Author: Foong Pek Yee

Ride the wave to a new high

 

Of  beauty and simplicity.

Story and photos by Foong Pek Yee

foongpekyee@gmail.com.

I saw a dragonfly.

Beneath the shimmering sunlight, the pretty little thing seemed enjoying itself – gliding gracefully along a shrub lining a busy walkway,  oblivious to the surroundings.

But it does speak volumes of the  serenity found in a city -something quite rare these days.
This was a scene at The Haven Resort Hotel in Ipoh, Perak,  on a recent Saturday morning.

A performance to remember… Video courtesy of The Haven.

Guests were having a good time; some at the pool while others enjoying breakfast at the poolside bar and restaurant.
Best of both worlds…a blend of modernity and nature’s many wonders.
Truly fascinating…a  280 million years old limestone hill named Rockhaven is The Haven’s icon.
Located about 15-minutes-drive from the Ipoh city centre, the multiple local and international award winning resort hotel is an ideal live, work and play community.
The nearest North South Highway toll plaza is about 5 minutes- drive from The Haven
It is about a 2.5 hours-drive from Kuala Lumpur to the resort hotel using the highway.
The Haven is a 20-minutes drive to  Ipoh’s  Sultan Azlan Shah Airport and  a 20-minutes drive to Ipoh Railway Station.
There is a direct flight between Ipoh and Singapore, a one hour 10 minutes nonstop flight.
Ipoh today is known for its good food and historical attractions.
A  rich tin mining town since the 19th century, it  lost its fortune overnight following the international tin market collapse in the 1980s.
And a trip to the Ipoh old town (it is part of the Ipoh city centre) will provide a glimpse of the good old days in the town  literally built on tin.
The buildings  are a reflection of the past colonial era and a once prosperous tin mining town.
Beyond the buildings’ rich architectural facade, lies many interesting if not untold stories worth exploring.
Not all is lost though.
Having endured decades of slow development following the world tin crash, Ipoh is poised to ride on the tourism wave.
And  its past glory is also a  selling point.

十月中的一个约会

冯碧仪 Foong Pek Yee
foongpekyee@gmail.com

译者：黎镇荣 Lai Jen Weng

音乐在每个文化中都占据着核心地位和超越时间。

它对生活的重要方面产生了深远的影响，从品格塑造到健康和幸福，而科学继续发现音乐的许多奇迹。

而钢琴音乐家彭黎杰的音乐之旅便是明证。

彭黎杰（Lee Jae Phang）

在11岁时获得了第一个钢琴文凭，他在年轻时学到了毅力和承诺的重要性。

不久之后，他前往英国继续深造。

在彭黎杰出的导师的指导下，他获得了宝贵的指导、经验和许多使他脱颖而出的机会。

在其他事情中，他参加了由著名钢琴家如史蒂芬·贺夫爵士 (Stephen Hough) 、茱莉亚学院教师和像菲利普·卡萨德 (Philippe Cassard) 和米歇尔·贝罗夫 (Michel Beroff) 这样受人尊敬的人士主持的大师课程。

他在2016年赢得了奥地利奥尔塔乌斯的贝多芬钢琴音乐节上的观众奖和第一贝多芬演奏奖，这是他的一个重要的里程碑。

他拥有英国曼彻斯特皇家北方音乐学院（Royal Northern College of Music）颁发的音乐表演硕士学位（MMus），并且是英国皇家音乐学院（Royal School of Music）的会员，成绩卓越。

这位出色的马来西亚钢琴家在国内外的记录都令人印象深刻。

他的影响力延伸到教学，为高级钢琴学生进行讲座和大师班。

他在马来西亚雅马哈音乐公司举行的独奏音乐会中以其令人印象深刻的贝多芬钢琴奏鸣曲循环而闻名。

他曾是马来西亚肖邦协会国际音乐比赛的评委。

今年早些时候，这位杰出的演奏家、教师、伴奏者和室内乐家在由德国柬埔寨文化协会组织的金边音乐会巡回演出中亮相。

巡演的亮点是由德国大使主持的彭黎杰的钢琴独奏音乐会。

他对贝多芬音乐的热爱体现在他在YouTube频道上提供的作曲家钢琴奏鸣曲的全面录音中。

他将于2023年10月29日在吉隆坡举行一场讲座音乐会。

要预订，请致电/WhatsApp：

017-2150900（Roy）

012-2405016（Joy）

03-21413794（办公室）

英语版：https://thevillagemyhome.com/a-date-in-october/

A date in October

By Foong Pek Yee
foongpekyee@gmail.com.

