Author: Foong Pek Yee

Surging inflation and changing lifestyle

Adapting to the new economic landscape to stay ahead.

By Foong Pek Yee

At 29,  and staying alone in a studio in Seoul,  Park  Na-Ra is into cooking her dinner these days.
The interior designer says the availability of smaller food packages  and lower pricing has made it convenient to cook simple dishes and, cost saving as well.
Park says she will plan her meals and buy the ingredients to avoid food wastage.
Like many young and working South Koreans, Park says she and her colleagues and friends have no choice but to  cut down on eating out because it can be expensive nowadays.
Eating out is a form of socialization and entertainment that is popular among South Koreans.
A simple meal:  But the  high cost of eating out saw many South Koreans opting for cheaper options like packed meals from convenience stores.
Amid surging inflation, retailers are also actively exploring ways to keep their businesses going.
And smaller packaging of food to keep prices low has turned out to be a viable option as people are increasingly more careful with their spending.
In June, the Korean Herald reported  that smaller packaging of meat, vegetables and fruits are well received by  South Koreans.
It reported that sales of vegetables went up by 25.1% and 17.3% in single person households and family households respectively in May.
It has been a norm for single people to eat out often before this.
According to Statistics Korea, there are  6.64 million single person households, comprising 31.7% of the total households  in South Korea in 2020.
Rising cost of living also saw many office workers going for packed meals in  convenience stores which is cheaper than eating in restaurants.
Hansot Dosirak  (a South Korean boxed lunch takeout chain ) reported its sales has gone up by 23% during lunch hours near Seoul’s office clusters in June against the same month last year.
The takeout chain also reported a 15% increase in sales across its locations nationwide, according to theinvestor in a report on  July 27.
The menu starts at 3,200 won (RM11).

South Koreans take lunch box to beat soaring inflation

Big demand for lunch box or packed meals during hard times.
By Foong Pek Yee
They call it lunchflation  in South Korea  – meaning
expensive lunch amid soaring inflation.
Office workers in particular head to convenience stores instead of restaurants for lunch these days.
 Convenience stores offer many types of ready-to-eat meals to meet customers’ preference, and budget.
The stores provide microwave ovens for them to heat up their packed meals on the spot.
Earlier this week, Arirang News reported a steep climb on monthly sales of lunch box in convenience stores in South Korea since January.
A simple meal:  But dine- in can be expensive for many South Koreans of late.
According to Arirang News, popular meals like kimbap (rice rolls) and jjajangmyeon (noodles in thick sauce) in restaurants saw a 9.1% price increase each in the first half of this year, on a year on year basis.
A roll of kimbap used to cost about 2,500 won (RM8.50) before and, customers usually order two rolls at least.
Said to be the cheapest item in restaurants , kimbap often comes with a bowl of soup and one or two types of banchan (side dish)  for each customer.
While almost all Korean restaurants provide plain water, some even include coffee free of charge and, the complimentary items are free flow.
A common one pot meal like kimchi chigae (kimchee stew) for one person and comes with about three types of banchan (side dish) used to cost about 8,000 won or RM27.
I was told  that the price has gone up to about 10,000 won (RM34) recently,
No longer affordable:  Many eat kimbap as a snack when spending is not a concern.
Airang News also highlighted that online sales for quick and easy food items went up by 50% to 70% in the second quarter compared to the first quarter this year alone.
And the current situation is not expected to change any time soon.

The power of old world charm

Bagan Ayer Masin Chinese fishing village in Pontian,  Johor, is almost 170 years old.

