Friday – morning before the afternoon. Jeannie and Laura are on leave from work for the lunar new year (known as Chinese New Year [C.N.Y.]) holidays in Malaysia. The traffic was somewhat more than half, yesterday; meaning that many people have already left for their hometowns just to beat the expected long traffic jams, on the highways.
That is the “secret”. People leave a day or two earlier to avoid the jams and aim at coming back a day or two earlier. Picture this: they quietly leave home to get on the highway. Why is it a secret? It is because everyone thinks they are getting an upper hand on the next person to beat the jam. The only thing is that when get on the highway (“freeway” for the Americans), the traffic is at near crawling speeds – everyone else had privy to that “secret”, too.
back to the “Friday, morning before noon”. Breakfast. Laura is out already. Which left Jeannie and I with the question, “What do you want to eat?” But before that question was asked, I decided that we go to A.Y.C., an Indian restaurant, near our house. A. Y. C.’s tagline is “Always Your Choice” – catchy. Jeannie just noticed their tagline a few days ago. This tagline has always been there, however we never took notice of it until recently. Now, whenever we past the restaurant, the tagline will almost always be the first thing we notice on their signboard.
Parking our car is relatively easy around A.Y.C. and its neighbouring shops in the mornings. As we walk in to the restaurant, the food is lined up on either side of the passage. I saw the “doughnut” (donut for those unsure of the spelling) vadai and the bean vadai, both favourites of mine; on the right row of food. I told Jeannie I wanted one of each. I saw this fluffed up bread called “puri” on the left and wanted that, too. It was the last one on their tray. It was already nearing 11.00am so it is understandable that the breakfast offerings was almost all cleared. The restaurant would start preparing for the lunch crowd. From the dishes they had just laid out, it looked like it was going to be a vegetarian affair. The food looked good.
Jeannie chose a currypuff for her bites. A.Y.C.’s currypuffs are really tasty. The fillings are made from potatoes, marinated in spices, which does make the potatoes spicy, but not too spicy.
We both ordered iced coffees, Jeannie’s was with milk and sugar; mine was black, without sugar.
Simple breakfast. The doughnut vadai (vadai with the hole in the centre [polo?]), bean vadai, currypuff and puri which came with a sort of potato side condiment.
Our breakfast was good. We were relaxed, sitting at a table towards the rear of the restaurant, facing outwards. We always like to face out and watch the world go along with its activities.
I did get quite a few side glances and quick stares. People don’t seem to get to see other people wearing hats, let alone tartan flat hats out to breakfast. I maybe starting a trend for others to follow, who knows.
We were soon back home, as Jeannie then had to go to her mother’s place to help cook the CNY reunion dinner for this evening. At the time this article was getting done, Laura was already at Jeannie’s mother’s place.
Happy Chinese New Year’s eve and reunion dinner to all those celebrating the lunar new year festivities.
A fun weekend it was. We were at our F1.16 booth, setting up all the things we were putting up on sale. There were lots of new things we brought this weekend. Some of those new things included hats and angpow packets. For our readers who are connecting from over 80 countries; the ang pow packets are in connection and celebration of the lunar new year or “Chinese New Year”, as it is known in Malaysia and it’s neighbouring countries.
Once our booth was ready to rock ‘n roll; I headed over to Mahmud, the hat-seller’s booth. The traditional red & black tartan cap was there, waiting for me to choose it for my own.
The Hatted Writer with my friend, Mahmud; the man with many hats – the hat seller, if you may.
Mahmud confirmed that this cap suits me. What do you,readers; think? I love it. I bought it. It is just the right size, very comfortable to wear and creates an understatement about the Hatted Writer.
A nice pic of the Hat Seller and the Hatted Writer.
The Batik Influencer in the meantime, was busy explaining to everyone that stopped by, about her Batik Cape creations: unique, for formal and informal use, and when not in use; fold it into a small bundle which can be slipped into a handbag or small bag for ease of carrying and taking with you wherever you go.
When Derek Fernandez found out through an article I published that morning that we were in Amcorp Shopping Mall that day (Sunday) and that the Batik Influencer was there with a limited number of batik capes available; he asked me to send pictures of what was available, chose one and said he would come over to get it in a while.
