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Isnin, 5 November 2012

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Pasir Puteh Wet Market @ Jalan Pasir Puteh, Ipoh | Motormouth ...

Posted: 02 Nov 2012 07:19 AM PDT

Have you ever wondered who Motormouth really is? Or where I came from? (From the womb la … duh. But I mean as in which part of Ipoh?) It has always tickled my fancy; revealing my identity to old school mates, friends, colleagues or even relatives whom have chanced upon this blog, or led to here (more like misled) by fellow hungry peers.

"You like to eat so much meh? Never seen you eat also …"

"Wait. You write on Motormouth From Ipoh? But I thought you had a day job!! My sympathies …"

"Don't bluff la …. you don't seem to be the kind who can even string a proper sentence together! Talk nonsense oklah …"

On that note, I'll leave you with my monochrome epilogue of Pasir Puteh market in Ipoh. The place where I was born and raised until I was 12 years old. Childhood memories are deemed the most precious; naive thoughts and joyful sentiments cherished until the day one takes his last breath.

I used to stay in a corner house on Jalan Prince in Melok Park, Ipoh. This road connects the main road of Jalan Pasir Puteh to Jalan Queen; cutting across Jalan Pasir Pinji in the process. Our home was within walking distance to my school; SRK Raja Di Hilir Ekram and subsequently SMK Jalan Pasir Putih. Yes, I went through my primary and secondary days in Malay schools.

I remember so well, how we would casually stroll over to good eats around the area. The Ais Sagu (Sek Lau Zhi) stall at the junction of Jalan Prince-Jalan Pasir Pinji. The BEST Chee Cheong Fun you can ever find in Ipoh at a house on Jalan Pasir Pinji 5. The alternative to Big Tree Foot's fried 'yeong liew' at the coffee shop named Sin Seng Kee. And let's not forget the delicious Poh Lee fried chicken that could rival KFC's!

We had a mango tree outside of our compound. And I miss the days when the dogs that grew up with me would be freely roaming the streets and returned without fail. In the evenings, an Indian man riding a bike (the "Ting Ting" man) would send shivers of joy down our spines; as his presence meant FOOD! Well, snacks and breads were more like it …..

Just across our house, was this hub for women gossips – a house selling various praying materials. We were close neighbours. Grandma used to saunter over almost every evening to pass time. After all, the unfiltered news toppled the dailies hands down!

Rarely did we hear about snatch thefts. Or the need to equip our homes with modern house alarm systems. No school children got kidnapped or worse, sexually assaulted. There was a field behind our house where the older students would gather in the evenings and played football. There was once when the ball broke our window slightly, and a piece of glass chipped my foot.

We did not send lawyers in a jiffy to sue their pants off.

The Pasir Puteh morning market was the place to go for the freshest supplies; everything from poultry to pork and fish, vegetables and fruits to newspapers and breakfast. The Malay lady selling 'nasi lemak bungkus' is still there, while the beverage stall makes a pretty good cup of "kopi-o". The traders at the market appeared to have aged slightly, yet in a most graceful manner. The camaraderie shared was beyond a cold, lifeless city's.

We felt like not a beat was missed. The butcher offered to buy us a drink, even though he had no recollection of who we were. The lady selling the Apom pancakes recognized my Mum, yet apologized frantically because she was already cleaning up. It was almost 11am.

The couple selling chickens engaged in such a charming banter; we were smiling all the way. The husband was a teaser; making fun of everything under the sun. Mum swears by the fresh fruits sold by the lady by the front entrance. Cheaper than what they sell at hypermarkets too.

There's really no place like home.

*The Pasir Puteh Wet Market is located at the junction of Jalan Pasir Puteh and Jalan King in Pasir Puteh, Ipoh, Perak.
GPS Coordinates : 4.581847,101.082576
Google Map of this market's location.