The world of Tzu Chi September 2020 (Vol.126)

2020 • 09 24 eature Fountain of joy in the golden years As its name suggests, the Happy Garden Recycling Centre is the source of happiness for the elderly. Translated by Jilly Bong T he morning sun shone bright, reflecting ray of lights onto the recycling centre’s signage. The heat is unbearable these days, but several fans were working together to dissipate the heat in the centre with Tetrapak roofing. Boxes of recyclables were stacked in the middle of the room. The elderly volunteers, sitting on small stools, were focused on the task at hand – sorting papers. “Sister Moey, how old are you? 28?” asked volunteer Ho Sook Kuen, who was always cheerful, humorous, and loved to tease the elderly. Moey Keng Han, also known as “Sister Moey”, replied, “I’m 82, not 28!” flashing a big smile while the work at hand continued. “Lao Hua, what about you? How old are you?” Sook Kuen asked, turning to Lee Hoey, who was sitting in the corner. They are the three regular elderly volunteers who have the word “flower” in their names. Hoey is the oldest, so people called her “Lao Hua (old flower)”. Hoey raised her hands, showing four fingers on each side and answered playfully, “I was born in 1940, you can do the math!” She is 80 years old and, aided by a walking stick, she would often take half an hour to walk from her home to the centre. “I arrived early today, around 7 a.m.!” “Does your nickname bother you?” “Not at all, I’m old, it fits me well.” “They should have named you ‘little