Senior Citizens' Goodie Shops

Goodie shops-that's what my wife calls them. All you need is pay RM1 for entry to a 60 minutes health talk and then you can walk away with some daily use items ranging from tissue paper to biscuits and snacks.

So where's the catch?. What is the modus operandi? The RM1 entry fee is just to defray operational costs like contributing to some of the workers' pay,air-conditioning and the like.Actually,it will not even cover their daily expenses. Sometimes they also sell small priced items before the actual talk begins, to make some small money.

For something like 4 months they will have these health talks and will introduce health foods and health equipment. These are real expensive and cost nothing less than RM 1,000. Some even can go up to RM13,000 such as health exercise machines. If they can sell these, they will make a lot of money.

Believe me, these senior citizens are really loaded. Most of them are retired or receiving money from their working kids. They are on a high,buying up almost every health related product that was introduced. As usual, their hope-a cure for current ailments.For those that are big ticket buyers, they will be given free membership to organic food shops where they can buy things at discount prices.

For me, as most of these health talks are either in Cantonese or Mandarin or translations from Japanese, my attention literary fades away after 20 minutes.Before you know it, the talk ends and you hand over your little green cards to get your presents.

Goodie shops open all over the place in KL and PJ and the same senior citizens will be there to take advantage of the goodies that they dish out for just a mere ringgit. Very soon they will get to know one another and trade news on what is being offered at which goodie shop.

What a time to spend the morning just looking at these old folks and to listen to the rambling sales talk!

Love and Lust for a Woman

A very controversial topic.

I think most of us can second guess what is lust but what is love actually? Does love incorporates lust somewhere within itself? Is it love or both love and lust that brings about that notion of romantic love?

Love for many can range from platonic love to romantic love.

Love is a general term that many would agree, encompasses such worthy attributes as selfless devotion, active showering of care and concern, adorable demonstration of affection and constant dedication and doting after.

The love of a son for a mother transcends platonic love. For many, a son's obligations is the foundation for great motherly love. As such- Mothers' Day. The love here engenders devotion,dedication,care,concern and affection.

On the other hand,what about love for another woman who is not your kith and kin?On what basis, would you say you 'love' such a woman? How does such a love actually starts? What about its trajectory?

Romantic love is certainly not that of a love for a mother. What are its attributes, if there is such a thing as romantic love?

When you see someone that is beautiful,intelligent and compatible,what happens? Your mind conjures all kinds of possibilities. For many, romantic love starts with the appreciation of physical form. It might not necessarily be confined to just that but also the sound of her voice, the way she speaks and the way she walks- in other works how she carries herself. Some may call this sexual attraction.

After a brief period of acquaintanceship based on mutual interests, a bonding friendship develops and reinforcing positive responses lead to close proximity,call it dating, if you must.

So when does lust (basic instinct) quietly creep into this so called love relationship? It rears its head because once couples are in a love mode, possession and ownership of each other becomes desirably important to each other. That they have become a single item is a sign to the world to leave them alone to carry on into their romantic phase.

Physical love is at best, raw lust. The desire to be alone together-to be intimate. The desire to touch. The desire to be sexually aroused. The desire to do pleasurable things to each other.

For some, the lust phase ends when one of the lover gets bored of his mate and intends to seek other partners. Love dies, so they claim.

Oftentimes, in Oriental societies, the relationship faces its moment of truth when the couple is faced with family pressure;is confronted with religious issues and is forced to think about moral values. They have to make a decision or let go. Only those with a deep sense of commitment will cement their relationship at the altar. Henceforth commitment will be the bedrock for the love of a man for his mate as they venture into married life.

However, not many relationships will go this way in today's society. Values such as commitment is no longer sacrosanct or socially important. Once the lust phase of a relationship who many call "love" is over, the affair comes to an end and the lovers move on looking again for more love and lust.

Until such time when a man or a woman should find his or her soul mate, lust and love will continue to dwell in romantic love.

For many, it was fun while it lust!