With the success of the recent Plant Market, Coral and Christine followed up with a Christmas Market at Mountain View.
Things were a bit ‘Frosty’ during set-up, but Jerry, Neila and Coral sorted it out. With Frosty’s help they set up the tables and moved bucket-loads of plants in, ready to sell.
Our crew are a talented lot, so they needed a lot of tables.
And on the day, all the work in setting up the room paid off.
Mountain View Talent
Susan always does a great job selling raffle tickets but this year she has an additional job – making sure we all sign in. Ah, how COVID has changed things.
Bev was busy on her stall of quirky things – everything from scrunchies to socks.
Ivy and Susan admired the shrug Wendy bought for her granddaughter (beautifully hand-made by Helen).
Malcolm knows all about frames and framing.
Our very talented resident, Jack, creates beautiful artwork.
Helen was kept busy selling baked goods and plants.
Helen is always ready to lend a hand whenever anything is happening in the village – well – unless there is football on at the same time.
When the Geelong Cats are playing, you’ll find Helen tucked up in front of the TV watching them play.
Helen and her daughter…
Our new resident, Helen, with the fabulous crocheted and knitted items she has made.
Julia sold out of quilts pretty fast, and lots of lucky people will be getting beautiful quilts this Christmas. Caz and Christine took a break to admire the beautiful quilts and crocheted rugs made by Julia.
Margaret took care of the gift wrapping, and Bev rewarded her with a well-earned shoulder massage.
The Coral and Christine Team did it again!
A huge thank you to Coral and Christine for their effort in organising the day, and to all who participated, either selling or buying.
A great team effort ensured the success of the day, especially the $500 raised for Charity.
The amazing team of Coral and Christine, with the help of a heap of fantastic volunteers, put together another successful Village Garden Market yesterday.
Garden enthusiasts and hungry residents stayed dry while they ambled through the tables full of plants and baked goods.
The girls did a great job as acting Bookies, selling tickets in next week’s Melbourne Cup Sweep.
Thanks Prue, Christine and Coral.
At these prices you could afford to fill your balcony with amazing plants.
When you weren’t buying plants, it was a great time to catch up with neighbours.
Plants. plants and more plants
The pool provided a peaceful backdrop, especially with the raindrops landing on the surface of the water, while shoppers pondered their potential purchase.
Cheryl, Tony and Anna stocked up on house-plants, while Kerrie and John, Wendy and Peter caught up on village news.
Margaret took care of sales and greetings. She had a huge smile for everyone who stopped to say hello.
Susan sold heaps of tickets for the beautiful butterfly decoration. If the person who won it is having trouble figuring out where to put it, I have the perfect spot at my place. Just saying…
Linda guarded the baked goodies. I bought some carrot cake, had it for lunch (yep – that’s what I do…), and it was so good I‘ve pre-ordered another one for next week (thanks Christine).
I don’t think Linda needed to up-sell any of the great variety of cakes and slices. Judy knew exactly what she wanted. The Brownies were really popular.
Am I the only one who thinks these plants are amazingly inexpensive?
I’ve resorted to buying plants that grow in water, not soil. So far the last lot I bought have survived.
The good old sanitiser and sign-in sheet greeted everyone on arrival. Where would we be without them.
I love those decorations that swirl around. I’m sure I’d just sit on my porch all day, watching them catch the breeze.
Mary didn’t waste any time working out which plants to buy for her balcony.
The day was a great success, and there were many more volunteers than the ones mentioned here.
To everyone who helped make the Village Garden Market another awesome success – Thank You!
Helping each other is what Mountain View residents do well, and it’s what makes this place the best place to live.
Most of us up here on the hill have been around the block a couple of times (or more!). Some have lived our lives on the edge while others have taken a more conservative, back-seat position. But regardless of what course our lives took, looking at life in the rear-view mirror certainly puts a different perspective on it.
The ordinary experiences of aging alter and clarify your view of past, present and future.
