Search the Community

What does one normally associate with growing older? Greying hair, a slower metabolism and muscles that ache more often than before are some of the most cited signs. Increased sensitivity to caffeine or having "less energy" compared to a decade ago are frequently mentioned, too. What I've also noticed is that growing older is a numbers game because of the figures (not just weight) one must manage. Image by Nguyễn Hiệp on Unsplash Tracking your health I'm not a doctor, but I'll be the first to recommend getting an annual health screening - a blood test and blood pressure check at the very least. This is when the health-related numbers first appear. It's probably also the reason why people don't want to get screened in the first place. The initial figures you'll encounter are blood pressure readings, followed by cholesterol levels. LDL is bad, HDL is good. I'm told to aim for a figure of 2.6 or lower. At my last blood test, I scored 2.73 - an improvement over the 3.16 I clocked two months earlier. However, while I quietly cheered, my GP gently chided me, reminding me to continue exercising and watching my diet. If not, she would start recommending statins again. I already take medication for my blood pressure and that's for life. I've no wish to add cholesterol meds to that list. And yes, once you're on it, you're on it forever. Man, the Ministry of Health really wants to nip any problems in the bud. After all, a healthy population makes for a stronger nation. Image: Bagoes Ilhamy on Unsplash A facepalm-worthy discovery The truth emerges when your blood gets drawn and tested. Genetics is a convenient excuse, but you can't hide the results of poor food choices and a lack of exercise. This year, I was told that the figures showed my liver was slightly inflamed. "You have what's called a fatty liver," said my doctor. To confirm this, she sent me for an abdominal ultrasound. Apart from my liver, the radiologist also checked organs such as the pancreas, kidneys and gall bladder. The process was not uncomfortable. I was in a room that was dimly lit by a soft light. The gel used was warm. Interestingly, though, the process seemed akin to a yoga session because while lying down, I had to turn left or right and keep one arm raised. While this was happening, the radiologist continually instructed me to take deep breaths and hold them. I wanted to joke about wearing figure-hugging yoga pants and a sports bra for this procedure but ultimately decided against it. This was my first time meeting this radiologist and I had no idea if she would tolerate such attempts at humour. One must be careful - these days, seemingly innocuous (and corny) jokes can be deemed offensive. You never know. Photo by Victor Freitas on Unsplash I didn't want to emerge from the procedure and find policemen waiting to arrest me. The Neighbourhood Police Centre is very near the polyclinic. That's why I also avoided cracking any jokes after the ultrasound was over. There I was, my back turned to the radiologist, using paper towels to clean up the blue goo covering my midsection, before buttoning up my shirt and leaving the room. For some reason, I was also trying not to look embarrassed. I don't know why I was feeling guilty about the whole thing. It was just as well, for when I told my colleagues about this, they had a good snigger and said something about me wisely avoiding a harassment complaint. On a serious note, the radiologist and my doctor told me abdominal ultrasounds have become part of standard screening procedures because fatty liver has become common here. So, not surprisingly, while the rest of my organs were normal, I do have a fatty liver. Sigh. Photo by James Kern on Unsplash On a positive note... I'm slowly winning the battle of the bulge, having shed 5kg over the past two months. But the process is slow. The older you are, the slower your metabolism is. Eat a bit too much junk food and you'll once again gain weight. Throw in lower muscle mass and you end up with the so-called "dad bod". I've realised long ago that fitness is an ongoing journey with ups and downs. It's always a work in progress - even if you reach your target weight (and BMI) and fitness goals (running a marathon, etc.), the journey never ends. That, I feel, is the actual challenge. To keep going even after achieving your goals. Or in my case, to keep trying to shed weight to eliminate and prevent future occurrences of the "foie gras" issue. Acceptance Rather than rejecting the annual health screening process, I've learnt to accept that it's part of growing old. I might grumble, but as one of my friends said, it's better to catch any conditions or illnesses now and be able to do something about it. Besides, numbers will always be part of our lives. Grades when we were students, salaries, savings and investments when we entered the workforce, and markers such as blood pressure, cholesterol and fasting blood sugar levels as we get older. Don't be afraid of getting a health screening. Ignorance is bliss, but knowing is infinitely better than not knowing. Your loved ones will be all the happier for it. – Jeremy Main image by Mufid Majnun on Unsplash

