"Dai Sung Sek Fun"

“Dai Sung Sek Fun”, if you are a typical Cantonese especially those born in the 50’s will understand what these means. For the non-canto, its literally means while at meals time – conserve some dishes for others not eaten yet. It also meant that “leave some dishes/food” for the next person/s at the table.

For the current generations, you will seldom hear these words as the new parents of the present generations would encourage those at the dinner, especially their children to eat to their heart contents.  

Sad but true, these parents are willing to sacrifice their share of food portion when they (the parents) would continue to adapt the “DSSF” on themselves.

These scenario happened at all level of class segments, whether rich or poor. For the rich families, no issues. Food can be easily replenished and eat to their heart’s contents. For the poor ones, too bad – one had to go hungry till the next source of income comes along to put food on the table.

“DSSF” plays an important parts on the up bring of the younger generations into the adulthood. Its make them realise the value money to put food on the table. Food on the table is also meant to be shared, not selfishly consumed almost all by oneself and not thinking of others within the table, especially in a large families.

I still remembered my mother words ringing in mine and my siblings’ ears  ...”Dai Sung Sek Fun”

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Post Graduation and Incidental Job Replacement

Much had been said about the past on my memoirs. I guess now is to take sometime off to talk about the post graduation and job placement

So what have I been doing these years, after completion of my formal primary / secondary educations? Well, to be precise after graduation from the vocational school and armed with an Electrical City & Guilds certificate, (those day cannot afford to extend college or further paper chase as Dad has only his pair of hand to feed the whole family of six).

Employments are hard to come by in the early days (circa 1974). With no luck in the electrical / electronic vacancies along the FTZ on the Penang island. Went for many job interviews but was not successful even as an electronic operator along the framed electronic factories (this post/s was much reserved for the lesser gender).

Those days the monthly salary as the electronic operator was RM160 with some allowances thrown in. A take home pay would comes to approximately RM200, a very good income in those days. A Honda club, 600cc would only cost RM700-900. A new Datsun 120Y takes approx. RM7k plus. A packet of Benson & Hedges of 20 sticks take you back by a dollar and a small packet of 6 sticks take 0.30 cents though.

So what job have I landed in myself?. Well, I started as an incidental car mechanic – Cantonese call it the “che fong chai” , (garage boy, paying a good rm40/ month) - following dad’s footstep into the automotive world.

This job calls for dirty manual works, with all the greasy, black oily and dirt ground works with the old automobiles. One has to lie underneath the undercarriage of the vehicles to get things done.(no availability of ramp or the 2 / 4 lift post in those days). On many occasions, my face was so blacken by grease and dirt and upon reaching home; my mother could not even recognize her own son.

In the year 1976/77, my big break came when I chance upon an opportunity (recommended by one Ah Cheng – a spray painter) to join Universal Cars (Ford / Bedford) as a contract workers. My contract work is mainly to check for water leakage in those new Ford vehicles. As I am able to read the car service manual and speak manglish with the gwai-lo (Workshop Manager has noticed this) I was quickly absorbed permanently into this organization as a Trainee Trades man – a feat in those days. I was also quickly promoted to Class 3 mechanic, later to workshop administrative and Service Advisor as my career progressed.

Within a span of 5 years (circa 1980 – 1985) I went through Champion Orchard / Federal Auto and BMW which takes me to states like; Selangor, Johore Bharu and Kuantan and finally landed on job with the newest and hottest auto dealership / distributor at that time – EON.

At that time (3^rd quarter of 1985) EON was recruiting service personnel from all over the motor trades. During the interview with Mr, K.C. Ho, I was asked two most simple and easy question. A) How much do you want? And b) When can you start work?.....

On 14th September 1985, the 1st Penang Bridge was official opened to traffic, And around this time, I am posted to Butterworth Service Centre. This make my travelling from the island to the mainland very much easier. Commuting during the first few months on the almost deserted lane of the Penang Bridge is also a memory. Not like these days where the traffic on the bridge is almost choked and jammed to the brink.
A 2nd Penang bridge is now in progress.

I'm back !!

Well, after a lapse of 3 long years, I'm back.

Many things have changed then. Was inactive for couple of years. Part chasing a long favorite dream and part chasing a satisfactory job.

After a short stints with some small timer workshop, I have finally landed myself in an established Insurance company which permits me to utilize my expertise.

My the other love on watches has yet to fade, still going strong as a matter of fact. Now had joined a public forum, Malaysian style to actively promote the watch poison to the younger members. Eventually, a recovered 70% watcholic as to say.

Meanwhile, took up cycling to keep fit with my newly purchased Oyama folder bike.

More to come.....

