冬至吃金圆（红白汤圆）增一岁 (A draft that was not posted 1.02 years ago December 2012)

On the last visit, we celebrated belated winter solstice (冬至). Before I start blogging my visit experience and reflections, I would like to share  a video on 冬至. We need to know the importance of 冬至 so that we can better understand the tradition of Chinese so that we can better relate ourselves to the culture and the elderly. So here is the video... Disclaimer: the video is in Hokkien 

Hopefully after the video we can better understand about this festive that Chinese celebrate. Okay, I shall start sharing on my visitation experience.

My group consists of Vanessa, Xuan Kai, Lu Ting and Cheng Wei and me of course. :) All of the members are relatively new and most of them are having their second visit in T.H.E. Seniors. In this visit I hope that it has given them a different experience and perspective in volunteering and hope that they have learn as much as or even more than I did. Let's start it proper...

After allocated to our groups, I was super excited due to 2 reasons - we are making Tāngyuán (湯圓) for the elderly and we are visiting Mr Ong our newly join elderly. I must say that I am really blessed to get to meet almost all of the elderly in T.H.E. Seniors, learning much more than what I expected!

Our first elderly we visited was Mr Lin. As usual you will expect the same thing, Mr Lin, likes to say his house has been cleaned and just want us to visit him to chit chat with him. Haha by now you should know what we end up doing...Xuan Kai cleaned the windows, Lu Ting swept the floor, Vanessa mopped the floor twice, Cheng Wei clean the badly condition fridge, and I washed the toilet. While washing the toilet, many things went through my mind. 

It was the first time I actually wash a toilet bowl with bowels in it. I questioned myself, have we always take the toilet cleaners for granted? I am a person who cannot stand any foul smelling things...I almost puked. I now understands how those cleaners of public toilets feels. Please do not blame those cleaners when the toilets are in bad condition, they had tried their best maintaining it, it is always the inconsiderate users who not maintaining it. 

After cleaning it, though knowing that Mr Lin did not do it intentionally, I reminded him that he should flush after every use and not to keep unclean water. To all readers of this post, please help me to remind Mr Lin on this, as on every visit to his house, I realised that he like to store used water which is really dirty and may leads to mosquitoes breeding. To prevent dengue and other bacteria growth, please help to remind the elderly. I believe that rather than doing cleaning all time, why not remind them to keep their house clean? We will have more time to talk to them if their house is clean right? We must understand that they are to use to be thrift, but please help to inculcate them that do not save money and risk themselves of getting sick which will ultimately waste more money.

After cleaning up the mess, we proceed on to our task on making 汤圆 for Mr Lin. It was the first time all of us making 汤圆. While Lu Ting was cooking, we went to chat with Mr Lin. We told him that the day before was 冬至. He seems not to know that. When we ask him whether he likes to eat 汤圆, he smiled widely and say 'YES' in hokkien. While chatting, I saw this medication chart in front of me. I asked if he did it himself, and he told me that it was done by the nurse. I am so touch to know that hospital/ clinic understands the needs of their patients! :)

Once we are done, we serve him a bowl of 汤圆. He sip some of the soup and then he requested for more sugar, he said that it was not sweet enough. He bought out his packet of sugar and I added about 1 teaspoon of sugar, but he said that wasn't enough, so I added about another teaspoon. Haha he really has "sweet tooth". I was stunned when he gobbled down the 汤圆 we made. He told us that he did not have 汤圆 for ages. After which we bid goodbye, and head to our next elderly Mr Ong.  

Mr Lin 慢慢吃，要咬不要吞得那么急！

Elderly with Chef Luting

一粒汤圆，一份情 <3>

As we move to Mr Ong house, I was so nervous. I had never lead before to an unfamiliar elderly house, and it was our first time meeting this elderly. My mind was floating with many imagination, will he be like any of the elderly? What language can he speaks? Really excited, yet feeling butterflies in the stomach.

When we reach his apartment, he was about to leave his house. "Oh no, is he leaving the house? Is he not welcoming us?" Feeling damn sad and lost at that moment. But as what we always say, we should never judge a book by its cover, we should not be make a judging conclusion from what we see. I quickly ran up and tap his shoulder and ask, "Mr Ong, we are here. Where are you going? Remember I dropped by this morning?" Guess what he said? (Highlight the next line to see)

Mr Ong: "My house does not have any drinks for you all, I need to go to the market to get some."

At that moment I was so touched and relieved. Mr Ong is very hospitable, however, he is a bit shy and introvert due to his appearance after his surgery. 

Lastly we went to Mr Lee house to do the mini gathering and make all sorts of tang yuan and camy has a XXXXL Tang Yuan!

Woon