by Arianne Clement

When the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the world, in addition to ending the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and causing major socioeconomic upheavals, it brought to light the deplorable living conditions of seniors in many countries around the globe. Visits were banned in residences and care centres for the elderly, the elderly died in complete solitude and thousands of families went through their grief without being able to gather to mourn their parents or grandparents. This crisis reminded us that aging is terrible. The weakening of family ties, the deterioration of social connections and the precariousness of front-line workers have given rise to a model of geriatric care based on marginalization, a model which has revealed its flaws and forces us to rethink old age. The Québecoise, Arianne Clément, has been investigating aging and its challenges for several years, through a series of photographic reports. Which aspects of aging are cultural and which are universal? How do societies, governmental structures, families and the elderly themselves handle aging abroad? What makes some people age gracefully while others decline? Are there places on Earth where aging is easier? What are the different perceptions of aging according to various cultures? It is with these questions in mind that she has traveled the world in search of different approaches with regards to aging. In recent years she has visited the "blue zones", places renowned for the vitality and well-being of their elderly. The blue zones, designated in 2005 by National Geographic magazine, are the five regions of the world with the highest concentrations of very old people and where life expectancy is exceptionally high because of the lifestyle practiced by their inhabitants. Counted amongst the blue zones are the province of Ogliastra, on the island of Sardinia in Italy; the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica; the California Seventh-day Adventist community in Loma Linda and surroundings, United States; the Okinawa archipelago in Japan and the island of Ikaria in Greece. Since 2005, the increased media diffusion of the phenomenon has popularized these "secrets" of longevity: • a simple existence relatively untouched by modern pressures; • a healthy, unprocessed and predominantly vegetable diet, often from subsistence farming; • a very attentive social or family net; • daily physical activity; • time spent each day enjoying existence and cultivating one’s mental, spiritual or religious life. Arianne Clément went to meet the elders of the blue zones, sharing their daily lives, sometimes living under their roof, documenting their lifestyle through photography. She bonded with many of these elderly people and gather testimonies through which they share their wisdom, experiences, joys, worries and the challenges they. These stories help to correct pervasive prejudices about aging and to demystify certain beliefs surrounding longevity. This photographic journey, coupled with an anthology of life stories, exposes the richness and complexity of the human experience. The approach of the inevitable is never easy, but the fact remains that there is beauty in aging, and that serenity in the face of death is something that must be cultivated. This is what the inhabitants of the blue zones teach us. Their teaching is all the more precious since the growing impact of globalized modernity, the changing lifestyle habits of the young generations and the disturbances linked to tourism and the media reveal the fragility of the blue zones and the exceptional character of these elders in human history. This report, which parallels different lifestyles and varied beliefs around the world, is part of a militant approach to promoting seniors. It is a way of paying tribute to the elderly for the knowledge and values they have transmitted to us and for the social and political struggles they have fought. With nuance and without complacency, Arianne Clément wishes to highlight the importance of the contribution of elders to our modern society and to highlight the richness of their knowledge. In the context of a pandemic, which exposes the vulnerability of seniors more than ever, the experience of the blue zones invites us to rethink our way of doing things, to favour inclusion rather than marginalization, to draw inspiration from the experience of our ancestors, to cultivate strong ties, both at the family and community level and to give ourselves the collective means to allow the elderly to pursue their lives with dignity.

Francisca Paula Obando Angulo, 99 years old, Los Jocotes, Nicoya peninsula, Costa Rica Here is my advice to live to a hundred. You must eat simple and whole food, chew well, sleep soundly, take care of oneself with plants and natural products, avoid conflict and never speak ill of others. I would also advise young people to pursue their education. My greatest regret is not getting an education. If I could have, I would have liked to become a nurse, or a violinist. Practicing the traditional dancing of Costa Rica has been a great source of pleasure all my life. When I stopped dancing I got rid of all my dresses except one. I want to be buried in that beautiful white dress.