He was not kidding. The next thing we knew, he showed up to pick his chosen Batik Cape. We chatted for a while. Very interesting guy. A lawyer by profession, he has served on many committees, all with the aim of improving and “jaga-ing” (1)the beauty of Petaling Jaya (P.J.) for residents and people who are in P.J. frequently; from especially what development of concreting almost everything in sight calls “modern times”.
Look who dropped in. Kirk Raymond; St Thomas More’s Sound and Technical Specialist. With the author.
Surprises of surprises, I saw Kirk Raymond, St Thomas More’s sound and technical specialist, passing by and called out to him. He was just as surprised to see Jeannie and I manning a booth. We had a nice chat. He had to do a drama shot of us (picture above↑).😁
Farid, our new friend, just bought this hat from us. He looks a typical journalist.
We had a couple of hats of our own up for sale. This guy, by the name of Farid, sporting a grey worker’s cap, tried on the Fedora hat. I took a picture with him wearing it. I told him that he looked good in it. He bought it.
A Japanese interested customer, with the Batik Influencer.
The Batik Influencer, Jeannie; and the Hatted Writer, the author, me, Alan; having a “wefie” moment. It was more like several minutes 😏 because we had to re-take this picture several times to get it right. 😉😁
The limited number of Batik Capes the Batik Influencer had with her today, were sold out. She will be working on new designs and have them ready soon, for the many, many enquirers. Many of the Hotwheels and ang pow packets were sold. We found it really fun to meet so many people – friends as well as new friends. We got to talk about fun subjects: family, living and what they do to chill and relax. We have learnt so much from them. The biggest take away on weekends like these, that we, Jeannie and I; get, is that people are relaxed and away from the everyday hustle and bustle they get during the week. That’s a good thing.
We packed up by 5pm as we had a birthday dinner celebration to attend in Subang Jaya. We were hosting a dinner for Jeannie’s dad, my father-in-law; who was turning 85 years old. Yes, of course I would be wearing my tartan flat cap.
NOTES: 1. “Jaga-ing” (If there is ever such a word), is a Malay word, the “ing” part is the English side; meaning protecting.😉😁😂
As the Batik Influencer or “La Batik Influencer” and I, the Hatted Writer; were setting up our booth at F1.16 on the first floor, our first customer to purchase some Hotwheels vehicles, was Jason. Jason purchased some Hotwheels vehicles from us a couple of weeks ago, too. We had a chat about how he started his collection, which he says is still a small number. He collects postage stamps, coins and bank notes, too.
“La Batik Influencer” demonstrating how to use her cape.
Not too long after that, La Batik Influencer had customers enquiring and purchasing her batik cape creations. She was in her element. We both; were having fun.
I was quite interested in getting a flat cap. Ok. It was more than just “quite”. So, I paid my friend, Mahmud, the specs and hats guy; a visit at his booth which was located just above us, one floor up.
I tried on the tartan flat cap, one that caught my interest last week when I first visited Mahmud’s booth. This time round, I tried on two other flat caps. I am posting pictures and videos here, of the flat caps I tried on. Which do you (readers) think suits me best? Leave your comment/s and vote in the comment section. Let’s see if your views align with mine.
I did quite a bit of research on the flat caps. Flat caps are rounded hats with a small stiff brim in front and are considered a culturally historic item of clothing. The origins of the flat cap can be traced back to Britain in 1571, when Parliament ordered all non-noblemen and boys over the age of 6 to cover their heads with wool caps on Sundays and holidays. It was said that this law was probably to help the wool industry.
Today, it is a trendy headgear that goes well for both casual and formal wear.
Good’ay, Guv’nor.
I won’t ask which is my good side because I look good all ways. Just saying. Haha.
A round of golf, perhaps? Now, where did I put my Dint putting iron?
I did not spend too much of time at Mahmud’s booth as we had a continuous flow of visitors at our booth. I will pick up the cap later today (Sunday) when I have some free time in between visitors and friends coming over to out booth.
The Hotwheels vehicles drew quite a bit of attention as they usually do, as people (more like seious collectors) could tell from the navy blue coloured blister packs that what I had on sale were all over 10 years old, with many of them quite rare.
