A winter that will never be the same

Hope-turns- despair…Cold and confused, a pet dog named Pudding cuts a lone figure at the entrance to its village in  Yeonggwang County, South Korea waiting for its family’s return.

By Foong Pek Yee

foongpekyee@gmail.com

Jan 4, 2025

Every approaching vehicle brings Pudding  hope that quickly turns despair as they zoomed past with no sight of its loved ones.

But Pudding never give up hope to be with them again.

Just days earlier, Pudding and nine of its family members bade farewell happily before leaving for a holiday in Thailand.

Little did they know that it was their last farewell.

Pudding’s  family members were among the 179 people killed in the Jeju Air Flight 2216 that crashed at Muan International Airport, South Korea in the morning of December 29, 2024.

The plane, from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport with 181 on board,  175 passengers plus six crew members, saw two survivors.  Both were crew members.

While Pudding is still waiting  in vain for their return – the tragedy that unfolded  at Muan International Airport, about 50 minutes drive from its village, also South Korea’s worst aviation disaster in the country’s history-  sent shock waves across the world.

The head of Pudding’s family is  a 79-year-old grandfather.

He, his wife , two daughters,  a son-in-law and four grandchildren were among the 179 fatalities .

Where are you…Pudding longing for its family. 

On new year’s eve, South Korea’s animal rescue group , Care (Coexistence of  Animal Rights on Earth ) posted on social media that they have rescued Pudding who is now under their custody until they found  a home for him.

According to Care, they have received permission from a family member to rescue Pudding found wandering alone in the open amidst harsh weather conditions.

Care has sent Pudding for health checks at a veterinary hospital in Seoul.

The story of Pudding was reported in The Korea Times on Jan 2, 2025,  followed by some  media organizations all over the world.

Photos :The Korea Times captured from Care’s Instagram.

Update: Jan 7, 2025

Photos  at the memorial : The Korea Times. Credited to Yonhap

A picture is worth a thousand words.

On Sunday (Jan  5, 2025) afternoon, a week after the crash, Pudding pay  its last respects to its family members at a joint memorial altar set up in front of Seoul City Hall in Seoul,  reported The Korea Times on Jan 6, 2025.

Clad in a blue outfit and with its gaze fixed on the altar,  Pudding  did not bark even once throughout the service.

Its attention  zoomed in on its family’s  memorial tablet as head of Care, Kim Young-Hwan, read a eulogy.

The Korea Times report quoting a temporary caretaker from Care said: “At home, Pudding often looks at the front door, seemingly listless. The dog gets excited just hearing the leash, wanting to go outside.”

 

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.

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.

 

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 blessed and beautiful Saturday.

Bringing hope : Another RM1.063 mil for a hospital for the people (from left); Dr Chuah, Dr Sak, Dr Ting, Prof Ewe, Dr Ling, Datuk Seri Yap, Chor, Lim and Lee. Sept 25, 2022.
By Foong Pek Yee
The weather was fine and there was an air of festivity all over the place.
Some 100 plus golfers who gathered at the Sungai Long Golf and Country Club in  Kajang, Selangor last Saturday (Sept 24) were there for a good cause. .
The event-Charity Golf Meet- has scored a big goal – raised RM1.063mil  for UTAR Hospital, a not -for-profit hospital in Kampar, Perak.
“We appreciate all of you coming together to enjoy a game of golf over a good cause for UTAR Hospital,” says Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik who is Universiti  Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) Chancellor.
“Most golfers would agree that the friendship and bond built on a golf course are meaningful and elevating,” says Dr Ling who was MCA president and Transport Minister for about 17 years, and he is well known to have taken part in many golf tournaments to raise funds for education; including funds to expand Tunku Abdul Rahman College (TARC)in the 1990s and the building of UTAR since the early 2000s to provide quality and affordable tertiary education for the people.
UTAR turns 20 this year.
All smiles: (from left),  Lim, Chor, Lee and other golfers at the charity golf meet in Sungai Long Golf and Country Club, Kajang on Saturday,  Sept 24.
Describing the event as meaningful, UTAR council member Tan Sri Chor Chee Heung says it brings together diverse groups of people who value acts of charity.
Also the event’s organising committee chairman, Chor notes that UTAR Hospital will benefit Malaysia’s multiracial community especially the less fortunate by providing very affordable medical care.
He thanked the golfers for their support, and also all who contributed to the donations; from friends, partners, donors to sponsors, including Datuk Seri Ir Yap Chong Lee who through his Sungai Long Golf and Country Club, sponsored the golf course for the golf play and the breakfast and lunch for the golfers and guests for the event.
Also present were UTAR council chairman Tan Sri Dr Ting Chew Peh, UTAR Education Foundation Board of Trustees  chairman Tan Sri Dr Sak Cheng Lum,  UTAR council members Datuk Lim Si Cheng and Datuk Lee Leck Cheng, UTAR president Datuk Prof Dr Ewe Hong Tat and UTAR Hospital board chairman Tan Sri Dr Chuah Hean Teik .
Chor commended Lim and Lee for their months of effort and hard work from day one to help make the event a success.
Prof Ewe in thanking the golfers, donors and sponsors, says their spirit of giving back in support of charity is truly heart-warming.
He says the hospital is a hospital for the community, and the funds raised will help in its development and makes affordable specialist medical treatment more accessible to those in need.
The 350-bed UTAR Hospital comprises  250 beds for Western Medicine and 100 beds for traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM).
The T& CM section  has started operations early this year and the Western Medicine section is expected to open next year.
The RM330mil UTAR Hospital is also a teaching hospital under UTAR , a not-for-profit private university which turns 20 this year.

