The Grocery Our memories of the past were once the present, As everything in this world disappears, Keep in mind only the good times. ......
Kampung Kolong Pahat Next, I came to Kampung Kolong Pahat with its absolutely charming scenery. It has a suspension bridge at the beginning and at the end of the village that serves as a shortcut for the locals to Sungai Lembing. This bridge is only accessible to smaller vehicles like motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians. The suspension bridge sits between two scenes. On one side, a coconut tree and its reflection upon the river and on the other were children skipping flat stones across that same river. They were competing to see whose stone could bounce and skim across the river furthest. Whilst Kampung Kolong Pahat is famous for its handmade noodles, it was the grocery store that captivated me. Seeing all the sundries lined up against the wall reminded me of home. It made me think of my parents and the grocery store they used to run. The lady boss with her warm smile, made me think of my mother. I was drawn to her, so I bought a tofu pudding and sat down to chat with her. She shared interesting stories about the village. One of them was about how Sungai Lembing was abundant in tin reserves back then. However, the river bed became damaged due to the over-exploitation of the British colonial government and Chinese miners. Every time there was heavy rain, the river flooded and devastated the village. Across different festivities, be it small or big, the villagers would pray to the gods to bless their village. Despite that, the flood still occurs every year. She keeps the bottom part of her shelves in the grocery store empty to prevent the goods from being soaked when they are flooded. ...... Drinking a boy’s urine The lady boss told a story about how a kid became seriously ill after a swim in the river. He did not recover despite many different kinds of treatments. His parents sought help from the gods in the temple. They were told their child was ill because he had angered the gods. The cure was to drink the urine of another boy below the age of 12. The parents took this advice and lo and behold their child healed rapidly. This tale may sound incredulous today but to these locals, it was a miracle! The world is full of mysteries, believe in this tale as much or little as you see fit. ...... The old ledger The sweet lady boss is in her 70s and has a maid to help her in the grocery store. Her customers are long term regulars, and they are allowed to take goods on credit and pay later. Even when the store is closed, anyone could knock or call upon her should they need something and she would open her door to them. Midway through our chat, she showed me the ledger that records the amounts credited to her customers. Her handwriting is neat and beautiful. Every line, clearly written in brush, details the customer’s name, what they bought and the amount owing. ...... Small store, big heart I remember mom’s grocer in my memory as clear as day. Her regular customers loved gathering in her store for a chat. It was merry like a community hall. Every day they chatted about various things and shared bits of news through the grapevine that way. Some even sought advice on the problems they were facing. She also operated the place based on trust as she allowed the regular customers to take goods on credit. It was a “convenience” store in the truest sense. I always feel that a grocery store has and needs a lot of human touch to operate. A business that runs without humanity is like a bowl of porridge without salt, tasteless. Customers just come and go today in those nationwide hypermarkets. Their transaction feels very cold and sterile – lacking warmth and personalisation. What do you think? ......
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Flowers In The Chinese New Village Window grilles of yesteryear A timeless masterpiece in both form and function. ......
Windows, a glimpse into homes I stood by a house, enjoying the rendition of One Little Umbrella streaming from within. I noticed various kinds of windows here in Kampung Suria Mentakab. There were casements, louvres and even mosquito nets used as windows. ...... Iron grilles on doors and windows The iron grilles on the gates, doors or windows of every home I encountered were a charming features in my walk around the village. These unique classic iron grilles display aesthetics across different eras. Functionally, the addition of iron grilles to doors and windows means an added layer of protection against intruders. Aesthetically, they enhance the beauty of a building as a feature piece. As the sun casts a shadow over these grilles, geometric patterns form against the walls or floor. This shadow, a living “art”, changes its form with every movement of the sun throughout the day. ...... Iron grilles in Malaysia Malaysian iron grilles were initially simple. Their designs were either in grid, horizontal or vertical lines. However, during the British colonisation, grille designs were influenced by Western architectures as those on colonial buildings and churches. Dignitaries and wealthy businessmen slowly gained awareness and appreciation towards these grilles. Gradually these grilles were used in the homes of the common people. Their designs grew more elaborate to include patterns such as flowers, squares, circles, and “S” shapes, beautifying neighbourhoods all around. Every part of these grilles are made manually in a series of complex steps. Iron plates are first cut and bent individually. They are then welded together according to their size before being installed onto a window or door. Every step is time-consuming, labour-intensive, and painstakingly handmade; its craftsmanship truly is a work of art and skill. ...... The cycle is vicious as grilles dwindle in popularity due to the time and cost taken for its production. In turn, the industry wanes due to consumers favouring modern designs and cheaper mass- produced grilles. This then reduces the number of Malaysian grille craftsmen as the younger generation loses interest in this trade. Editor's Note It was a rainy evening when I met FuFu at his My Journey By Bus exhibition in 2020. He animatedly shared about his years studying and working on public transports abroad. However, a health complication that rendered him bedridden temporarily was the catalyst that spurred him to quit his job. He was determined to spend his second chance at life travelling on and writing about these buses he loves so much. After reading his book, I reached out to recommend some revisions. FuFu graciously thanked me for my feedback and welcomed more. I am by no means a particularly good, let alone a perfect writer/editor, but my desire was to afford him a better version of his book as best as I can. FuFu struck me as a tremendously passionate person. It showed in the way his face turned steely with determination when talking about his dream. There is so much purity in his desire of just wanting people to know about Malaysian buses. His conviction is humbling, to quit a comfortable corporate job to pursue writing and self-publication is to go against the grain of society and life as most of us know it. He is the epitome of what one would do if one does not fear failure despite having every odds against them. This is how I came to invest the past two years working on this book with FuFu. It is my sincere hope that you derived some joy from these stories and will invest in FuFu's dream by sharing My Journey By Bus to others. Carmen Looi I was so thrilled to get the purchase order from Sze Yan and delivered My Journey By Bus to Bursa Malaysia Knowledge Centre (the exclusive one-stop knowledge hub specialised in investment and capital market in Malaysia). Thanks a bunch. So boys and girls, feel free to visit Knowledge Centre when you are around Pasar Seni and Masjid Jamek, get a cup of your favourite drink and snacks while reading or doing research. @BursaMalaysia #KnowledgeCentre 1st Floor, Annexe, Bursa Malaysia Berhad, Exchange Square, Bukit Kewangan, 50200 Kuala Lumpur Open: Mon - Tue, Thur - Fri, 9:15AM - 5PM Close: Wed, Sat - Sun 30copies Restocked!
