Balancing act

Scenes like this was common

around Block G. The blended

spice makers would be

balancing their merchandise

(masala) on their head,

not potatoes as shown here.

There was a time in RRF, when G Block was vacant for a long time. Later as the Kedah Road underwent some development programme, the bulk of its dweller were mass evacuated and placed in the lower couple of floors there. These people were initially were quite reluctant to vacate their Kedah Road ancestral homes but relented after much prodding. They were quite contended with their lifestyle and livelihood of selling grounded spices in the market nearby. Their ancestors, Mussalman from Thenkasi area of Southern India introduced the trade of aromatic freshly grounded blended spice for instant stomach tickling South Indian cooking. Their main reluctance of relocating being inability to continue using the mammoth wooden grinder with massive hand held wooden poles! They did not want the whole flat to rattle. Seriously, I think they thought the structure of the flat built with German technology and pre-fabricated concrete would not be able to stay the constant pounding. They finally agreed when an area between Blocks G and H was sanctioned for their pounding activities and their merchandise were marketed in the morning market nearby.

Traditional grinder

The trade was left to the female folks whilst the guys usually indulge in jobs which took them away from their homes for months (from my astute observation, if it is indeed accurate). The women folks were usually imported as brides from India and were generally not conversant in the local languages. For convenience and security, they would move in droves with innumerable children in the eye catching multi-coloured attire. To keep tab on their crowd so as not to leave out anyone behind, they would usually make a big ruckus calling out each others' names to ensure attendance! Their antic would be a spectacle and sometimes embarrassing to fellow Indians as they would converse in Tamil, especially on a crowded bus. When I was young, I thought the balancing act of putting things on the head would pass in the future as Malaysia becomes 'advanced' as, to me, this practice was confined to under-developed countries of the Black Continent and some hill kingdom somewhere far away (and perhaps Chinese Acrobats and Circus performers).

Balancing at the fringe of civilization

As I listened over and over of the media propaganda of Malaysia progressing by leaps and bounds over the various 5-year programmes and industrial efforts, my assumption was reinforced.
Hold behold, 40 years later, what do I see? People in the fringes of the capital city still loitering around aimlessly with no documents to show their existence selling Java batik balancing their commodity on their heads and flashing their betel nut stained horrible teeth!