Cheers for 105th

By Nicole Williams
CHANPHENG Manirath may not have been able to see her 105th birthday cake this week but she still enjoyed it.
‘Pheng’ celebrated the incredible milestone with family, staff and other residents at Yarraman Nursing Home on Tuesday.
She grew up and was married in the small village of Houei Sai in Laos, but her husband died only months after the wedding.
In 1988, Pheng moved to Australia under a family reunion visa and was looked after by her niece Sengamy Southammavong until November, when she went into the nursing home.
Sengamy said good genes and hard work would be Pheng’s tips for longevity.
“It’s in the genes. Her eldest aunty lived to 101 and her youngest aunty lived to 103,” she said.
“And she worked very hard. She had to collect water from the river to the house in the village.”
When Pheng could still see, she enjoyed playing cards with friends and family and visiting the Buddhist temple with Sengamy.
These days she is still very close to Sengamy and looks forward to a whisky or wine when she visits.
She keeps up with world events by listening to ABC Laos News.