Oct 12, 2023

MUSIC is central in every culture and transcends time.

It has profound influence on major aspects of  life; from character building to health and well being  while science continues to discover the many wonders of music.

And the musical journey of concert pianist Lee Jae Phang is testimony.

Lee Jae Phang

Getting his first diploma in piano at the age of 11,  he learned the importance of perseverance  and commitment at a young age.

Not long after, he went to the United Kingdom(UK)  to continue his education.

Under prominent mentors, Lee Jae has gained invaluable guidance, experiences and the many opportunities for him to excel.

Among others, he participated in master classes conducted by renowned pianists like Sir Stephen Hough CBE, members of the Julliard School Faculty and esteemed figures like Philippe Cassard and Michel Beroff.

Winning the Audience Prize and the 1st Beethoven Performance Award in the Beethoven Piano Festival in Altaussee, Austria in 2016 marked a major milestone for him.

Lee Jae has Masters of Music in Performance (MMus) with Distinction from the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, UK and a Fellow of the  Royal School of Music (FRSM) with Distinction.

The accomplished Malaysian pianist’s  track record at home and abroad speaks volumes.

His influence extends to teaching, conducting lectures and master classes for advanced piano students.

Lee Jae who has ongoing recitals in Yamaha Music Malaysia is known for his impressive Beethoven Piano Sonatas Cycle.

He was a judge for the prestigious Chopin Society of Malaysia’s International Music Competition.

Earlier this year, the distinguished performer , teacher, accompanist and chamber musician was on a concert tour in Phnom Penh, Cambodia organised by the German-Cambodian Cultural Society.

The highlight of the tour was Lee Jae’s piano recital hosted by the German Ambassador .

His passion for Beethoven music is reflected in his comprehensive recording of the composer’s piano sonatas available on his YouTube channel.

He will be conducting a lecture recital in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 29, 2023.

For bookings, please call/whatsapp

017-2150900 (Roy)

012-2405016 (Joy)

03- 21413794 (office)

Mandarin version: https://thevillagemyhome.com/%e5%8d%81%e6%9c%88%e4%b8%ad%e7%9a%84%e4%b8%80%e4%b8%aa%e7%ba%a6%e4%bc%9a/ 

 

 

 

A gift from Tai Kung

 

Continuing a fine tradition.

Story and photos by Foong Pek Yee.

July 9, 2023.
HE is on his feet all day long – courteous and serving Chinese traditional desserts to customers with a smile.
At 25, Weng Wah believes in the business potential of the desserts.
Upbeat: Weng Wah (left) is proud of his family’s tradition.
He is the fourth generation in his family history selling the desserts;  from sweet soups, herbal tea to kuih or kok kwai in the predominantly Cantonese speaking community in Ipoh.
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Auspicious: Hoong Ku -red glutinous rice dumpling in Cantonese is a very popular  and sometimes a  must have dessert during Chinese festivals.
All time favourite:  Yam cake is among the popular desserts in Trishaw Dessert Stall.
Weng Wah  says his maternal great grandfather ( tai kung ) and maternal grandfather (kung kung) sold desserts for a living.
It is desserts on wheels, he says of his ancestors who peddled food on a bicycle in the old days.
This perhaps had inspired Weng Wah’s parents to name their eatery – Trishaw Dessert Stall- which they opened in 2008.
Trishaw is a three-wheeled vehicle used to carry passengers in the old days.
Pedal power: Tricycle is a three-wheeled vehicle used to transport goods in the old days. This  is a deco in Trishaw Dessert Stall.
The eatery, along Jalan Merlin off Jalan Pasir Puteh, Ipoh, has a relaxed ambience and is visibly popular among the young and old alike.
The weather may be hot and humid last Saturday afternoon (July 8, 2023)  but it is no deterrent for customers to enjoy their desserts with just ceiling fans over their heads.
Perhaps this also reminds them of the good old days where fans was a luxury item then.
Like his ancestors, Weng Wah says hard work and long hours remain an integral part of the business.
The eatery opens between 10.30am and 5.00pm daily from Monday to Saturday.
A typical working day sees his mother, Ah B, slogging away in the kitchen by 7.30am and he joins her an hour later.
Each of them easily chalked up at least 10 hours of work daily.

