THE AMAZING SUPER SENIORS

It started with my daughter posting a video of Annette Larkins, on my Facebook timeline. The Daily Mail calls her the 'Ageless Woman'. I couldn't believe this woman with the flawless unlined skin and firm body is 71 years old. There's not a stitch on her face or body to suggest she's had plastic surgery. That's what she claims too.

Her secret? A vegan diet. She eats raw food and grows her own vegetables and herbs. Check out the video for more of her tips on healthy eating and living.

Fit, healthy and youthful seniors were a rarity not too long ago. These days they seem to be everywhere - in the newspapers, magazines and on Youtube. They are among our friends too. It's getting increasingly difficult to guess someone's age just by their physical appearance alone.

I met these youthful looking seniors at a wedding reception in New Delhi in Dec 2011. The ladies were the epitome of grace and elegance, and the men carried themselves really well.

The message these super seniors seem to be sending out is that if we lead an active lifestyle, eat right, exercise and adopt a positive attitude, the golden years can truly be the best years of our lives.

Drum roll, please, for these remarkable seniors who are re-defining the meaning of 'old', and changing public perception of the 'elderly'.

Dr Charles Eugster, 93, is a retired dentist. He is now better known as the world's fittest pensioner. He took up weight-lifting to build muscles. Check out his tips for a healthy body and a healthy mind in the video below.

Tao Porchon-Lynch attributes her good health to yoga and meditation which she has been practicing all her life. She enjoys ballroom dancing as well..

The 'Turbaned Tornado' picked up running in his 80s. He was an Olympic torchbearer at the Athens Games in 2004 and the London Games in 2012. He was in Malaysia in Dec 2012 for the Sikh community's fun run.

Ernestine Shepherd is listed in the Guinness World Records as the oldest female bodybuilder. 

The evergreen Tony Bennett is still doing concerts. He performed in Kuala Lumpur in Sept 2013.

Daphne Selfe is still in demand for modelling jobs. She was discovered by the world of high fashion when she was 70. 

Dementia is not an inevitable part of growing old. Dr Manmohan Singh, India's PM since 2004, is renowned for his economic reforms. He had a successful bypass in Jan 2009, and went on to serve another term of office.

Yup, thumbs up for all these super seniors.

There was a time when people used to dread growing old. It meant being frail and senile, wrinkled all over and fully dependent on others to assist with daily living.

No more. Today we can enjoy quality of life at 80, 90 even 100. Who wouldn't want that? Best of all, we can be around to see our grandchildren grow up. Now that is something I am definitely looking forward to.

It's never too late to start on a regime of regular exercise and a healthy diet, preferably vegetarian. That's sound advice for those of us aspiring to live a long and happy life.

ARE WE TOO BLINDED BY DOLLAR SIGNS TO SEE THROUGH SCAMS?

Any 31-year-old who makes millions, has the titles 'Dato Seri' and 'Dr' precede his name arouses more than my admiration. It stirs my curiosity big time.

I have worked hard my whole life, lived frugally and now at the ripe old age of 65 have accumulated savings sufficient only to continue living frugally for the rest of my retirement years. After a lifetime of sweat and toil, and years doing community service, I still don't have a title to my name or millions in my bank account.

So, of course, I want to know how this Dato Seri Dr Peter Ong Kean Suan did it. How did he amass so much financial wealth at so young an age that he can play philanthropist to the hilt and not feel the pinch? I am talking about donations amounting to RM690,000. Certainly not an amount to scoff at.

This advertorial in The Star, 19 Nov 2013, got me asking 'Who is this Peter Ong Kean Swan?'  According to the advertorial, he arrived in style at his 31st birthday celebration - in the 'surewin4u self-purchased private helicopter...escorted by police cars and 40 bodyguards'. Wow! But why the need for that many bodyguards? Is he afraid for his life? Why?

Don't you want to learn his secret of generating wealth? Well, I certainly do. I want to learn from this making-money sifu.

Thus began my Google search to find out more about this bigger than life young man who is CEO of Surewin4u. With such a name for a company, how can anyone who invest in it not win? That's probably how this Dato gets folks to place their trust and confidence in him - by convincing them they will make many times more the amount they have invested in Surewin4u.

From Surewin4u website. Impressive enough to win over some folks eager to make money.

