Life can begin at 60, it is all in your hands!

Life can begin at 60, it is all in your hands!
[from Bunthoon]

Many people feel unhappy, health-wise and security-wise, after 60
years of age, owing to the diminishing importance given to them and
their opinions. But, it need not be so, if only we understand the
basic principles of life and follow them scrupulously. Here are ten
mantras to age gracefully and make life after retirement pleasant.

1. Never say I am aged' : There are three ages,
chronological, biological, and psychological. The first is calculated
based on our date of birth; the second is determined by the health
conditions; the third is how old we feel we are. While we don't have
control over the first, we can take care of our health with good diet,
exercise and a cheerful attitude. A positive attitude and optimistic
thinking can reverse the third age.

2. Health is wealth: If you really love your kith and kin, taking care
of your health should be your priority. Thus, you will not be a burden
to them. Have an annual health check-up and take the prescribed
medicines regularly. Do take health insurance coverage.

3. Money is important: Money is essential for meeting the basic
necessities of life, keeping good health and earning family respect
and security. Don't spend beyond your means even for your children.
You have lived for them all through and it is time you enjoyed a
harmonious life with your spouse. If your children are grateful and
they take care of you, you are blessed. But, never take it for
granted.

4. Relaxation and recreation: The most relaxing and recreating forces
are a healthy religious attitude, good sleep, music and laughter. Have
faith in God, learn to sleep well, love good music and see the funny
side of life.

5. Time is precious: It is almost like holding a horses' reins. When
they are in your hands, you can control them. Imagine that everyday
you are born again. Yesterday is a cancelled cheque. Tomorrow is a
promissory note. Today is ready cash - use it profitably. Live this
moment; live it fully, now, in the present time.

6. Change is the only permanent thing: We should accept change - it is
inevitable. The only way to make sense out of change is to join in the
dance. Change has brought about many pleasant things. We should be
happy that our children are blessed.

7. Enlightened selfishness: All of us are basically selfish. Whatever
we do, we expect something in return. We should definitely be grateful
to those who stood by us. But, our focus should be on the internal
satisfaction and the happiness we derive by doing good for others,
without expecting anything in return. Perform a random act of kindness
daily.

8. Forget and forgive: Don't be bothered too much about others'
mistakes. We are not spiritual enough to show our other cheek when we
are slapped in one. But for the sake of our own health and happiness,
let us forgive and forget them. Otherwise, we will be only increasing
our blood pressure.

9. Everything has a purpose: Take life as it comes. Accept yourself as
you are and also accept others for what they are. Everybody is unique
and is right in his own way.

10. Overcome the fear of death: We all know that one day we have to
leave this world. Still we are afraid of death. We think that our
spouse and children will be unable to withstand our loss. But the
truth is no one is going to die for you; they may be depressed for
some time. Time heals everything and they will go on.

Chart's Garden in the Australian House & Garden Magazine - Congratulations

Hi Siri

A huge congratulations to Chart and all of you indeed! Chart told me a while ago that she won a local award but now it's gone to House and Garden magazine. A fantastic achievement indeed, not to mention how your family gets to enjoy fresh vegetables from teh garden everyday and with Chart's cooking, I'm really jealous!

Happy gardening

Toi

Dear Chart & Siri,

Way to go! Congratulations! This sounds more like a dream Hollywood movie script!

Lin & Chuvej

Hi chart and the family

Congrtulations. this is indeed a very good news. I will find time to see and taste the winner.

cheers

prinya

Dear Chart&Siri,

I'd like to join our folks to congratulate you as well on your magnificent efforts to win the first prize for your garden.Just to win anything in Australia is hard enough already,but you managed to win the first prize! Congratulations!

Best regards,

Winai


To the happy grand ma,

Wow! an awesome job, congratulations! Siri did tell me about your skill and I suggested that you should enter a contest organised annually by ºéÒ¹áÅÐ Êǹ magazine , then he revealed that you had won a prize. He was so modest that he didn't say it was a first prize.

Siri,

Thanks again for having me at your seminar, I learn something. But It was a bit much for me--- 3 solid days+ the travelling, it took me another 3 days to recover.

Panit

Hi Siri

A huge congratulations to Chart and all of you indeed! Chart told me a while ago that she won a local award but now it's gone to House and Garden magazine. A fantastic achievement indeed, not to mention how your family gets to enjoy fresh vegetables from teh garden everyday and with Chart's cooking, I'm really jealous!

Happy gardening

Toi

Hi Chart and Siri,

Congratulations. Your garden is so green and beautiful and the plants can be eaten also,how wonderful !