 

The secret behind good food

Red and auspicious:  Of Chinese red wine, Foochow delicacies and fine tradition.
Feb 2, 2023
By Foong Pek Yee
It is a sunny morning and people are queueing at the entrance of a corner shop in Sitiawan, Perak.
This is nothing out of the ordinary though.
The people – locals and tourists- are waiting to buy gong pian (a traditional Foochow biscuit).
All time favourite: Gong pian became an iconic item for tourism in Sitiawan today . The Foochows brought them along when they first arrived in Sitiawan in 1903.
And after tasting the hot, crispy and savoury gong pian, I know why people are queueing for it rain or shine.
“It tastes best when eaten hot,” says Ling Leong Choong, a Foochow from Sitiawan, during my visit to Sitiawan recently.
Foochows take pride in their culture and traditional delicacies, and often go the extra mile to introduce them to their friends and guests.
Topping the list is gong pian and ang jiu mee (Chinese red wine rice noodles).
Delicious : Chinese red wine soup can go with rice noodles or rice.
And the delicacies certainly made good conversation starters and introduction to Foochow culture.
It is about perseverance and pride in their work, including slogging away in the wee hours of the morning to deliver fresh and good quality food by sunrise.
In Sitiawan- a Foochow stronghold-  gong pian shops and eateries specialising in Foochow food especially Chinese red wine noodles are tourist attractions.
Over in Kampung Sitiawan, a little cafe – Seng Jee Chan –  has already made inroads into Kuala Lumpur with its Chinese red wine which are used in many Foochow dishes
The owner, Ling Cheng Chooi, 57,  says the cafe which specialises in Foochow dishes opens on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
The other days in the week are spent preparing the Chinese red wine  which they also supply to shops in Kuala Lumpur.
He says Chinese red wine has been his family business since his grandfather’s generation in the 1940s.
Proud of his roots:  Ling Cheng Chooi  with photos of his four generations on display in Seng Jee Chan Cafe in Kampung Sitiawan in Sitiawan, Perak.
His  grandfather had migrated from China to Sitiawan in then Malaya.
While the first and second generation sold jiu bing (fermented yeast rice, an ingredient for Chinese red wine) for a living, Cheng Chooi and his  wife Teng Siew Leng, 51, went on to open a cafe.
Their three children who are  in their twenties are in the family business.
This year is set to be another milestone for them when their franchise business kicks off in major cities.
He says they started preparing for the expansion six years ago,  in tandem with rising interest and demand for Foochow food outside predominantly Foochow areas.
He says they have been researching and experimenting on Foochow specialties to make it palatable to the masses while retaining its good taste.

 

The joy of a big family and old-world charm

Happy together:  Lam Foong with her Lai family in their Tronoh hometown in Perak for reunion on Chinese New Year.
Photos by Lai Jen Weng
By Foong Pek Yee
Jan 29, 2023.
At 89, Lam Foong is a picture of  joy and hope.
She keeps herself healthy and happy  by being active and productive daily.
A typical day for her is tending to her garden where she grows a variety of vegetables like potato leaves, long beans, egg plant, spring onion and hairy gourd.
Labour of love:  Lam Foong in her vegetable garden.
And what makes her most happy is she will have  home grow vegetables for her  children and grandchildren when they visit her.
A mother of seven , Lam who is a good cook,  has  plans all year round to cook for her family during festive or holiday season – Chinese New Year, Ching Ming, Mid Autumn Festival , school holidays and public holidays – when her children and grandchildren from Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh will go to their Tronoh hometown to spend time together.
During this Chinese New Year (CNY) their ancestral home saw more than  40 family members of three generations gathered over three days, from new year eve, for the celebration.
Auspicious: Lam Foong’s Chinese New Year specialties for reunion dinner.
The Cantonese pronunciation for  prawns ( ha ) and fish (Yu)  which rhymes with laughter and abundance respectively  are must -have for  festive celebration.
While Lam is a good cook, her children help her in the kitchen and run errands  – a family still steeped in the fine Chinese tradition.
For Lam, preparations for the celebration starts months ahead, from planning the menu, booking the ingredients and planting vegetables.
She also makes sure her children have her home cooked specialties like pork belly and yam and home grow vegetables to bring along when they return to their respective home after the celebration.