Edith Pearlman
Do you remember how you felt as your twenty-first birthday drew near? For Baby Boomers, twenty-one years of existence signalled the dawn of adulthood. It was the magic number that entitled us to sign contracts and enter into legal agreements (like marriage…) without the written consent, or approval, of our parents.
The world was ours, to do with as we pleased.
And we embraced it with both hands, and wide-eyed wonder. Some of us were invincible and hurtled into life at full-throttle – others moved slowly through the gears (and years). Either way, we explored, experimented, made decisions and settled into an existence that would (hopefully) sustain us into our mature years.
We pursued goals, both career and personal, and raised families. Through lean years and good, we managed to get by. And no matter what life threw at us, we survived.
We were resilient.
The years came and went. Our once busy households were now relatively empty. The children we raised had left to raise their own family. Society even came up with a name for us – we became the ‘Empty Nesters’.
And the Empty Nesters took flight – albeit – on wheels. And another new phrase was coined, as the ‘Grey Nomads’ circled the nation (and the globe). Caravans dotted the highways in no particular hurry to arrive, to the annoyance of the younger generation who lined up on the highway behind us.
Long lines at check-in counters of airports were over-populated by travelling seniors with passports in hand, as they jetted off to another long-awaited destination. The travel bucket-list growing smaller with every return journey.
The SKI Club – Spending Kid’s Inheritance
Back in the day, our parents lived frugally and saved hard – safe in the knowledge they would be leaving a sound financial legacy for their surviving children. And the children lived safe in the knowledge their inheritance would be forthcoming on the demise of their loving parents.
But somewhere along the way, the lines blurred. The borders of the world merged. Inventions like television, and then the Internet, gave us a glimpse of another world. There was more to life than the little patch of ground we called home, and we wanted to experience it – all of it!
Education was the norm for our generation, not the exception. And University became accessible and affordable for more than just the children of the elite.
Our children were not only better educated, but earned more than we ever did.
It no longer made sense to go without – just to leave an inheritance to children who didn’t need it.
And that’s when the SKI Club was born. The grey (or – nearly grey) nomads disposed of the family home and moved into a more mobile abode. One that would deliver them to the far corners of the country, as they ambled along the highways and bush roads of this vast land.
The dawn of a new era
Eventually the nomads wearied of their transitory lifestyle. They had explored the length and breadth of the country – and the gypsy-lifestyle no longer served them. They longed for a little cottage with enough garden to keep them occupied without over-taxing their waning energy and creaking bones.
As they reminisced about the places they had seen, one or two little towns or cities dominated their thoughts. And that’s where they gravitated to. It’s where they would settle down to enjoy their more senior years.
When it’s time to view life in the rear-view mirror, what will you see?
With the big-wheels sold to the next generation of nomads, our grey-nomads bought into a new lifestyle. A place where everyone has a story to tell and no-one is in a hurry to go anywhere. Where folks enjoy a cuppa and a chat to share their travel-tales.
And when darkness falls, you can hear a pin drop.
The forwarding address for all their mail is to a Retirement Village in that quaint little town they found all those years ago – the one they kept going back to – the one they talked about the most.
Travel now is in the luxury of a cruise ship – where someone else charts the course and does the driving.
Life in the rear-view mirror looks good, framed by the memories made in the journey from the beginning of adulthood to the final phase of our existence.
Mine was one of the generations raised with the gender defining notion that boy babies wore blue booties, and girl babies wore pink booties.
Fast forward to 2019 – those boy babies are now in their 60’s, 70’s and 80’s and blue has been ditched in favour of pink.
For seniors who attended the recent Project Pink function at Mountain View Retirement Village, the room was a sea of pink. Our now more senior boy babies wore pink shirts, pink ties, pink braces, and pink hats.
There was not a blue bootie to be seen… anywhere.
Pink bras were strung high and wide, along with the usual bunting and balloons.
So why would these trend-setters of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s don their finest pink outfits, and assemble in the Community Centre on a fine day in October?
Because….
Mountain View Retirement Village puts on an annual event to raise money for the PA‘ s research into Breast Cancer.