By Foong Pek Yee

foongpekyee@gmail.com

It is all calm and quiet on a late Sunday morning in the little  village.
The rain has stopped and the sun is out.
Fishermen are out at sea while tourists taking in the sights  – enjoying boat rides and visiting floating fish farms and a mangrove island nearby.
A passing buggy  along the alley in the village breaks the silence occasionally.
Besides sight seeing, tourists are also drawn to the homestay operators’ authentic seafood cooking,  overall friendly and unpretentious community  and relaxing environment.
Serenity: Bagan Ayer Masin is known for its beautiful sunset .
Recipe for success: Tourism and fishing in the new era.
Traditional landmark:  The main entrance to Bagan Ayer Masin.
New look :  A typical house on stilts in the village these days.
A thing of the past: The few remaining wooden plank walkways in the village.
In the middle of the sea:  A floating fish farm and its guard dog.
Evolving with time :  Bagan Ayer Masin opened up from the 1980s
The village started to draw tourists when it got electricity supply  in the 1980s.
The opening of the country’s North South Highway in the 1990s and the advent of social media changed the economic landscape of the tiny fishing village which is about 90 minutes drive from Singapore.
And the good connectivity also makes it ideal for day trips .
Holiday mood : Board ride is a popular itinerary.
Many of the villagers took the plunge into  homestay business – rebuilt their wooden houses into modern units  and  selling holiday packages since two decades ago.
At 63, Ming Zhu who ventured into the homestay business 20 years ago describes it as hard work and rewarding in many ways.
She is known for her authentic home cook food, prawn crackers, salted fish and  belachan (shrimp paste)
Warm and friendly :  Ming Zhu, her husband  (on her right) and Jen catch up at the couple’s home in Bagan Ayer Masin.  With them are their two grandchildren.
Visibly happy to meet Jen, 28, who got to know the couple  when he and a group of friends from Singapore holidayed in the village five years ago, Ming Zhu is now a grandmother of 10.
She says she stopped her homestay business 10 years ago and, the rooms are now occupied by her growing family.
Her husband in his early 60s, is the family’s third generation of fisherman in the village.
The couple have five children, including two sons who are also fisherman.
The little village has come a long way, but it is its old world charm that is  captivating.

Healing begins with a smile

CONNECTING with compassion and care enhances the healing process in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
By Foong Pek Yee
It is a Saturday afternoon at the  Goh Tiam Huat Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Centre .
While patients may be seated quietly  in the queue, the atmosphere is far from boring though.
TCM physician Goh Tiam Huat in between attending to his patients makes it a point to connect with those waiting for their turn.
Easy-going, his good sense of humor and infectious laugh is simply therapeutic.
And his happy demeanour lights up the atmosphere in the centre in Pekan Nanas in Pontian, Johor .
Goh is also a familiar figure in Pekan Nanas where he is active in community work.
While there are countless research and evidence on “laughter is the best medicine”, it is heartening to see Goh putting it into practice, elevating the mood of people around him.
The benefits from laughing and smiling include lowering the level of stress hormones, releasing  mood lifting hormones and boost a person’s immune system.
Goh, 38, who has  a  Masters in TCM from China’s Guangxi University points out that a  person’s emotions  determines  his or her state of health and well being to a huge extent.
And that health problems do not occur in isolation.
Citing examples, he says many cases are triggered by stress, lack of proper sleep, poor eating habits, lack of exercise, bad posture and accidents.
Goh draws my attention to the Chinese phrase with 12 words on the wall in his centre,  ” Patients enter the clinic in pain and walks out smiling ” and explains its significance in holistic treatment.
Well connected : The Goh Tiam Huat TCM  logo highlights the importance of  the spine for good health and well being.
Healing begins in the clinic and, winning the trust of his patients, giving them advice and having them to take responsibility for their own health  is part of  the healing process.
Growing up in Pekan Nanas New Village and from a humble background, Goh has come a long way.
Recognition : Goh won the Johor Youth Award ( Chinese Youth Activist )in 2018
Hall of fame:  Goh is all for  lifelong learning and community work and,  the certificates, photos and awards on display in the centre speak volumes.
He says his 82-year-old mother who has a good knowledge on Chinese herbs has a huge influence on him to take up TCM.
Goh says he started learning and practising TCM at the age of 16.
Developing his business and a firm believer in giving back to society at the same time,  Goh  sponsors activities and gives talks  in schools and active in community work in and around Pekan Nanas.
He was also the Pekan Nanas New Village chief (2015-2017).
Happy faces : Goh likes to interact with students in Pekan Nanas and does his level best to help them.
Goh and his 28-year-old wife Lim Yen Loo have two children.
Yen Loo who has a degree in International Business is also studying TCM with Goh as her mentor.
While majority of Goh’s patients are locals, he says his patient list also comprises people from Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, China, Australia and  France.

