Old & wise club

My friend E shocked me by saying that she enjoys going to rural places and shuns crowded places now. What happened to the party girl I'm so accustomed to?

She's the one who brought me to these clandestine singing sessions in private karaoke clubs where we allowed hostesses to sit on our laps and kampai all night until we couldn't walk. She has lived in the most hip cities in the world (Shanghai, New York and San Francisco) over the last ten years.

As far as I can remember, she could not tolerate the heat and humidity when she returned to Singapore and would hesitate to venture out of the comforts of an air-conditioned room.

It seems she is a changed person. I can only say, she has arrived, just like me. It appears that she has ditched her love of designer furniture and gadgets for herbs and plants now. She loves going to the beach and farms, breathing in fresh air instead of stale cigarette smoke.

It's all good, I told her. She's growing old, just like me. We've enrolled ourselves in the association of matured and wise people who embrace a healthy lifestyle. The ones who know when to stop and smell the roses.

When I was younger, I would never go near wholemeal bread, let alone eat it. Now I only eat wholemeal bread, in fact, the more grainy, the better it is for me. Food like sweet potato, pumpkin, bitter gourd, yam and beans that I used to turn my nose up at before appeal to me now. I've stopped eating candy and junk food. I shun crowded malls and prefer a quiet day in the park or digging earth in my garden.

The kids don't understand how I can enjoy such boring food and hobbies. I was once like them. They'll get there some day.