Project Pink – Mountain View Style
Project Pink is our way of raising money for a great cause, and residents came out in full force to support it.
Food was plentiful and the drinks flowed.
Each attendee paid a nominal fee to attend, and then untied the purse-strings to buy heaps of raffle tickets.
You could be forgiven for thinking the cost of admission wouldn’t even cover the cost of lunch, let alone drinks and raffle prizes.
And it didn’t. We had some serious help with the funding.
Aveo supports Project Pink events in its communities across the country, with an aim to raise one million dollars for the cause.
Businesses in Murwillumbah donated generously to make sure there were enough raffle prizes.
And the staff and residents of Mountain View worked tirelessly on the day.
David, Dave and John flipped burgers and sausages on the BBQ.
Shanneen, Ellen and Kerrie took care of everything inside.
And Ray, one of the boy babies adorned in pink, greeted guests and helped sell raffle tickets.
Residents ate, drank and were merry – their participation making a difference to the families who have or will be affected by Breast Cancer in their lifetime.
Have you heard me say Murwillumbah is the best place to live?
Here’s why…
Resident volunteers took to the streets of Murwillumbah a few weeks before the event and ‘door-knocked’ businesses. I visited five places who all generously donated gifts or services, and the other volunteers had similar results.
There was no shortage of fabulous prizes donated by the generous businesses within the Murwillumbah community.
The table and notice board overflowed with the generous donations from Murwillumbah businesses.
You could have heard a pin drop when David started calling out the raffle winners. Eyes focussed on lucky (or not..) tickets, as each attendee waited with much anticipation to hear their lucky number called out.
There may have even been a bit of skullduggery going on between winners because I’m sure I noticed a couple of deals going down.
I know Wendy and Ray came to some kind of arrangement.
“Love your new haircut, Ray”.
“Nice new pot-plant, Wendy!”.
Those who didn’t win were grateful that the purchase of their tickets helped raise much needed funds for research into Breast Cancer.
We raised a little over $1500.00!
That’s a mammoth effort for the little community up on the hill.
And we could not have done it without the support of Aveo, and our Murwillumbah community.
A Huge Thank You To:
The amazing Aveo Mountain View management team for their dedication and energy in organising the event, food, drinks and BBQ.
Shanneen, for orchestrating the event from beginning to end.
The residents of Mountain View Retirement Village who:
helped cook the great BBQ lunch
attended the function
bought heaps of raffle tickets
Thank you to all who attended and made the day a huge success, and most importantly, those who delved deep into their wardrobes to find something pink to wear.
And an even bigger Thank You! to these amazingly-generous Murwillumbah businesses for opening their hearts (and wallets) to donate the amazing prizes that helped us raise a whole lot of money.
Your generous donations have made a big difference and we thank you, sincerely.
Australia Post
B Spoilt Hair Salon
Balcony Restaurant
Beverley’s on Main Street
Bottle-O Bray Park
Bi-Rite Electrical
Bray Park Butchery
Cafe 81
Chantilly Boutique
Country Style Barber
Con Varella Pharmacy
Dinki Di Discounts
JH Williams
Juju’s Cafe
Katrina Hair Salon
Keith’s Cafe
Lavender Blue
Mapp & Hession Pharmacy
Mother Js Nursery
Murwillumbah Cellars
Murwillumbah Golf Club
Murwillumbah RSL Club
New Leaf Cafe
Office Choice
Opal Nails
Outdoorism
Priceline
Rumour Has It
Soul Pattinson Pharmacy
Sports World
Sutto’s Floor Coverings
Sunnyside Meats
Take a Break Cafe
The Foundry
The Style Shop
Tweed Fruit Exchange
And at the end of the day, our boy babies…..
….. hung up their pink shirts, dusted off their pink hats, and folded their pink ties and braces. Will the pink gear be kept in a dark cupboard until next year’s Project Pink, or will our boy babies show up in their finest pink garb at other events?
That is the burning question that only time will tell.