Ana Reinery Fonseca Gutiérrez, 104 years old, city of Nicoya, Nicoya peninsula, Costa Rica I was in excellent health until I took a round of antibiotics recently; since then I can’t walk and have no appetite. This medicine is no better than poison, if you want my opinion. My goal is to walk again regardless. Despite everything, I am always in a good mood and I like to receive visitors. I am particularly stylish and flirtatious and I collect shoes and fancy hats.The secret to a long life is to take care of oneself, to have a healthy lifestyle, to be satisfied, calm and to have a happy marriage. You shouldn’t get married on a whim, you have to take your time and carefully choose your partner.

Umeto Yamashiro, 99 years old, Yomitan village, Okinawa prefecture, Japan When I was younger I had a humble business; I sold odds and ends. It was enough to survive, but barely. When I was 80 years old I decided to realize my dream of becoming a dancer. I approached a traditional Okinawan dance troupe that performs for tourists and, as I was truly determined to learn, they gave me a chance. Now I am the star dancer! Tourists come from all over to see me dancing and take selfies with me! I am in perfect health, I have no illnesses and I take no medication. At my last medical exam my doctor was jealous of my impeccable health. The secret? Laugh, laugh and laugh! Don’t let anger, hatred or worry live within you. Make an effort to love and accept all others. Be active, go out, party, dance, play music and embrace life! The death of my husband was a liberation. My marriage was not always easy, but, at the end of his life, my husband did thank me and tell me that I was a magnificent wife. Thus we parted with our hearts at peace. That being said, I love being single! I flirt constantly with men, the young as well as the old. I love to flirt, to seduce, to please, to laugh, and to tease the tourists with my alluring conduct. I never go out without applying my makeup and lipstick. I even bought a luxury perfume that cost 130$ American! I smell marvellously good!

Ioanna Kochila, 84 years old, Nas, Ikaria Island, Greece Life isn’t complicated around here. We eat almost exclusively what we produce. For everything else, the baker comes to deliver bread to us every morning and the fishmonger comes once a week. I have been married to Ioannis for 63 years. In order for a relationship to last, you must not bicker over trivial things and you have to get over small annoyances. When your partner is angry, it’s best to shut up and wait for the dust to settle before talking to them about what’s bothering them. People put too much emphasis on little annoyances instead of letting them pass. It’s sad to see couples tearing themselves apart over pride. You shouldn’t wait until your partner is sick or dead before you realize how much they mean to you. My husband and I have been through hard times, but we love each other deeply.

Elvira Iba, 84 years old, Villagrande, province of Ogliastra, Sardinia, Italy When I was younger life was harder and yet I think it was more beautiful than nowadays. There was a lot of affection between people, we loved each other very much and we understood one another. I made many sacrifices in my life and I worked hard, but always with love, contentment and gratitude. I was never jealous or envious. When a thing is beautiful, I admire it. I compliment it. I don’t desire it because it is useless. What I have is enough. I have nothing, yet I have everything. I have love. The love of my husband and my grandchildren and that is all that matters.

Maria Trinidad Espinoza Melina, 102 years old, Copal de Quebrada Honda, Nicoya peninsula, Costa Rica I haven’t lost my head and my memory is excellent. Visitors from the four corners of the earth have come to speak with me about longevity and I hope that they keep coming since I love meeting strangers! I am grateful to be in such good health and I would like to live for many more years. I don’t want to die, I love life. I want to see my great grandchildren grow up. Family ties are very strong here. For instance, my great granddaughter, who is also my neighbor, comes everyday to visit. She applies moisturizer on my skin and brushes my hair. Things were better before. There were no chemical products in the food and people were healthier. We didn’t earn much, but we always had enough to live on, especially since we always helped each other. These days our poverty is extreme. The cost of living is very high and our retirement pension is ridiculous. My daughter can’t go out to work as she has to look after me full time. That means we are two living on my little pension, which is just enough to cover the electricity. We are always short of money for everything: medicines, phone bills, food, or to buy glasses, shoes or the fabrics that my daughter uses to decorate our clothes. I would like to ask the government to help the elderly of Costa Rica more, as the lack of resources is an enormous source of stress and desperation. I advise young girls to carry themselves well, to look after themselves, not to walk the streets at night, not to take drugs or drink alcohol, and to choose an attentive lover. Since not all men are good, one shouldn’t be too quick to get married; it is better to wait a few years to make sure you have a respectful companion.

