The Two Olds

Retirement  - no such thing!

I well remember when my father retired.  He chose not to take up a government offer to come chief judge in a New Zealand Pacific protectorate, in preference to his first love, fishing off the rocks on the Coromandel peninsula.

Not that I was surprised at this as he had by then had enough of party political interference in the appointment of the judiciary.  He had also served his country in Word War II which included several years in a German POW camp; he was captured on Crete as many New Zealanders were.

The thing about Dad was he never publicly expressed any negative views about such matters, such was his legal training.  When the time came that he could retire he "packed up his tent" and went fishing.

So today as I reach the official NZ retirement age and become eligible to reclaim back a small portion of the large amount of tax I have paid the country over forty years, I am reminded of the day my father chose relaxation over re-employment.

In my own case and to paraphrase a Chinese expression it is a case of 'the two olds'.

I turned sixty as a Permanent Resident (PR) in Singapore thereby qualifying for a plastic card that identified me as a 'senior citizen', travel and other concessions.  While this was much appreciated, I felt a bit of a fraud as I was in lucrative full time employment with no intention of retiring from my senior appointment with the British Council.  Singapore has subsequently raised its retirement age since my departure.

Now some five years on and back in New Zealand I still don't really believe that the day has come when I have qualified once again for this status in society.  Yet another piece of plastic arrived though the post entitling me to an even broader range of tempting discounts; not that discount facials and new tyres hold much appeal.  But as my Mother used to say, it is the thought that counts.

The other thing about 'retirement' at an arbitrary age is that it seldom if ever happens.  Where a few generations ago you were given a gold watch for long service and gently ushered out the back door, most of us now spend at least some time on pursuits that are tied into our former full time employment.

I am just as active now in the digital, online world as I ever have been which keeps the creative juices flowing.  The beauty is I no longer have to sit through the tedium of irrelevant staff meetings nor in my car braving the rush hour.

The brave,digital world that allowed me in my working life to communicate with clients, colleagues and friends around the globe, does so still.  So when I think about it, nothing much has changed except that I occasionally miss the face to face socialising that took place in the many staff rooms I frequented.

And I do miss Singapore; the arrival back home at Changi airport, the tropical thunderstorms and verdant foliage, the colourful creepy crawlies and the warmth of its people.  I am blessed that many of them in the 'Little Red Dot' and people I knew and worked with in NZ, remain friends still.

There was an article in the local press yesterday quoting a specialist who has said "Life expectancy in New Zealand is higher than ever, but early retirement is killing people".  The gist being that keeping the mind active keep you living longer.  They could well be right.  The thought of sinking into a lethargic torpor holds no appeal whatsoever!

I can't think of one person I know who has retired to the couch.  All of us are actively engaged in work and/or society. Which just goes to prove that we 'Baby Boomer's', despite the dire predictions of our parent's generation, aren't any lazier than those that went before us.

To paraphrase a certain BBC fox puppet "Boom, Boom" and long may life remain so.

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The Best Things Are Found In Stone Jars

Some of the best and most affordable lunches in Singapore can be found in the most surprising places.  One of the cafes that I frequented was at the British Council in Napier Road. It was convenient as I worked for the Council.

Called 6 Stone Jars it is run by the ebullient Peter Tan, a foodie and passionate golfer (when time allows).

Peter now has a twitter account which promotes South East Asian cuisine - SixStoneJars1.

6 Stone Jars twitter account - become a Follower

His cooking and that of his staff is very good indeed and the fare always varies; from European style to a scrumptious Indonesian style beef rendang.

Well worth a visit if you are in that part of Singapore around lunch time but a tip, get there early before the hungry students!

Flying High

I don't know about you, but I always like to think that the person piloting the aircraft I am travelling in is in full control or his or her senses. Snorting cocaine in the cockpit would not fill me with confidence about the chances of reaching my destination.

So it is somewhat alarming to read today that a third Indonesian pilot has been prosecuted for ingesting crystal methamphetamine. Putting the 'P' into pilot is a worrying state of affairs, in a country not renowned for its aviation safety record.

The airline in question is Lion Air whose motto just happens to be "We make you fly", although when they coined it, they would not have anticipated their pilots taking this slogan quite so literally, as is the case here.

Media reports that a month earlier, another Lion Air pilot had been arrested with an undisclosed amount of crystal meth in a karaoke bar in South Sulawesi, while two Lion Air co-pilots were arrested for possession of crystal meth and ecstasy last September.

In Indonesia the scourge that is crystal meth is known as "shabu-shabu".  Perhaps given the state of the airline industry there it should be known as "shabby, shabby".

Such was the state of civil aviation in the country that in 2007 when we were based in Singapore all of its airlines were banned by the European Union authorities and, as I worked for the British Council at the time, we were forbidden to use them.

Since then the ban has been gradually lifted but there are still a number of smaller operations that are clearly 'cowboy' outfits. One could always use alternative transport such as ferries but these tend to sink due to overcrowding.

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Napier Road Awash

There's rain and then there's RAIN.  This photograph was taken by a friend and former colleague of mine at the British Council in Singapore.

Napier Road - Photo Robert Morales

It is the view out of what was my office window overlooking the two lane Napier Road, near the junction with Tanglin Mall.

The tropical deluge that created this flood is not uncommon and the coming of the rains brings welcome respite from the June heat.  It is also a time of danger as people have been knwon to get washed into culverts, so one has to be very careful when crossing flooded areas.

As I discovered, even the strongest umbrella couldn't stop you getting soaked when the heavens opened in this manner.  It is best to site it out and wait for the storm to pass, which they usually do within an hour.

Click this link for the sound of a tropical deluge that I recorded on my mobile phone in late 2006.

Shoes in Singapore do not last as the soles often separate from the uppers due to the constant wetness. A change of shoes in the office is also a wise move.




The above video is Tanglin Mall which is just down the road from the British Council and where my colleagues and I often took our lunch, in the foodcourt on the lower level.

Three Stone Jars

I neglected to mention in early postings that some of the best food options in Singapore can be found in the least expected places.

When I worked at the British Council in Napier Road we were extremely lucky to have one of the best lunch cafes in the city within the complex.

The Three Stone Jars serves very good western and asian fusion food. in a cafe surrounding and the prices are much more reasonable than the nearby Tanglin Mall.

Peter the proprietor is an effervescent personality and not only does he serve good food, he also has an excellent taste in music (at least to my ears) with golden oldies from the sixties playing quietly in the background.

An example of their menu are the large chicken thighs (affectionately dubbed 'dinosaur legs' and imported from South America I believe?), mashed potato and two selections of vegetables for around $7.

I also enjoyed their beef rendang which is very distinctive with an acidic accent, unlike the normal creamy varieties one gets throughout Singapore. The recipe is more of an Indonesian style.

The only word of advice I have is to try and avoid the 11am and 1 pm rushes, when the students and staff have a hasty meal before classes and the queues are long.

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