Behind the old bamboo blinds

 

Unveils what it takes to stand out in a crowd.

By Foong Pek Yee

foongpekyee@gmail.com

THE little cafe in Pekan Nanas, Johor, is a breath of fresh air.
Nestled in a residential area, Pekan Nanas Platform Coffee and Homestay is simply impressive.
It gives the feeling that much thought has been given to the setting -a seamless blend of creativity and business.
To begin with, I was drawn to its easy to navigate menu strategically and artistically displayed.
Run by a husband and wife team, Hui Peng says they set up  Platform Coffee and Homestay in 2013 and,  she is proud to note their venture turns nine this year.
A story : The deco makes good conversation starters with her guests.
Highlights: A map showing interesting places in and around Pekan Nanas.
Creative juices flowing: Guests are easily drawn to the menu.
Full view:  A corner at the porch for those who prefer outdoors.
Welcome: A pair of ceramic ducks- turned-guards at the entrance to the sitting room.
Eye catching:  For guests’ attention.
Hui Peng, 45, who runs the cafe has drawn on her six years of experience working in a hotel in Singapore.
Friendly and attentive, she says she was in the personalized service department and that her duties included meeting and greeting arriving guests at the airport.
And at this cafe, guests can choose their ceramic cup/mug which were handmade by Hui Peng and her husband.
She says the ceramic deco in the cafe are mostly made by her husband.
A collection: Hui Peng says the items on display, except those on the top shelf, were made by her and her husband. The pieces on the top shelf were made by their mentor.
We are open: The front entrance to the sitting room.
The cafe’s environmental friendly and retro theme itself is a selling point.
Hui Peng says the ambience is popular among guests.

A place to cherish, explore and reflect

An island with a story to inspire .
By Foong Pek Yee
THE cranking sound from the bumboat’s  engine triggers a feeling of anticipation inside me.
It is June 11, 2022 and we are on our way to Pulau Ubin – the treasure trove of Singapore’s rich heritage.
The 1,020 – hectare island promises a glimpse of Singapore in a bygone era, bringing to focus how the city state has evolved over time into the most competitive economy in the world.
According to Singapore’s Economic Development Board,  Singapore which  marks 57 years of independence this year ranks first in Asia for quality living and, first in Asia for expatriates to live in.
A journey :  It is just a 20-minute boat ride from Changi Point Ferry Terminal to Pulau Ubin.
Hot spot: The little commercial hub in Pulau Ubin is often the meeting point for visitors
In the mood for discovery : Pulau Ubin offers a different kind of experience for kids from urban areas.
Show time:  The stage for opera shows during festive seasons like Tua Pek Kong Festival since time immemorial
Old is gold:  The signboard showing the way to Fo Shan Ting Tua Pek Kong Temple which is perched on a hillock.  The temple was built in 1869.
Taking in the  sights:  Bicycling is popular on  the island.
That’s the way:  The road leading to Butterfly Hill.
Relaxing: And watching the world go by.
On the spot :  Information on tropical plants. This is assam or tamarind fruit which is widely used in Asian cuisine.
Of significance: Little red shrines are common in predominantly Chinese areas.
Big crowd:  Good business during weekends .
In demand: Bicycle rental is good business on the island.
It was in 1824 when the then Second Resident of Singapore, John Crawfurd landed on Pulau Ubin and declared the island a British Territory.
In 1942, the Japanese Army occupied the island which was known for granite mining in its heyday.
Other economic activities on the island in the old days included rubber planting and prawn rearing.
With education always close at heart, the Chinese residents on the island raised money to build Bin Kiang School in 1952 and, dwindling enrolment saw the school closed  in 1985.
The 1990 population census reported less than 200 residents on the island.
Today  Pulau Ubin  is a tourism destination  and  popular among natural and cultural heritage lovers in particular.
For elderly Singaporeans, it is a place to take a walk down memory lane.
An elderly man in our bumboat recalls his younger days at the Outward Bound School that was opened in 1967.
He reckons that it is good for young people to get to know more about the island.
The beautiful and well kept island is certainly more than meets the eye.
One for the album:  A  photo montage on activities on Pulau Ubin
Interesting and useful : Information and guide on Pulau Ubin  for visitors
It is a showcase on the public and private sectors’ efforts  to preserve the country’s rich heritage.

