Beginnings – A Monochrome Epilogue of An Old Market
November 2, 2012 | 5,703 views
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.
Bun?
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 7th, 2012 at 10:40 pm
Yes asooneh. Buns and breads.
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Now with few gray hairs and on the opposite side of the world, this piece brings me back home.
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Great post. Very well-written and stirs up the childhood memories within me.
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Reminds me of my rambling years in Pusing wet market, was at the back of my house only!
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…..home is where your heart is… Just to make the trip to smell chicken shit, putrid smell of rotten carcasses and fish, and carefully putting placing your flips-flops one at a time on the damp floor, make it all worthwhile.
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 7th, 2012 at 10:39 pm
Hi Chak … well-said. Next round? Pasar Besar Ipoh maybe. Wondering if the renovations affect the business?
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yes.. memories are always precious! Thks for sharing who you are and your home town…
wild guess… coffee?
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 7th, 2012 at 10:38 pm
Nope, they sell freshly baked breads; the ones you find in old kopitiams that they serve with kaya and butter.
And also coconut buns.
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Seems like there are many goods found in this local market. Interesting local delicacies.
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Bravo! Great memories of all those of us who frequently visited Ipoh in our childhood 🙂
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I grew up in Pasir Puteh.. and used to go to the Pasar Pinji market till 1980 and had to move out .. Such nostalgia reading this .. I now live in KL and still yearn for all my childhood hawker food.. thank you for the memories…
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 7th, 2012 at 10:29 pm
You’re most welcomed Jeanne. I grew up here until 1994. So the 80’s were exactly the period of time when I thrived around the neighbourhood!
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Kaya, coconut and plain buns … sold within the hour ..
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 7th, 2012 at 10:28 pm
Yes! Angie hit the spot. And sadly, I was there when they chose to close for the day …
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I went to NTPS (National Type Primary School) Jln Pasir Puteh from 1959 to 1964. Lat was there too. And there was no secondary school then but a sort of a teachers’ training centre tucked behind the compound nearer to the school field. So we were from the same school but of different era.
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 7th, 2012 at 10:27 pm
Hey Tham .. always nice to hear from you. My dad used to study here too, I think the same school. He began his primary school days around 1963 if I am not mistaken.
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I would love to visit Malaysia someday.
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Thanx for the writeup on JPP market. in late 60s, I remembered & missed the foodstalls inside this market that sells the most delicious curry mee by a Hokkien old lady with her hair tied behind in a bun & next to her ‘liew fun’ & chow hor fun,chee cheong fun etc.
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 7th, 2012 at 10:22 pm
Hi Bird Dog, you’re most welcomed. Sometimes, places like this don’t exist anymore in the heart of the younger generations, or merely forgotten .. paving way for shopping malls etc. I will ask my parents and grandma about this curry mee stall.
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Bird Dog Reply:
November 9th, 2012 at 3:39 pm
In the late 60s the food stalls I lamented about were housed in a row of run down shacks opposite the New Chuan Heng coffee shop. This was outside the perimeter fence of the market. Customers would order their food & eat them on rickety chairs & tables close to the food hawkers.Nearby there at the X junction other hawkers were selling everything under the sun. It was a busy & lively place.Later the food stalls were given a more decent place inside the market but they brought the rickety chairs & tables. No one complained as we were not so fussy back them.
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 15th, 2012 at 1:49 pm
Yeah … sadly that time I went back the stalls were on the verge of closing. And the nasi lemak stall lady took a leave.
Anyway, I love markets like this, full of characters and traditional charm.
THANK YOU for all the pics. I left for Vancouver about 20 years ago and since then I still make a trip back once every few years. I frequent the Pasir Puteh market every chance I get and would love to show my daughters where I grew up. Markets all over the world like this captures the essence of culture. I wish i can take such beautiful pictures like yours to treasure.
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 15th, 2012 at 1:38 pm
Hi there, thanks for the compliments. I grew up visiting the market on weekends with my grandma, hence the memories built from those days are still intact and very very strong.
