Chicks back to roost!

The slow family trip up north was an educational trip for the youngsters in the clan - that their parents were indeed not born with a silver spoon but rather through sheer hard work of their ancestors did they reach where they are. Hopefully the message synced in, minus the preaching on our part. A point to note too is that other people too (not RRB alone) strive to come up in life.
Two interesting stops in Ipoh were my wife's childhood neighbourhood and a famous Nasi Kandar restaurant whose co-owner (deceased) was my wife's family friend.

Fit old timer guarding nest

When I was small and 

Christmas trees were tall,

this drain looked a river!

The refurbished property where it began:

1lot with a house divided by 3 families,

to harbour wife and children while men

ventured far to bring home the bacon. 

Families weathered storm and went on by
with a little help from friends and neighbours.

Chicks back to roost, only that

now, it is a farm in a concrete jungle!

Happy to know your acquaintances!

The new village-like neighbourhood in Gunung Rapat had expanded in tandem with progress with the the rest of the state with tall buildings, highways, cars, KFC, McDonalds and Pizza hut to match. The atmosphere now seem so bright with loss of greenery and shady trees. Some landmarks have stood the test of time like the market and some of fellow dwellers who have somehow frozen in time living in their old pace 40 years previously. These people are usually senior citizen whose children have fled their nests for greener pastures and meatier worms out of town and out of country. They look forward for school holidays and celebrations for family reunions.
A fraction of the younger generation members felt satisfied in their cocoon and never progressed but went in reverse mode. Some houses have been refurbished and restructured whilst some lost their previous grandiose lustre of yesteryear and had fell prey to the elements of nature.
The next pit-stop was at what we affectionately referred to as Kamal's Nasi Kandar shop. For the global audience, nasi kandar is one of Malaysians indulgence in their favourite pastime and exercise (i.e.eating). In the pre-Merdeka days, mobile Indian Moslem vendors selling food (like meals on wheels) used to straddle around balancing a pole on their shoulder a load of pot of steaming hot rice, meat and gravies. Over time, this distinct taste of gravy with kaskas (a spice, distant cousin of poppy) was acquired by most Malaysians. Its taste too had evolved over the years to satisfy various taste buds!

1-Malaysia Shop

Just like that, many years ago, Kamal's grandfather landed in this land of plenty (Malaya) to change his fate. [From India]. His rice was enjoyed by his regular clientele, including the occupant of a suspicious looking  huge automobile with tinted windscreen whose driver would patronize his humble business and pack meals three times a week. All went on well till the peddler had to close shop after a brush with the immigration authorities or something like that.

Should I stay or should I go now?

If I stay, there would be trouble

with your mother (for bringing food late)

and there would be double if I go

(and the food is up to her mark).

LOOK at the queue,

the food here MUST be good! 

The driver managed to track down our vendor to hear about his sob story. A few days later, Kamal's grandfather was pleasantly surprised to be bestowed a yellow engraved letter from the state monarch certifying him to a legitimate son of the State of Perak! You see, the occupant of the suspicious car was the Sultan himself! (After all he have met to the oral gratifications of a many hungary Perakian and had fed the King). With that authorization, our hero brought in, one after another, his relatives to help and expand his business. 'The shop' is actually a part of a Chinaman's coffee shop. Talk about racial unity - Indian man selling rice, Chinaman makes money from the drinks and the patrons are of all races, predominantly Malays!
Upon entrance to the premises, one can forgiven for thinking that the food is given free. The queue is so long as if that is the last meal anyone is having before Judgement day.
Of course, the food now is not up to our mark. Perhaps, we are comparing apples and oranges. At an era when we were perennially deprived, everything tasted good. After venturing of our comfort zones and being exposed to aplenty, having seen near and far, we have set our marks way too high. Or is it that the depleted nutrients in our soil, the environmental rape, the plastics, hydrocarbons, the ever emerging new molecules in our atmosphere or the radio-frequency waves having its effect on our palate, plate, taste buds and delicious index or simply lack of capable cooks? Or is it because they have banned kaskas for its phytogenetic relationship to the poppy plant and its hallucogenic addictive properties?

Stories from those days can never end....Gen-Y and dogs won't understand!