Coffeeshops is an integral part of life in a new village
By Foong Pek Yee
They easily chalked up a total of 24 hours of work daily.
The couple are up by 4.00am daily in time to open their coffeeshop an hour later.
While they close for the day after lunch, they still have the cleaning up to do as well as planning for the next day.
At 68, Chang says she and her husband, Chiew, have been in this routine since they got married 33 years ago.
The shop in Merbau New Village in Manjung, Perak , also double up as their home.
Their three grown up daughters are having their own career – marking an important milestone for the proud parents.

A daily routine: Chiew (right) taking orders from a customer
Chang from Pantai Remis says the village is her world since her marriage.
“We only take off in the first week of Chinese New Year,” says Chang, adding that they occasionally take a day off to run errands outside the village.
Coffeeshops is very much an integral part of life in a new village.
For many, that is the first place they head to upon waking up.
Chang says the villagers who mostly work in their oil palm small holdings nowadays start work early morning.
This was the same in the old days whereby majority were rubber tappers, she adds.
They have breakfast at coffeeshops before sunrise and off to work.
This is followed by mid morning coffee break and lunch in coffeeshops.
“It is also a way for them to recharge and relax as manual jobs can be taxing physically,” says Chang.
Most of them are owners of small holdings who continue to work alongside their workers.
Retirees also thronged coffeeshops daily to keep each other company and get update on the latest development at home and abroad.
Face-to-face interaction and chit chat in coffeeshop also gives villagers a break from social media addiction – something many urbanites are still struggling to do.
While Chang and Chiew may be busy serving their customers, they also enjoy their company .
Sharing and caring: Chang (left) with Phang who is a regular in her coffeeshop.
That perhaps is part of the driving force that keeps them running their business rain or shine for over three decades, and still going strong.