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[…] So we have reached a sub-plot within the main plot. Or an epilogue that follows the meatier chunk of the story. Let this be part of the “Beginnings” series. […]
hehe.. we are practically neighbours. ok lah, not so near. i stayed near to happy garden last time. i also attend sekolah raja dihilir ekram, but i think i am much older. i remember catching ants under the big trees in the school compound and then make them fight. did you blog about the curry noodles near the pasir puteh market opposite maybank?
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J2Kfm Reply:
November 29th, 2012 at 11:42 pm
Yeah! http://www.j2kfm.com/ipoh-curry-noodles-chuan-fatt-pasir-puteh/
But not to my liking though.
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I miss this place….I remember I always went to this market with my Dad.
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[…] school, the favourite Ais Kacang and Wan Tau Long Jelly stall wedged between two shops near the Pasir Puteh market has closed for what seemed like an […]
[…] school, a favourite Ais Kacang and Wan Tau Long Jelly case wedged between dual shops nearby the Pasir Puteh market has sealed for what seemed like an […]
Thanks for the good writeup. It in fact used to be a enjoyment account it.
Glance complex to more added agreeable from you!
By the way, how can we keep up a correspondence?
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[…] *Pasir Puteh wet market food section is wedged in between the poultry section and the butchery. Come early for their coffee, breads, nasi lemak bungkus and noodles. Usually closed before lunch time. For more stories on Pasir Puteh wet market, read THIS. […]
Please help.
Recently, my good friend discovered he was ‘given’ to another family soon after birth.
His biological parents were from Jelapang, a village on the north west of Ipoh.
This happened in September 1948.
The questions, he was born in Ipoh (the infant, Lee xx was born on Minguo 37th year (1948) September 2nd 1948 at 6pm) at Ipoh General Hospital or at?
His biological father’s name is LEE Si ??. Is he alive? Anyone know of his biological mother? Has he any siblings?
His birth was registered by the family that adopted him. There is nothing on the birth certificate to indicate his biological parents.
This is a task that needs the help of you and you. Thank you.
PS.
Lee XX has given me permission, he is CHO Soo Har
Your help will fulfill his quest. Ipohworld has my contact details.. Thank you.
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Hi Motormouth,
You are a celebrity featuring with world reknown Anthony Bourdain
Why did you use such an awful name. Thought its a Car Magazine.
Anyway just happen to come across this site. You are on my turf but you are much younger.
I come from NTPS-JPP like you except now it has been converted to SMJK now.
We just had our primary school alumni last Saturday Nov 21, 2015 & would you believe it, the Acting Perak CPO, Deputy Commissioner of Police Dato’ Param came from that school.He came for the alumni at Eurasia Cafe in Ipoh Garden.
Your Pasir Puteh wet market brought back pleasant reminiscences.
Do you have a much older pictures as the pictures shown were new faces to me.
If you have the eateries section, they were located at the back of the market before they were shifted inside. My favourite stall was the curry mee stall ran by an elderly lady with her hair tied in a bun. Her curry was very unique. Her soup was boiled in Serai without any coconut milk & her curry flavour came from the curry paste. I wonder if you knew her.
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Just noticed Bird Dog & Tham contributed here. They are my chat group in Ipohworld. If you want to find out more on NTPS-JPP just google NTPS_JPP Ipohworld & you would see our yarns spinning there.
Yes, Bird Dog, we are talking about the same Hokkien lady that sold the curry mee. She was my mother’s friend. We caled her ” Ah Chim ” . She gave us a furry dog which we named Bobbie.
Yes her curry mee was exceptionally good.
Another of my mother’s friend was the friendly beef butcher, the strong stout Chicken seller, the Indian aunty that sold curry paste, the fried carrot cake uncle
and my NTPS – JPP classmate Wing Kheong that sold vegetable. The last time I visited this market, none was around anymore. So Sad.
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