Basically, this is how the system works. The company uses the money you have invested (entry point fixed at RM25,000) to gamble on your behalf at the casino. They claim to have devised a system that is guaranteed to beat the odds at the gambling table 100% of the time, and you get a monthly dividend of 8%. They are so confident about their system they even have a refund policy to assure investors they have nothing to lose. This is the carrot that they dangle before potential investors. Those who can see only dollar signs in the carrot and not the beta carotene in it will want to go for it. There's nothing to lose with the guaranteed refund, right?

Intrigued by this 'sure-win-for-you' system, I decided to investigate further. Guess what turned up? This picture below taken from Astro Awani allegedly shows a man who resembles Ong Kean Suan (sans titles) in handcuffs being escorted by the police to the magistrate's court on a charge of impersonating royalty to get room discount at a hotel! The picture is dated 20 March 2013. As far as I know, the company is still operating and still attracting investors, so it could mean the charge has been dropped, or the man has been acquitted.

This looks like a direct translation from Malay in the original post dated 20 March, 2013. Eight months later, this photo below taken from The Star shows Ong celebrating his birthday in grand style. Is this the same Ong Kean Suan of Surewin4u? 

(Photo: The Star, 13 Nov 2013)

So the question you may want to ask me - why am I so interested in this Peter Ong and his mission to help make millionaires out of us ordinary folks? Well, I have good friends who have invested their retirement savings and had their fingers burnt investing in various get-rich schemes. That's why. It pays to be extra careful when parting with your money. A young man can still get a job and work hard to rebuild his lost fortunes. But not for a retiree. He sees his dream of retiring to a comfortable life going up in smoke.

Retirees are a favorite target of agents dealing in pyramid or multilevel get-rich schemes. They have a tidy sum in their retirement funds, and many are looking at ways to make that sum grow.

We have all read about people who have lost their life savings in their desire to make money quickly and easily. Yet they don't seem to have learned their lessons. As is often the case, greed or desperation makes good people throw caution to the wind, and they end up with nothing to show for all the years of hard work and saving. The worst off are those who find themselves in debt because they borrowed money to invest in these schemes. Now life is hell for them as they are hounded daily by Ah Longs or loan sharks.

If you don't have excess money to play around with, if you know next to nothing about investing, if you have no clue how the stock market works, the safest thing to do is to do nothing, and let your money earn interest in the bank or EPF. You won't get much, but your exposure to risks is low. Alternatively, find a financial consultant you can trust and who truly has your interest at heart to manage your money. He must have an excellent track record of good returns on investments.

So, is this one a scam or a legitimate money-making venture? It would interesting to find out from folks who have invested in the company and have reaped profits. Success stories are always inspiring.

It is easy to tell whether a scheme is a scam or not. Remember, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is, especially if it promises easy money and quick returns. So if your nose tells you there is something fishy about any invitation to make quick easy money, stay away from it. Your retirement savings is meant to see you through your golden years. Make sure you protect it.

NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS - ZUNG'S STORY

What better way to kick-start the new year than by sharing this inspiring story of a young Malaysian who followed his dream against all odds. Today he is an internationally acclaimed celebrity photographer.

If the name Zung does not ring a bell, that's only because photography may not be among your interests. But amateur and professional shutterbugs alike hold his name in high respect and awe.

And what better testimonial than to have Donald Trump refer to him as 'the best photographer in the world'. Zung is also Tony Robbins' personal photographer and has been so since 2009, thanks to a helping hand from my daughter. But that's another story for another day.

Zung's journey from a virtual unknown to a high-flying much sought after lensman of worldwide acclaim needs to be told and shared. It is a story that will inspire our young people, our children and grandchildren, one that is made all the more poignant because he is one of us, born and bred here in Malaysia, a true son of the land.



Zung's story is one that will resonate with many of our youths, because he hails from a background that they are familiar with. The only difference perhaps is that while most youths facing the same circumstances would have given up, Zung never called it quits. He soldiered on till he achieved the recognition he was looking for.

Consider the challenges he faced:

• he was born in a rural area, in the small fishing village of Sekinchan
• his father was a fisherman, and his mother a housewife
• he was Chinese-educated, and struggled with English, even to this day
• he dropped out of college due to financial difficulties
• he was a slow learner
• he could not afford professional training
• he was only 18 when he experienced grief from the loss of his elder sister
• he struggled to earn a living in the early years
• he lacked the right connections 

That he has succeeded despite all these obstacles speaks volumes of the kind of person he is - focused, passionate, determined, resilient and tough. 

