Life in the slow lane
The year 2012 marked the year my wife and I really retire.For me it
happened the time I was back from Mecca a year ago and for my wife it
was a month ago. Before embarking on this new phase of our life, there
were a lot of anxieties about leading a retired life.What are we going
to do with the time ? Will boredom set in ? Will inactive life take a
toll on our physical and mental health?Will we become socially isolated ?
I felt a bit jittery, but someday we must retire and this was a good
moment to enjoy retirement when we were still healthy.
Moving into our new house marked the beginning of new life phase.I always wanted a quiet house in the suburb for my retirement because I became fed up with the development at Kelana Jaya where I stayed put for 35 years.My wife had always wanted a new house with some land so that she could potter around.We spent some time looking around and accidentally stumbled upon the current property.I was thinking hard on the concept and the design of the house which was intended for an easy lifestyle.The architect who designed it and the contractor who built it had delivered what I wanted.The interior is open admitting natural nights through sliding doors and the furnishing is minimal.As dining room connects to the open terrace and the garden , the house gives me the feeling of outdoor living .My landscape theme is tropical with plants and foliage that are easy to grow and maintain.Still it takes time to keep the garden, but my wife found this chores very engrossing and therapeutic.
The biggest beneficiary of our retired life is our two year old grandchild, Mia.To us Mia has been godsend to make our life complete.She has everything a grandparent look for in a baby.Mia's parent has a house across the street, but she spends most of the time with us.She brightens up our home and and gives us much joy .Looking after Mia has always look like a full time job for me and my wife.We can feel Mia growing up doing new antics day after day and even though we were often reminded not to spoil her, the temptation to give her the best is too strong.Both of us have deprived childhood anyway, a little bit more splurge wont do any harm. We are happy we don't stop with Mia for another grandchild is coming in July.
My fraternity is growing.I attended the surau in my neighbourhood regularly and have build up a strong relationship in the neighborhood by taking part in its activities.Besides,I have an old boys network of 100 friends and since we had had common experience and had been friends for 40 years, we always have a lot to talk about whenever we meet.My house is next to the highway and popular wholesale complex, so they have no reason not to stop by if they are around., Every weekend I would go to Kelana Jaya to meet old friends, most of whom, like me,are retirees. It has become my weekend hangout.My social life takes a dramatic change on retirement.When working my social circle was corporate people I met during work and dinner,but those circle of friends are slowly dissipating replaced by unconditional time tested friendship.
Every 3 or 4 months I would take a trip out to Perak and Kelantan and visited our kampungs to keep in touch with our roots. We spent time with childhood friends and relatives that we had not seen for years.My wife's kampung in Kelantan seems to be in a time capsule and I alway appreciate rustic ambiance and the unpretentious people .There has been more development in areas around my kampung in Perak, but the river near my kampung house, where sampans are moored, remain unperturbed.I would take a boat and ride the river or go to the sea for an overnight fishing trip. As this is the first time my wife and me can travel together, we are already booked for some trips and our calender is already full for the year.
I also have more time for my hobbies.Mountain climbing is something I have been doing for almost 20 years and I had climbed most mountains in Malaysia and Indonesia.My mountain climbing group is still active and once every 3 months we will go somewhere either for mountain climbing, trekking or just lounging at some camping site. To maintain my stamina for this sports, I do exercise at least thrice a week. I do not know how long more I would go on this hobby because of my age, missing the experience of jungle bashing, orienteering, camping and being among nature is something I would really miss if I quit..
Blogging and social networking too are my new found hobbies.I maintain blog sites where I just pen down whatever comes to my mind. At first it was difficult to write even an opening sentence, but after trying out a few articles I start to get more smooth with words. The computer make me a gizmo person and I would go around updating myself with the latest gadgetry at Low Yat. I am at most a mediocre at digital photography and post production editing, but I can get hooked to it once I start.On the reading front, I want to delve into Nietzsche,Camus and like minded writer to know what are in their minds.
Whenever I have spare time I would go to my kebun where I planted palm oil and fruit trees . It is a small and poorly tendered plot, but I am happy to utilize the land that I had neglected for many years.Toiling on the land gets me closer to mother earth and teach me humility.