You can now get My Journey By Bus | Perak . Pulau Pinang . Perlis . Kedah in @manoplus Mano Go RexKL. Mano Go RexKL 80, Jalan Sultan, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur. Tue - Sun, 11AM - 8PM Do drop by other outlets too: Mano Plus GMBB 2, Jalan Robertson, 50150 Kuala Lumpur. Mon - Sun, 10AM - 7PM Mano Plus Penang 37 A & B, Lebuh Pantai, 10300 George Town, Pulau Pinang, Pulau Mutiara. Mon - Sun, 9AM - 6PM Restocked! 👍 My Journey By Bus | Perak . Pulau Pinang . Perlis . Kedah 👍《搭上巴士去旅行・東海岸篇》 【缺貨】 《搭上巴士去旅行・北馬篇》 誠品書店 Eslite Spectrum at The Starhill KL 181, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur. Tel: 03-2038 0368 Open Daily: 10AM - 10PM Website: www.eslite.com.my APP: eslite MY Thank you Nakasato-san from Senyum for featuring FuFu, Senyum February 2023.
Senyum セニョ~ム・2023年・2月号 中里編集長のおかげで2月号の「この人のセニョ~ム」に登場することになりました。 今月の特集は「マレーシアの真珠養殖」です。マレーシアの真珠養殖産業はこんなに盛んであることは全く知りませんでした! ぜび2月号を読んでくださいね。 ========= 【お知らせ】 電子版『セニョ~ム』2月号をリリースしました! 電子版『セニョ~ム』は、いつでも、どこでも、誰でも閲覧可能です。お使いのスマホ、タブレット、PCで『セニョ~ム』が読めるだけではなく、Eメール、ウェブサイト、住所、各種SNSにハイパーリンクが埋め込まれていますので、便利にお使い頂けます。 2月号の特集「マレーシアの真珠養殖」の巻末ページにおいて、抽選で1名様に真珠商品のプレゼント企画を実施中です。読者の皆様からのご応募をお待ちしております。 ぜひこの機会に電子版セニョームを御一読ください! http://www.senyumpress.com/digitalbook/ Restocked! 補書了喲~ 大家可以到商務印書館購買以下書籍和明信片。 1. 《搭上巴士去旅行・北馬篇》 2. 《搭上巴士去旅行・東海岸篇》 3. My Journey By Bus Part 1 商務印書館(馬)有限公司 KL Commercial Book Co. (M) S/B 63C , Jalan Sultan, 50000 Kuala Lumpur. Tel : 03-2031 5368 Mobile & Whatsapp : 016-661 5368 Open daily, 10AM - 5PM Close on certain public holidays. Restocked. Book : MJBB 01 (English) Postcards : MJBB 5 designs (4pcs/set) + Nengajyo 2023 Books Kinokuniya Malaysia Lot 406-408 & 429-430, Level 4, Suria KLCC, City Centre, 50008 Kuala Lumpur. Mon - Sun, 10AM - 10PM Tel : 03 - 2168 8133 Kinokuniya Online Bookstore: tinyurl.com/MJBB01EN tinyurl.com/MJBBCH01KINO tinyurl.com/MJBBCH02KINO Thank you. Postcard and poster of Nengajyo 2023 @MyNengajyo can now be purchased at ILHAM Gallery Gift Shop. Postcards are selling fast, not many left, so grab it for the one you wanna post to. All the best guys. Happy Chinese New Year. @ilhamgiftshop Level 5, Menara Ilham, 8, Jalan Binjal, 50450 Kuala Lumpur. Tue - Sat, 11AM - 7PM Sun, 11AM - 5PM Close on Public Holiday PS: MJBB is also in stock now. Happy to see customer browsing through after restocked. Thank you. |
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January 2024
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