The Gutsy Ones

They are the gutsy ones of the town.

On a trip to Ipoh last week, I witnessed a feature not seen before...women traffic wardens. This particular lady struck a friendship with me as she took great effort to help manoeuvre our car into a parking lot and insisted that we remember to put a parking ticket on the vehicle. She was humble, friendly and so sincere that I took an instant liking for her. Her life must be tough. I should think she's in her late 60s and having to fend for herself for a livelihood.

Robert told me the town was full of these wardens and could not help laughing cos he found them refreshingly different and named them the brawny, gutsy ones.

Next on our agenda was finding the famous Yim Kok Kai (the salted chicken) as the delicacy was famous for its taste and goodness. Ipoh, though not too large a town, can be a maze for the those unfamiliar to the place and it took us quite a few turns before we finally spotted the lot that sold the goody.




Many of our friends are crazy over the chicken and never failed to ask Robert to get them one whenever he goes up there. Aha... I finally caught the place.

The vendor told me the chicken are wrapped in special papers and marinated with fragrant Chinese herbs, they are cooked under massive salt proportions for an hour or so before being packed into boxes for sale and order.

Look at the pile of boxes. It doesn't even take a novice to realise that business is brisk come recession or not. We took home 6 boxes to present as gifts to friends and of course keeping one to ourself for dinner.

Yummy, it's more than finger-licking good...not oily, not deep-fried and plenty of goodness !

Tucked at a secluded area of the town is I believe the oldest Anglican church in town...

The church is so colonial and old but stately...must be a venue of worship when the British ruled the land in the 19th century.

Perhaps this tree grown in the compound of the church could tell the age of the building...as old as the hills of Ipoh.

Of course, this sweet, serene, sleepy town besides being home to the many beauties and brainy, also boasts of a robust racing horse activity and turf club that must be the pride of the town.
Beauties...yes, Ipoh is well known for pretty girls and mind you brainy too. I remember during my undergraduate days while residing in 5th college of the University of Malaya, I used to hang around with a group of Ipoh lasses ... all so pretty one of whom was Bee Har. After a good 30 years we met each other at LCCT last year when I sent Esther off to Melbourne and she was then accompanying her daughter to the same destination. What a coincidence! And Bee Har did not look a day older...that was why I could recognise her. Life is full of surprises.





Just outside the town on the way back to KL, a neat row of lots offering local delicacies for tourists to pick was a most welcoming scenario. It's good that the local municipality has taken the initiative to adorn the town with attractive lots as these. Makes shopping pleasant and easy.
So, the day passed by fast and I remember Ipoh for her kuey toew soup, cendol and salted chicken. To come back to the town...hmm not so soon.

Ipoh's uncontested Kuey Teow soup

Delicious cendol

Yim Kok Kai fit for treats

A good day trip.