A few years ago, I was told, by a Pakistani worker, who worked 10 years in my in-laws' factory, that I looked like a Pakistani!
A few days ago, I was at an antique shop in Penang. The old lady’s Cambodian maid told me that I looked like her uncle! I told her probably, she is homesick and that is why I seem to look like her uncle.
The lady (74) actually came out from behind the shop, using her walking frame. We were discussing with her husband for some time and she could not resist being involved. It was later, when her husband left the shop, that she explained she had operations done, to correct her osteoporasis condition, which costed over Rm100,000.
In the course of bargaining and exchange of personal details, she really took to us –initially because she is Hakka like my wife, she spoke Hokien like most Penangites to a Hokien me, and she shared the same surname as my wife, Lee! But what endeared her to me was she pointed to me and said she knew I ‘sek’ her, like what my sole surviving sister used to say to me.
I really appreciate the little things she offered with sincerity. First, the nyonya jewellery, which my wife was interested in, was reduced by almost 50%. Ok, this was business bargaining but I know my wife knew a thing or two about nyonya jewellery and wouldn't buy unless she thinks it is a bargain.
Then, she talked about how she cooked assam laksa (my wife’s favourite) which can attract those three shops away. She actually asked the maid to bring out the Siamese meehoon that goes with it and offered to us, then, a small tub of prawn paste. She even taught us how to clean silver jewellery by using a liquid imported from USA.
We were shown her family photos from when her parents got married, her photos when younger, and even those of her children and grandchildren. Some recognisable people in the photos included HK actress nicknamed ‘sam ku cheh’, the Singaporean actor who acted as Phua Chu Kang’s brother (real life, famous for donating his kidney to his girlfriend?), ex-badminton ace, Eddy Choong and ex-CM, Koh Tsu Koon. She said she had pictures taken with Endon Abdullah too, because of her connection with nyonya dresses.
Later, she showed us a mini gramophone called Mikky, made in Japan. This had to be seen to believe. It was actually the size of a tissue box, yet can play old records (speed 78 rpm?). The sound comes from a small speaker (2-inch diameter) with a needle, attached to an arm. The rotating base consists of 3 metal arms. It has to be wound using a handle and no electricity needed. The sound of song and music played was typically nostalgic of that era. It was going for Rm1,200, seems good value for something so rare and almost unique.
Later, she could not resist showing us her other bigger gramophones, one made in Hong Kong and another, HMV, made in Britain which was not for sale.
Before they closed up for the day, we were told to ring the bell even if the shop is closed, whenever we want to visit the shop again. We have made new friends, not just business acquaintance.
Pictures of Mikky gramophone
From the internet, Joe Winstanley had this to say:
With an acoustic gram, you are listening as direct to the singer as is physically possible in recorded media. It's true these systems are very coloured, pretty noisy (and not just the thorn needle pick-up; the mechanical racket coming off the old pre-War Garrard was quite astonishing) and somewhat limited dynamically.
There is no electronic processing at all - the singer sang into a 'trumpet' at one end of the recording chain and the sound waves were cut direct to wax, and from this the records were stamped.
I personally could not live day-to-day with the compromises, but I was surprised by how good this old, purely-acoustic method of reproduction can sound.
Joe Winstanley is interested in anything and everything to do with early 78rpm recording and, if you can help him with his collection please email: classifieds@hi-fiworld.co.uk and we'll pass the information on to him.
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