MUZIUM SEJARAH / HISTORY MUSEUM
KEDAI BUKU TERPAKAI INDIA
INDIAN USED BOOKSTORE
Pendatang India dari Ramnadis di Tamilnadu, India Selatan dikatakan yang telah memulakan kedai perniagaan buku terpakai pada Zaman Kemelesetan lewat tahun 1920-an dan awal tahun 1930-an. Kedai-kedai ini membekalkan buku-buku sekolah terpakai disebabkan pada masa itu isi kandungan buku-buku sekolah tidak selalu berubah. Sasaran pembelinya adalah murid-murid sekolah yang tidak berkemampuan untuk membeli buku-buku sekolah yang baru. Selepas Perang Dunia ke-2 buku-buku lain seperti buku-buku cerita, buku-buku rujukan dan majalah-majalah turut dijual.
It is said that Indian immigrants from Ramnadis in Tamilnadu, South India started the Indian used bookstore, during the depression years of the late 20s and early 30s. They had a good supply of used school textbooks as in those days school textbooks do not change as often. Their target customers were the students who could not afford to buy new school books. After the Second World War, other books such as story books and various reference books and magazines were sold too.
KOPITIAM
‘KOPITIAM’
Kedai kopi dahulu kala dikenali dengan nama kopitiam yang diselenggarakan oleh orang-orang Cina Hainan dan Hock Chiew. Kopitiam merupakan tempat pertemuan pekerja-pekerja cina pendatang awal. Selepas sehari suntuk bekerja, mereka berkumpul untuk meminum kopi dan berehat serta bertukar-tukar khabar dan berita dari kampung (China). Boleh dikatakan inilah sesi untuk pekerja-pekerja pendatang ini beristirehat. Kemudian orang tempatan dan orang asing lain juga minum kopi di kopitiam. Lama kelamaan makanan-makanan seperti mi, kuih pau serta roti bakar yang disapu serikaya turut dihidangkan. Serikaya diperbuat daripada telur, gula dan santan yang dikukus selama beberapa jam.
IKopitiam was once a medium for the early Chinese immigrant workers to meet up and gathered for a good cup of drink, essentially coffee, to relax after tired at work while chatting and exchanging news from home (China). It used to be the Hainanese or Hock Chiew Chinese ran the kopitiam business. We can say that it was like ‘happy hours’ sessions for these immigrant workers. Then the idea caught up with the locals and even other foreigners who would enjoy their coffee at ‘kopitiam’. Gradually, hawker food such as noodles and steamed dumpling were also served as well as the popular egg custard spread (serikaya) on toast. ‘Serikaya’ is made from eggs, sugar and coconut milk and steamed for several hours.