This young lad purchased 5 vehicles. His dad paid for the purchase.
Listening intently.She bought the beautiful red dragon on gold (plate) brooch.
This gentleman liked what he saw of La Batik Influencer’s Batik Cape creations.
Another very happy customer.
Judy, who is a friend of mine on Facebook; was very happy with her acquisition of one of La Batik Influencer’s Batik Cape creations under “Jeannie’s Own” brand.
One of my Facebook friends, Judy, came by with her husband, Derek; whose relatives in Klang are friends of ours. Two of them were my primary school teachers, in the late 1960s, early 1970s; fondly remembered by the boys of La Salle School, Klang. Judy was very happy with her purchase of the lovely navy blue / golden brown combination “Jeannie’s Own” brand batik cape. It was our pleasure to meet her and Derek in person.
You know how the saying goes, “Time flies by quickly when you are having fun”. It was as though we had just set up our booth and now, it was time to pack up. We look forward to being here again tomorrow morning. Till then…
I put this article together after 3.00am this morning.
1st Floor, Amcorp Shopping Mall, Booth 1.16, Level 1 Amcorp Shopping Mall, 8, Jalan, Persiaran Barat, Seksyen 52 Petaling Jaya, 46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia Date: Feb 03 and Feb 04, 2024 Time: 10.00am to 5.30pm (can be extended to 7.00pm)
Sa..aaa..yyy, weren’t we at Amcorp Shopping Mall just, oh so recently? We are at the weekend already.
We are back at Amcorp Shopping Mall, “we” meaning the Batik Influencer and the writer / author / storyteller from http://www.leatherpotato.com, this weekend; starting tomorrow, February the 3rd. This weekend, we will be on the 1st floor on the west wing.
My wife, Jeannie; also famously known as the Batik Influencer, will be there, too; with a line up of her new creations. They are fast taken up as they are all unique in their on their own way, more so with the fact that they are usually one-of-a-kind, literally speaking, pieces. So… I would like to say “ladies,… However, many men have purchased these creations for their wives, sisters, friends, mothers. Yes, ladies…come early to our booth at F1.16, 1st Floor, West Wing; to secure at least one batik cape for yourself as pieces are very limited.
I, the writer / author / storyteller from http://www.leatherpotato.com is sporting a new look, going as the Hatted Writer; will be there to meet our readers, and make more new friends. Come find out how the “Hatted Writer” came about. In our last few “episodes” having a booth at Amcorp Shopping Mall; I have had the opportunity of re-connecting with many school classmates dating back to over 48 years ago, colleagues from the insurance and financial services industry and friends, too.
Two separate people from Penang, one an old friend whom I have not seen in 15 years, and the other, whom I have not met; both connected with me through leatherpotato.com, will be meeting me over this weekend.
People are very fascinating. I don’t have to think too deeply to try to understand them. Maybe, it is because I have become the writer or journalist where I try to view each person as completely different from another, just like there are no two sets of the same fingerprints. This itself, is intriguing.
Come share ideas with me for my upcoming book. I am very much at the start of the chapter, type, type type. Junk it. Start again. Can you imagine if I was working on a typewriter? Type, type, type, junk it. Type, type, type, junk it. I will have the waste paper basket full of junked ideas. HaHa.
I will be putting over 100 Hotwheels vehicles up for sale. These sport the dark blue blister packs, indicating there are from the year 2005 – 2010 era; many are probably rare. There will also be some Corgi, Dinky, Matchbox and other brands of diecast vehicles, some dating back 45 years ago.
There are two rare ladies Swatch watches in the form of bracelets, up for sale, too. As for pen collectors; there are some rare writing instruments like the 1998 Parker MDRT Duofold ball point pen in blue lacquer with gold plated finishing – a very elegant and must have for the discerning few. We have lots more things of interest that you can choose from.
So, we are looking forward to seeing you all there. Let’s make plenty of noise over the next two days.😁
1st Floor, Amcorp Shopping Mall (1), Booth 1.16, Level 1 Amcorp Shopping lMall, 8, Jalan, Persiaran Barat, Seksyen 52 Petaling Jaya, 46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia Date: Feb 03 and Feb 04, 2024 Time: 10.00am to 5.30pm (can be extended to 7.00pm)
A fine weathered Friday morning. The Batik Influencer suggested to the Hatted Writer, that for lunch, more like brunch; we should go to this place called “Roast and Toast” or is it “Toast and Roast”? The Batik Influencer took a day off from office duties. She had been to this place a few days earlier and thought the food was good.
