IT WAS a rare experience to have met Miss Teresa Hsu, Singapore's grand old lady, and I will never be the same again!

Speaking with me on the phone, I expected her voice to be unsteady and unclear as befits a 100-year old person.

Not so! Her voice was distinct and unfaltering, as it turned out, her mind sharp and clear. I was in for many other surprises.

My purpose for visiting her was not out of sheer curiosity, but to see how I could be of help.

And there she stood outdoors, a diminutive but ample figure, straight as a rod, her silvery hair cropped short, wearing a simple but spotless dress -- and barefoot. Her home was bright and spotless.

The floor sparkled. Reading my thoughts, she said: "I know what you think. Who cleans the rooms? I clean it myself."

The space is not spartan because of her large collection of books, but it is somewhat austere. It is her lifestyle that is spartan. She reads avidly but avoids the TV. Her bed is a slim mattress. There are no frills or fancy gadgets anywhere.

At her age, she should have retired long ago and found ways to pamper herself, even if a little, for the rest of her life.

But she has other plans. Miss Hsu is preparing to start a service centre in Chin Swee Road for the old and destitute. I asked if she reads the newspaper.

"I have to walk a long way to get one, and then it costs 65 cents, which I cannot afford as I have no income," she explained.

She has tried her hand at various jobs -- as a cleaner and clerk, secretary, nurse and matron.

Born in China, she has lived in Penang, Hongkong, London, Paraguay before coming to Singapore in 1963.

For the past 37 years, she has done volunteer work, helping the old and the sick, distributing foodstuff to different housing estates each month.

I believe that in being a volunteer she has found her calling. Although she has had only three years in formal education studying English, she is highly intelligent and speaks English very well.

What is the secret of her longevity and good health? First, the food that she eats.

Then, the exercise she maintains religiously, and most of all, a life void of stress and inner peace that keeps her going doing the work she loves best.

For breakfast, she takes just a glass of milk. Lunch is juices, fresh vegetables and fruits put together in a blender. And for dinner, only yoghurt.

Amazingly, she is not on any medication. She does not wear glasses and never had eye surgery or any other operation.

Although I am years younger, I felt quite inadequate in her presence!

In this millennium, there will be other centenarians and women even past a hundred, but it is doubtful anyone will come close to being a champion for the sick and elderly and be so sound of mind and body.

"What will you do for the Lunar New Year?" I asked her.

"Every day is New Year for me, " she answered.
 

MARY KOGAN