My Elderly Space

Everyday at around 5pm, Madam Tan Lau heads down to the ground floor of the shophouse to attend the cash register of the Shun Kee Eating House. She busily watches the front of the restaurant and close up after a long shift, at 4am.

"I'm used to it. I don't need much sleep anyway, and besides, I prefer to keep myself busy," she says.

When The New Paper first approached her, she said: "Oh no, don't interview me. I'm a nobody, just another old woman." I'll be the first to disagree with her on that point!

link

Labels: work

The Globe and Mail has a five-part series this week profiling the life inside the Terraces of Baycrest, a retirement home in north Toronto: the transition into a new living environment, the loss of independence, the cliques, the gossip, the food, the search for love, and the realities and illness and death.

Read the entire series here.

Labels: canada

This very interesting collection of portraits were taken over an 18 year period by photographer Mark Story.

Pictured here is a man of 110 years, who still walks 3 miles a day and works several hours a week at a cafe. "I still chase good-looking women around. I just can't catch up with them — my legs don't work fast enough," he said.

See more of these brilliant photos at Living in Three Centuries: The Face of Age

Frank Pelatowski retired from his weekly newspaper column 30 years ago. Now at the age of 100, he has decided to revive his weekly column in the Mariposa Gazette!

"Some people say I have a lot of energy for a 100-year-old man. They may be right. I'm not only going to write new columns, but I'm still doing other writing, including a book titled 'The Wit and Wisdom of Frank Pelatowski' which will be in bookstores later this year."

Be sure to visit Frank's website where you'll find his column, his blog and even a video.

Bowling a perfect game is a cause for celebration, but especially so for Dale Davis, a blind 78-year-old WWII vet.

“I can’t see the lane or the pins and have a heck of a time finding my ball sometimes,” Davis said “I can kinda see the dots on the floor to know where I start. After that, I rely on my hearing and other people to tell me what’s going on.”

And when he doesn't get a strike, he relies on others to tell him where the remaining pins are standing.

“When I got to the tenth frame, I said ‘Lord, let me throw three more good balls.’ When I did, people on other teams were yelling and cheering. A few guys were hugging me and almost broke my skinny bones.”

Dale is a great example for the rest of us, proving that you're never too old to set goals for yourself.

“I always knew I wanted to have a 300, but I never thought it would be possible, especially as I got older and couldn’t see. Bowling rejuvenated me. I’ve got a love for this game I can’t even describe. Hopefully I’ll do this again when I’m 90.”


You can find the full story and more pictures here.

Labels: sports

John Babcock lost his Canadian citizenship when he moved to the US nearly 90 years ago, at a time when dual citizenship was not allowed. Last month he wrote to the prime minister:

Dear PM,
Could I have my citizenship restored? I would appreciate your help.
Thank you,
John Babcock

He was granted his citizenship.

At 107 years old, Mr. Babcock is Canada's last surviving veteran of the First World War. He lied about his age so he could be enlisted in the army at the age of 15, joining the 146th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force.

Labels: canada