Petaling Street

The honking of cars passing by
As people move out of the way
In the sultry hot weather
The smell of sweat permeates the air
Mitigated by the smells of delicious hawker fare
Pushcarts, laden with roast duck
The yummy ham cheen pang and its companions
Emitting the aroma of fried food
The corner chee cheong fun
Fight for space in the arena of smells
Not forgetting the many food shops
On both sides of the street
In front of them are the drink stalls
Sugar cane water, loong ngan drinks
And the silken smooth tau foo fah
Ais batu champur topped with jagung
Ice balls dripping with syrupy pink
Then there is the fragrance of fresh flowers
And more stalls selling luscious fruits –
Apples, pears, grapes and persimmons
Freshening the air once more
What a feast of sight, sounds and smells
Intoxicating my thoughts and dreams
As I made my way to Mandarin classes
At the Kwong Siew School for the English-educated –
Such are my fond memories of Petaling Street
The Chinatown of my childhood days.