Today Zung travels the world on assignment. He has photographed some of the world's most famous people, among them the Dalai Lama, Richard Branson and Andrea Bocelli. On the local front, he has taken portraits of royalty and of former prime ministers. One of his photos has even graced the cover of TIME magazine.

Despite his numerous accolades, Zung has remained humble and modest. He is driven not by the money he can make, but by a genuine love for his craft, and for the satisfaction that he gives his clients. His extensive portfolio covers a wide range of subjects, but his favourite remains weddings. That was how he started in the business - as a wedding photographer.

If Zung can do it, so can our young people - our children and grandchildren. Do share the story with them. They will be inspired and motivated never to give up on their dreams.

Here are some copies of photos from our family album taken by Zung. As you can see, he has captured the essence of the moment in these portraits.

My grandchildren Reiya and Max, photo taken at home in 2009

My daughter Belle, photo taken at the Datai, 2007

Me and Reiya in Langkawi, 2007

Zung has some advice for all of us:

Screen-grab from YouTube. (Text added)

WELCOME 2014!

To our blog readers,

Thank you for your support through 2013. Thank you for emailing us articles, videos and funnies to share with the seniors community. Thank you for being our eyes and ears, and keeping a lookout for the latest news and views to send to Seniorsaloud.

Goodbye 2013,

Welcome 2014!

WAIT TILL YOU HEAR GRANDMA MARY - SHE TRULY ROCKS!

If you were into pop songs back in the 1960s, you would remember The Quests and The Blue Diamonds. They were immensely popular then and had a string of hits to their name. It was therefore a double treat for me to catch Vernon Cornelius, former vocalist with The Quests, and Riem de Wolff of The Blue Diamonds performing live at the benefit concert for victims of Typhoon Haiyan on Boxing Day.

During the three-plus hours, Vernon and Riem took the audience on a journey to nostalgia with covers of classics made famous by Johnny Mathis, Cliff Richard and others, while Riem reprised The Blue Diamonds hits including "Ramona", "Sukiyaki", "Little Ship" and "Mona Lisa".

(Left) Vernon with the Quests circa 1960s, and (right) The Blue Diamonds album of hits

50+ years on, and still going strong - at the benefit concert on 26 Dec 2013

In the audience that night unbeknownst to me was a petite middle-aged lady whom Vernon kept referring to as "Grandma Mary". He had singled her out to thank her for her generous support of the concert. It was only a day later through a cousin's Facebook posting, that I found out who Grandma Mary was. She is Singapore's coolest guitar-playing grandma, and an internet sensation!

Mary Ho, 77, started out learning to play the acoustic guitar at the age of 60. That soon developed into a passion for playing the blues on the electric lead guitar. When I heard her video on Youtube for the first time, I was completely blown away. And later when I checked out her website at Grandma Mary Rocks, I was left in jaw-dropping awe by what this remarkable grandma of seven has achieved in a short span of time. Google her and you will agree with me.

If Grandma Mary can learn something new at the ripe age of 60, what excuses do we have? If we had a childhood passion that we were unable to pursue because of circumstances at the time, this could be the right time to do so, with the children all grown and flown the nest, and with more time on our hands. As Grandma Mary has shown us, age should not be an excuse for not learning a new skill.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Of all the Christmas songs I have heard this season, and there have been many, these are among my favourites. Hope you like them too. Enjoy!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

ALMOST FORGOTTEN WITH THE PASSAGE OF TIME

Ooi Eow Jin. (Photo: Stacy Liu)

I just read an article 'Malaysia’s Forgotten Music Man' posted on Facebook about one of Malaysia's pioneers in the local music industry - Ooi Eow Jin, 75. It is an excellent piece written by Jon Chew, with photos by Stacy Liu.

The name Ooi Eow Jin may not ring a bell to young Malaysians. But to the older generation, there was a time when Ooi Eow Jin's name was synonymous with Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) Orchestra. He was one of the founders.