My Memoirs (Part 7)

Continue from My Memoirs (Part 6)

Today is 14 May 2008. 39 years ago (yesterday), my memory lingers on.... especially for the following episode.

May 13th, Year 1969, the unrest came. It was the state of emergency and the darkest part in the history of Malaysia where many Malaysian would like to forget. I could still remember that Mom and Dad, whom had earlier went to an outstation trips to Kuala Lumpur had just managed to reach home a day earlier at Sungai Ujong Road,. They were in a state of panic and went into action buying up provisions and foodstuffs.

I was 12 years old then, and without a care in the world affair, when the radio announced that curfew would be enforced and school will be closed for a definite period. For the first time ever, everyone,(5 families and more than 32 tenants) stays in the house at Sungai Ujong Road, with the iron rail at front gate and windows pulled shut during the weekdays. The roads were deserted for a couple of days and nights and the Gurkhas were patrolling the streets. Those who defy the rules and ‘peep’ out onto the streets were responded with tear-gas fired by the Gurkhas. Our opposite neighbour was actually fired at with tear-gas, when they mischievously went onto the balcony.

I vividly remembered between one nights; our whole neighbor hood had a bad scare. Everybody is shouting ‘they are coming’. All able men in the household are ready on stand by for any eventualities. Dad armed with a thick bamboo stick together with Ah Hor’s father and many others stood guard outside the house on the five foot way. Many others men folks from the neighboring houses also came out in full force and stood guard. Fortunately, nothing untoward happened that night.

In between the non-curfew hours, the elders would run out to near by sundries shop to stock up the food stuffs while brother and I would seek over to Woh Hup Motor to enjoy our ‘swim’ in the bathtub. The curfew went on for a couple of days until the situation return back to normal and thus resuming school

To continue....

My Memoirs (Part 6)

Continue from My Memoirs (Part 5)

Another popular past time for us boys, is to cycle all the way to Macalister Road to buy comics at the many second hand book dealers, found scattered just in front of the present day Red Crescent Building. Of course favorites comics are the Beano and Dandy, DC & Marvel comics; Superman, man of steel and of course, Batman & Robin.
Reading comics those days helps improving our oral and written English. No, we do not have pre-school then. Those days, only the well-to-do families can afford. Elder brother and I only get to learn our ABC alphabet at Primary One

We teens have our fair of mischievous adventure altogether and it takes us one step further – disturbing girls, Yes, to the sweet young things (SYT) lived in the next door , unheard of in those conservative days. How? By singing the blues (one of Beatles famed song) in Cantonese version, to Mei Chan* and her siblings. Remember the lyrics; matchmaker, Sam-ku reports that ‘Ah Chan is already married to someone else’.

Come Chinese New Year, we would help the workshop gang workers (staying opposite at Woh Hup Motor) to build giant fire cracker or Looi Kong Pau, twice the size of the present day shuttle cork holder. The workshop gang worker would supply the normal size fire crackers in bundle, and we start to peel them off to recover the gun powder. Usually, two giant fire crackers would be made. One fire cracker is to light up for the 1st day of the Chinese New Year (Nien chor-yat), and another for the chap ghor-mei. Families with small babies are advised to cover their ears at specific time in the evening. The time is set. The main producer is usually given the honor to light the fuse. Well, if you ask me. Yes, the ground did really shake and the lemonade glass on the table did actually vibrate. This scenario lasted for a few years till our Government banned the fire cracker.

To continue.....

My Memoirs (Part 5)

Continue from My Memoirs (Part 4)

After a year, Dad had shifted the family to Sungei Ujong Road, just opposite to his working place. Together with some uncles, they had formed a Motor repair shop called Woh Hup Motor. During the school holidays, elder brother & I used to learn the trick of trade from father, He also give us joy ride when ever he test drive the Fraser & Neave (F & N) lorries, which was contracted to him for repairs. After repairs, Dad would ask elder brother to ‘hoi tan’ (invoice for billing) to F & N for the services rendered
A stone throw away from Dad’s workshop is the framed Great World Park (This is where the Komtar stand now).

We had to pay 25 cents each for entrance into the Great World Park, which housed an opened air theater, brightly lid carrousel and an entertainment park (a sort of a Disney land in small scale in those days). Elder brother would piggy-back me to catch glimpses of the show shown at the open air cinema. The Royal Theater is also housed here. I still remembered at one time, an Indian movie titled “Elephants my Friends” had a more than hundred days running (a feat & a box office hits in those days) Take note, that there is another New World Park, near the Swatow Lane.

The New World Park then housed the annual carnivals affair for many years to come, for which later, these carnivals affair shifted over to a bigger site, now stand the Pesta Ground at the Bayan Baru

We stayed for a good number of years in that house at Sungai Ujong Road. There are all together 4 tenanted families in the house. We, elder brother, I and Ah Hor, an old childhood friend (also school mates & house tenant), have had our fair share of mischievous adventure.