Green and fresh : Potato leaves is among Lam Foong’s favourite vegetables.

Beautiful day:  A bird perched on a branch of a rambutan tree in Lam Foong’s garden.

Lam Foong loves to stay in Tronoh while enjoying occasional visits to her children in Kuala Lumpur.

And equally important is she continues to lead and enjoy a healthy and happy lifestyle and the old-world charm.

Staying competitive and popular at all times

Value for money :  Makes Chinese New Year celebrations more joyous.
Jan 19, 2023
By Foong Pek Yee
One big bottle of nga ku chips is priced at RM35, and a small bottle at RM15.
The big bottle has at least three times the amount of that of the  small bottle.
Roadside stall trader Loh See Hoi’s  sales pitch certainly resonates with discerning shoppers these days.
Festive snacks:  Varieties and  value for money.
At 75, Loh is brimming with enthusiasm as he goes about serving customers at his roadside stall in Tanjung Tualang New Village, Perak recently.
Hardworking :  Loh showing a laminated photo of him cooking  his famous sambal sauce at home in Gopeng Perak.
His core  business is homemade sauce and he has been in this business for over three decades.
He sells some snacks during festive seasons.
Loh says his  stall opens  on Saturday and Sunday – almost a 12 hour stretch starting about 9 am.
He says he  chose to set up stall in Tanjung Tualang New Village some 30 years ago as  the village -a haven for seafood dishes-  draws many tourists over weekends and public holidays.
 Tanjung Tualang is also known as Tiger Prawn Town.
On weekdays, Loh and his wife, in her 60s, are at home  in Gopeng, Perak preparing  their sauces.
“I have recipes for over 20 types of sauce,” he says, adding that he likes to experiment and come up with his own recipes.
A bottle of his popular sambal sauce is priced at RM10 .
While cost of doing business keeps going up, Loh says  quality goods and competitive pricing  help  keep business afloat .

