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Essays on 1st season Photographs

Malay & English Writings

We are honored and privileged, that the invitation to our local elders to pen something on the film we have taken, was received with grace and openness.

Here are some essays and poetries, in different mother tongue languages to expound on how we have aged over last 50 years. Many thanks to our generously minded contributors. All photographs are uploaded you may view them on collaborations page.

 

Do invite your friends or older friends, to write in too and email to theveryquietstudio@gmail.com .

Thank you very much.

 

我們感到榮幸和慶幸,一些本地“老人家”在邀請下,能如此欣然並大方地為我們的照片寫文章。

以下是目前所完成的短文和詩篇,以作者的母語詮釋我們五十年來成長的過程。萬分感謝心靈如此大量的撰稿人。

所有第一季的照片都已上載,可點擊collaborations 一頁。

希望你能為幫我們邀請自己朋友或‘老朋友’,也留下一些字跡。theveryquietstudio@gmail.com   謝謝!

 

Aging and Living a Fulfilling Life

- T. Rajagopal

 

Aging is inevitable.

A life well led is a life that is a treasure trove of fond memories.

Family, friends are all part of our well being.

The more you give the more you will receive.

As we age we become wiser and able to give advice to others.

Finally when it comes to our day of deliverance from Earth we become immortals in the memory of our loved ones.

So let us learn to give and let us receive the blessings before we ascend to the next level as fond memories.

In God We Trust.

The Very Quiet Studio on Wisdom for Ageing, Expressions for Healing, Community for Growth.

Trishaw Ride -  Nadiputra Almahdi 12.12.2015 Singapore 1986 Cultural Medallion recipient

2013 "Tun Seri Lanang” Malay Literary award

 

Roda kehidupan sentiasa berputar, sekalipun meninggalkan saki baki kehidupan yang  ditelan kemajuan masih berputar di tengah-tengah gejolak kehidupan yang kian mencabar.  

 

Singapura telah jauh maju, jadi salah satu mercu tanda rantau Asia dan dunia  yang disegani. Namun beca (trishaw) yang masih kekal wujud, jadi lambang sejarah betapa tuntutan teknologi masih  diluputkan daya upaya tulang empat kerat manusia Singapura yang tidak putus asa, sekalipun kembali ke akar kehidupan zaman silamnya.

 

Justru, roda kehidupan berputar, berputar dan terus berputar, tidak kira siapa yang mengayuhnya, tidak kira siapa yang menerajuinya.

 

A Game of Chess - Ang Beng Choo 

 

 

Growing old is mandatory, but becoming mature and wise is a conscious choice we make. Age and wisdom do not necessarily come hand in hand. To develop the latter, a healthy body and mind are paramount. The way to a healthy mind rests on regular exercise for the brain. What better way than to do that with like minded old friends?

 

A game of chess is a great way to stretch and flex those mental muscles. Keeping a level head and good focus is needed to analyse strategies and predict the moves by your opponent. When the opponent has the upper hand, it is all the more important to remain calm to have any chance of turning the tables. Even a game lost is a valuable lesson learnt and experience gained to fight another day.

 

Keeping a positive attitude during times of adversity is equally applicable to a game of chess as it is to the ups and downs in life.

 

A game of chess brings together like minded people. This is where friendship can be forged between players and among onlookers. Chess is not just about pitting one's wits against others, but more importantly, a catalyst for enlarging one's social circle and for maintaining an active lifestyle in old age.

 

The photos show a group of senior citizens fully engrossed in the game, totally oblivious to their surroundings. It didn't matter who were the ones playing, or who were the ones looking on. The strategies that were unfolding before their eyes were all that counted. To fully enjoy a game, one did not need the most comfortable setting nor the largest group of spectators. All that was needed was appreciation of what's at hand in the present moment. Isn't this the best reflection of one of life's best maxims?

Nostalgia by Dr. William Wan 3 Nov 2014

Kindness Movement General Secretary  

 

 

It feels like it was only yesterday

when we played

on the fields filled with cow-grass

and “touch-me-nots”.

 

We played barefooted

on an uneven plane

of patchy grass and pondings,

one right in front of the goal’s mouth.

 

Today, the field is gone.

So are the pre-war houses.

Gone, too, is the aroma of dried fishes

and prawns. The smell of dead waters,

with oozing black gooey mud,

downriver is no longer carried

by the south wind to my balcony

as I stare nostalgically across the railing.

 

These steel-framed glass buildings

rise up in front of me to touch the skies.

They glitter against the noon sun;

the reflection hurts my aging eyes.

 

I try so hard to recall.

But my memories are failing fast.

 

There’s little left

to jolt my memory,

other than the fading image lingering in my mind

of boys in shorts and singlets

kicking a mud-coated ball low

into the goal, only to be stopped

by the ponding with a splash

Wayang  -  Nadiputra Almahdi 12.12.2014

Singapore 1986 Cultural Medallion recipient

2013 "Tun Seri Lanang” Malay Literary award

 

Warna-warna kehidupan indah dan menarik.  Sang anak kan membapa kelak tauladan dari kehidupannya.   Sang bapa kan menelek lukisan kehidupannya untuk dijadikan renungan coretan warna kehidupan yang dibingkaikannya.  

