sisters not to wait any longer when the stroke strikes. Go to the nearest hospital for immediate medical attention. NEVER FAIL TO TAKE THE MEDICATIONS PRESCRIBED BY YOUR DOCTORS.

Relaxation is a skill

"Experience is the hardest kind of teacher. It gives the test first, and the lesson afterward."

"Relaxation is a skill that requires practice over and over again until you achieve mastery. Relaxation techniques can be learnt through constant practice. If you find yourself unable to relax, you may need to practise more to gain the above prerequisites before you can master certain relaxation techniques. Relaxation must also be differentiated from recreation. Recreation is a means of relaxation, but it never offers complete relaxation. Being relaxed is not a natural occurrence. It is a skill that must be learnt. Neither is it a waste of time, nor is it laziness to be functionally, skilfully or consciously relaxed. To master conscious relaxation, you need to learn and assimilate the 3 Rs, which are:

1. Reducing mental activity (aiming for a blank mind),
2. Recognising tension (aiming for awareness of bodily sensation),and
3. Reducing Respiration (aiming to promote relaxed breathing).

Conscious relaxation requires conscious effort that has to be applied in order to learn and master the following set of prerequisite skills:

1. Induce passivity
2. Induce a calm mind
3. Scan for bodily tension and
4. Breathe properly."