We started our journey down to Petaling Jaya (more commonly known as “PJ”) at 11.10am. We thought we’d get there early in anticipation of a possible lunch crowd. Malaysians love food. Good food means long cues.
We found the place fairly easily. Located in one corner of SS2, surrounded mainly by condominiums and apartments, with Tropicana Shopping Mall being sort of its backdrop, this one row of double storey shoplots was in what seems a perfect locale for the food business.
What seems like a white cloud, above me, slightly on my left; is actually a thought💭 of miner go by.
Parking was limited and could be a challenge during peak hours. We found a parking space without too much of a problem, though.
As soon as we got out of the Malaysian version of the “Rocky” vehicle, I thought we’d grab the opportunity of getting an outdoor pic of the Hatted Writer, capitalising the super bright soon-to-be mid-day sun; without feeling too much of its blazing flame-thrown rays, stinging us.
Seemed like a perfect time to get an outdoor picture of the Hatted Writer.Dressed for the outdoors: Panama Hat, T-shirt, shorts (past the knees, I think😉) and Teva sandals.
At the entrance of the shop, was what we came here for, the restaurant’s famed specialty of food: char Siu / siu yuk (1), ready to be served.
The main attraction to this restaurant: char siu and a slab of siu yuk (where my thumb is) amongst the other food products they are famous (?) for.The Batik Influencer, who is also the food orderer specialist in the family, placing our orders.
Waiting. “Why are we waiting? why are we waiting?” and the song chant goes on?Lucky we didn’t start thumping the Hrdraflask on the table.😁😂Just kidding. Our orders were served pretty quick. Maybe not “pretty” or “beautifully”, but it sounds more dramtically nicer than “quite” quick.
First dish to arrive: “Meehoon kerabu”.
The Meehoon kerabu was the first dish to arrive. I thought that I was going to get some bits of mango with this RM5.00 (US$1.05) dish. The noodles were cold. No mango in it. Lots of bits of salted fish. It had some flavour of soured mango. Oh…and it came with some mint leaves, decorative presentation?
The Batik Influencer (Jeannie)’s meal. Generous servings of chunky char siu, with rice and a couple of slices of cucumber.
The Hatted Writer’s meal, with nice, chunky pieces of siu yuk.
The siu yuk was siu siu nice. Not really extra-ordinary. However, the char siu more than compensated for the whole meal in taste and satisfaction.
This is “sui kow” commonly know to most people as wanton, in soup form.
We ordered an additional dish, “sui kow”, an additional dish. Sui kow is more commonly known as “wanton” in most Chinese restaurants. It was served as a soup dish (we ordered the soup version. Very nice.
For drinks, Jeannie ordered Iced coffee or “kopi ice”, and I; I ordered “cincau” (Grass Jelly drink). What? Not coffee for me? I thought I’d move away from the norm. However, the cincau came as a hot drink, definitely not to my liking. The waiter got my order wrong. However, the Batik Influencer, greatly admiring the Hatted Writer from leatherpotato.com, willingly exchanged her Kopi ice with me.
The kopi ice or iced coffee, I believe; had condensed milk in it. It was more than the usual sweet, and it did not have the usual after taste that most poor quality milks mixed with coffee, have. If the sweetness was toned down to half strength at least, it would have been ideal (pun not intended).
Notice the “must have” for most Malaysians? “Chili”. Red chicken rice type chili and pickled green chilli.
Lunch overall, was good. Would I recommend this restaurant? Yes, the food is much better than just “good”. Clean, service is pretty (there we go again with that word) fast. Price is a tad premium.
Oh ya, the name is Toast & Roast.
NOTES: 1. Char siu ( or char siew) is barbecued roast pork, whereas siu yuk (siew yoke) is roasted crispy pork belly. Spellings may differ slightly but mean the same thing.
