“Double Ninth” Cuisines Warm Elders

By Zhang Wencheng

On the eve of Double Ninth Festival, residents from No. 2 Youyi Residential Quarter of Guangzhong Road Sub-district prepared a dainty lunch for the elderly. These cuisine talents, different-aged though, tried their utmost to cook favorable delicacies, warmly pleasing the elderly. Filling up the table, the appetizing cuisines multifariously included flowering cabbages stir-fried with white jade mushrooms, fried glutens stuffed with minced pork, sautéed shelled shrimps, sauce-stewed pork trotters, Sushi platters and roast duck, etc.

The elderly residing at No. 2 Youyi Residential Quarter were invited to the elderly recreation room of the neighborhood committee during the lunch time, together enjoying the palatable assorted dishes. Pan Lanying, 92 years old, said that it was held every Double Ninth Festival, for consecutively 8 years. As for them actually, enhancing neighbor emotional bonds is the concern rather than enjoying food. All they appreciate is to amuse together in talks and laughs.

94-year-old Xu Xingeng, the better half of Pan, feelingly said, “Currently the whole society does care about us, especially the neighborhood committee. We would call them if we met a problem, and cadres of the neighborhood committee would come soon. It’s a heavenly gift from the Party, which I’ll cherish eternally.”

The neighborhood committee ordered a cake for the elderly as well, wishing them a sweet later life. Some said that such a neighbor recreation meant uniquely. Ma Yueying, a retired doctor, spent an hour or so in cooking the “colored fried yellow croaker in squirrel shape”, facilitating the health of the elderly. Except for superior ingredients like tripe and winter bamboo shoots, she also stirred red jujubes and lotus seeds into tomato sauces, promoting the blood circulation. Exquisitely, Wang Yumei chopped the flowering cabbages into little segments, like bunches of green flowers. Decorated with white jade mushroom, this cuisine tasted comfortably pleasant and freshly delicious.

Double ninth, double affections. The “Baijiafan” recreation is honestly expected to stay with them. Recently, these kinds of community activities have fairly emerged. It is understood from the District Civil Affairs Bureau that to further build sound social atmosphere of respecting and loving the elderly, and to connect with reform pilots of national home-based and community nursing services for the aged, the district organize a series of activities named “the Elderly Caring Month”, including visiting and comforting, issuing festival subsidies, implementing health education and medical services benefiting the elderly, introducing law publicity into communities and hosting celebration for birthday falling on Double Ninth Festival.