2018 IN REVIEW

2018 IN REVIEW

What a year it was! May 9, 2018 ushered in a new era for the country. For the first time since independence in 1957, the opposition won the general elections and formed the new government. In the weeks prior to GE14, many of us attended ceramahs, fund-raising dinners and took part in rallies. Some of our members also volunteered as Polling Agents. It was well worth the effort when Pakatan Harapan won. Only time will tell if the new government can deliver on its promises. 

SeniorsAloud events 2018

For SeniorsAloud, 2018 marked our 10th anniversary. We celebrated with a fund-raising dinner on 12 October at Royal Lake Club and also published a 32-page booklet to commemorate a decade of community service and events. For me personally, as founder of SeniorsAloud community, August 2018 marked my graduation with a Master of Science in Applied Gerontology from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. I was so relieved and happy to say goodbye to research studies, assignments and deadlines!

Other event organisers that SeniorsAloud collaborated with or helped promote in 2018

We also promoted and participated in events organised by universities

The above three events (GE14, 10th anniversary dinner, my gerontology course in Sg) kept us very busy. We had to cut down on organising events. To make up for this, we collaborated with other event organisers including universities, and helped to promote their events. This ensured there were activities every month for our members. 

SeniorsAloud in the news

It's always nice to see SeniorsAloud mentioned in talks or in the media, so Thank You, Petrosains, The Star and Hire.Seniors.

Haven't joined SeniorsAloud yet? Do so and be part of our growing community. 

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LOOKING AHEAD TO 2019

While active healthy ageing remains at the core of our community efforts, for next year we will be focusing more on productive ageing. We plan to organise skills & knowledge-based workshops that will help seniors get (re)employed or start their own business. To get our plans off the ground, we are looking for the following:

• a centrally-located venue in KL/PJ for our events preferably within walking distance to an LRT/MRT station
• a reliable travel agency that conducts local tours (we have a couple of trips and visits on the cards)
• experienced and qualified instructors for IT and social media courses

Preference will be given to members of SeniorsAloud community who can provide any of the above or know someone who can. Please email us at seniorsaloud@gmail.com, or contact Lily at 012-3068291.

SERIOUSLY, LUNCH NEAR KLCC FOR ONLY RM5?!!

Seven years ago, I had one of the best Chinese vegetarian meals ever in terms of value: good taste, low prices and rich variety. I had blogged about it then as one of the staff volunteers there asked me to help publicize the food court. Today the blog article popped up among my Facebook Memories. A good reminder that I should post an update for those who have yet to drop by for a meal. This place has been around for decades. Yet many of my friends have not heard of it.

A vegetarian's food paradise! I gave up counting the number of dishes after 40. Strictly no meat, eggs, garlic or onion.

A feast for the eyes and stomach, but only if you are a vegetarian. The longest queue is for the mixed dishes with rice.

All this for only RM8 in 2011 when this photo was taken. Prices have gone up but still low compared to other food outlets in the area. 

The daily menu at a glance. The temple marks festival days on the Chinese calendar with free meals but donations are welcome.

Best time to be there - before 11.30am. You avoid the lunch time crowd and the long queues at the cashiers.

The scene at 12pm. Difficult to find a seat unless you are alone. Besides locals, expats and backpackers eat here too. Diners have to clear their own plates after eating. The staff here are all volunteers.

All the vegetables and fruits are organically grown on the temple's farm.

Once you enter the temple premises, it's a short pleasant walk past a rock garden with a lotus pond and mini-waterfalls to the food centre at the end of the corridor.

From the outside: This ornate temple, opposite Corus Hotel and a stone's throw from KLCC, hides a bustling food court waiting to be discovered by those in search of a satisfying vegetarian meal.

Besides rice dishes, there are stalls selling noodles, salad, fruits, buns and drinks. When in season there are durians for sale. Everything comes from the temple's organic farm. I have lunch there whenever I am in the vicinity (which is often!) and tapau (take away) for dinner. The two meals usually cost less than Rm10. If I am early enough, I get free soup and fruit dessert. Parking is a problem. You can take the lrt to KLCC and walk there, or take any bus that goes to KLCC. Get off at Corus Hotel and walk across the overhead bridge. 

So now you know where to go for your next organic vegetarian meal, do spread the word.