The second week, and I fell in love with motorcycles. Acceleration and the gentle suffocation of the wind, as well as sand flying straight into my eyes. We chased the sun, swept the street, our eyes catching the signs and gleams of street light. The glorious side of fast and fierce, the caress of Pingtung (although I obviously omitted the part of my sweating palms and screams whenever we made a slanted turn).

Enough of my little sonnet for motorcycles. This week, I went to the Fo Guang Lecture Hall, another Red Cross service spot focusing on the elderly. I observed their session—a lecture from a nearby hospital on the “three highs” (high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, high blood sugar). The volunteers told me that these sessions vary; sometimes they are lectures, sometimes DIY crafting. I asked, “Can I host a session?”

There are several ideas that I have thought of:

1. General Psychoeducation
   Elderly individuals, especially those in more rural areas, have little to no knowledge of psychology and mental health disorders. The stigma surrounding mental health—often equating it with ‘insanity’ or believing it to be controllable—is deeply rooted in the community. Many somatize their mental disorder symptoms (e.g., “I can’t sleep” or “I’ve lost my appetite”) and seek help from physicians instead of psychologists. General psychoeducation on psychopathology and mental wellness would be beneficial in enhancing community acceptance of mental disorders, as well as encouraging elderly individuals with similar concerns to reach out for help.
2. Health Psychology
   I took a health psychology course last semester, and one very interesting aspect was “adherence” to both medical orders and a healthy lifestyle. The elderly can benefit from understanding theories that increase their—or their family members’—adherence to medical advice.
3. Dementia
   Research has found that cognitive-stimulating games or social interactions can help prevent dementia. Board games and card games can be fun activities that keep them cognitively active (or even physically, if we modify some game rules).

I pitched these ideas to the volunteers, and they liked them, but then one suggested I talk about something closer to daily life.

“Cognitive biases, maybe?” I tried again. “I can talk about how businessmen ‘trick’ us using psychological tactics?”

“That’s incredible! A lot of elderly get scammed in Taiwan. I think this can be an alternative approach to develop their critical thinking skills… You know, instead of just telling them not to be scammed, we teach them the tactics that might be used by scammers (and of course, this isn’t limited to scammers), so they will be more alert when they encounter similar situations,” the volunteer replied.

“Sure, I’ve taken quite a few classes on judgment and decision-making… What time slots are empty now?”

“Next week.”

“What?”

Yep, next Thursday. I wasn’t aware that Red Cross volunteers liked deadline fighting; and I clearly didn’t expect to be in this situation after my semester. But that’s the only available time slot because the next one is in August (and I’ll already be back in Hong Kong). I agreed and started my procrastination and deadline-fighting cycle. I took advice from the volunteers and elders around me, trying to teach in a way that is most relatable and relevant to my target audience. One suggested using the wet market as a scenario, as the elderly often go there; another suggested nutrition supplements, which also catch their attention.

I find myself procrastinating a lot. I don’t know what Taiwanese elderly do, and I’ve only observed one session. Plus, I have one week to prepare. On top of that, I assisted with a 15-hour, 2-day workshop on disaster prevention over the weekend, leaving me little to no time. Next week’s update will be on “the success of my last-minute workshop” or “another reason why I should stop procrastination”, let’s look forward to that!