Come back and visit this page often, and if you can support any of these local businesses, it would be a great way to thank them for donating to the PA’s Research into Breast Cancer, through Mountain View’s Project Pink function.
Did we miss knocking on your door this year?
If you would like to support Mountain View’s Project Pink next year by donating goods or services, make sure you leave a comment on this page, or contact the office at Mountain View Retirement Village to have your name added to the list for 2020.
Wrap your laughing gear around this, and let’s dissect this whole ‘ageing and happiness’ business.
“You don’t stop laughing when you grow old; you grow old when you stop laughing”
George Bernard Shaw
Wrap your laughing gear around this… image from Pixabay
Who Wants To Grow Old Before Their Time!?
Retiring from a long, stressful career in Education has given me the freedom to kick back and enjoy life. And one of the best decisions I made before hanging up the chalk for the last time, was to buy a unit at Aveo Mountain View Retirement Village.
Living in Paradise!
I meet people every day who have ‘happiness’ written all over their face. Their smile brightens even the dreariest winter’s day. Life, love and laughter emanate from their every word and motion. Even those who have the least to smile about, find something in their day to be happy about.
Spreading the cheer at Christmas in July
A couple of Santa’s Happy Elves
A welcome coffee-stop on the way to Tenterfield
Learning to love the cold in Tenterfield on a cold day in May
Okay – the wine might have helped – a little…
Well – at least the wine warmed us up…
Those who have mobility challenges, or are wracked with pain, still smile. Perhaps they are thankful for waking up each day to the beautiful sounds of nature that abound in our twenty-eight acres of Paradise.
You can spend the whole day crying about it, or you can learn to love the cold…
I recently read an interesting story about a father and son in Norway. When the boy was about four years old, the father took him ice-fishing. The son was not happy because ice-fishing means standing around on a big block of ice for a very long time, and it was seriouslycold. He soon made his feelings known in no uncertain terms, as a four year old would, and he cried.
The response from his father gave the son a life-lesson that he never forgot.
“Look, you’re here now. You can either spend the whole day crying about it, or you can learn to love the cold. You’ve got a choice. You can either choose to be miserable, or choose to love the cold.’ And so that’s what we did. We just learned to love the cold.”
We can either cry about a situation, or learn to love it. The choice is ours.
That doesn’t mean we have to blindly accept every situation we find ourselves in. It means we have the choice to accept the situation or change it. If we can’t change it, then accepting it – learning to love it – is the best option.
Changing the weather in a cold Norwegian winter isn’t an option. The father’s advice to learn to love the cold made a life-long difference to the way his son viewed life.
If you can’t change a situation, then embrace it and learn to love it.
If you can change it – change it.
You even have a choice in how you change a situation.
You can:
Grumble about it and make everyone else miserable as well
Rant and rave and get people offside – often it’s the people you need to have on-side that you upset the most
Blame everyone else for the situation – when often the challenging situation reflects a choice you have made and now regret
Hold on to a grudge – some people seem to like being unhappy
Ignore genuine help to solve a problem – as above, some people don’t really want a solution, even if it is handed to them on a silver platter – they seem to prefer to grumble and complain
Acknowledge those who offer solutions – and work with them to bring about the change you want to make
And that’s what puts the smile on the faces of the people I meet every day.
They are happy to work with those who are striving for positive changes in their own life, and the lives of others.
And if it can’t be changed?
By learning to accept situations – learning to love the ‘cold’, we become, or remain, happier people.
Getting back to the wisdom of George Bernard Shaw – we grow old when we stop laughing.
And Who Wants To Grow Old Before Their Time?
Not Me!
… and obviously not the majority of people who live in Mountain View Retirement Village.
As for the few unhappy people in the village – who knows? Maybe the infectious laughter of the rest of us will show them that growing old (and grumpy) is a choice.
So wrap your laughing gear around all the fun things on offer in the Village, and stay as young as you are!
Life can be tough – but how you handle it is your choice. You can laugh or you can cry. Both probably take the same amount of effort – so why not laugh?
And It beats the heck out of being old – and grumpy!
