Studying keeps 105-year-old scholar young - at - heart
He got his first bachelor's and master's degrees in his nineties, and is now working on his PhD. He traveled the world after retirement and learnt how to use the internet.
"I won't stop learning new things unless I die," 105-year-old Zhao Muhe told domestic media.
Zhao was born in Shandong province in 1912. He moved to Taiwan at 39, and found a non-teaching job at National Kaohsiung Normal University. Almost 30 years later, he retired from the university. That's normally the time for people to begin a peaceful but boring pensioner's life, hanging out with friends and looking after grandchildren. But that was not for Zhao.
He decided to go to another university, this time to study, not to work. Zhao attended the National Open University in Taiwan in 1999. He commuted to school by bike every day, never missing a single class. He studied late into the night, and it only took him four years to finish the 128 academic credits required to graduate with an arts degree, which he did at the age of 91.
Several years later, Zhao decided to continue his studies. He passed the entrance examination for Nanhua University in Taiwan and got a master's degree in philosophy two years later. He is now auditing classes at National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan as he prepares to earn a doctorate degree. He thinks it's never too late to learn.
In addition to studying, he also fulfilled his dream of touring the world, when everyone else thought that it was impossible for a man of his meager means and old age. He traveled on a shoestring, like many young people do it.
He may look impoverished, but he is not. In fact, he started learning calligraphy from childhood. Years of practice made him a bird-worm calligraphy master. He has donated huge sums of money raised by his calligraphy works to people in need.
Now he is learning to use a computer. "Internet is no use for a dying man like you, bro," his fellow pensioner said humorously to him.
"But I'm still alive," he replied with laughter.
Source: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2017-02/21/content_28289366.htm