Giorgos Stenos, 88 years old, Christos Raches, Ikaria Island, Greece The longevity of Ikaria is certainly due to the fact that we eat local, organic, unpasteurized honey every day whose therapeutic properties are amazing.When I was about 14 years old I read a book about bees and I discovered the incredible contribution of bees to ecology, thanks to pollination. When I was 18, I decided that I would dedicate my life to beekeeping. I could have been content as a honey merchant, but my philosophy is not to exploit nature excessively; I work in harmony with it instead by contributing to the balance of ecosystems. The quality and price of honey have changed a lot over time. In the 1950s, sugar was worth almost twice as much as honey. We didn’t know the benefits of honey and it had no value. The pastry chefs used it only to save on the price of sugar. However, the wax brought in a little money because we were still lighting the cottages by candlelight. Later, many studies have shown that we produce one of the best qualities of honey in the world. I have already tasted American honey and, without wanting to offend anyone, in terms of therapeutic properties, it is no better than corn syrup. Here, the air and water are pure and our bees forage from a wide variety of bushes, trees, herbs and wild flowers. The rocky soil gives a lot of minerals to the plants and thus to the honey as well. There are no pesticides on the island and our bees have never been affected by the infections and diseases that plague bees around the world. One must move the hives according to the seasons to give them access to the best plants. At the moment, my bees are in the South because it is warmer there and it is heather season, a therapeutic plant that’s the only one to be foraged in winter. In February I’m going to move them to another region of the island where there is a lot of sage and where the almond trees will be in bloom.

Zaxarias Pirudis, 99 years old, Plagia, Ikaria Island, Greece Since I went blind, I can’t work as much as I used to, but I’m doing well. I don’t believe in God and the majority of people here don’t believe either. When I was eight, one of my teachers was a communist and introduced me to his ideology. When he was expelled from school, he had already made several disciples and his philosophy continued to spread across the island of Icarus. At 13, I was expelled from school for reading Marxist literature. From that moment on, I became a fervent follower of communism and I still am today since the class struggle is far from won. My friends and family are activists, as are most of the people on our island, also known as the "Red Island". When I was a young adult, during the war, I deserted the army and had to hide in the mountains for several years. I lived in a cave and ate practically nothing but prickly pears. Later, I was imprisoned and eventually sent into exile with other political prisoners on the island of Macronese. In 1951, I was released and became a farmer. I’ve committed many excesses in my life. I had a restaurant for a while, but I had to close it because I was becoming an alcoholic. I also smoked a lot. I started smoking in prison because I was depressed and I smoked until I was 75. I stopped because of health problems. Today I go to the bar every night to chat with my friends, but I just drink two glasses of wine.

Jose Bonifacio Villegas Fonseca, 101 years old, Pochote de Nicoya, Nicoya peninsula, Costa Rica I left school at 9 years old because I had to work. I have been a cowboy all my life and horses have always been my great passion. I am very attached to my horse Corazon, my companion of more than twenty years already. I have lived a far from exemplary life. I have indulged in every imaginable vice: alcohol, dancing, women, parties, tobacco. I had to stop drinking and smoking at 60 as I had health problems. Just about everything is difficult when one gets old. One must struggle endlessly. It bothers me greatly to not have energy, to lose my memory, to walk with difficulty. I used to regularly pay visits to the sick of the surrounding area but my health no longer allows it. Luckily the Lord is with me. Since the discovery of the Blue Zones, things have changed around here, and we value the elderly more. I have welcomed dozens of journalists, students and doctors, and many festivals have been organized to honour the elderly of the Nicoya peninsula. Foreign visitors help us a bit financially, which is precious, since we don’t have enough to eat on the state pension. I do not exaggerate when I say we must choose between sugar and coffee as we can’t buy both.