Whenever we are on our way back from either K.L. or P.J. (1), going towards Subang Jaya, the Federal Highway, heading towards Subang Jaya, Shah Alam and Klang (2) is usually choked with traffic, causing traffic jams which could last for an hour or more. It usually takes us about 40 minutes to an hour just to get to Subang Jaya from P.J., which is only 10km away.
The traffic jam – a permanent feature on this route most times of the day, or night, is no escaping. I heard the news over the radio recently that over 800,000 new motor vehicles were registered last year. Our city roads and highways were not built to cater for the every increasing number of vehicles each year.
So, what do most Malaysians do in traffic jam situations like these? You guessed it – Food! Malaysians love to eat. You think? Restaurants are springing up everywhere. Though prices continue to escalate, restaurants continue to thrive. If more restaurants operate along highways, they give highway and road users more choice of food. They provide a service which is greatly appreciated.
Jeannie and I decided to make a slight, that is a very slight detour and head to The Taj Curry House located in SS12, Subang Jaya. They are across Subang Jaya Medical Centre and the Dorsett Grand Hotel. We usually come here just to break journey from what may be 1 to 2 hours in the car because of traffic jams.
The Taj Curry House is nice and comfortable. One gets to appreciate the air-conditioning especially on very hot and humid days like today. They serve Indian cuisine. The quality of food served here has been consistently good. I wondered if the sweet-looking, “diva-like” waitress would recognise me in this new look, with me wearing my newly acquired Panama hat. Can it be considered a “disguise”?
She did, not immediately. “Is that you, Carlos, the electric guitar player? You shaved your moustache”, she asked. I said, “No, it’s me, Alan, the writer”. “Ooohhh!”, she replied. Why “diva-like”? You will have to meet me and I will tell you. She’s a shy, but nice waitress.
As it was said, the food here was good as usual. The service here is fast. Jeannie ordered one roti canai (3), I ordered two roti canai(s). We also ordered “Limau ais” (though I always say, “Ais Limau”), which is iced lime juice.
With our roti canai which was served on a tray with 3 multi sections, came the usual dhall, fish curry and sambal condiments. Jeannie ordered fried chicken as an additional dish. The fish curry was extra nice today. We enjoyed our meal.
The idea of break journey from long trips or long times spent in the car (even though the distances could be short) is a good idea. Places like The Taj Curry House offers good food at reasonable prices, in a comfortable, relaxing environment. It is one of Jeannie’s and my favourite go-to places when we come into Subang Jaya.
As for me with my Panama hat on, I did have a fair share of glances and looks towards me. Who knows, maybe when we come here the next time, there will be others wearing hats, too.
On a different note, I wonder why people wear dark glasses (shades) inside buildings, even when some of these buildings are poorly lit. I have come to an assumption: 1. They are hiding a black eye. 2. They have rings around their eyes. 3. They don’t have beautiful eyes. (Mine are brown, and they are beautiful😉😁)
Having fun
NOTES: 1. K. L. or Kuala Lumpur is a city in Malaysia. P. J. or Petaling Jaya, is a city in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. 2. Subang Jaya, Shah Alam and Klang are cities in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. 3. Roti canai or roti prata, also known as roti chanai, roti chennai and roti cane, is an Indian flatbread dish found in several countries in Southeast Asia.
It is about that time… Which is anytime is a good time for coffee. Wherever you go, there will be coffee in some form or another, available.
Coffee seems to have revolutionized the way we live. it has been around since longer than I can remember. And I got “involved” with coffee longer than I can remember. It was not just black coffee, or coffee with sugar or plain white coffee. It’s not became it is available in fancy styles and described with exotic names. It was not for its anti-oxidant good health(?) properties. I just like coffee.
On one of my many visits to cafes, shopping malls and public events recently, we, meaning my wife, Jeannie, and I; recently visited Central Market or as it is more commonly known in Kuala Lumpur as “Pasar Seni”. Pasar Seni is Malay for art market. So, you’ve guessed it. You can get almost anything artsy here. No fancy art galleries. Just local artists displaying their works, mainly for sale. Two of the most common types of art available here are batik and paintings on canvas. You can also get on a smaller scale; local handicraft.
