Dimsum from Guangzhou still tops John’s list of favourite foods, having travelled to many places. Favourite destinations of the 73-year-old include China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, France and England. It was not his job that offered him these travelling opportunities – he was a statistician in the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Manpower before his retirement at age 62, but they were family trips initiated by his daughters. The father of three shared, “I like travelling because I get to spend time with my family who are usually so busy at work. I also like looking around at how people from other countries live, and trying out different cuisines.”

Despite his travels, John insists that he lives a “simple and boring” life. He would buy toys for his grandsons and explore these toys with them, admitting that he is occasionally being challenged by toys such as Lego which tested his patience and creativity. However, patience is not a difficult skill for John to master, as he is a frequent chess player since young. Today, John still plays chess with his primary school friends and on the computer when they are not available. This helps to keep his brain active and challenged. Playing chess also allows John to participate in his friends’ lives and reminisce about their primary school days. To John, the most important thing in life is “the people around you”.