Chen Song Ping

Tai Chi Fan dance

Tai Chi Fan dance

Learning Tai Chi to strengthen my knees years ago was one of the best exercises I have ever done.

It stresses on bending one’s knees and slow meditative movements: looks easy but deceptively challenging! But it surely solves my weak knees problem!

Later, I went into tai chi cane, tai chi long sick, and tai chi kong fu fan dance. The latter is the one I enjoyed most: fast-track musical movements!

Chensp doing the Tai Chi Kung fu fan dance

My wobbly knees and Tai Chi

My wobbly knees and Tai Chi

A decade ago, a friend and I were walking up the stairs.
The lift was not functioning that day.
We cursed as we climbed.

She said, “next month I will be going for my knee operation.”
That got me thinking. For a year or so,
my wobbly, weak, and painful knees made climbing a challenge.

I enrolled for Tai Chi the following week.
I have never looked back since.
I don’t need to take knee supplements too.

I called Tai Chi, the ‘dancing meditation’!
Graceful yet deceptively challenging movements!

One of the toughest movements
is ‘snake creeps down. (see pose in picture above)
Many new students, including myself, looked on.
We (about thirty to sixty years old) shook our heads.
‘There is no way we can do this pose!’

It took me about three years
before I could do the ‘snake creeping down’!

…and my Tai Chi sifu was more than seventy years old! Still graceful and flexible!

Are you too young to retire?

Underused experiences and skills
of retired people

*******

a female director in her eighties

but was still walking around

the whole hospital grounds.

I bet retirement

was never in her vocabulary.

So, I shouldn’t complain if

I have to cover

a whole hospital compound, too!

I would take it

as a good exercise!

*********

Yet I feared for her

when I saw her walking alone

up a stage to give a speech one evening.

I told the organiser that someone

should have accompanied her

up and down the stage.

And they did

when she was about

to walk down the stage.

*********

I personally had requested a chaperon

to walk me up a stage

for an award winning ceremony

in Pattaya, Thailand.

I was in my fifties, then.

The stair was made of wooden planks

with holes in between!

The drum roll for each announcement

was a shattering, frightening,

and unnerving experience.

*********

So, one may be too young to retire,

but never defy

the fragility of old age!

******

Some countries are increasing

their retirement age.

Are you too young to retire?

********

Salt significantly improves the taste of food, extends the shelf life of food by acting as a preservative. Salt is not harmful, but excess salt is harmful

Salt significantly improves the taste of food, extends the shelf life of food by acting as a preservative. Salt is not harmful, but excess salt is harmful

Wasted days, wasted nights

Wasted days, wasted nights

This song reminds me that many patients in wards shouldn’t waste days and nights staring at the ceiling!

Charles R. is one of my best duet partners at WeSing. At 77, he still sings at pub when invited!

Songs I dueted with Charles Rodrigues are

Wasted days wasted nights

I don’t want to talk about it

You Mean Everything To Me

I who have nothing

Fraulein

You raise me up

International women day and gender inequality!

Strategies To Help You Cope With Negative Feelings

Negative feelings are a natural part of life, but managing them can make all the difference in our mental and emotional well-being. We need to make a conscious effort and employ the right strategies to prevent them from overwhelming us. Here are some unconventional yet effective ways to deal with negativity. 1. Write a Letter […]
Strategies To Help You Cope With Negative Feelings