Old article but do you agree? https://www.quora.com/Which-citizenship-is-the-hardest-to-obtain/answer/Ravindra-357 Here are eight countries where it's most difficult to become citizen : 1- Vatican City You can become a citizen if you are a cardinal living in the Vatican City or Rome, or if you live in Vatican City because you are an official worker of the Catholic Church. 2- Bhutan You can apply for the citizenship after living in the country for 20 years & you have to meet a list of requirements which includes no record of speaking or acting against the king or country. 3- Qatar If you have been a legal resident of Qatar for 25 years without leaving the country for more than two consecutive months, you can apply for the citizenship. Qatar only naturalizes about 50 foreigners a year. 4- Kuwait After living in Kuwait for 20 years or 15 years for citizens of other Arab countries, you can apply for the citizenship. But you have to be muslim by birth or converted. If you are converted, you must have been practicing for five years & have to speak Arabic fluently. 5- Liechtenstein If you want to become a citizen, you have to live in Liechtenstein for at least 30 years or if you are married to a Liechtenstein citizen & already lived in the country, then the time period is shortened to five years of marriage. 6- United Arab Emirates If you want a citizenship of UAE, you must have legally resided in the country for 30 years. Arab citizens from Oman, Qatar & Bahrain can apply for citizenship after three years of residency. Arabs from other countries are eligible for citizenship after seven years of residency. 7- Switzerland According to the new law of Switzerland, you must have to lived in the country for 10 years & have a working permit called a C permit. The C permit allows you to live & work in the country. 8- China The law of China allows the foreigners to become citizen of the country if they have relatives who are Chinese national, have settled in China. If you don’t have Chinese relatives in a country, your chances of becoming a Chinese citizen are less. https://www.quora.com/Which-country-gives-permanent-residency-the-fastest/answer/Ravindra-357 Here are five countries in which establishing permanent residency is easy : 1 - Belgium If you live in Belgium for five continuous years, you can apply for permanent residency. Becoming a citizen adds to that the ability to leave the country for more than two years at a time 2 - France You can get permanent residency or apply for citizenship after living in the country for five continuous years. A permanent residency is renewed after ten years that allows you the right to education, healthcare, and worker's rights at jobs, but doesn't allow you to vote. Obtaining France’s citizenship also makes you a citizen of the EU. 3 - Panama Panama is also very welcoming to those who are wealthy and those who want to invest in deforestation programs. Citizenship can only be obtained after five continuous years of residency or three years for foreign spouses of Panamanian citizens. 4 - Singapore Singapore is one of the easiest countries in which a permanent residency has been estabilished. All you have to do is to apply for an employment pass, be the spouse or child of a Singapore citizen, plan to make an investment in the country, or you just have to be a permanent resident of the country for two or more years. 5 - Brazil If you plan to invest at least $50,000 in a business or real estate of the country, you can apply for an Investor’s Visa. Or you must have resided in the country continuously for 10 to 15 years for getting the permanent residency.

https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-seniors-should-not-stand-in-the-way-of-younger-staff Forum: Seniors should not stand in the way of younger staff Singapore must tread carefully in handling the issue of raising the retirement and re-employment ages. Care must be taken not to cause resentment on the part of younger workers. Workers in their prime (early to late 30s) might not be able to advance in the company's hierarchy if the seniors above them won't retire. Older workers who can afford to retire early should give the younger generation a chance to climb up. They can always volunteer or offer mentorship to the young if they are bored with retirement. If too many seniors cling to their jobs even when they don't need them, there may be fewer opportunities for the next generation. Francis Cheng Seems that old folks not needed in our country, just like what COVID-19 is doing to us.

So it started 2 weeks ago. I was at one SS outlet killing time while my daughter had her dental appointment. There was this mother and daughter pair in the store. The younger one is like maybe 3 years old to me, or maybe 4. As the mother made her way to the cashier, the little girl walked towards the cut fruits shelves, and shouted out to her mum, "mummy mummy dragon fruit!" . She struggled and managed to take out a tray of red dragon fruit and happily went over to her mum, who was queuing to pay. What amazed me was that she knew the red dragon fruit (many kids don't even know what a white one taste like), and wanted to buy it. I stood there observing her quietly, and smiling to myself just looking at her. There was some soft communication between the pair, and she walked back to the shelves. As she walked past me, I heard her mumbling to herself "always tell me next time" and put the tray of cut dragon fruit back, with a sad look on her little face, walked back to her mum and kept quiet. If I were younger, I would probably laugh it off and continue with what i was doing, but something hit me. I walked up to the shelves, took the tray of dragon fruit, paid and went after them. I caught up with them and gave the bag to the little girl, getting a surprise look from both of them. She took it, the mum smiled at me when I said " this is for her, the red dragon fruit. Smart girl, I like her." Had a great day the rest of the day. 2 days later, i was on my way to Tuas factory with someone in the car in the morning rush hours. Traffic was heavy ( usual thing I guess), and there was this trailer carrying a fabrication block on it with metal rods pointing an all round defense on my left, and it was driving very near me. I sensed danger and tried to move away from it to my right, and all of a sudden, a motorbike went passed in between us, with a loud bang. If I were younger, I would have KNN that bike and said he deserved to be hit. However, that morning, the first thing that came to me was, is the rider alright? Was he injured by the metal rods? My vehicle commander turned and said he saw the metal rod hit the side box of the bike, so the rider should be ok, maybe box broke. And i went okok, 阿弥陀佛. The rest of the day was peaceful. So yah, maybe as i aged, my heart gets softer. How many of you feel the same?

Awesome, simply awesome! Choosing teochew opera over ballet at age 3! What is your view? Will you support her decision if you were her parents? I would!

Saw this discussion elsewhere on the Internet so thought it interesting to ask here. Assuming same (or similar) car model and asking price, would you rather have: An older car (by 1-2 years) with lower mileage OR A newer car with higher mileage (Leaving aside things like tweaking odometer and etc. Let's presume mileage is genuine and legit)

testing testing testing