Growing economic potential outside the city

Work life balance is the starting point for a young family
By Foong Pek Yee
After five years studying in Kuala Lumpur and  in UK, he is hesitant about returning to the laid back lifestyle in his hometown.
It takes Ooi Choo Teck about three years of contemplation before he returned to  Jering New Village in Manjung, Perak for good.
That was in 2008.
Today , Choo Teck is a tiger prawn farmer and has set his sights on the China market.
Making progress:  Choo Teck’s prawn farm in Segari, Manjung.
Scalability:  The quest for food security worldwide sees growing potential for farming.
A typical day for the  41-year-old farmer sees him juggling  between his house and farms  in Segari, Manjung, about 35 minutes drive apart.
He is already  in the business for eight years .
Prior to that he was helping his father Datuk Ooi Jing Ting in the family business.
He says  a relative taught him prawn farming.
“It involves much work and attention to detail ,and the need to be hands on,” he says.
While Choo Teck has workers to handle the job, he goes to the farms daily to stay on top of things.
Unlike living in a big city like Kuala Lumpur where traffic congestion can be  time consuming and stressful, Choo Teck says work-life balance is better away from  the  hustle and bustle.
Nowadays he has time to play badminton and goes jogging with his wife Yap Oi Leng.
The couple who are both  41 are blessed with three children.
Cultivating a future:  Rising economic opportunities outside the city.
 On what it takes to stay on in a village while many young people are leaving for the cities, Choo Teck says he makes new friends,  focus on his business and bringing up his family.
With food security  a rising world concern, he says food production has good business potential.
He has plans to expand his prawn business and export to China in five years’ time.
To date, his prawns go to Pantai Remis in Perak.
“We must have a certain volume of production in order to qualify to venture into the overseas export market,” says Choo Teck who has a degree in marketing.
Prawn and fish farming is a big business in Manjung.

Turning adversity into strength

Down with polio at three and orphaned at five, Too Hing Huat sees hope in life as long as he can walk.
By Foong Pek Yee
At 82, Too Hing Huat still rides a tricycle and tends to his vegetables and fruit trees daily.
Having to support himself with a walking stick does not stop him from moving around and being  productive.
A typical day for him  revolves around his village – his vegetables and fruit trees,  his home that double up as a sundry shop and the coffeeshop to meet up with friends.
Hing Huat from Raja Hitam New Village in Manjung, Perak says he  sees hope in life as long as he can walk.
Never give up:  Hing Huat’s life motto 
Born in 1940 and growing up in a turbulent era, he learned survival at a very young age.
“I woke up one morning and cannot  walk.
‘The day before I had fever .”
Hing Huat who regained his mobility but with a limp, has likened it to a new lease of life.
Youngest among nine siblings, they lost their mother during World War Two.
In 1945, Hing Huat ‘s ailing father who wanted to seek treatment in China wanted to take him along.
Barred from boarding the ship  when they found him limping, his father went ahead, and that was the last time he saw him.
“Until today we don’t know if our father had arrived in China.”
Without formal education, Hing Huat took up odd jobs when he turned 13.
He was 16 when he landed  a job at a Foochow pau shop in Ayer Tawar town.
It was at the shop that Hing Huat  made some friends, including Tan Sri Dr Ting Chew Peh, who is three years his junior.
“He (Dr Ting) used to ride a bicycle from his village and parked it  at the back of the shop before taking a bus to his school in Sitiawan.
“We did chat a bit when he returned to get his bicycle after school,” Hing Huat  recalls  the good old days, and a friendship that has remained over the decades.
Hing Huat married Tin Chon Heong in 1968, and they returned to his village the following year to set up their Foochow pau shop and raised their five children – all sons who are aged between 52 and 41 now.
 