I think my health is getting better since retirement.I have less problem with stress related ailment like headache and flu.My exercise regiment is more regular , I spent more time outdoor and have more control of my schedule.I like the tempo of my life now.I still do few other things that I was used to doing before like managing my portfolios and taking up assignments related to my previous expertise,but these things I can postpone anytime or even abort.It is very unlikely I would trade this life with regimented rat race life I had been leading for 35 year in the cog.
Moving into our new house marked the beginning of new life phase.I always wanted a quiet house in the suburb for my retirement because I became fed up with the development at Kelana Jaya where I stayed put for 35 years.My wife had always wanted a new house with some land so that she could potter around.We spent some time looking around and accidentally stumbled upon the current property.I was thinking hard on the concept and the design of the house which was intended for an easy lifestyle.The architect who designed it and the contractor who built it had delivered what I wanted.The interior is open admitting natural nights through sliding doors and the furnishing is minimal.As dining room connects to the open terrace and the garden , the house gives me the feeling of outdoor living .My landscape theme is tropical with plants and foliage that are easy to grow and maintain.Still it takes time to keep the garden, but my wife found this chores very engrossing and therapeutic.
The biggest beneficiary of our retired life is our two year old grandchild, Mia.To us Mia has been godsend to make our life complete.She has everything a grandparent look for in a baby.Mia's parent has a house across the street, but she spends most of the time with us.She brightens up our home and and gives us much joy .Looking after Mia has always look like a full time job for me and my wife.We can feel Mia growing up doing new antics day after day and even though we were often reminded not to spoil her, the temptation to give her the best is too strong.Both of us have deprived childhood anyway, a little bit more splurge wont do any harm. We are happy we don't stop with Mia for another grandchild is coming in July.
My fraternity is growing.I attended the surau in my neighbourhood regularly and have build up a strong relationship in the neighborhood by taking part in its activities.Besides,I have an old boys network of 100 friends and since we had had common experience and had been friends for 40 years, we always have a lot to talk about whenever we meet.My house is next to the highway and popular wholesale complex, so they have no reason not to stop by if they are around., Every weekend I would go to Kelana Jaya to meet old friends, most of whom, like me,are retirees. It has become my weekend hangout.My social life takes a dramatic change on retirement.When working my social circle was corporate people I met during work and dinner,but those circle of friends are slowly dissipating replaced by unconditional time tested friendship.
Every 3 or 4 months I would take a trip out to Perak and Kelantan and visited our kampungs to keep in touch with our roots. We spent time with childhood friends and relatives that we had not seen for years.My wife's kampung in Kelantan seems to be in a time capsule and I alway appreciate rustic ambiance and the unpretentious people .There has been more development in areas around my kampung in Perak, but the river near my kampung house, where sampans are moored, remain unperturbed.I would take a boat and ride the river or go to the sea for an overnight fishing trip. As this is the first time my wife and me can travel together, we are already booked for some trips and our calender is already full for the year.
I also have more time for my hobbies.Mountain climbing is something I have been doing for almost 20 years and I had climbed most mountains in Malaysia and Indonesia.My mountain climbing group is still active and once every 3 months we will go somewhere either for mountain climbing, trekking or just lounging at some camping site. To maintain my stamina for this sports, I do exercise at least thrice a week. I do not know how long more I would go on this hobby because of my age, missing the experience of jungle bashing, orienteering, camping and being among nature is something I would really miss if I quit..
Blogging and social networking too are my new found hobbies.I maintain blog sites where I just pen down whatever comes to my mind. At first it was difficult to write even an opening sentence, but after trying out a few articles I start to get more smooth with words. The computer make me a gizmo person and I would go around updating myself with the latest gadgetry at Low Yat. I am at most a mediocre at digital photography and post production editing, but I can get hooked to it once I start.On the reading front, I want to delve into Nietzsche,Camus and like minded writer to know what are in their minds.
Whenever I have spare time I would go to my kebun where I planted palm oil and fruit trees . It is a small and poorly tendered plot, but I am happy to utilize the land that I had neglected for many years.Toiling on the land gets me closer to mother earth and teach me humility.
I think my health is getting better since retirement.I have less problem with stress related ailment like headache and flu.My exercise regiment is more regular , I spent more time outdoor and have more control of my schedule.I like the tempo of my life now.I still do few other things that I was used to doing before like managing my portfolios and taking up assignments related to my previous expertise,but these things I can postpone anytime or even abort.It is very unlikely I would trade this life with regimented rat race life I had been leading for 35 year in the cog.
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