Contribution Name: Lions Befrienders
Pseudonym: Julie Chia
Year of Author: 1928
Julie Chia, 96, radiates much joy and warmth. Though petite in stature, LB senior Julie Chia carries a huge personality and an infectious smile that instantly endears herself to people around her. She also often draws reactions of amazement and disbelief whenever she reveals her age. At 96 years young, Julie is a picture of vitality and strength.
“Whenever I visit the doctor he would remark, ‘Aunty! How do you keep yourself in such great health?’ I would then reply, ‘If I were that healthy, I wouldn’t be here seeing you!’” she chuckles.
Those wishing to know the secret to Julie’s longevity would unlikely find it in her diet. “I eat whatever I feel like having,” the chirpy senior exclaims. She enjoys dining out, often walking to the different coffeeshops near her Tampines studio apartment for lunch, that can range from anything between a bowl of bittergourd soup and a plate of char kway teow (stir-fried noodles). Indeed, Julie currently requires medication to manage her cholesterol levels and high blood pressure, but perhaps her best medicine is a cheerful heart, and a positive outlook that sees her approach each new day full of enthusiasm and vigour.
“Happiness is a choice,” she says. “When I’m upset, my friends can immediately tell from my face, but I do not harbour anger in my heart for long. I’d forget all about it within a short while!”
Julie leads a simple yet structured life. Every morning, her breakfast consists of three items – a glass of plain water, a serving of oatmeal and a cup of kopi-o (black coffee) that had become an indispensable part of her diet since her early days. After carrying out some light exercises that involve stretching and kicking, she does her own housework, meticulously cleaning up her apartment before taking a cool bath. She is then ready to head out, always dressed impeccably to set the tone for the rest of her day.
Living by herself has not caused her loneliness or boredom either, as she has a circle of good friends whom she regularly meets and partakes in various activities with at LB AAC @ Tampines 494E, located just a stone’s throw away from her apartment. On weekday afternoons, Julie is a frequent sight at the centre, where she engages in her favourite Qigong exercises alongside fellow LB seniors. Hearty laughter and chatter can also often be heard emanating from the table where she and her friends are playing a game of Rummy-o. Even on weekends, when the AAC is closed, Julie does not coop herself up at home, but opts to go out for leisurely walks around the neighbourhood to stay active.
Julie (right) plays a round of Rummy-O with friends at LB AAC @ Tampines 494E.
When probed on what keeps her so cheerful each day, Julie replies, “Don’t worry so much about today, for you won’t know what tomorrow brings. If I can eat, I will eat! And when my friends ask me out, I will say ok. For me, at this age, to still have friends, shouldn’t I be delighted?”
Julie (middle row, fourth from left) enjoying an excursion with fellow LB seniors.
Such is Julie’s zest and vivacity, that she was recently selected to be featured in《前线追踪》Frontline, a Chinese-language current affairs programme on Mediacorp Channel 8, which documents her as a shining example of active ageing among seniors. She even got invited back to the programme for a National Day Parade (NDP) 2023 special episode, in which she is given tickets to watch the NDP Preview show together with her close friends and staff from LB AAC @ Tampines 494E!
“A cheerful heart is good medicine,” and Julie certainly lives up to this proverb! LB wishes Julie continued good health and joy each day, and we look forward to seeing her smile light up the people around her always!
Watch Julie’s appearance in《前线追踪》Frontline’s National Day Parade 2023 special episode on Mediacorp Channel 8:
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快乐的心是她最好的药
虽然身材娇小，但狮子乐龄活跃中心会员-谢朱莉女士（Julie Chia）拥有一个巨大的个性和感染力极强的笑容，瞬间让周围的人对她产生好感。她经常在透露自己的年龄时，引起周围人的惊讶和难以置信。现年96岁的朱莉，是健康和力量的象征。
“每次我去看医生，他都会说，‘阿姨！你怎么保持这么好的健康状况？’我就会回答，‘如果我真的那么健康，我就不会来见你了！’”她笑着说。
那些想知道朱莉长寿秘诀的人可能在她的饮食中找不到答案。“我想吃什么就吃什么，”这位活泼的老人家兴奋地说。她喜欢外出用餐，经常步行到她淡滨尼公寓附近的不同咖啡店吃午餐，这些午餐可以是从一碗苦瓜汤到一盘炒粿条（炒面）之间的任何东西。实际上，朱莉目前需要服药来控制她的胆固醇和高血压，但也许她最好的药是她那颗快乐的心，以及她以积极的态度迎接每一个新的一天的热情和活力。
“幸福是一种选择，”她说。“当我生气时，我的朋友们从我的脸上立刻就能看出来，但我不会长时间地把愤怒放在心里。过一会儿我就会忘掉！”
朱莉过着简单而有规律的生活。每天早晨，她的早餐包括三样东西——一杯白开水、一份燕麦片和一杯从年轻时起就成为她饮食中不可或缺的一部分的黑咖啡。做一些包括伸展和踢腿在内的轻度锻炼后，她会自己做家务，认真清洁她的公寓，然后洗个凉爽的澡。接下来，她就准备出门了，总是穿着得体，为她的一天定下基调。
独自生活并没有让她感到孤独或无聊，因为她有一群好朋友，她们经常见面，并在位于她公寓附近的LB乐龄活动中心 @ Tampines 494E 一起参与各种活动。在工作日的下午，朱莉经常出现在中心，和其他LB老人家一起进行她最喜欢的气功锻炼。她和朋友们在一起玩Rummy-o游戏时，经常能听到桌子上传来的欢声笑语。即使在周末，当活动中心关闭时，朱莉也不会呆在家里，而是选择出去在附近散步，以保持活力。
当被问到是什么让她每天都如此快乐时，朱莉回答说：“不要太担心今天，因为你不知道明天会发生什么。如果我能吃，我就吃！而当我的朋友们邀请我出去时，我就会说好。对我来说，在这个年纪还能有朋友，我不应该感到高兴吗？”
正是由于朱莉的热情和活力，她最近被选中在新传媒8频道的中文时事节目《前线追踪》中亮相，作为老年人积极老龄化的杰出代表。她甚至还被邀请回到该节目，参加2023年国庆庆典特别节目，并获得了与她的亲密朋友和LB乐龄活动中心 @ Tampines 494E 的工作人员一起观看国庆预演的门票！
“快乐的心是良药”，而朱莉无疑活出了这一谚语的真谛！LB祝愿朱莉每一天都健康快乐，并期待看到她的笑容继续照亮周围的人！
观看朱莉在新传媒8频道《前线追踪》2023年国庆特别节目的亮相：
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This story is reposted from Lions Befrienders website – Lions Befrienders Website
This heartwarming narrative comes from Lions Befrienders, an organisation dedicated to journey alongside seniors. To learn more about their services, visit Lions Befrienders Services.
This work includes translation generated by ChatGPT, an AI language model developed by OpenAI.
此作品包含由OpenAI开发的AI语言模型ChatGPT生成的翻译内容。