From the 1970s through to the 19980s, whenever there was a variety show or concert on TV featuring singers backed by the RTM orchestra, you would be sure to see Ooi in the background conducting the orchestra. Those were the days when he was a well-known name in entertainment circles, and his expertise in music arrangement and composition was much sought after by local artistes, including the legendary P. Ramlee and the late Sudirman Arshad.

After his retirement from RTM in 1999, Ooi seemed to have disappeared from the public eye. Apparently, he went into teaching music. He was a lecturer at various music schools including the International College of Music (ICOM). A Google search turned up very little about Ooi and his achievements.

Now, thanks to the article by Jon Chew, Ooi is back in the limelight. If you want to catch up with the man and his music, drop by at Hotel Majestic. Come to think of it, it is the perfect setting for Ooi to carry on his passion for playing music and for entertaining. Both are classy, belong to the same era and have great stories to tell of their former glory days. Hotel Majestic is going through a rebirth. Who knows the same may be said of Ooi now that he is back in the media spotlight again.

This is where you can catch Ooi every afternoon at 3pm, except Mondays

Here are some extracts from Jon Chew's article. To read the full article, please click here.

"At three o’clock, Tuesdays to Sundays, underneath the gold-leaf dome roof of the grand five-star Hotel Majestic in Kuala Lumpur, a man hunches over a black Yamaha piano. He wears a bow tie, a white jacket, and a hearing aid on his left ear. Slowly, he takes out a small turquoise clock, and leaves it on the left-hand ledge. He places a file of loose sheet music next to him. He takes a pause. Then, he begins to play.

He doesn’t smile. His fingers dance on a white ivory floor, born again like a young ballerina’s joy at touching the ground with the tip of her toes. He starts with “Moon River”, segues into “Top of the World”, then flows into the Louis Armstrong classic “As Time Goes By”. He is 75 years old.

For 45 minutes, history’s greatest pop songs are seamlessly twisted in the pianist’s hands. Still, no smile."
~~~~~~~~~~

P Ramlee with Ooi Eow Jin, early 1960′s. Photo: Hotel Majestic

"It was Ooi who once toured with P. Ramlee, who conducted the most lauded orchestra in the land, and who wrote the first song ever recorded in a studio by a revered Malaysian singer: Sudirman.

Ooi will always have a love affair with hotels. In 1960, he became one of the first resident pianists at the E&O Hotel in Penang, and entertained guests every night in their lounges for three years. On one of these nights, Alfonso Soliano, a jazz hero, music arranger and the founder of the seminal RTM Orchestra, came to the hotel for drinks."

~~~~~~~~~~

"But of the details on the night that changed his life, his memory is still as clear as a full moon. “I was playing that night, and he heard me,” he recalls. “He got interested, started asking questions about me with his friends. After I played, he got a hold of me personally and asked, ‘Why don’t you come to KL and play with the Orchestra?”

"It was a fork-in-the-road moment for the then-24 year old Ooi, and he left his day job as a government clerk and took the risk of moving to the capital. Ooi would spend the next 17 years in the RTM Orchestra."

~~~~~~~~~~

"But as Ooi deep-dives through his past, something escapes his grasp like grains of sand. For all the credits, his name rarely comes up in any historical tome of Malaysian music."

Piano man Ooi at Hotel Majestic - "I will play until I cannot play." (Photo: Stacy Liu)

"When asked about his success, Ooi pinches the skin of his wrist. “I am the only one amongst so many Malay composers. I was the first non-Malay composer to write Malay songs for films,” he says. “There is something, when I tell you, you’ll feel a bit sad. You know FINAS [National Film Development Corporation Malaysia]? I won the prize for best theme music for one movie, you know? After they announced the prize for best theme song for the movie, you know what came out in the papers the next day? Nothing came out.”

His voice becomes unsteady. “You devote so much to this, and you get nothing out of it. Just because of…” And he pinches his skin again.

~~~~~~~~~~

Many years later, Ooi still plays because it is a calling that he cannot quiet. “How do you retire? Unless you are too sick to play? I will play until I cannot play. Because there is nothing else to do.”

Soon, he returns for his second 45-minute session. The medleys will fill the room. But all around him, the music stays silent."

~~~~~~~~~~

It is really sad when former greats are forgotten with the passage of time. Even sadder when the country does not acknowledge their achievements during their heyday, whether in music, sports or science. Ooi Eow Jin certainly deserves to be given due recognition. A title perhaps?

It's not too late.