Disclaimer: This post does not intend to diminish Mental Health issues, especially Anxiety and/or Depression. The post simply aims to highlight the choice for individuals to focus on happiness rather than sadness. Unless otherwise stated, all information contained herein is the opinion of the author. The post does not constitute a diagnosis or specific treatment of any physiological or mental disorder. If this post has raised questions concerning long-term anxiety, sadness or depression, please seek advice from a professional.
Up here on the hill, we don’t do things in half measures. When we decided to host a Welcome to Winter lunch, volunteers got busy planning, shopping, cooking and decorating.
And this is the result.
What do you think?
The tables are set, the food is prepared (as much as it can be), and the Community Centre is decorated and looking good.
For those who thought living in a Retirement Village would be boring, think again. Up here on the hill our Welcome to Winter lunch is going to be amazing!
When I retired in April 2016, I made a commitment to keep learning – to keep the old brain-cogs turning. As the old adage goes “If you don’t use it, you’ll lost it!”. And there is enough research to suggest there’s a lot of truth in that saying. So why am I excited about WordCamp?
What is WordCamp?
WordCamp is a weekend of learning – about all things WordPress and websites.
WordCamp Brisbane is an event I start looking forward to, the day after the previous one ends.
Maureen Durney
Towards the end of 2015, in preparation for retirement, I decided to build a website. My son, who is a busy website developer, assured me it was so easy anyone could do it.
He was right!
I wanted a blog website – before I even knew what a blog was. Everyone was talking about blogs – and it seemed that everyone had a blog. I wanted one, too.
It was so easy!
WordPress guides you every step of the way.
Will that be .com or .org?
My first website is Havandra.wordpress.com, and it was built on the WordPress.com platform. This is where I recommend any new website builder should start. The .com version of WordPress allows you to build a site without putting your hand in your pocket – ever! That’s what I love about WordPress!
Havandra.wordpress.com
Trust me, I had no idea what I was doing when I started the site, but it was so easy. I made up the name ‘Havandra’, but I’ve since found out it is a Malagasy word meaning ‘hail’ – as in the weather phenomenon – ‘hail’. Perhaps I should have Googled it first… but I still like the name.
The big difference between the two sites is in the address of your website. The .com (free) version adds .wordpress.com to the name of your site -(havandra.wordpress.com).
The .org version gives you an easier address (MountainView-Living.com or MaureenDurney.com), but you need to buy your domain name and pay for hosting. Hosting is the part that puts your site on the Internet so people can find it. There are inexpensive ways of covering these, but I still think the free version is the best way to get started.
A WordPress.org site
Why am I excited about WordCamp Brisbane 2019?
Because the post-career, retirement learning phase of my life kicks into high gear after two days of WordCamp, learning about WordPress. The rooms are buzzing with enthusiastic website owners and those aspiring to be. The talks cater for beginners and the experienced, and sponsors are standing by to answer questions.
Some of the sponsors from WordCamp Brisbane 2018
There are plenty of opportunities to network with others, make friends for life, and catch up with old friends. Oh, and there’s lots of swag. That’s tech-talk for freebies.
And lots of real Coffee!
So, what does WordCamp 2019 have to do with Mountain View?
Everything!
Pretty soon we’ll have the Community Centre set up with WiFi and computers. You can have technology lessons, access the Internet, and check your emails. Then we can get you started on building your own website. And by the time WordCamp Brisbane 2020 is announced, you’ll be excited too.
So, what are you waiting for?
If I can figure out how to build a website with WordPress, so can you!
The countdown is on! Only four days until Aveo Mountain View’s Seniors Expo. That’s just four sleeps and a wakey – until Friday the 22nd February. We’ll put the coffee machine in overdrive, crank up the kettle, and make sure the biscuit tin is full. So take a drive up Byangum Road (from Murwillumbah), turn left into Ingram Place – we are at the end of Ingram Place (1 Ingram Place). Let us know you are coming so we can put enough beans in the coffee machine.
We are really excited about showing you our place.