Central Market has evolved from just being an tourist attraction for arts and souvenirs. With its recent renovations and new look in an old era “facade”; it now has a fairly large convenient store / supermarket, a couple of food courts (or is it two food courts in one?) and several new restaurants.
On the day of our visit, there was a bazaar going on in the main foyer(?) or hall. Lots of booths showcasing all their products. Definitely a ladies’ attraction as most of these booths catered to the likes of ladies.
While walking along the lanes there was a booth that caught my attention from a distance. It looked like it had some coffee products. I made a “bee” line towards it. As I got nearer to the booth, I noticed it had signs (I took it was the brand) “KOOPI” in strategic spots of the booth.
“Would you like to try our coffee?”, this bright, young lady asked, as she offered me a small cup of coffee. “Don’t mind if I do”, I replied. A possible write- up? Maybe, I thought to myself. When I tried their version of “Ipoh White Coffee”, I quite liked it. The young lady was Kate Poon. She served me the sample of what I presumed was their best seller. I asked Kate to let me have another shot of this coffee sample. By this time, Jeannie had caught up with me after making her rounds to all the booths and shops in the building.
The KOOPI brand, the new kid on the block, experienced however with four generations of pleasing the tastebuds and exciting the senses of customers.
Kate was manning the booth with her mother. She told us the story of her entry into the foray of the coffee business. Coffee beverages and restaurants are highly competitive. There is no resting on one’s laurels in this business. Kate told us of how she is part of the 4th generation of the family coffee restaurant / kopitiam / coffee shop, business which has its heritage dating back since its establishment in 1937. I could see the twinkle in her eye when she talked passionately about KOOPI.
I liked the little samplings of the different coffees she had on offer. However, I wanted to see if I would enjoy sipping these coffees while I went about my daily grind of my work schedule. So, I purchased one of each of the coffees she had on sale to take home.
The kopio-O kosong (coffee “black” – no sugar, no milk) empty pack. I forgot to take pictures of it before drinking the coffee.
The first coffee drink I had was The KOOPI black, or “kopi-O kosong” (no sugar and milk). This drink came in a soft plastic pack with a screw-on / unscrew cap. I found this soft “bottle” quite unusual. I kept this drink in the fridge so I had it when it was nice and cold. I guess you can pour the contents into a cup and microwave it if you prefer this drink hot.
I invited Jeannie to try this coffee. She found it quite strong. I thought the drink was o.k.. This variant of coffee is offered especially for those who like their coffee without the clothes on (meaning the coffee – no sugar, no milk; not that you have to drink this coffee in the buff 😉) According to Kate, these beans are locally sourced. For the average coffee drinker, they will not be able to tell the difference between one kopi-o from another.
For the pros, they would talk about the different types of beans, the roasting process, roasting temperatures, length of roasting times, etc.
I prefer to enjoy the coffee as it is, take it for face value without getting too technical about preparations. I would talk about the aroma, the taste, how it pleases my senses, etc. It is like driving a car, I won’t be too caught up with the number of turns each wheel does in a minute or over a given distance. I would concern myself more with the ride, comfort and some of the additional benefits like automated air-conditioning. Sometimes, I think these “coffee experts” like to think themselves as they are the ones that make coffee what coffee is today, so when they talk confusingly or mumbo-jumbo and you have no idea what they are talking about; they must be experts.
The next day, I chose the KOOPI “Ipoh White Coffee”. I refer to it as “KOOPI Ipoh White Coffee” because “Ipoh White Coffee” is not exclusive to the KOOPI brand. Therefore, you can’t just say you want to buy “Ipoh White Coffee” because there are many local brands that offer “Ipoh White Coffee”.
Their white coffee also came in a soft plastic pack with a screw-on / unscrew cap. This I would think, is their signature drink, appealing to the masses. I had this coffee straight from the fridge, the way I like it – ice cold, not just chilled. It was nice, Jeannie liked it, too. This was the first sample that Kate gave me to try and I immediately took to it. Now, that I had more of it to drink, I reaffirm that this would be a best seller. It has a very nice blend of its coffee with milk, where the milk is not over-powering in taste. I recall that this was a comment I first made when I initially tried the sample. The drink is not too sweet, too. I think that this drink seems to have got it right where the emphasis is on the coffee taste, with the sugar and milk lending the right mix to the blend.
