Growing old mom's way

My sister called me from KL, puzzled: Eh, where did mom go?

She, like me, got an SMS this morning that said goodbye in mom's usual jaunty/abrupt way which left her puzzled. Mine (sent at 6.40am this morning) read: Hi boarding plane now take care of yourselves and the children say goodbye to them for me keep an eye on your father. Tense free and punctuation free.

Mom, I informed my clueless sister, is off to Israel. Didn't she tell you?

I last saw mom on Saturday evening and we said our goodbyes then. I know she's going to have a good trip filled with holiness! With Father Johnson at the helm of the group of pilgrims, it will surely be so!

She's off to 14 days in Egypt, Israel and Jordan, covering the major sights from the Sphinx and the pyramids, to the stony hills of Mt Sinai, the mud from the Dead Sea (she's looking forward to slathering mud all over herself!) to the lush countryside of the Beatitudes, and the pink stone palaces of Petra.

My mom is one senior citizen globetrotter who can't keep still. When we parted ways on Saturday, she was still considering if she should go with me and my brood to Japan, hesitating only because she does not want to impose. As if she will. She's no lame duck, but an experienced traveller who is game for anything, does not need mollycoddling and will be the first to offer help/support than expect to be supported!

I've received confirmation from JTB that I can change my room reservation in Kyoto to a triple room to accomodate her (a good thing because Kyoto is totally, solidly, absolutely booked out for the autumn-leaf season). A check with Northwest also shows available seats. The rest of the accomodation has no problems too. So all that is left is for her to say yes and I will do the rest!

Mom has been all over the place and her lifestyle now is what I wish for myself when I get to be her age. She's internet savvy, travels widely, holds a good job that pays decently, she is financially independent, her mind is alert, barring the aches and pains, she is healthy. Her only vice is an obsession with K-dramas! So with the recent discussion on CPF changes and the proposed annuity, I do wonder if I would be able to achieve this.

Mom's lifestyle is also partly possible because her medical needs are taken care of. As a pensioner, state-subsidised medical care is available. I think for anyone over the age of 60, medical care and the funds needed for this, would be a major concern. But with the pension scheme scrapped, most of us would need to find our own way for medical funding in our old age. I've got my Incomeshield plan already, so I guess I'm covered for the biggies should I be (touch wood!) hospitalised. And I am taking care right now, to seek medical help and referrals from the polyclinic and not the usual GP-private patient route. I think that would be unsustainable in the long run. So for my hypertension management, I see the specialist in SGH, but as a subsidised patient since I was referred by the polyclinic. So its important to manage expectations here.

The second issue for me would be savings and investments. Which I have none of at the moment! I know its important, I do try to plan for it, but I get sidetracked very easily - witness the Japan trip! Okay, okay I know... willpower and a structured plan! I will make this a 2008 resolution!

I don't disagree with the annuity scheme. I think it's not a bad idea, and while some can complain about the lack of a state-funded pension or enviously eye the generous schemes of the Northern European states, lets face facts: this is Singapore, with pragmatic leaders, whose style has always been a co-operative, shared care approach etc. So unless you want to leave the country and settle elsewhere, better get used to the pragmatism that embodies their policies.

So if the annuity scheme will help take care of my day-to-day until I'm 85, I'm okay. I'm just wondering if I would have any extra left for 'mad money' - used for travels, fun, etc. I just can't see myself enjoying old age if I am counting the pennies and surviving on $300 a month!

So where else to get money from? Well... I guess there's always the house....

Or if Singapore becomes too expensive to live in, move next door! Buy a small house in a remote kampong, rear chickens, grow veggies and eat lots of ikan bilis!

Or don't live so long!