Ancient age

This is awesomely interesting. A devout Muslim, Mariam Amash is thought to be the world's oldest woman alive at 120 years old. She was discovered by chance when she applied for her new identity card.

A Bedouin descent, she lives in the predominantly Arab town of Jisr az-Zarqa in Northern Israel.

According to her records, she was born during the Turkish Ottoman Empire period..hmmm an era where many forms of media like radio and television are scarce. How did she ever manage to stay healthy at this ripe ancient age?

Mariam Amash is said to be an active lady who rises as early as 5am, walks a lot without aid and attributes her exceptional longetivity to eating rich diet of vegetables ...WOW! A pious Muslim lady, Mariam Amash made her last pilgrimage to the Holy land of Mekah in 1990, making a total of five trips in her life.

An extraordinary aged lady who must have seen and gone through a lot of history in her time ...and possibly she could be a 'walking encyclopedia'!

Well, in my seventeen years in Brunei, I have met and seen many old aged people. Some do age gracefully while others aged either too abruptly due to illness or stressfulness of life.

But nothing really amaze me than this unidentified old woman (above picture). I have seen her walking along highways and roads that I have passed by. In my thoughts, she could be some one's wife, mother, friend or sister or a grandmother. She could be about 70 - 80 years old or maybe more than that.

She never fails to carry a bigger-than-her-size basket on her frail shoulders. She also has a worn out handbag. Everyday she would dressed in different set of soon-to-be-discarded kain sarongs, faded blouses and wears a scarf on her head. Her feet are protected by an old pair of cheap flip-flops and on rainy days, she carries an umbrella.

Once I did bump into her in a shop near my area. She was buying a box of mosquito coils and two packets of Hacks sweets. Smiling at me meekly, I could see her ancient face is full of wrinkles and creased folds and her skin are obviously tanned-sun-dried yet she is quite bubbly when she speaks ...in her thick Bruneian accent. She did amuse me with her fuss-free spirits and attitude.

For an old woman of her age, she definitely has an extraordinary amount of energy and stamina to have her daily morning walks to wherever her destination brings her (only God knows where) with a load on her back that some of our young people of Today's world could not even carry!

I believe, just like Maraim Amash, this petite and strong-willed old lady must have lived on rich diet of vegetables or 'ulam-ulaman'. wowwww...so People! eat lots of vegetables and do daily exercises to maintain that you-look-young looks when you are old and stay healthy.