Susan, homemaker and full-time grandmother of nine, is 74-years-old and receives cards from relatives and friends in other parts of the world on her birthdays. She tries her best not to dwell on the past, and believes in enjoying every moment and to live in the present. "When you're my age, there's nothing to regret – to have lived this long is good enough for me. If I did have a regret, I think it would be not finishing my education past primary school. If I had, I would have become a 女强人 (Mandarin for 'superwoman' or 'successful woman'), like my older sister. But really, I'm just happy to see my grandchildren and children being educated, and doing what I could never have done." 

Many seniors must feel some kind of regret for the things they did and did not do in the past; in those days, education was hardly a priority, and Susan dropped out of primary school to look after the house and to cook for the family while her sisters and brothers got an education. Her job, when she grew up, is not one Singaporeans nowadays would think of as fulfilling – Susan looked after other people's children, along with her own. But she continues to feel grateful for having lived a long, contented and fruitful life. She bemoaned the troubles faced by students these days: "The Government shouldn't force children to learn things they aren't interested in – this is why students now have so much trouble in Mandarin lessons. They're reluctant to learn because they don't have a choice. I understand that a bilingual policy will help to improve communications with economic superpowers like China, but I think there's no point in education unless students feel passionate about it."