Last of the coffees but not the least was their white coffee “kaw” (or strong). It came bottled, in a fairly common shaped bottle, like the ones used by more and more cafes for their signature or more premium coffees they usually have on sale. This white coffee kaw or locally referred to as “kopi peng kaw”, was definitely in my “perfect, I like” category. This coffee, like the other two; came straight from the fridge, the way I like it – ice cold, not just chilled. Glass bottled; the coffee was “extra cold”. It was smooth, delicious, a thirst quencher, and would go well with any meal you had.
Jeannie found the drink just a tad bit strong, not too strong; just a tad bit strong only.
The white coffee “kaw” or kopi peng “kaw” in a nice, comfortably shaped, “take-me-anywhere” bottle with a very colourful label on the front, and the nutrition facts (white lettering with black background) on the other side.
The packing, as you can see from the pictures below; meant “premium”. The white coffee “kaw” or kopi peng “kaw” as it would more commonly be referred to as, comes in a nice, comfortably shaped, “take me anywhere” bottle, with a very colourful brand label on the front, and the nutrition facts (white lettering with black background) on the other side. Then it has a black tape with “Ipoh White Coffee” in English and Chinese characters in gold lettering, running from the front of the bottle, right across the top of its cover, to the other side of the bottle. This is like a seal, sort of a nice touch to its finishing.
Kate has a lot going for her brand, “KOOPI”. She’s bright, she’s energetic, does not seem too overly ambitious, and seems to be enjoying the “ride” of being a part of a potentially super successful coffee brand. Who knows, she could be the next very successful “Kate Spades” of the business world. Don’t forget me, Kate; when you get to the very top 😉😁
The author, with the wonderful Kate Poon.
NOTES: The packet drinks are not officially launched yet as they are still testing the markets. The bottled drinks are available at 1. a booth right outside Jaya Grocer at Starling Mall, Damansara Uptown, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. 2. Sun Yin Loong Restaurant (their family restaurant), Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
Every single person on planet earth that is here, present; has a story of their own to tell; whether it is in their mother tongue language, English or a different language; whether it is in the form of pictures, dance or any means of communication; with the hope that what is communicated to the audience; will be received by the audience in exactly the way that it was communicated, without losing the essence of the message. What is most important is that each story is different.
This is something that A.I. or Artificial Intelligence and ChatGPT can never do as these can only generate information that was pre-installed with data. Whatever information that is churned out from these two software is sort of a “done this, been there” information. Admittedly, “can never do” could be a bit far fetched.
Don’t surrender decision making to computers all in the name of making life easier for us. The truth is: it doesn’t.
While on your own path, wherever that leads. Run your own race, wherever that goes. Quit comparing your life with another. We are all on a journey, but our paths are different. Our stories are unique.
Every day is a new day. For the last 30 years, save but 1 day; it has not just been any new day, each day.
For the last 30 years, save but 1 day, it has been with Jeannie. I never in my wildest dreams (pun?) and imagination would have thought that she was going to be with me as my life partner.
It all began 30 years ago, when I was one of the facilitators for the RCIA (Rites of Christian Initiation for Adults) programme at Church of St. Francis Xavier, Petaling Jaya. We facilitators, together with those walking in this 9 month programme; organised an outreach event to “Rumah Faith”, a children’s orphanage / home in Kajang (1), Selangor.
We gathered at the arranged meeting point early on the Saturday morning of January 18th. The sky was fairly gloomy, with large light grey clouds hanging (literally).
Jeannie arrived with her sisters. We decided to carpool and I quickly asked Jeannie to come in my car. I think that since my car was 2-doors (it was a near brand new [I already had it for 9 months] white, Ford Laser TX-3 1.8i (with the “T-spoiler”); the other people chose to go in the other cars. Which left Jeannie and I in my car.
We had a very good eventful experience at the outreach. The day ended early evening.
Come Monday, January 20th; I wanted to meet Jeannie again. By now, I had her office contact. I had to find some excuse just to meet with her. So, I telephoned (yes, “telephoned”) her and told her that I was nearby her office, whether she would like to meet for lunch. Her office was in the heart of K. L. (2) That was a huge fib! I was in my office in another part of K. L. Traffic snarls were notorious at that time and I had about 20 minutes to get to her office. She said, “O.k.”
