My Sponsored Activities at My University NTU

I have been active sponsoring activities at my university NTU from where I retired in 2003 after my wife, also an NTU Prof. passed away in 1999.  Some of these sponsored activities are in memory of my wife. At that time I was glad the U accepted this type of named donation.  It means the activity under her name will continue perpetually.  

Then I continued to donate when I notice some existing student-centered activities deserve more financial support.. Gradually I used my innovative mind to create some worthwhile student-centered activities and give them my support.  I take my donations seriously.  For these new sponsored activities, I keep track of their progress, modifying to improve them if necessary.

 But there are some practical problems.  By 2012 I have to give up driving..  As I am by then a special donor, the Head of the University's Development Office (DO) which administers such donations matters kindly treats me specially and book me a university car with driver to drive me from and back to home. And by 2013 I have to move around sitting on wheelchair.  This Head of the DO then asked one of their staff to accompany and push me around.

Being treated as if I am an VIP may be good, but to me this type of outing is tiring.  I then decided not to do it more often than one a week.

[to be continued]

The pH Values of my Food and Drink

For many year I have been careful about my health.  Being a single clumsy man is tough enough.   I don't want to be sick as well.  This post is about keeping a balanced diet.  Usually we read about the advice of food and diet experts.  Now there seems to be a scientific basis of keeping a balanced diet.

I got to know of this surprisingly from a pressure-vessel old-friend.  He alerted us of a good article by a Prof. Dr. Sudhir V. Shah.  In this article he explained the body's organs must maintain certain pH values (values of acidity and alkalinity) to work well.  The blood going to all the organs has to maintain a slightly alkaline pH value of 7.4. (a pH value of 7 is neutral).

This is why in order not to over strain the organs, the food we take also have to be well balanced.   As I wanted to know more about this matter I did some Google and Wikipedia searching.  I first searched for the pH values of different types of food.

"The current typical Western diet is largely composed of acid-forming foods (proteins,cereals, sugars).  Alkaline-producing foods such as vegetables are eaten in much smaller quantities.  Stimulants like tobacco,coffee, tea, an alcohol are also extremely acidifying."  [to be continued]

Introdution

As mentioned in my last Blog,"My Very Tough Life since 2000", as I cannot balance myself while walking, I am mostly at home sitting safely on a pushchair.  This is a wheelchair with smaller back wheels.  It is intended for other people to push me around on grounds that are not level and not even.  But at level floor at home, I can push myself around with my feet on the floor.  This gives me a lot of freedom to have my daily activities, like eating, working on my laptop or watching TV, around my round dining table.

My last Blog also mentioned I have given up driving.  Thus I have to go out by taxi.  Or I have to rely on friends to pick me up in their cars.  Good friends have to pick me up if I would like to have lunches and chitchat with them outside.  But this is getting less frequent as I need to have these meals served in restaurants.