Old faithful: The tricycle that serves Hing Huat well over the decades
Choice location: Raja Hitam New Village is conducive for living and doing small business since the old days.
Community first : A well kept garden and playground for the villagers.
Education a priority:  The village’s Chinese primary school SJKC Pei Min Kg Raja Hitam.
Hing Huat’s wife passed away about
eight years ago, shortly after the couple retired and closed down their pau business.
Two of his sons settled down in Johor, one in Singapore and one in Pantai Remis, Perak.
Hing Huat stays with his youngest son,  Too Song Yee and his family in their shop house in the village.
Song Yee and his wife Joan Law have two children.
Orphaned at age 5, Hing Huat has come a long way.
“Three generations living under the same roof is a blessing.
” Due to my physical disability, I dare not think of marriage  initially for fear of not being able to provide for my family.
 “It is my wife who gave me the confidence that we can together raise our family.” 
Perseverance runs in the family.
Song Yee, 41, works about 15 hours a day, six days a week running his sundry shop.
A typical day for him starts at 5.00am.
He will be in Ayer Tawar town, about 10 minutes drive from his village,  to get fresh vegetables for sale in his shop.
His shop opens by sunrise and closed at 8.00pm daily.
Returning to his village from Singapore for good 12 years ago, Song Yee never looked back.

The village in a garden

Living life on their own terms 

By Foong Pek Yee

The tree-lined road and lush greenery from the entrance to  Merbau New Village is a sight to  behold.

Located along Jalan Pantai Remis in Manjung, Perak, its 700 meter long “Great Wall ”  gives it a distinctive look from afar.

It was just like any other village until the early 1990s when it took part  in a clean and beautification campaign organised by the Housing and Local Government Ministry.

The village is among  a few villages in Manjung which emerged champion.

Outstanding: The 700 meter long  wall also double up as a walking path
Made his mark: Tan Sri Dr Ting Chew Peh
Adding to the joy of the Merbau villagers is that the Minister who initiated the campaign, Tan Sri Dr Ting Chew Peh, also grew up in the village.
And the village today is testimony to the campaign’ s success.
 Finishing touch : The little pagoda and children’s playground enhanced the landscaped garden.
Simplicity: Nature’s beauty
Timeless beauty: The road leading to the houses in the village
Going all out  to spruce up their village some 30 years ago, what is most remarkable is that the villagers are able to maintain it well all these years.
Merbau New Village was once a barbed wire settlement under curfew during the Emergency (1948-1960)
Set up by the then colonial government, there are 452 such  settlements which were named new villages.
Fast track to the present,  the villagers are mostly second, third and fourth generation in the village.
Majority of some 200 attap shacks in the village in the early years have since been rebuilt into modern concrete houses.
House-proud: Villagers take good care of their houses and surroundings.
There are  six coffeeshops in the village which serve as the meeting point for villagers rain or shine.
The network : The village coffeeshop is the place to connect and recharge
Welcome: Entrance to Merbau New Village
Landmark: The village’s temple
Fitness first: Exercise equipment for the villagers.
Time to go home: Primary school pupils after school
 Top priority: The villagers have education at heart, and this Chinese primary school in the village is more than 70 years old
Safe and near: The Chinese primary school SJKC Kg Merbau Ayer Tawar is  inside Merbau New Village
Ayer Tawar town, about nine kilometers away,  is where villagers run their errands.
The village is a predominantly agricultural community.
In the very early days, each household was given a plot of land for them to build their house and plant vegetables, fruit trees and rear chickens and pigs.
Villagers sold the animals for money to pay for essentials like rice and education for their children.
In the old days, a  grand feast means having one chicken for the entire family during  Chinese New Year.
“We ate the entire chicken except the feathers,” recalls a former villager who is eldest among 10 siblings.
Life was hard but improved substantially  when the colonial government gave them land to plant rubber.
Many including Dr Ting grew up tapping rubber in the early hours of the morning before going to school.
There was no electricity supply in the old days.
The rubber tapper carbide lamp also double up as study lamp at night.
It was some 20 years ago when many of the rubber smallholdings were turned into oil palm smallholdings,  in favor for the less labour intensive  and more lucrative commodity .
From the 1970s , some villagers started venturing  out of the village in search for economic opportunities in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
A villager who introduced himself as  Soh Kow  says he went to work in Kuala Lumpur in the late 1970s, taking up different types of jobs, from construction worker to plain clothes security guard.
In his 60s now, he had returned to the village for good – bought some land and doing oil palm cultivation nearby.
He  says his children who have better formal education have more options in life.
“Unlike myself  in my era then, the  younger generation are in a position to chart their own future and they have my blessings,” says Soh.
For some, the village remains their only shelter during tough times.
A villager in his 40s, says he returned to the village shortly after the start of the Covid 19 pandemic.
“I was staying in Johor Baru and working in Singapore before the pandemic.
” I cannot afford staying in Johor Baru  when I don’t have a job.”
 And if there is anything that has remained unchanged over time, it is  their roots  in the village.

