Jim Mc Anna

Tuesday, 8 January 2008

Budget Meal

A lot of restaurants sell buffet meals at low prices. I had the above for about 5 Ringit 50 cents (80p) - Tofu, Pork in sauce, veg, rice + soup. Very tasty it was too. Amazing for the price.

Feng Shui

There is a large fish tank in reception of my hotel with one solitary fish (about 12 inches long) - for Feng Shui. For more info see - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feng_shui

Yesterday I bought an A.B.C. (Air Batu Campur - 'mixed ice') - as I was feeling kinda dehydrated (great when you are hot or thirsty). Basically its always shaved ice - topped with stuff like roasted peanuts and corn and various syrups (strange combo eh?). You dont see the various jellies (agar-agar) underneath that lot - must be calorie high !! Notice change on table from 10 Ringit - it cost 2Ringit 50 cents (about 30p).

Yong Tau Fu

Today I bought a bowl of Yong Tau Fu - think this is my first time. You select what items you want added to your soup - each one a Tofu (Tau Fu) based product - though not necessarily vegetarian as most time they are also stuffed with pork or fish based paste. Cost of Young Tau Fu - 4Ringit 50 cents (70p). Notice glass of 'Teh O Kosong Panas' - hot plain black tea (1Ringit 50).

I know a Chinese guy here called Yong. I sometimes call him Yong Tau Fu to pull his leg - he must have heard that one a million times when he was at school !!! Such is my sophisticated humour here !

Time takes a cigarette.......

The watch I bought at Pudu market a couple of weeks ago has been playing up (anything bought cheap like that is a risk). It is called an 'automatic' because it has a kinda pendulum mechanism at the back (which you can see via glass at back of watch). Your wrist and arm movement is supposed to drive this mechanism and I suppose the 'power' is kept in a spring somewhere. You can also wind the watch up conventionally. All great in theory - but I have found it stops quite often - especially in the middle of night (when obviously I'm not wearing it). So last night I kept on trying to wind up the pendulum by swinging watch from strap - didnt realise at the time - but the second hand came off - and was just moving about loose inside glass case. Coming back to hotel today I noticed a wee stall inside a restraunt near hotel with a wee guy who fixes watches - and let him do the business. We will have to see if he has done the trick. Cost of repair - 3 Ringit (about 40p).

Monday, 7 January 2008

Peng Hwa - the end ?

The above article appeared in The Metro section of The Star (9th January 2008). It also appears on their online edition at http://thestar.com.my/metro/ . The article refers to Kuaci (melon seed) Sellers - where Chinese women (from the PRC) of ill-repute sell kuaci (and other snacks) as a ploy to strike up conversations with potential customers. An interesting article on this subject appeared in The Metro back in October last year - it's an new variation on an old theme:-

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2007/10/20/central/19213882&sec=central

Notice stuck to pillar of Peng Hwa Food Court - informing people of enforcement work

The above article appeared in today's (8th January) edition of The Sun (Malaysia). It sheds light on what has been going on at Peng Hwa. It also appeared on their online edition at http://www.sun2surf.com/.

Demolition of hawkers' area outside Peng Hwa continued today (Tuesday 8th Jan 2008)

As I sat and had my coffee parts of the roof were being removed - to reveal a grotty looking hotel where the 'Ayam' used to take their customers (more of that later). Things must be serious - the coffee was free !! I am still hearing some rumours Peng Hwa itself will be bulldozed today or tomorrow - most people say it will go after Chinese New Year (7th Feb) - but a free coffee must be a bad sign ?!?!?

I witnessed a little bit of history being made today in KL (Monday 7th January 2008). Bulldozers moved into Peng Hwa food court next to Pudu Market. This is a popular eating and drinking establishment for the Chinese community. I have heard various rumours over the last couple of days as to when the food hall would close - but demolition of areas used by hawkers outside the food hall started today. I believe Peng Hwa itself will remain open until after the Chinese New Year (7th Feb). It seems the lease for the food court expired and the owners of the land want to build there. It also seems all the hawkers are working there without appropriate licenses - so the authorities are happy to get rid of them (2 lorry load of police were there in case of trouble).

Peng Hwa has been open 6 years - it's a bit sad to see it go - no doubt to be replaced by some boring shopping mall or supermarket - part of the global homogenisation taking place all over - turning the world into one big shopping mall. A chinese man I was speaking to was getting quite emotional when he argued the case it should have been left open - and people not realising they are loosing a part of their heritage when it goes.....I had to agree with him.... (I found out the following day when I spoke to him again , that he had more than emotional interest in the place. He had girls working there selling bootleg DVDs ).

Peng Hwa is also well known as a place to meet 'Ayam' (literally 'chicken' - but in 'slang' it means prostitute). I often joke (because it is next to market) Peng Hwa is 'Pasar Ayam' (the Chicken Market).

Some scenes today reminded me of The Titanic - as the ship was going down people were still at the bar drinking - same today , as bulldozers were busy destroying the area outside, inside people were drinking just as normal ......and Ayam on the look out for business.

As a post-script - I was informed a couple of days ago the police did a raid of Peng Hwa looking for Ayam. 61 Chinese girls (from the People's Republic of China) were arrested. Of those girls 10 were charged for expired visas (all the others were released). The story was covered in the local press.