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Growing Up On Jalan Ali Pitchay - Part 2
Places of interest in Ipoh back then
The most interesting place I can remember well from my childhood was going to what we know today as Banjaran Hot Springs. The place was owned by the landlord who rented the shop to us at Jalan Ali Pitchay, he stayed on the first floor of the shop next to ours. He loved children, so sometimes between Monday to Friday we’d follow him to the hot spring as he goes there on a daily basis to run his business and when he returns we’d follow him back.
You can say we grew up seeing how the place developed, how it was established, when the first hotel came to be, experiencing all that but as a child, we didn’t know anything back then until the place was developed by developers. Even today, I can still recognize the spots where we’d used to be. There also used to be a spot for a natural sauna, not the man made type at a corner where the heat and steam was released.
Interestingly there was also bowling at the location, cave bowling to say. I can still remember how the machine that waxes the bowling balls worked; where one would drop the credit / money into the machine, put the ball in, close the lid and it would automatically wax the ball. There were about two lanes back then and the owners built it themselves but of course these were of Western origins and most of the equipment came from there. I don’t know why no one talks about it today though.
Along Jalan Ali Pitchay there was also a very special place, the first disco in Ipoh called Apple Jam. I remember this one group who sang at the disco almost every night, I’d always laugh at them because of their hairstyle, and they were none other than the Alleycats. The disco was located where Kong Brothers Travel Agency is today.
Father and Kah Foh Medical Hall
His father, Lian Chit Sin was very active in the Chinese physician and druggist association where he did most of what we’d call public relations work today. He was also quite active in the Ka Yin Association but according to Kim Keong he was more active than his father in terms of associations where he was the president of the Young Entrepreneur’s Association. Apart from being part of the associations, his father enjoyed hunting as well where he’d go fishing and hunting every weekend.
When Kah Foh medical hall was opened, none of his father’s siblings helped with the shop, the only one that helped was Kim Keong’s cousin brother who picked up knowledge on TCM where he is also running a Chinese medicinal shop today.
In terms of staff, we had 3 who were helping out at the shop. The staff back then didn’t need / want wages, as long as there was a place for them to stay and meals provided for them; that was good enough. Usually they’re those who’ve come from a town or village that’s too far for them to go home to, so all they’d ask for is; “Are meals provided? Is lodging provided?”, and with that my father would also give them some pocket money for them to spend on essentials. Compared to how things are today, the relationship between the staff and our family were much closer.
In terms of outlook, Kah Foh medical hall back then looked one step ahead of other medicinal halls / shops as it had an 80s look in the 70s which gave it a more modern outlook. When he took over the shop in the 90s after his father’s heart attack, Kim Keong made immediate changes to it, turning it from a medical hall to a friendlier convenient store whilst continuing with traditional Chinese medicine. Although they were selling other goods, the main focus was still towards TCM as he believes that aprt from selling herbs, it can also help people with ailments that they have as an alternative to western medicine.
*photographs from left to right
1) A staff of Kah Foh attending to customers
2) Mr. Lian Chit Sin and his mercedes in front of Kah Foh
3 to 5) Photographs taken at the 50th anniversary of the Chinese Physicians and Druggist Association (Dr. Ho Kai Cheong - the man who started Ho Yan Hor tea can be seen in these photographs)
6) The members of the Kay Yin Association, 1980
To go back to Part 1, click here.
To see coloured photos of a traditional Chinese funeral, click here.