Compiled by C.ARUNO, NAN HIDAYAT NAN AZMIE and R. ARAVINTHAN
WITH stalls selling traditional biscuits and snacks winding up due to declining business, one operator in Seremban, Negri Sembilan, who has been trading for nearly five decades, refused to give up.
Today, Paper Green is the only stall still selling traditional biscuits and snacks at Pasar Besar Seremban, making it a favourite destination for those looking for sweets and biscuits that were popular during their childhood, reported Sin Chew Daily.
Its owner, Liu Mei Juan, started working at the shop for her parents when she was just 13 back in 1978.
In total, Liu said she has been in the trade for 48 years.
Liu continues to buy sweets and biscuits in bulk before mixing them into smaller packets for sale.
She added that most of her customers were regulars, many of whom first came to the stall with their parents, but are now visiting with their children and grandchildren.
Many of them, she said, were seeking the flavours that reminded them of their childhood.
Asked about the gradual disappearance of stalls selling traditional snacks, Liu attributed it to changing tastes among customers.
“Times are changing. I will just do my part well,” she said.
Due to her age and declining stamina, Liu opens the stall only between 6am and 2pm.
Liu added that the work was not merely a business but a way for her to serve as a link between her customers and their childhood.
> A man from Guangdong, China, who was seen walking his daughter down the aisle during her wedding, went viral on Chinese social media for his youthful appearance, reported Sin Chew Daily.
It was only when he handed his daughter to the groom that their relationship became obvious, leading many to say that he looked more like the bride’s elder brother than a father.
It was later revealed that the father was actually 41 years old and his daughter was 21 this year.
When interviewed later, the father admitted that he was often mistaken for being his daughter’s sibling or boyfriend, adding that he was used to such situations.
Asked how he maintains a youthful appearance, he replied: “maintaining a positive mindset, getting enough sleep and exercising regularly”.
Many Internet users praised the father for taking good care of himself and said that he did not look 41.
(The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.)