You’ll see:
inside one of our fabulous units
the lake
the Bowling Green
our community centre – the Hub for most of our activities
bin chickensibis (sorry – couldn’t put them in the beautiful birds category)
water dragons
happy retirees enjoying life
presentations from outside agencies – providing information about all things ‘ageing’
presentations from residents – to show what we do all day
If retirement is on your horizon, or the horizon of someone you know, come and talk to us. We’ve (nearly) all hit the retirement button – some of us are new at it – others are old-hands – but we can show you some of the options available. Even if your retirement plans feature foreign shores, you might pick up some valuable tips from someone who has been there and done that. Some of our residents split their retirement time between Aveo Mountain View and a resort on a tropical island. Can it get any better than that?
Come and see Julia’s beautiful quilts
Click here to see the Timetable for the day. Come for the full day (11.30 – 3.00) or just an hour or two. Oh, and don’t forget the cooking demonstration at 2.00pm. You won’t want to miss it!
Just remember though, the roads throughout Mountain View Village are shared roads. That means, we share the road with cars, trucks, seniors (some of us don’t move as fast as we used to) and our wildlife.
Our speed limit is 15 km/h!
Please slow down while in the village.
Our beautiful lake…
Well, what are you waiting for?
Pick up the phone and call the office to let us know you are coming.
The phone number is: 02-6672-4800 (Office Hours)
Or you can email me: retired@mountainview-living.com
Or, fill out the RSVP at the bottom of this page
Remember, there’s only four days until the Aveo Mountain View Seniors Expo – so….
With only a week before Aveo Mountain View’s Big Day on the 22ndFebruary, the timetable for the Seniors Expo is ready to go. Displays are being finalised and external agencies are lining up to attend.
You will find us at 1 Ingram Place, Murwillumbah (off Byangum Road) and you can phone us on 02-6672-4800 (Office Hours) for more information and to RSVP.
It’s all happening!
The first tour of the village will kick off at 11.30am, so make sure you add your name to the RSVP at the bottom of the page.
Why are we getting excited about the Seniors Expo at Mountain View Murwillumbah? Because we get to show off where we live!
Timetable
11.30 – Tour of the Village
12.30 – Official Welcome and Opening of the Expo
12.40 – Tour of the Village
1.30 – Tour of the Village
2.00 – Cooking Demonstration
Our beautiful Mountain View Lake
Between the tours, there will be displays in the Community Centre of current and proposed activities, as well as presentations by:
Hearing Connect
Aveo Sales
HearingLife
Funeral Director and Celebrant
Mobile Rehab
Community Transport
Aveo Connect
UPA – United Protestant Association
Nutrition Select
Aveo Benefits
U3A – University of the 3rd Age
Local Artists
Technology Display
Freedom Sales
Aveo Care at Home
Neighbourhood Watch
Nature at it’s Best!
When you read the sales pitch about twenty-eight acres of bushland, you’d better believe it! Trees and wildlife abound here at Mountain View. We’ve got plenty of trees and plenty of birds. And the beautiful lake attracts turtles, ducks and lots of water dragons.
Each morning we have wake-up calls from:
Magpies – have you heard the magic of an early morning magpie?
They’re happy to sit on the railing – just waiting for a friendly smile.
Slow Down!
The speed limit throughout the village is 15 km/h
We want to protect our residents and our native wildlife, so please drive slowly when you come to visit. Our water dragons and brushturkeys roam free because this is their home too – so watch out for them on the road.
RSVP
Let us know you’re coming so we know how many cups to put out for a cuppa!
Being part of a Retirement Village can have it’s benefits – beyond the obvious: like-minded neighbours; peaceful and quiet living; security of having retired neighbours watching out for your unit while you travel the world; no gardens to maintain – lawns to mow – pool to clean (someone else takes care of all of these).
If you’re in an Aveo Village, retirement just got a whole lot better!
Being part of an Aveo Retirement Village has an extra bonus – reciprocal visits to the China Campus.
