ON the glitzy, kitschy road full of young women in bright colours sits a quiet centenarian, in a corner of an eating house.
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Centenarian: Madam Tan Lau, a familiar sight at Geylang's Shun Kee Eating House, holding up her identity card. TNP Pictures: Choo Chwee Hua

She calls out occasionally when food and drinks have been served but no payment has been made.

Ever alert and watchful, her eyes are on the machine that rings in the cash.

Madam Tan Lau is a familiar sight to those who dine on the crab and frog leg porridge at Geylang's Shun Kee Eating House, on the main road between Lorongs 6 and 8.

Mr Jimmy Ong, the third of her six children, has been running Shun Kee for more than 30 years.

Madam Tan is the head of five generations with more than 30 grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

But the bespectacled old lady - fondly known as Ah Ma (grandmother) - is no power-wielding matriarch.

The friendly woman exudes warmth and extends her wrinkled hand to pat your hand gently as she talks softly in Hokkien.

I'M A NOBODY
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Her eyes behind the gold-rimmed spectacles speak of years of wisdom, enhanced by her humble beginnings.

When The New Paper on Sunday first approached her, Ah Ma said: 'Oh no, don't interview me. I'm a nobody, just another old woman.'

But as regular customer Kelvin Wee puts it: 'Check out the whole of Geylang. She must be the only centenarian who keeps active during the odd hours of the night.'

The 60-year-old tin trader added: 'For someone her age, Ah Ma sure puts some of the young ones to shame.'

Ah Ma's exact date of birth is not written on her identity card - just the year 1909. But she tells you without hesitation that her birthday falls on the 19th day of the fourth month on the lunar calendar.

She added: 'I am 100 years old.'

This is because, according to Chinese tradition, one adds a year to the age.

Ah Ma is healthy and has not suffered any major illnesses. The only time she has undergone surgery was when she had a cataract operation a few years back.

She said: 'I'm lucky, I don't have to take any medicine except something for my eyes.'

While she is no longer as nimble, Ah Ma still moves around unaided, though sometimes, she shuffles a little.

She even manages to climb the steps to the second storey of the shophouse, where she lives with Mr Ong's family.

Mr Ong, 68, said: 'My mother insists she can make her way up and down the steps alone, but I'd prefer not to risk it.'

He had a bell installed so that Ah Ma can call for the maid when she is ready to go down for the day.

She starts her daily routine around noon, waking up to do some simple stretching exercises.

'It's like doing warm-ups, more to improve the blood circulation,' she said.

Then she settles down for her first beverage of the day - a cup of piping hot coffee.

Mr Ong said: 'It's her only indulgence, and even then, we try to restrict it because too much caffeine is not good.'

Ah Ma is allowed only two cups a day. 'Otherwise, it'll be the more the merrier for my mother,' he said.

At meal times, it is simple fare for Ah Ma. She said: 'I eat whatever is put on the table.' Usually, she has all kinds of noodles and porridge, with two rice meals a week.

LAUNDRY

After lunch, the independent Ah Ma busies herself by handwashing her own clothes.

Mr Ong said: 'It's something we've tried unsuccessfully to stop her from doing. It took me some time to convince her not to do our laundry too or she'd still be happily washing away.'

Around 5pm, Ah Ma makes her way down to the eating house and that's where she remains till after 4am when the shutters come down.

Said the woman, whose husband died in 1971: 'I'm used to it. I don't need much sleep anyway, and besides, I prefer to keep myself busy.

'It's better than idling away and it keeps me alert.'

And as Ah Ma used to work as a chef, the cooks at Shun Kee can't get away with bad fare.

Mr Ong said: 'She used to work up the wok with delicacies. Even now, she will sometimes taste the dishes and tell you when something's not done to standard.'

And when she does that, she uses only gentle words.

Mr Ong, himself a father of three sons and three daughters between 44 and 18 years old, said: 'You won't catch her raising her voice or losing her temper.

'She's never used the cane on us.'

Ah Ma has travelled to Taiwan, China and Japan.

She even took the rides at the Disneyland theme park - a memory that lit up her eyes when she was reminded of it.

A regular customer, businessman Chew Tobias, 48, said: 'She reminds me of my late mother.'

Mr Chew, who lives in Marine Parade, dines at Shun Kee about once a week, sometimes with his wife and three children.

He said: 'My kids have never seen their grandmothers - both were not around when they were born.

'As such, they've taken to Ah Ma quite easily. But all said, it's just her warm demeanour that attracts you.'

This article was first published in The New Paper on May 25, 2008.