The change is telling, especially since the younger generation is unwilling to take up menial, sweaty jobs like these and the older, still dependent on it for their continued livelihood.
Some customers like to make small talk and tease this foreign"street chef" a little every now and then ,some praising him openly about how "Ho Liao"(Great Stuff) he is to be able to whip up Penang char mee and mee hoon with such apparent ease and authenticity.
I think I startled him and caught him offguard when I took his picture, until the mee that he was cooking turned out a shade lighter than the first batch.
This led another lady customer who had just arrived, to poke fun at him. He smiled and shrugged his shoulders at her in return because he probably hasn't picked up that much Hokkien yet.
Comparing the colour of the noodles to his skin tone, she asked him how he could dish out such a light batch , when he himself was so Orr (dark). Some would say that this is an uncalled for comment made in bad taste,racist even, others would be mighty offended.
But I think if Penangites can embrace him and not discriminate against his cooking, it just takes a little more time,for us to learn to be more sensitive and stop making a joke out of such unkind, hurtful comments to others.
Anyway I tapaued two packets that cost $1.20 each home.
You won't even know a Bangla cooked this. It tastes like a typical Penangites handiwork.
No wonder some local girls are falling head over heels in love and romancing these gentlemen most unabashedly.
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