'tis a real pleasure reminiscing about all things Ipoh. My childhood memories of that part of Ipoh are still quite vivid eventhough I'm now a tad long in the tooth, so to speak. After all, I'd lived on that same piece of land since I was a toddler until I was 22, when I left for the big smoke.

You're correct, too, about the trail-blazing shopping mall at the basement of the complex (I think it was called Basement Shopping Centre). My eldest sis opened the first unisex beauty and hairdressing salon there. In fact, whilst I was working for Green Fern (from 6pm to 2am), I was simultaneously completing my hairdressing diploma there (actually just a glorified term for working for peanuts, from 9am - 5pm). Rich wives, mistresses, pimps and gigolos wearing lots of bling as well as those exotic Latin Quarter dancers and escorts mainly made up the patrons at the salon. The occasional visiting film stars and celeb singers did primp themselves in front of the mirrors, too.

Luen Seng was my family's regular place for eating out as their steamboats and curry (dry and soup) dishes were scrumptious and reasonably affordable. Also, my then-teenage brothers and his mates found the place a good hunting ground for potential girlfriends to 'tackle'. As well as my parents' 25th wedding anniversary dinner, three of my siblings had their lavish wedding dinners at Kok Kee in the 70s, hence my referring to Luen Seng as Kok Kee's poor cousin.

As for those arrogant big shots firing shots at all and sundry for the most trivial excuses, well, let's say the shooting incident at the doorstep of Green Fern coffeehouse was attended by cops who were summarily dismissed and shooed away by that trigger-happy VIP's two burly bodyguards. There were no charges laid, of course. The poor, unfortunate guy who parked there was just a delivery man doing an urgent delivery. To add insult to injury, he was made to push his flat-tyred car away in front of the jeering crowd, with the help of a very nervous duty manager and waiters from the coffeehouse.

All said, the fountain "Yeh Kong Booi" was still where I most enjoyed spending evening hours with my siblings, especially during twilight, when the lights came on. It was also a favourite place for courting couples then. Yep, as teenagers, we did nick the occasional goldfish or two from the water. :)