We greeted each other with an enthusiastic Happy New Year as we met after a three week break. We started our session with Sheila, Claude, Raja, Indrani, Nihal, Priyanthi, Kubra and Husseina lighting the traditional… More
We are at the top of the world
This week at The Senior Station our special guest was Johann Peiris, the second Sri Lankan to scale Mount Everest. Johann’s was a truly inspiring story – There was extreme disappointment when he had to turn back on his first attempt just 400 mtrs away from the peak; He spoke of sheer determination that brought him back to the mountain in the face of life threatening challenges. And he took us through the ultimate ecstasy of summiting the world’s tallest mountain. Johan wished us well with a quote from Sir Edmund Hillary – ‘It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.’
For more details – email us on theseniorstation@gmail.com or call 0778445332
Travel in your chair to Germany
Kudos to Masuma who came fully kitted out for The Senior Station’s Travel In Your Chair program which was based on Germany. She entered the hall waving the German flag and wearing a garland of red, yellow and black, and what a grand welcome she received. We’d like to thank Max and Marie, and also Julia and Karina from the German Embassy who taught our members some German words, and helped us run a presentation and quiz on Germany. They also joined in games traditionally played there, and gave members an insight to German culture including the very popular Oktoberfest. The big treat of course was a delicious meal put together by The German Restaurant.
Senior Encounter by Janaki Bamunusinghe
Sunrise magazine in my hand
Pleased I am of all content
Senior Station, the most interesting
A place for seniors to gather and gain
Myself just into retirement
Curious of many a things
Contemplating, whether I am to fit in
Best is to let it come from within
Entering the premise with some doubts,
Will I be accepted, will I be welcomed?
The security trying to figure my presence
Says “It’s Room No.3, you may go in”
Although amazed by his guess
Rest assured, I make my way in.
While I searched for a place to sit
Someone said “Good Morning, are you new”
Isn’t that the best, one could hear?
For someone to feel so received
The gathering started right on time
Punctuality is a great sublime.
Pretty ladies took over the floor
Captured the hearts of all and more.
One after the other the acts followed
Fitness, knowledge, history and galore
All senses in use to its fullest
Enjoyed by all, that’s for sure
Bringing their voices whenever desired
Captivatingly selfless with expression
Gentlemen balancing fun and joy
Ladies keeping them well occupied
All came to an end without a feel of time.
A kindly bunch served tea and some treats .
Well packed, from the best of place
Thank you, young ladies for the treat
All of you so overly sweet
Young as they are, making us feel so
Long life to thee and good health for us too.
Deepavali Lights Up TSS
Lights and colour were splashed everywhere at The Senior Station this week, as we celebrated the festival of Deepavali. It was wonderful to see all the members turn up in such finery, eager to participate in the festivities. Sajeda got us in to the swing of things by introducing some fun songs to her exercise routine. Indeed, when there’s music in the air, our members are irrepressible. Then came the Kolum and lamp decoration competition. We were quite awestruck by the intricate designs the members came up with, using coloured rice, sequins and glitter. We had a special surprise this week, but before that we celebrated the birthdays of the month. Indrani, Swini, Munni and Shenaz took the center stage as we sang and wished them well. And then the grand finale – a troupe of 6 dancers put on a fabulous high energy performance to foot tapping Bollywood numbers. Munni then got all the members on the floor to teach them some Hindi movie moves. She showed us the bottle-cap-opening step, the swatting-the flies step, the flying-the-kite step and more. What a grand time we had! This month’s delicious birthday cake was from Ambrosia.
Ghosts and Ghouls take over TSS
Sajeda’s revved up exercise routine and an exciting visual quiz got us all energised for The Senior Station’s Halloween Special. We traced the history of Halloween, and learnt how to carve pumpkins into Jack-O-Lanterns – A fun activity that Priyanthi and others are now keen to do with their grandchildren. Sriani then told us a funny ghost story from her youth, and suddenly it seemed like almost everyone had an anecdote about a supernatural encounter to share. We closed on a lighter note as Nihal, Farook and Swini sang some of our favourite songs and we all joined in!
For more details email us on theseniorstation@gmail.com or call 0778445332
Four pictures and a word
We were happy to meet the representatives of Revival Physical Medicine Clinic who visited The Senior Station this week. Proprietor, Ranjini and Lead Physiotherapist Thayumanvan demonstrated to our members the importance of correct posture and gait, very important factors in preventing injuries to the body. It was a very interactive session with many questions from our members .Quiz time came with a bit of a twist this time as we played a version of 4 Pics And a Word – a game that uses visual clues to find a word. Nothing like a challenge to get our members spirits soaring!
Art, money and positive energy
The Senior Station was visited by three lovely ladies who shared with us their skills and expertise. Rekha, a yoga and meditation instructor, started us off with yoga exercises that brought our attention to our breath. Her calm positive energy helped us focus on more serious matters such as money – Chamila Nagendran, an investment manager who specializes in investments for seniors, then discussed how to optimize our savings while securing them from potential financial hazards. Finally it was Nisreen Amiruddeen turn to cheer us up with a workshop on painting with water colors. The works of art left us truly spell bound!
For more details email us on theseniorstation@gmail.com or call 0778445332
Saying it in pictures
Honing in our visual spatial skills is important for good mental health. This is why The Senior Station introduced Pictionary to its program this week. It was a bit of a struggle to begin with, but soon members got the hang of associating words with images. Of course their competitive spirit also came to the fore and we had a battle of words and pictures that had everyone gripped. The focus this time was on mental activities and everyone had quite a workout with the many other puzzles and quizzes prepared for them.
Finger Licking Good
The Senior Station Masterchef competition, this week, was a grand success. Members chose from a range of ingredients to put together a light meal. What they created was incredible – the dishes were scrumptious and the presentation outstanding. But truly wonderful was the enthusiasm with which every member participated. That was what made the session so special. The birthday girl of the month was Grace and the delicious ribbon cake was from The Cake Factory. We all sang to her and wished her well, and she was moved by the love and attention showered on her.
For more details about The Senior Station email us on theseniorstation@gmail.com or call us on 0778445332
Staying Healthy with Sigrid de Silva
“It’s not just about what you eat,’’ said Sigrid de Silva, the renowned nutritionist and well being consultant who visited The Senior Station this week. She shared with us 5 pillars of a healthy and fulfilling life – A good night’s sleep she puts right at the top, because while we sleep our body repairs itself. An erratic sleep cycle is a problem many seniors face. To counter this she recommends keeping as consistent a sleep schedule as possible, as well as staying active and avoiding long naps during the day. The second pillar to a healthy life is a balanced diet with all the nutrients included. She recommends only one protein per meal – For example, she suggests that if you are have a healthy portion of Dhaal in a meal then avoid eating meat. She recommends a filling breakfast not later than 3 hours after you awake in the morning, a not too heavy lunch and a light dinner. Next on her wellness plan is to avoid building up stress, which is the root of many diseases. And finally she recommends adequate exercise and mental activity, and social engagement. After all, loneliness drives many to despair. Sigrid made her session interactive and engaging and was happy answer everyone’s questions. We learnt so much and would really like her to visit The Senior Station again. This week we also learn a new skill – interesting table decor with napkins. Nisrin and Banin demonstrated seven different styles of napkin folds such as roses, candles, baskets and more. This is definitely something we could try out at our next dinner party. We’d also like to thank Shami and Saku who visited The Senior Station and shared in everyone’s joy. Saku brought along her guitar and conducted a short sing-along which after all is everyone’s favourite activity.
For more details about The Senior Station email us on theseniorstation@gmail.com or call us on 0778445332
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