Wayang adalah coretan kehidupan dalam apa juga pemaparannya. 

 

Ia mengungkap kejahilan masa silam dan ia juga mengungkap kebijaksanaan manusia dalam menempuh gelombang hidup yang belum diketahuinya walau sesaat dari langkah yang bakal diambilnya.

 

Ramai manusia suka menonton wayang.  Sama ada mereka sedar atau tidak mereka adalah sebahagian dari kehidupan dalam wayang itu, yang jelas manusia yang menontonnya mencari kepuasan emosi dari pencerminan hidup wayang itu.

 

Painting Poetry by R SathiKannan

(translated by Ms Mythily SathiKannan)  

----------------------------

I reminisce my journey of experience

 

My trail is alternated  with  light and darkness

 

Its adorned with moments of happiness and sorrow

 

Freezing cold and scorching sun have strengthened me

 

Amongst my companions

 

The faces of those

 

 who impacted me are etched in my heart  

 

who lived for me are deeply  intermingled in my soul

 

Relatives

Friends

Community

 

Hath made my journey interesting

 

The beautiful journey of experience

I’m painting in poetry

Love encompasses as the soul of the  Poem

 

 

Five Foot Way -

Yohanna Abdullah  10.03.2015

Pavements are there

To pave the way

For passers by

To shelter from the elements

Rain

Or

Shine

To reach

Heaven

 

It is a place to sit

Or lie down

When you are tired

And

Homeless

It is dry and cool

It invites sleep

I know for
I have slept

On five foot ways

When I am high

Ran away from home

Where fancy beds

And warm water showers

Don’t entice

As much as the world outdoors

 

My bed by night are fields

Staircase landings

And five foot ways

I sleep

Or not

But I care not

What people think

 

 

I know from all my wanderings

Singapore has less homeless

Than most countries

Usually I’ll be the only one

Me and my shadow

Digging into rubbish bins

To eke a living

Selling on Sungei Road

Meeting

Cardboard ladies

And drinks can men

And other karang guni folks

 

We all know the

Five foot way

One foot for Hippie

One foot for Ecstasy

One for Anarchy

And one for Lovely

And one for Sanity

 

In short, it

HEALS

Jangled nerves

Are soothed

By the cool floors

And the ageing buildings

Glorious

Nostalgic

Always

Enticing

 

 

Gentle Rolls on Life....
Written by: R. SathiKannan  

(Translated by V Rajagopal)
-------------------------------------------
Senility

Gossip goes that you've gotton into me surreptiously
Alas! I pity them these rumour mongers.
How can they ever know that you're but
The time-mellowed sensitive heart.

Do they know that we are like the ever-living poetry
Permanently youthful and revel in novelty?

I reminisce ....

That Love is Awesome

That Virtue is Beautiful

That Diligence is Truthful

That Simplicity is Great

I let go my thoughts ....

As the  sway of the silent seas
Life rolls on  as gently as can be

Demi Sesuap Nasi - Mokther HJ Hashim

5 April 2015 

 

Hanya untuk mencari sesuap nasi. Untuk mengisi perut yang kosong. Kekadang nasib tidak berbelah padanya. Namun kehidupan harian tidak berakhir di situ. Mencari terus mencari, agar tulang empat kerat ini terus digunakan. 

 

Dalam saat ketika ini bukan kekayaan yang dicari. Penghujung jalan yang berliku ini yang harus diredah dan dipaksa mencari ruang untuk terus bernafas. 

 

Kepercayaan untuk terus hidup adalah matlamat dan tumpuan yang harus diberikan agar hidup tidak menjadi bebanan. 

Kata orang rezeki ada di mana-mana. Ia menunggu dengan setia. Samada kita ingin terus mencari atau berdiri tegak berasa puas sambil mendabik dada. 

 

Dalam erti kata yang lain..usaha dan terus berusaha demi mencari jalan penyelesaian menumpaskan kemiskinan.

Perjalanan - Mokther HJ Hashim

5 April 2015

 

Perjalanan hidup pasti akan dilalui oleh setiap insan yang bernyawa di bumi ini.. 

 

Ada perjalanan yang pendek. Manakala ada pula melalui perjalanan yang panjang. Disulami dengan pengalaman yang berbagai ragamnya. Boleh dikatakan perjalanan ini menemui perhentiannya pada satu masa, satu ketika. Namun tiada siapa yang dapat menjangkakan bila ia akan berhenti dan menemui noktahnya. 

 

Adakalanya perjalanan itu harus dilalui dengan liku-liku dan ranjau yang senantiasa ada menunggu untuk memberi halangan dan tangtangan. Membuatkan perjalanan itu tidak licin dan mudah. Hanya segelintir dari insan yang dilahirkan tidak menemui tembok tamparan dan kegagalan. 

 

Walau apa pun, lumrah perjalanan hidup manusia tiada siapa yang berani menduga. Pastinya perjalanan itu akan berhenti apabila sampai waktunya..

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