Reflections of First Visit to THEs

With the kind assistance of CSC leaders, my colleagues and I from the Student Service Centre had the opportunity to visit some elderly beneficiaries on 20 June 2014.  It was the first for most of us.

My group, led by Shuang Shuang, visited Mr T. Mr T. has lost his eyesight and was jubilant when he heard us.  His house was kept spick and span. He missed Shuang Shuang when she was away the prvious week in KL.  Mr T. also asked about Lily and other volunteers. 

Our 2 young, handsome volunteers patiently guided Mr T. to a coffeeshop for his weekly coffee with butter.  Unlce Tay passed his house and letterbox keys to Shuang Shuang to retrive his letters. Later, he passed some cash to her to buy some groceries on his behalf.  The high level of trust for the volunteers is evident.  Our young volunteers tried their best to chat with Mr T. in his dialect.  Kudos to their indomitable spirit.  Since I was older and deemed to be more conversant in dialects, I tried to explain the letters and chat with Mr T. in my limited Hokkien and CMI Teochew.  Mr T. knew the kampung that I used to live when I was a child so we had a nostalgic conversation.      

Mr T. shared with us his hardship during the Japanese Occupation - no food and the atrocities committed, and in the 70s after British forces left Singapore - young men had no jobs and education was a privilege.  He lit up as he relished how well Singapore is doing now.  Though he commented people tend to throw away things that are still in good condition freely now.

After the hour long chat, we guided Mr T. back to his house and bid farewell to him.

From the short 3 hours, I have learnt plenty from the visit. 

Firstly, I'm truly impressed by the commitment of the volunteers.  Young men and women like them would have lots of interesting activities or courses to partake in.  Yet they are generious in their time and efforts to this group of elderly friends.  To realise the value of contributing to a worthy cause and sticking to it at this young age is commendable. I find renewed energy to my identified worthy cause.

Secondly, as Mr T. recounted the difficult times, it sent a strong message - the vulnerability of a country's peace and stability.  Our generations were fortunate not to go through the tumultuous times.  For the sake of this, future and past generations in their retirement, we have the duty to strengthen our nation, esp. in the area of defense and our economy.  In whatever we do, we should preserve the social fabric and build a united  nation.

Thirdly, the importance of a govenment to give a helping hand to the needy in our society.  As our young volunteers graduate and embark on their careers, some in shaping policies for the nation, I wish that they would always spare a thought for the underprivlege in the society. With that said, I shall pay my taxes promptly. :)-

My very best wishes to all T.H.E.Seniors volunteers and hope to join you soon.

Poh Suan

Two Cents Worth From A Newbie!

On behalf of Student Service Centre, I would like to express my appreciation to the members of T.H.E Seniors, for providing our team with this wonderful opportunity to be part of this admirable voluntary program. I was deeply impressed by the way the event was managed and it obvious that the group was not new to what they were doing. The students' rapport with the elderly, and the reciprocating trust and fondness displayed by the elderly is clearly the result of T.H.E Seniors' unwavering passion and commitment. Bonds built upon not just a couple of months, but years of strong altruistic belief in making a difference.

With Singapore's population hitting a median age of 40 in 2013 and no signs of slowing  down, ageing population issues are seemly inevitable. Voluntary groups like T.H.E Seniors are important and much needed to add color to the lives of these elderly. It is also gratifying to learn that many of the elderly within the Geylang Bahru community were engaged in various events, excursions and festive celebration organised by various voluntary and welfare bodies. This is proof of the high energy level that they still possess. Maybe, (*if it hasn't been implemented) T.H.E Seniors can also introduce some learning/sharing elements ( Any topic, hobbys, tech, health)  into their weekly visits. Lifelong learning is an important aspect of ageing well, as it helps them gain confidence, be in sync with the society and keep their minds sharp. It doesn't always have to be the volunteers teaching the elderly, instead it is also fun if the elderly can share with the volunteers. The potential is limitless!

Daniel Chia - Student Service Centre

Reflection after visiting my best friends in THEs

On the week of 20 June, my group consisting of Lily, Kim Jio Kueh , ah hai, and 2 other volunteer visited Mdm T. During the visit, we help her with the chores and chat with her about the gourmet delicacies.

It has been a while since I last blogged. I am grateful of what TOUCH has taught me and all the friendship that I have forged throughout the months. One of the friends who would leave a lasting impression on me is Mdm T. Forever gleaming with a radiant smile and entertaining us with her experiences, I find that she is probably the bravest and most optimistic elderlies in THE. Despite gradually losing her eyesight and hearing, she has not ceased doing her daily activities.