Small village with a big story

Compassion : Mazu also known as Chinese Sea Goddess
By Foong Pek Yee
The tallest Mazu statue in Malaysia is in Sungai Lembing Village.
Measuring 3.65 meter× 3.65 meter and 8.07 meter in height, it is housed in the  Sungai Lembing Hainan Association’s Thean Hou Temple
” Mazu is an integral part of Hainan culture,” says the association chairman Datuk Dr Sunny Chan of the towering statue which went into the Malaysia Book of Record in 2019.
The village is about 45 minutes drive from Kuantan, Pahang.
Always together: Thean Hou Temple and Hainanese community.
Flagship: Sungai Lembing Hainan Association also housed HillVille Inn which is a guesthouse with a Hainanese restaurant on the ground floor.
The association was set up in 1910
Loyal and strong: Sungai Lembing Hainan Association chairman Datuk Dr Sunny Chan (in coat) with members at the entrance to the Thean Hou Temple.
Mazu, also known as the Chinese Sea Goddess, is believed to provide divine
intervention for seafarers especially fishermen.
The Goddess is widely worshipped by Chinese in Asia, especially those living in coastal areas.
Dr Chan harbours hope the towering Mazu statue will  attract more tourists and help revive the economy.
About 3,000 tourists thronged Sungai Lembing over  weekends prior to the covid-19 pandemic.
Another beautiful day : Watching sunrise in Sungai Lembing known for its natural beauty
Old world charm: the little commercial square next to Sungai Lembing Village
One for the album: Tourists flocked to Sungai Lembing over weekends.
Dr Chan who grew up in Sungai Lembing  says the little mining town was home to his forefathers from China who set foot in then Malaya.
The 60-year-old businessman says he witnessed the heyday of Sungai Lembing which last till the world tin market crash in the mid 1980s.
According to him, Sungai Lembing, a thriving mining town since the 18th century, had turned into a ghost town after the crash.
After almost two decades it staged a comeback with  eco tourism and  its rich historical background as selling  points.
According to Dr Chan, Sungai Lembing was once the longest and deepest underground mining point in the world.
Topping the list of must visit places in Sungai Lembing are the  Rainbow Waterfall,Thean Hou Temple and Sungai Lembing Museum.
International wonder : The Rainbow Waterfall in Sungai Lembing drawing tourists from all over the world
Unfortunately, Sungai Lembing is prone to big floods at least once a year.
Under the coordination of the association, villagers will come out in full force to clean up the area.
Dr Chan who is chairman of the association since 2017 , also heads the post -disaster reconstruction committee after a big fire in the village end of 2021, says he has his hands full in rebuilding the village.
He is confident the 112-year-old  association together with the villagers will be able to overcome any challenges life throws at them, and they have proven it time and again.