We called ourselves the 3 musketeers. The three of us would run from one junction to another (kai-tau / kai mei) to seek out the best view on the black & white television owned by neighbors. Best running series in those days are episode on ‘Batman & Robin’. No, we don’t have a TV then, not even a radio. For entertainment, folks used to listen to rediffusion (a paid cable radio on monthly rental basis). Story teller likes, Lei Tai-soh telling novel stories on a daily basis.
It was only many years later, that Dad bought home a TV, a 21 inches black & white National (a marvel in those days).

To continue......

My Memoirs (Part 4)

Continue from My Memoirs (Part 3)

Those days, my siblings and I like to enjoy our ride in Dad’s Hillman. I can still recall the smell of heated leather from the seat cushion. In the sixties, Cars were not installed with air conditioning then. The best comfort we have to make do is with a blowing fan – fitted onto the middle of the dash panel. And as time progressed, these seat materials would slowly evolves to other fabrics, such as vinyl and synthetic leather which do not usually emits the kind of aroma smell of the seasoned leather of the yesteryears.

Speaking of the aroma of smell, I could still vividly remember the smell of complete freshly fried chicken, which elder brother had won as a consolation prize at the fun fair. The fun fair was an annual affair held at the Pesta Stadium along the Perak Road at that time. Our whole family has had a fantastic meal that evening. At today standard, these meals are nothing to shout about. But during those days, having a whole fried chicken for meal is a rarity, which is only served on special occasion.

The shout of ‘koay ta lum’ (dessert made from pandan leaves, coconut milk and flour) and smell of ‘assam laksa’ always linger in memory during my younger days. These are the two signature desserts, that vendors carry and balance their wares on a long bamboo stick, who ply their trades on the five foot ways. They ply their trade by wearing a sort of ‘turban’ (head cloth) and use it to balance a big basket over their head and with a long bamboo stick over their shoulder to carry one pot of ‘laksa’ soup burning over a small stove at one end while the other end carries 3-4 layers of bamboo basket containing varieties of dessert. You cannot miss them for one can smell the appetizing aroma blocks away.

In the sixties, ten cents (10cts) can still buy you a big chunk of ‘koay ta lum’ and a bowl of ‘assam laksa’. As time progressed into the present age, that piece of one ‘koay ta lum’ and a bowl of ‘assam laksa’ takes approximately sixty cents (60cts) and three dollars (RM3.00) respectively. Nowadays, these vendors peddles their wares on a three wheel scooter and instead of shouting the traditional way, they would honk out their sales. However, one could hardly had a chance to enjoy these desserts nowadays as you would probably missed these vendors as they would be miles away by the time you come out of the five foot way. Sadly, this is the disadvantage of evolution. Nowadays, these desserts are sold under their actual names as ‘char-koa’ and can be found selling at ‘pasar malam’ or the night market.

Other vendors, like the ‘hum-chin peng’ (fried flour dumpling) man together with his ‘hong-tau sar’ (signature red bean dessert) is a must try in those days. He used to sell his stuff as he pushes his four wheel wooden cart all along the narrow streets of Georgetown. Those who are now in their 50’s and 60’s could still remember him. We actually miss his ‘hum-chin peng’ when we shift away from Chulia Lane.

Another must try street hawking stall in those days is the ‘lor-bak’ and ‘hei-si’ (minced meat in roll and fried prawn cracker in mixture with flour). This man is more up to-date, as he plies his stuff on a tricycle stall. So as he fried the prawn cracker, the aroma from this prawn mixture flour will sure entice your appetizer. And also with the sleight of his hand, he can cleanly cut a century year egg (fermented egg) into six equal pieces. Being young and native, we were curious as to how he could perform this magic. Later we found out that this vendor had hidden a tough thread (cloth string for slicing through the eggs) in between the utensils for this purposes.

As for ‘junk’ food, we have had our fair shared of ‘ting-ting dong’ (hard rock candies), where the vendor would chip away with his small hammer and chisel like tool to ‘cut’ away your cents worth of candies. Usually, this same vendor also sells the ‘mug-ah tong’ (maltose honey slurps) where a thick bamboo stick is dipped into a clayed jar of honey slurp and twirled around to scoop up your five cents worth of portion. So as brother and I had a total of ten cents (10 cents) between us, we would buy both and shared the items altogether. And yes, we sometimes fought over on who will get a bigger portion.

As much as our mouth water and yearn for all the above simple savory food at that young ages, we could not bring ourselves to sample these food often, as our budgets or so called allowances were limited to five cents (5 cents) on a well behaved day and nil when we play taunt.

To continue.......