More than good food.

Recipe for a worthy cause. Sept 23, 2022.
By Foong Pek Yee
It was drizzling since early morning .
But the crowd in Golden Kimwah Restaurant in Damansara Kim, Petaling Jaya yesterday was very good.
Apart from the good food in this popular neighbourhood eatery, the patrons were there for a noble cause -raise funds for Utar Hospital, a not -for- profit hospital in Kampar, Perak.
The event, organised by Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar) council and with the support of the restaurant, raised RM56,936. 80 from 7.30am to 3.30pm yesterday.
The donors include Ezon Bhd group chief executive officer  Ikaxa Tan, Ir Ling Leong Choong from Sitiawan, Perak and Datuk Peter Ng from Kajang, Selangor.
Highlight: Dr Ling frying char kuay teow.  Looking on are (from right), Dr Ting, Ezon Bhd group chief executive officer Ikaxa Tan and Utar council member Datuk Lim Si Cheng, also the event organising chairman. 
Big support :  Ikaxa Tan handing over a cheque to Dr Ling.
Good deeds:  Dr Ling (seated) receiving a cheque from Ir Ling Leong Choong. Looking on are Dr  Ting (second from right) and Utar council member Tan Sri Chor Chee Heung (behind Dr Ling).
Council chairman Tan Sri Dr Ting Chew Peh expressed his gratitude to the people for their support.
And he used the Chinese saying – to save a life is better than to build a seven – level pagoda- to underscore the importance of their support.
A mission:  To help build Utar Hospital for the people (from left);  Dr Ting, Datuk Peter Ng, Ir Ling Leong Choong, Utar official Fook Oi Yee and Wong Jung Lik. 
Earlier, Utar chancellor Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik fried a plate of char kuay teow to kickstart the event.
Utar Hospital is a 350-bed hospital for Western medicine (250 beds) and Traditional and Complementary Medicine (TCM)  (100 beds).
The hospital, costing RM330mil, is expected to be fully operational next year.
The TCM section has started operations early this year.

A long-awaited reunion under the moonlight

This Mid-Autumn Festival holds a special meaning for folks in  Changkat Kruing New Village in Sitiawan. Sept 13, 2022

Photos: By Changkat Kruing Clean and Beautification Committee.
By Foong Pek Yee
Hundreds of villagers including many who returned from outstation  celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival in Changkat Kruing New Village last week.
The two-day event kicked off with a lantern parade on Sept 8, followed by  dinner the next day.
Chinese celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival on the 15th day of the eighth month in the lunar calendar with family and community gatherings, praying for everything good.
Organised by the village’s Clean and Beautification Committee, the villagers were overjoyed to learn  the movement control order (MCO) for big events has been lifted and that they can celebrate the festival as a village, says committee chairman Ching Sia Tiong, 68,
He says they were unable to do so  in the last two years due to the MCO.
“The village is full of excitement since a month ago when villagers started the preparations; from making lanterns, preparing food to getting family members from outstation to return for the celebration ,” says Ching.
Taking centre stage:  Big lanterns on the 12 Chinese zodiac.
No small feat:  Coming up with lanterns on the 12 Chinese zodiac takes much creativity, time and patience.
Utilising their creativity, talents, skills and resources, and working together to make the event a success, Ching says this has always been the villagers’ strength in all other events in the village.
All is good :  Ching Sia Tiong (right) and his wife Ong Cheng Eng .
Unity is strength :  Villagers preparing some food ahead of the celebration.
Full force : Villagers all out to make the celebration a success.
Finishing touch:  Getting ready the food and lanterns.
Environmentally friendly:  Empty cans are turned into brightly coloured lanterns.
Lanterns on wheels:  A very old type of lanterns using empty cans.

 

Once upon a time in Petaling Street

The Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur.
By Foong Pek Yee
HAPPILY he hopped on to a bus to go home,  only to realise that his schoolbag was missing.
The teenager dashed back to the stall where he had his favourite Indian rojak earlier.
And his schoolbag was there, recalls Jerry Ng, 69, who was born and bred in Kuala Lumpur.
A walk down memory lane:  (front row from left) Jerry  Ng, his wife Jeanie Yap, Maggie Yap (Jeanie’s sister) and Eugene (Jerry’s son); and Don Lim (Maggie’s husband)  in Petaling Street. 
Don Lim, in his early 70s,  remembers the taste of his favourite beef noodle soup at the Lai Foong Coffeeshop in Petaling Street.
Growing up in Pudu which is nearby  Petaling  Street, he was a regular at the coffeeshop.
Really good:  (from left), Don, Maggie, Jeanie and Eugene enjoying  their lunch at Lai Foong Coffeeshop.
And last Thursday , Jerry and Don got to enjoy their favourite food in Petaling Street.
They  and their family returned from Australia for a holiday recently.
Local delights:  Fruit stalls are popular in Petaling Street.
Buying experience: Visitors enjoy browsing and bargain hunting 
Once the pulse of  Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Street used to be the landmark and meeting place with Puduraya – a station for outstation buses- just a stone’s throw away.
And Petaling Street was  the place to have a cheap and nice meal like street food, and do some shopping for traditional Chinese snacks.
The place was simply vibrant all day long.
And those were the good old days .
Retro: A traditional Chinese sundry shop specialising on dried food stuffs for Chinese cooking.
In the mood for celebration: Traditional lanterns on sale in the run up to the  Mid – Autumn Festival on the 15th day of the eighth month in the lunar calendar  ( September 10 this year). 
Today Petaling Street is still an attraction during Chinese festive seasons like Chinese New Year and Mid-Autumn  Festival.

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.

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.