Ask a 97 year old Mumsnet fan

[Pebbles16]

My 97 year old great aunt is a fan of Mumsnet and has asked me to post. Warning: she will likely be in bed by 9.30
Me: should we do this in the am?
GA: No, if people ask ?s overnight, it will give us something to do...

Hey ho
So, some background to my GA: she was born in Shanghai; was interned in WW2; lived in the Far East until 1970 when she was widowed. Moved to the UK and HAS NEVER adjusted to the weather; this summer is the only time she's mentioned "it's a bit warm".
She has learned multiple languages over the years.
Did not have children (likely as a result of the prison camp conditions).
Spent most of her life advocating for children affected by war.
Cheats at most board games.
Mocks my tolerance to chillies.

So, ask us anything!

Did GA watch the TV series Tenko and if she did was it true to what happened.
I grew up in Singapore in the early 60's to the 70's our Amah told us some of what it was like to live ubder the Japanese.

My most bittersweet memory will sound strange to many people but it was the day we were liberated from Tjideng, As good as it was to be free, there were was sadness for those we had lost. Also we were sad to leave each other's company because we had grown so close.

OP is blushing as apparently her favourite quality of mine is being "jolly good fun".

Something I really really wished I’d asked my mum when she was that age but will completely understand if you can’t 🤭

• did she ever sleep with anyone other than my dad
• did she enjoy sex? Did she have orgasms?

Well that would be very nice, although I hope he has a better picture taken.

(She doesn't like the current one!)

Lovely thread. I'm nominating it for Classics

My father worked for Jardine Matheson and my parents emigrated when my sister went to boarding school. I was something of a surprise addition to the family so I was born there.

I think I mentioned Chinese food before. When I came to England it was unrecognisable outside of Soho and I spent a lot of time in Chinatown and the supermarkets there. But now I can get ingredients anywhere.

To Great Aunt - what music do you like, and do you still listen to music? Did you ever go dancing?

No. I am allergic to fur and feathers. There was a tortoise in the house when I was a child but it wasn't very interesting as a pet.

What’s better:
a) before menopause
b) after menopause
?

Thank you for this thread OP, best AMA ever. Your GA has had such a full life, with both good things and horrendous experiences (hip smashed as a punishment?! I can't even imagine that), and has come through it all with a zest for life and a sense of humour.

Shanghai was very vibrant and glamorous, my parents were always dressing up and going out. We lived in the international settlement so our lives were mostly cut off from the Chinese community although I learnt Chinese from ayi and when I was older we used to go out "on adventures" - I am sure my parents would have disapproved but they weren't very hands on.
Originally we were all interned at Lunghua but my father was taken away after a few weeks (I found out after the war that he was interrogated and shot) and my mother and I were split up in 1944 and I was transported to Batavia.

Ann Droid was very funny to watch.

I’ve read the thread so apologies if I have missed it but did your GA keep diaries? Would she be agreeable to publishing them? Or recording some of her stories?
She sounds amazing. My Grandma lived to 98 and never had dc (she is technically my step grandma) and she was so independent and wonderful and lead such an amazing life. Not long before she died I asked her about her biggest regret in life and she said dying a virgin ☹️

I would love to go on a safari in the Serengeti. Pebbles has gone and I am very pleased for her, but she could have put me in her suitcase.

A chocolate eclair for my tea.
But I am also looking forward to the new series of Ludwig. (GA is a great fan of crime programmes),

Sorry - another question, is she religious?
Tell her thank you for doing this AMA! It’s fascinating

I can’t wait for Ludwig too! Tell your GA to join us on the thread in tellyaddicts 😀

No she hasn't. Although she absolutely gets the point about friends and is "so over" funerals.

😂🫅

A huge bone of contention about cooking because her kitchen has an induction hob so she cannot use a proper wok. She does make amazing dumplings and spring rolls though.

Yes, I was close to my grandmother although she died when I was quite young.

I love a banh mi - is she a fan?

She sounds bloody brilliant

If I ruled the world then all people in high office would have to take a competency and ethics test so there were less people in politics for are only in it for their own motives. Secondly, people would not be allowed to avoid paying taxes or use offshore systems to hide their wealth. Thirdly, I would ban armed conflict.

I think the bill for assisted dying should be approved.

The photoframe which sits on my bedside table that has two photos in it. One of our wedding day and one of my parents, my sister and I. It is special because it reminds me of the people I have loved.

Is there anything she wishes she had done differently in her life? I don't mean things that happened to her and she couldn't control, like her husband and parents dying, but things she chose to do or not do, either a small thing like visiting a particular place, or a big thing that might have been life-changing.

I spent far too much time worrying what people thought of me and going out of my way to be nice to people who were actually quite horrible. I have never ironed a sock! What is this? Have I missed out on something society expected me to do? I used to collect stamps which thinking back on it was a pointless hobby and I don't know why I ever started it.

I don't think I have much of a crystal ball as I don't think I have ever accurately predicted anything. I am quite a good judge of character though so I have probably worked out why people did things that seemed unexpected at the time. In recent times Brexit surprised me, I really didn't think that people would scupper their children's future based on outrageous lies.

So many people have escaped justice that I try not to think about it too much as it's not good for me to get too angry. War criminals spring to mind particularly. Conversely, I do have quite strong and unpopular opinions on Mother Teresa. I knew Christopher Hitchens through his writings on the US/Vietnam war, so I found his expose of her work quite credible.

I miss my sister. We didn't know each other very well because she grew up in Britain and I had only seen her a handful of times before 1946 but we became firm friends and wrote to each other when I was married. We spent time together when I finally came here to live and then I really valued having her and her family.

I absolutely believe that talking to young people keeps you more "on the ball". It is really important to be curious and broaden your horizons as much as possible.

As for a space/time machine, that sounds like a fun idea. Personally I would go to the court of Elizabeth I and watch a Shakespeare play.