“They must be able to tell a story,” shared Ah Chye, 77, referring to his collection of 12-inch figurines and model airplanes, painstakingly put together and accessorised by him. Every figurine is given a story according to the roles they play in real-life. They include Malaysian policemen, the Singapore Army and gurkhas – highly-skilled soldiers from Nepal who form part of the Singapore Police Force as a special guard force. However, Ah Chye is not about to share these stories anywhere without the presence of these figurines. Thus he enjoys inviting friends over to tell the story of each ‘character’, as well as how he acquired their clothing and weapons from local or overseas stores. Sadly, his deteriorating eyesight has made it harder for him to build new figurines these days.

Nevertheless, Ah Chye insisted that his daily schedule is packed with activities such as reading newspapers and meeting up with friends. His love of sharing stories is also reflected in his mission to make the world a better place. He has been looking for volunteering opportunities where he can visit and talk to other seniors who are living alone, “I am living alone too. So I understand how lonely and boring it can be. That’s why I want to find other seniors to talk to and make them laugh. I’ve got so many stories!” Unfortunately, no organisations has gotten back to him yet, but he will keep looking.