I was to meet her at the lobby of her building, and then, we were to walk over to McD’s for our lunch. Her lunch break was limited to an hour, and I didn’t want to make it seem too forward. So McD’s it was. I put the “boy-racer” (that was what the Ford Laser TX-3 1.8i was known at that time. It was a powerful road machine) through its paces, nervously; managing to get to her office just a few minutes late.
We both ordered a McD’s “prosperity burger”. It was our first time trying this burger out. I think it was the first time that McD’s had introduced this burger. It was during lunch that Jeannie told me that her birthday was the day before (yes, I asked; trying to get as much information about her as possible).
From here on, it was history. We try to get the prosperity burger at McD’s every year. So, come every Jan 20th anniversary, we go for a prosperity burger meal.
Jeannie; our daughter, Laura; and yours truly (me or I? That is the question.)
These last 30 years, save but 1 day; Jeannie has been what a wife should always be: my better half. She has always been there for me. If there was anything that needed changing, it would definitely be my dancing.
Happy and Blessed Birthday, Jeannie!🌹🌹🌹❤️❤️❤️🌹🌹🌹
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.; Dec 31st, 2022
NOTES: 1. Kajang is a city in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. 2. K.L. is short for Kuala Lumpur. It is the capital of Malaysia.
2nd Floor, Amcorp Shopping Mall, Booth 2.11, Level 2 Amcorp Shopping Mall, 8, Jalan, Persiaran Barat, Seksyen 52 Petaling Jaya, 46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia Date: December 9 and December 10, 2023 Time: 10.00am to 5.30pm (can be extended to 7.00pm)
We, that is, the Batik Influencer, Jeannie Ong-Atkinson; and myself, Alan of the leatherpotato.com; will be at Amcorp Mall by popular request.
Jeannie has been very busy dealing with customers directly. I have been on several writing projects. All these have kept us “tied up”.
Now, we have some time that we have dedicated to our “fans” and customers. Jeannie will be showcasing some of her new designs. Come early to grab the one that fancies you the most.
Leatherpotato has had tremendous support with over 37,000 views. Many of these readers would like to meet with me. Meet us at our booth. This weekend, we will be at Booth #2.11 at the west wing.
The Batik Influencer has several new pieces in the offering, under the label of “Jeannie’s Own”. She will definitely be kept busy introducing her new pieces. She loves it, loves to talk about batik, about how it can and will resonate in your life.
Come over for a chat, exchange ideas, experiences and have fun. We have had so much of fun over the last several times that we had our booth put up. We expect this weekend to be even more fun, especially since we are all in the Christmas spirit.
Talking about Christmas spirit; there will be super duper special deals for the sale of Hotwheels vehicles, only for this Christmas period. So, come and grab the models that you like. Most of them are rare, being 10 years and older models. Most of them are still in their blister packs, like new.
There are two rare ladies Swatch dress watches up for grabs, too. There are many, many other things that could interest you, that it would be too long to list each and every item down here.
Make yourself at home. Relax and chill. Now, this is the way to choose the Hotwheels vehicles you, want.
This looks good. I like.Very happy customers.This is how you get to enjoy your “Jeannie’s Own” Batik cape.Browsing through the hundreds of keychains, keyholders, keyrings. These are very popular with collectors, as most of them are over 35 years old.Which makes them unique and somewhat rare.
This weekend is going to be exciting. If you want to sing impromptu Christmas carols, we will join you, too. Who knows? A Elvis Christmas caroler might just show up and sing some solos. Wishful thinking, I know. It’s Christmas. Anything is possible. The Batik Influencer (Jeannie) and I are looking forward to seeing all of you over the weekend at our booth.
2nd Floor, Amcorp Shopping Mall, Booth 2.11, Level 2 Amcorp Shopping Mall, 8, Jalan, Persiaran Barat, Seksyen 52 Petaling Jaya, 46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia Date: December 9 and December 10, 2023 Time: 10.00am to 5.30pm (can be extended to 7.00pm)
