Of Leong and the Market on Wheel...

While the political scene is getting hotter day by day and with the high election fever, soon things would get delirious and the real world would be forgotten for a while . That is the reality of politic. While the politicians are up in the air in their world, let us turn down to earth to the reality of the everyday happening. But do not forget the Polling Day this March 8, 2008 which is around the corner and get to the Polling Station early to make your choice. But before that do check and see whether you are eligible to vote. Go here for that.

For today let me bring to you to the reality of our lives in the suburban of Ampang Jaya. The happening that I am relating could be of anywhere in the modern Malaysian society. That is the reality. For a while let us leaves the politician to their world and we to our world. This story is about Leong, or Mamat or Mutusamy or Christopher or any Malaysian for that matter. He is part of our lives. No, not our lives alone but in a way the lives of the community as well. In fact Leong and his father Ah Loy before him has become a sort of an institution to us, not only in this community of Ampang Jaya but other housing estates as well. Let us just say that 'Leong' is everywhere where there are people living in this suburban environment, the housing estate that most of us call home.

It has been a really hot and humid day but as usual without failed Leong arrived. The Store on Wheel that has been a familiar sight as long as I could remembered. He announced his daily arrival with the peculiar sound of his car horn. At times my spouse would alert me if need be when she hear the sound of the horn. As usual folks would come out of their home and soon crowd around that small mobile store. Chatting with one another while buying whatever they wanted for the day's meal. Leong always brought varieties of fresh fish and as usual I would buy fish and chat we him. He inherit this mobile store from his father, Ah loy and took over when his father pass away some years ago. The late Ah loy was not only a regular feature who brought the store to our house but over times he became a friend as well, that you would want to exchange notes of the happening while doing your purchase. He was a good businessman and now his son Leong is carrying on that unique business. The Market on Wheel.

I got most of my seafood like fish, prawn, cuttle fish and other seafood from Leong, whereas for meat and chicken I got it from the wet market at Datuk Keramat. The reason I got all my seafood from him is that he always brought in fresh seafood and of high quality. I always bought extra and kept it in my freezer, so that it would be easy on my spouse to think of what to cook on any days. Now with the cell phone I would just SMS him to made an order, or when I need other things urgently I would just call him and ask him where is now at that moment in time or has move from his particular location on one of the road to to another location around the housing estate and told him of what I wanted. And if he is not that far away I would drive and get the goods or he would deliver it on his way home. His shop on wheel stored almost everything that you need for your daily cooking and that includes Chicken, Fish, Vegetables, Fruits and other cooking essential like herbs and the this and that of Asian cooking. In fact his mobile store is just like the retail store or the supermarket but on a smaller scale. But this one move around. In a way instead of you going to the store, the store comes to you. Actually it made things easy for the housewives, for they do not really have to leave their home to shops. It is also becoming a place to meet the neighbors for a short chat while doing the purchases. In short this store on wheel has become a sort of an institution that we can't live without. It is becoming a culture of a sorts. A truly Malaysian one. BTW do you have a 'Leong' around your place!!. What a great service this 'Leong' did to the community. Have a nice day.