Cheers,

Wichit

Chart's Garden in the Australian House & Garden Magazine

Hi Vute

How are you going with your new job at the Uni? Life must have been very busy with you because I have not heard from you for a while (and vice versa). I've attached an article about Chart's Garden in the Australian House & Garden Magazine for you to read during a break from the students:) Please forward it to Jenny too. I'll catch up with you again soon. Have a nice day.

Cheers

Siri

[article in pdf cannot be posted so some photos of the Garden]

My Daughter's Wedding

Dear CP Friends,

I have had hard time weighing the pros and cons whether or not to
inform you the following piece of news. Eventually last week, P’Kasian
convinced me to release the invitation.

My daughter, Tip Wasinee, is getting married to a Uni. friend in
Chiangmai this May 5th. They were former classmates in their
undergraduate course at CMU and destiny has it that after many years
as just friends they are now meant to be united.
The info. in the attached pix of the invitation card may reveal a bit
more details about the event. However, the engagement ceremony shall
be held in the morning of that date at Mae Joe, some 10 km away in the
groom’s parents’ residence. And the evening meal at Lotus Pang Suan
Kaew Hotel in town shall be – as I have been informed – Northern Thai
dishes served at the tables.

Tip is known to quite a few CP friends since I take her several times
to our functions, and hence the hard time I had been experiencing –
whether or not to tell – to uncles and aunties living so far away from
the celebration venue. May I say this to you, now that I have decided
to release the info. upon P’Kasian’s consultation, that this should
be treated as just another piece of news to be known and
congratulated. However, if any of you deem it convenient and
appropriate to attend, Nee and I shall be more than delighted to play
host. So far I have heard from P’Kasian, that apart from himself who
shall walk up the podium to be one of those who bless the bride and
groom, Ying Sirilaksana who has learned from him has also booked her
place at the Hotel and my Tip is feeling very honoured to have such a
warm, respectful and prominent auntie to come up north to her
occasion. Wichit also rang me up and assured that Ah and himself shall
make it a holiday alongside at this northern city (May 5th is the
Coronation Day on a weekend, making it a long holiday with the Monday
off). As for all other friends, you ought not make it awkward for
yourselves, as well as for me and Nee, such as by sending gifts or
flowers if you cannot attend or are not convenient in any way. May I
state here once again that it is already a pleasure to have informed
you as friends of Tip’s father.

Thanks in advance to those of us who can make it, and also to those
who cannot make it.

With Best Regards,

Wiwat and Darunee Sutiwipakorn

Dua in Sydney

Dua is in Australia and Sydney in February 2012. Jee, Dee & Tutsanee are able to plan their business trip around the same period...................so Siri organises to fatten everyone up at Fat Buddha in QVB in the evening of February 11th.

P'Poobate, P'Moi, Rujee & Colin, Siri & Chart and Vute are there for this little CP69 reunion.

Dua was last in Sydney 20 years ago in 1992 and plans to be here more regularly. Rujee & Colin have just returned from their research station in Kangaroo Island (South of South Australia). They extended an open invitation for Christmas celebration every year on the first Sunday of December when they host the Christmas party for the Kangaroo islanders. P'Moi is encouraging everyone to start their vegetable garden and Chart is sharing her very successful prize-winning garden with all. Jee was busy convincing Duo to be politically neutral, but could not understand why political discussions were banned at CP69 gatherings in Bkk. As for me, I was busy complaining about my first class at UWS with 200 students - Colin thought I did well for he had to be contented with 300 students! We agreed that universities are now graduates factories.

All in all we were happy and probably gained a little fat at Fat Buddha.

Photos of lunch with Vute and Ben

Dear friends,

As usual, I attached photos of our get-together last Sunday. It's always a pleasure to meet and catch up friends. These photos will be posted in my facebook also.I just start on facebook and hope to see more of our CP69 friends on facebook.

Cheers,

Wichit

29 January 2012

Belated update of the passing of Phongsak's Father

Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2011 4:41 PM

Subject: My father's funeral

Dear Wichit

My father just passed away last night.

The followings are the details. Please pass them to our cp69 friends.

Phongsak

พลตรี ศวง อยู่หุ่น (Maj. Gen. Sawong Yuhun)

วัดโสมนัสวิหาร ศาลา 6

รดน้ำ 16.00-17.00 11 พฤศจิกายน 2554

สวดศพค่ำ 11-15 พ.ย. 2554

ทำบุญเลี้ยงพระเช้า 16 พ.ย. 2554

พระราชทานเพลิงศพ 16 พ.ย. 2554 14.30 น

Dear Phongsak,

My deep condolences to you and your family for the sad loss of your father. I will have a wreath on behalf of CP69 sent to the Wat tomorrow.

I and Ar will attend the chanting ceremony on Sunday 13(I think the chanting starts from 19.00 at this temple). I hope some of our friends could attend on Sunday evening. Could our CP 69 alumni be the host or a co-host for the chanting ceremony on Sunday 13?

