The Roti Man

We used to wait for the roti man to come to our house during the evenings. Mom would want to buy bread for tomorrow's breakfast, while we, the kids, would like to buy junk food like Mimi, Chickedees, Kum Kum and so much more. Sometimes, mom would buy rectangle buns with coffee cream to keep as snacks in case we are hungry.
You still see this bread peddler with great balancing skills riding around housing estates, be it in big city or small town.
This is part of Malaysia.

Uncle Choong

If you have seen my previous post on Uncle Mun, you would know that Uncle Choong is another friend of Ben's dad.

My first impression of this man is that he looks like Choy Sun Ye (Prosperity God) for Chinese or Santa Claus for Christian. He is generally round with full long beard. He has got bright eyes and bushy eyebrows. For a person like me, who is really bad at studying a person's features (because I am shy by nature, ek eheh..), I thought I did quite well by capturing their faces. I had to. I spent the whole hour++ sitting there studying them.
Anyway, Uncle Choong is an entrepreneur and similar to Uncle Mun, he too has limited education. He knows no English or Malay. His bills were written by qualified engineers under his instruction. Projects that are deemed not do-able by many has been proven successful under his hands. His name is so famous within the industry that graduates/scholars wanted to be his apprentice. Need I say more?
But from what I could discern, I don't think you can learn how he does things. It is more like applying his spirit. The never say can't and never give up spirit. He would stay up all night thinking of a solution to his problem. He would knock on your doors at 4am to tell you he found the solution and hope to get it done. That's what differentiate him from the scholars. You can't acquire this from books. You have to apply it.
Uncle Choong's favourite quote since the 70s : "People has already managed to travel to the moon, what else can't be done?". Can you?

Thank you!

As I sit here typing away anything I want to say, without reserve. I can't help feeling lucky and thankful that I have all I need. I have beautiful musics that accompanies me whenever I am and whatever I am doing. I have good books to lull me to sleep or entertain me when I am bored. I have great people surrounding me, some ensured I am pampered, while others ensured I get my fair share of life's lessons. I have work (including these blogs I am maintaining) and hobbies to keep me going. And when all else fail, I have my imagination to give me all that is lacking in my life. From the bottom of my heart, I am thankful for I am still living today. Thank you!

Uncle Mun

It was raining on Saturday night. I followed Ben to fetch his father from a gathering with his old friends. Friends he had known and worked with since 1972. When we were there, we were told to join them for a drink. Sitting beside Ben's father was Uncle Mun.
Uncle Mun is not an engineer. Neither is a degree holder. But do not underestimate Uncle Mun. He may not have been well educated, but back then, the general public all over Malaysia may not have the opportunity to taste soda crackers without him. No, he is not a baker. He is the man that engineered machine that could mass produce soda crackers. There is no formulated calculations, nor is there blue prints to build the machines. Everything was done through trial and error. Resources and technology back then was limited, but what he possesses were homo sapiens basic creativity and determination. Traits that all of us possessed but failed to develop. As we sat there drinking and listening to them lamenting about all the knocks and bruises they tackled along the walks of life, I kept asking myself 2 questions.

1. Did we ever asked the elders in our family about their story?
So many things we could learn from people so near us, but why are we looking so far away from them?

2. How have we digress?
How many times have you heard people lamenting their fortune and destiny instead of fighting for their goal?

I kept studying their faces, Uncle Mun, Ben's father and Uncle Choong. They may not be the richest tycoon or most famous celebrity, but you see their pride and integrity as clear as the sun. I wish their legacy could be passed on to the next generation. Not the machines, but their spirit.

There isn't really a need to buy books to learn about philosophy and life, as long as you are willing to sit and have a drink with the golden citizens.