The inaugural exchange happened in October 2016, and I’m proud to say I took the challenge and signed up for a two-week tour of the village near Shanghai. Residents of the Aveo Group of retirement villages in Australia were eligible to participate in the inaugural trip and 20 residents from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and the Gold Coast opted to blaze the trail for future travellers. Aveo plan to take 4 groups each year, as well as arranging for our Chinese counterparts to visit our fair shores and see how we define retirement here in Australia.
My limited knowledge of China and all things Chinese had me believing that we would be teaching the Chinese residents a lot about being active in our later years. We were asked to bring equipment and expertise to teach the gentle art of Lawn Bowls, and I assumed we would be teaching a lot more than that while we were there. I couldn’t have been more wrong! Yes, we did take some Bowls, and yes, those with expertise did teach the finer points of using them, but that’s (almost) where our part of the exchange ends. We did manage to teach our hosts the words and actions of ‘Give Me A Home Among The Gum Trees’, but more about that later.
A very successful cultural exchange, on the croquet ground? Oh well, it worked.
As perfect hosts, our Chinese counterparts welcomed us with open arms and treated us like royalty during our stay.
The Chinese residents couldn’t have done more to ensure our stay was perfect in every way
My view of retirement until then was that retirement is passive. It’s something that happens to you at the end of a usually busy career. It’s when you start working your way through the long list of books you stockpiled over the busy years, with the words ‘for retirement reading’ embossed on each cover, even though the History of Russia will be ancient history by the time I actually get to read it.
Retirement is what we look forward to, but worry about finding enough to do to keep us occupied. It’s about winding down; taking it easy; being a lot more sedentary.
But that isn’t how it is in China. There are courses for those who may not have had the opportunity to go to College, and dedicated classrooms and teachers ensure that learning is successful. Some residents are studying English, while others master Calligraphy, Mahjong, or Music. The sounds and signs of practice can be heard and seen throughout the campus. The melodic notes from a piano or flute float down from an upper floor window and calligraphic signs adorn the walls and halls of the learning areas.
The evenings are for gentle exercise in the Quadrangle in fine weather, or the Community Hall if the skies open up. The days are for the full rigour of the gym under the expert guidance of a personal trainer. And the residents are there: in the quad gaining strength of mind and body with every disciplined but poised movement; in the gym toning muscles and ensuring flexibility in the aging process; in the pool pushing laps; in the dance studio learning the ancient art of traditional Chinese dance or ballroom dancing; in the library stretching the mind; in the craft room creating exquisite masterpieces to share with friends. Participation is active and interactive. Retirement isn’t a passive phase that happens to them, it is a new stage of active learning and growth. Even ballroom dancing is undertaken with skill and precision and there were many talented couples tripping the light fantastic on the dance floor on our first night on the campus.
And the concert at the end of our tour was spectacular! Choirs sang, musicians played ancient instruments, and Mr Bridge Lee gave a very professional rendition of Santa Lucia and Moscow Nights. And the Aussies? Well, what else would you expect? ‘Give Me A Home Among The Gum Trees’, complete with actions, was the order of the day (hastily put together on the day, I might add), and was very well received by all. Our Chinese hosts loved it! and even requested an Encore after our Farewell Dinner the night before we left. Our Aussie host, Julie, was a bit ‘over it’ after the third or fourth time of seeing us all up on the big screen in the Quadrangle, belting out every last note of the song, but I suspect just a little of that stemmed from the homesickness the song evoked in her, having been away from our fair shores for more than just a few years while overseeing the setting up of the China Campus.
I came back to our village with a new perspective on retirement. I want to re-write the script. There is no need for the retirement phase to be the final journey when it could so easily be reversed to become a new beginning.
The view from my balcony – and this is winter!
What could we achieve in our later years if we adopt a philosophy of learning new skills: A second language; Writing a novel; Learning to play an instrument? Anything is possible – we are limited only by our imagination. We just have to change our mindset from master to student, and actively engage in learning.
The difference between East and West is no more clearly defined than in the learning centres of the China Campus. The emphasis is on learning, training and discipline.