No ordinary community

The destination: This is the place in Sitiawan in Sept 1903  where 363 Foochows from China  landed after surviving the perils of sea and a cholera outbreak.
Jan 15, 2023
By Foong Pek Yee
THE year was 1903 in Malaya, against a backdrop of erratic weather conditions and plunging rice yields.
And a rice growing community in Foochow, China, became the colonial government’s target- recruit them for a rice growing project in Sitiawan, Perak.
The Methodist Episcopal Mission (MEM) was tasked to bring in the Foochows, and Rev Ling Ching Mi and Rev HLE Dr Luering went to China for the mission.
And  in Sept 1903,  363  Foochows landed in Sitiawan – the pioneer batch of Foochow settlers.
But the rice growing project never took off.
The land and facilities like irrigation and drainage for the project as  promised to them were not there.
They were instead made to trek about six kilometers  into the jungle where they stayed in seven longhouses for the next six months.
While  Rev  Dr Luering was stationed in Ipoh about 80 km away from Sitiawan, Rev Ling Ching Mi also  got a transfer back to China in Dec 1903.
Ling Ching Mi got his nephew Ling Ti Kong to take care of the settlers.
And Ling Ti  Kong also roped in Ding Chin Seng (husband of his father’s sister) to help him.
Ling Ching Mi, Ling Ti Kong and Ding Chin Seng were Foochows.
By Jan 1904, the Foochows  had set up  a day school under an attap shed with 22 pupils and a Foochow speaking teacher Ling Ding Jug for an eight hour class daily including an hour long break.
This is true to the Chinese  who subscribe to: ” Education for and the wellbeing of the children must never be compromised due to poverty.
 The shed also doubled as a church on Sundays.
By  early 1904  each family was given a three-acre- plot for them to build their own house and reared pigs, poultry and plant vegetables and fruits for a living.
The Foochows also went into rubber planting not long after.
Forever grateful:  Ling Leong Choong, 62, says this was one of the three wells that fed  the villagers for decades until piped water came to Sitiawan in the 1970s. The wells are in the compound of the house for Pioneer Methodist Church pastors  or “Muk Su Lao” in Chinese. 
Showcase: Set up in 2003, Sitiawan Settlement Museum was  formerly the ” Muk  Su Lao”along  Jalan Lin Chen Mei  in Sitiawan. It provides a glimpse of life in Sitiawan in the good old days and the missionary work in then Malaya. 
One-stop-centre:  The” Muk Su Lao” was the place for the Chinese to go for help in the old days.
Great job:  Shih Toong Siong who wrote the book “The Foochows of Sitiawan ” is a Foochow born and educated 
in Sitiawan.
 Hall of Fame: Some of the prominent figures in Malaysia and Singapore who are descendants of the Foochows in Sitiawan  and documented in the  book – The Foochows of Sitiawan.
While the Sitiawan Settlement Museum  gives a glimpse of history,  the book ” The Foochows of Sitiawan” by Shih Toong Siong is most enlightening.
 Rev  B.F. Van Dyke who became the first resident missionary in Sitiawan together with Ling Ti Kong and Ding Chin Seng  were credited for building a church costing $900( to replace the attap shed) and an orphanage in Sitiawan in 1905
Rev Van Dyke – an American of Dutch origin- was a missionary school teacher from the Anglo Chinese School, Singapore in 1900 before his posting to Sitiawan in March 1904.
Unfortunately Rev Ding Chin Seng passed away in 1906. He was 41.
Ours is 289:  Ling Leong Choong who was born and bred in Sitiawan  says the rubber tappers had labels engraved on to the latex sheets to prove ownership. And 289 was the label for his family, pointing to the samples on the wall.  
Way of life:   Bicycle was the most common and only mode of transport for the poor  in the old days.  The equipment used by rubber tappers are among items displayed at the Sitiawan Settlement Museum.
Simple lifestyle:  A typical kitchen of the Foochows in the old days.
With their farming background, the settlers were also among the first to go into rubber planting in 1905.
And that perhaps is also one of the reasons for many Foochow oil palm smallholders in Sitiawan today.
This pioneer  batch of Foochows may be  small in numbers but they definitely had earned an important place in history.

A beautiful Spring on the way

Hope: Forward-looking is a strong characteristic of the Chinese.

Dec 22, 2022
By Foong Pek Yee
A person is a year older after eating the first bowl of “tang yuan”  (glutinous rice ball in sweet syrup in Chinese ) on Winter Solstice Festival (Dongzhi).
“Tang Yuan” which rhymes with reunion also makes the delicacy a must have for the festival.
Most of all, the delicacy is  affordable and palatable to the young and old alike as family members gather to celebrate.
Today (December 22, 2022) is the Winter Solstice Festival.
Auspicious:  CNY deco that focus on all things good.
With Chinese New Year  (CNY), also known as Spring Festival,  exactly a month away (on Jan 22, 2023), many traders are hopeful that Dongzhi shoppers are also in the mood for CNY shopping.
My turn: It is Year of the Rabbit starting Jan 22, 2023
Vibrant : Red for good luck and traders are hoping business will pick up as CNY draws near.
Upbeat: A trader livens up the festive mood with CNY songs.
At a wet market in Ipoh, traders are selling CNY deco and delicacies side by side with ready -to-eat  colourful “tang yuan”
One  CNY deco trader says business has yet to pick up, and that she has started selling the items two weeks ago.
She says people may be more cautious with their spending nowadays.
Nevertheless, she is upbeat that business will pick up as the celebration draws near.
Hope: Never too old to persevere.
She says many young people returning to their hometown to celebrate will do last minute shopping for their  family  elderly.
This coming year is Year of the Rabbit – a symbol of peace, energy and joy.
With the lovely  bunny hopping happily, the people are hoping for a good year for all.
Lively:  Plants and flowers are evergreen deco especially during CNY.