Just got news that my maternal grandpa has just been hospitalised today for possible infection as well as low potassium salt in his blood that is dangerous for his heart. My grandpa has meant a lot to me as he has palyed an influential role in my life when I was young in the following way:
1.He was the person that introduced me to HiFi when I was a little under 10 years old and it is a hobby that I have carried all this while up to now. He would spend much time with me over the weekends to borrow records from the record library and make analogue recordings onto open reel tapes of our favourite songs then and recycle the open reels over and over again. He is also the one that taught me the finer art of appreciating the differential in HiFi sound. I will always be grateful to him for this and I would remember the times that we have together into the little hours of the morning listening to music and HiFi.
2.My organ playing was also because of him. He was the one who bought the organ and got me interested in it. It was also through organ playing that I learn to appreciate music to a larger extent.
3.He has shown me what it is like to live a life of plently materially and fall from grace materially and yet be able to hold his head up high inspite of his economic challenges. He went from being a boss who rides in sports car,living in good districts and hob nobbing with the who's who in town to living in HDB and working for others and riding a humble Honda cab motorbike. He has managed to live with the economic downturn without being bitter at the turn of events in his life and enjoy what he has gracefully. It takes a lot of mental and emotional strength to weather such situations and he did well in my mind.
Although not everyone in the family might agree with my opinion of him, I believe that everyone of us have our strong points and our challenges in life. I would want to learn from his strength and build on it and as far as challenges, we can learn not to repeat them in our own life.
Cheers to you Grandpa (Michael Chan)...Pete