Looking at the obstacles ahead of our lives, we should not easily bow down to the challenges; instead, we should look at the inspiring elderlies in our neighbourhood. Their optimism and bravery will motivate us to embrace failure and to live life to the fullest. I will always look forward to visit the best friends I gained in TOUCH. 

- Edwin Yeo

7th June Visit (Part 2)

Hello!

Last Saturday was my first experience volunteering with T.H.E Seniors. I visited Mr T. and my group brought him down to a nearby coffeeshop for a chit-chat session where he got to drink his favourite coffee with butter. I was amused by such a preference but later found out that it was common for people to add butter to black coffee in the past to enjoy a richer taste of it.

Uncle T. was excited to see us as he could take a walk out of his house with the volunteers and enjoy his cup of coffee. Sadly, the usual coffeeshop he prefers to go to is closed. Nevertheless, this did not dampen his spirit and he was very eager to share his stories of his youth and thanked us for bringing him out.

All in all, it was a meaningful time to listen to his stories. Due to communication barrier (I couldn’t understand hokkien), I had to rely on my group members to translate some parts of the conversation. It’s time for me to learn how to converse in dialect! Hope to visit Uncle Tay again soon! :)

- Xue

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7th June Visit

On 7th June, I visited mdm. K for the first time! At first, I was unsure if there was going to be any cultural or language barrier - but it turned out on the contrary. Despite being of rather frail health in recent months, mdm. K was massively welcoming and chatty although it was my first time meeting her. I was pleasantly surprised by the neatly organized nature of her house, as it was very clean and tidy.

Through the duration of the visit, we spent much time listening to her recent stories, and got to share marginally about our own stories and opinions. Furthermore, it was only her birthday in that week, so we got to have a mini-surprise birthday celebration. Nonetheless, the small cake was not consumable for her owing to her medical condition - so she graciously allowed us to consume it on her behalf. She did have a small plastic bear to keep as a memento, together with photos of the occasion. These things and the time spent probably was more meaningful than the cake itself!

In conclusion, I had a meaningful time getting to know mdm. K for the first time, and having the privilege of witnessing and partaking in a mini birthday celebration. Looking forward to future catchup opportunities with her!

Graduate Mdm. H

Hello!

Last Saturday was my second visit to Mdm. H's house. My group comprised of Camy, Pin Jin and Tina. Sadly, Mdm. H doesn't remember me haha. I had a deep impression of her from my first visit because she could speak a multitude of languages and dialects; English, Mandarin, Malay, Hokkien, Cantonese. I also remembered she was very peculiar about the position of her things in the house as she kept reminding us how we must put everything back to where they belonged after we have shifted them. This visit was no different, except that she seemed less lively and looked frailer than before.

We were told to bring Mdm. H down for a haircut. However, she told us she was not feeling too good so she would prefer to go the following week instead. Thus, we cleaned her house like usual. She told me to clean the table with photos, so Camy took the cloth out from Mdm. H's trolley but then she screamed because cockroaches appeared! I saw them too and we both freaked out so we had to ask Pin Jin who was the only guy to go sweep that area. The cockroaches seemed to have found a new hiding place so we gave up searching for them. I started cleaning the table, photo frames and window frame while Tina and Pin Jin swept and mopped the floor. Camy was told by Mdm. H to just sit beside her and chat while we do the work hahaha.

Since Victoria told us about the scrap-booking project, we took some photos from Mdm. H's photo albums. So let the photos do the talking!

Graduate Mdm. H! (Credits: Camy)
Truth:
Camy: 你有读大学啊?
Mdm. H: 没有啦! 我的女儿给我的, 我就拿来穿咯!

Peranakan Mdm. H!
This is the photo hung up on her wall. Sorry for the reflection!

高贵的 Mdm. H!

Mdm. H enjoying her durians in her house in Malacca!

One of Mdm. H's few candid shots when she smiled so happily and naturally.

Mdm. H and her late husband.

This visit was another reflective one as it showed me how the elderly can turn from being so lively to so quiet in just a few months. It might not have been noticeable to those who visited Mdm. H more often, but to me it was quite apparent. She was weaker, though she still prided herself in the languages she was able to speak and I find that super cool. She enjoyed our company, though she got tired towards the end so we left early for her to rest.

I have enjoyed my every visit since the start. No doubt we as volunteers come to accompany the elderly living here, but as we talk and understand each individual elderly better, we ourselves tend to be the ones to have received more instead, after having heard the wise words of each of them as we listen to their valuable life experiences and lessons learnt. I will never get tired of listening to these lovely people.

I look forward to many more visits ahead, to Uncle T, Mdm. T, Mdm. H and the other elderly of Touch!

P.S. Mdm. H stated that she wants more guys to visit her!!!

- Joelle