For our friends from the provinces,if you are coming for the funeral ceremony,I suggest to use the expressway and get off at Yommaraj exit,drive on Lan Luang road across Klong Padung-Krungkasem,turn right to Krung Kasem road,keep going then Wat Sommanus will be on your lelf. You will not encounter any flood on this route.

Best Regards,

Wichit

Meeting with Vute and Buntoon

Dear Friends,

I wish I could be there too. I always enjoy our get-togethers.

I have been in Washington, D.C. helping out my daughter Nita who just had a baby. Her baby's name is Tess Supranee Santos. Tess is my 4th grandchild.

I am attaching a picture of me with my daughter Nita, her baby Tessy, my son Nithi and his son Max. Max is my first grand-child.

Happy New Year to all. And have fun at the lunch.

Jeab

Paris's Garden

FROM SIRI

Hi Vute

I've attached you the photos of Chart's garden which won the First Prize of the Botany's Garden Competition this year, with our family photo with the Mayor of Botany on the Award night. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Cheers

Siri

Happy New Year - Auld Lang Syne by Sissel (Live).wmv

FROM BEN

Beautiful! Don't miss the ending. It's especially meaningful.

Sissel Kyrkjebø (Norwegian; born 24 June 1969 in Bergen), also simply known as Sissel, is a Norwegian soprano. THIS IS ONE OF THE NICEST AND MOST MEANINGFUL "HAPPY NEW YEAR WISHES" I HAVE EVER SEEN. THIS SAYS IT ALL. PLEASE ENJOY!!! THE SINGING IS AMAZING. http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=x91rBzNKvlc&vq=large#t=160

FROM JEAB

That is so beautiful Ben. Thank you for sharing. My best wishes for the New Year to you and to all. Jeab

FROM DUA

Should anyone be interested in the lyrics, they are given below (English followed by Swedish).

Lyrics AULD LANG SYNE by Sissel:

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days of auld lang syne?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days of auld lang syne.

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne.
We'll take a cup of kindness yet,
And days of auld lang syne.

Skall vänskapen förbli, min vän
Och leva stark och sann
Ja, låt oss alla ära den
Ge kärlek till varann

Tag här min hand, du trogna vän
Gemenskapen är vår
Den lever nu, den lever än
I många långa år

Tag här min hand, du trogna vän
Gemenskapen är vår
Den lever nu, den lever än
I många långa år

Skall vänskapen förbli, min vän
Och leva stark och sann
Ja, låt oss alltid ära den
Ge kärlek till varann

Tag här min hand, du trogna vän
Gemenskapen är vår
Den lever nu, den lever än
I många långa år

Tag här min hand, du trogna vän
Gemenskapen är vår
Den lever nu, den lever än
I många långa år

FROM YING

And these are the Thai lyrics if you have Thai font :)

พวกเราเหล่ามาชุมนุม
ต่างกุมใจรักสมัครสมาน
ล้วนมิตรจิตชื่นบาน
สราญเริงอยู่ทุกผู้ทุกนาม

* อันความกลมเกลียว
นั่นเป็นใจเดียวประเสริฐศรี
ทุกสิ่งประสงค์จงใจ
จักเสร็จสมได้ด้วยสามัคคี..

..กิจใด ธ ประสงค์มี ร่วมใจภักดี
ต่อพระจอม สยาม
พร้อมพรึบ ดังมือเดียว
ยามยากเห็นง่าย
บ่หน่าย บ่วาง

(*)

ที่หนักก็จักเบาคลาย
ที่อันตรายก็ขจัดขัดขวาง
สนองพระเดชบ่จางกตเวทิคุณพระกรุณา

(*)

สามัคคีนี่แหละล้ำเลิศ
จักชูชาติเชิดพระศาสนา
สยามรัฐจักวัฒนา-
ปรากฏเกียรติฟุ้งเฟื่องกระเดื่องแดนดิน

Ying

Tat's recent trip

Dear All,

First, thanks Vute for reminding us about out CPblog again. Siri and Chart's grandsons are so adorable.

I like Ying's Irish wishes and the story of Fleming and Churchill. It's inspiring. Thanks also to all the Christmas and New Year wishes from everyone.

I went to Pai, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai during Christmas period. I have to say that the flower festival at Chiang Rai is a lot more impressive than that in Chiang Mai. There are thousands of tulips, tiger lilies, orchids, etc. They are celebrating 750 years of Po khun Meng Rai (founder of Chiang Radi). I have attached some photos to share with you.

Happy New Year 2112 !

Tat

Christmas & New Year Greetings

FROM TOI

Hi all CP friends

Cheers to all of us. Hope you enjoy Christmas and may next year be a happy, healthy and successful year.

Best wishes

Toi