simplicity...

[Lance Yeoh]

Here's some pics of a typical wet market in Kuala Lumpur.



my poultry supplies comes from this stall.


my pork supply comes from this stall. He's almost sold out at the time I took this pic.

[Patricia Thornton]

Thank you for the pictures Lance! It looks like a really good market to me.

I think I read that at least one of the forum members goes to Smithfield from time to time and, although it is a wholesale meat market in London and therefore not typical, it would be interesting if they could take some pictures next time they are there, so we can all see what it's like.

One thing is certain, your weather will win hands down!

[Lance Yeoh]

Thank you for the pictures Lance! It looks like a really good market to me.

I think I read that at least one of the forum members goes to Smithfield from time to time and, although it is a wholesale meat market in London and therefore not typical, it would be interesting if they could take some pictures next time they are there, so we can all see what it's like.

One thing is certain, your weather will win hands down!

Patricia, the weather here is really hot at times especially during the dry spells, at times when the monsoon is blowing, it'll be raining almost every evening making outdoor activities like BBQs next to impossible. Just a couple of weeks back the whole country was blanketed by thick haze which blew over from forest fires in Indonesia due to the dry spell there. But other than that it's ok I guess. There are still times when I can't take the heat and will take my family up to the mountain holiday destination when the tempreture is much cooler and plants like strawberries are grown.

[Oddley]

hi Patricia Thornton, I don't think photography is allowed inside Smithfield. I can understand this, a flash going off at the wrong time and somebody could lose a finger of worse.

I did manage to find this image. Behind the shutters is the individual shops. You just walk down the central isle and stop and buy when the fancy takes you.

[Patricia Thornton]

Lance: When you talk of the weather you sound just like us Brits, we're seldom satisfied, whatever it's like. Here in Bulgaria, we've just had a couple of inches of snow so there's no chance of any BBQ and I don't even ski!


Oddley: Thanks for the picture I understand about knives. I assume that is a picture of the 'new' Smithfield market and nothing like I imagined. In fact, it looks more like a hospital corridor - perhaps a bit more clinical - but you must know what I mean.

I never did get to see inside the original Smithfield but did see the 'real' Covent Garden, Billingsgate and even Spitalfields and as I remember, none were anything like your photo. Of course when I was young, people didn't suffer from all the dreadful things they seem to these days (including Health & Safety Officers).

[saucisson]

Lance, in your second photo there are 2 or 3 jet black chickens (or other fowl!) can you tell us what they are/why they are so black?
Thanks,
Dave

[aris]

Lance, in your second photo there are 2 or 3 jet black chickens (or other fowl!) can you tell us what they are/why they are so black?
Thanks,
Dave

I believe there is a variety of chicken which is naturally like this - I remember seeing this on one of those cookery shows on the UK Food channel.

Here is some info:

http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/show ... 1RES060205

[Oddley]

Patricia, I still go to billingsgate and it isn't a shadow of it's former self. I have also seen the originals of all the London markets. Don't get me started...

As in the song "ain't it a shame".

[Lance Yeoh]

Patricia,
I guess everyone complains about the weather especially if it spoils our plans for a day out. hehehe

saucisson,
It is a variety of chicken, just that its black, the skin and the meat is black as well. Looks kinda weird at first to me as well. It is mainly used for traditional cooking with chinese herbs.

[Lance Yeoh]

I'll share some pics of a holiday destination in Malaysia with you guys, it's the place where I picked up my interest in sausage making actually. I was there on a holiday last year when I had some ok sausages there but they were not the ordinary 'rubbish disguised as sausages' you find in our supermarkets here. Those came with natural casing! So finally I had a feel of what sausages are like and one thing led to another and here I am today making better sausages than what you can get in the market. The place is Cameron Highlands and it started as a hill station years back when Malaysia was still under British rule. Some of the older houses there reflects british designs and some of the newer ones still do. I guess it like a theme or some sort now.

This is me with my daughter last year, behind us is one of the many tea plantations. The tea plantations here are more than a hundred years old thanks to the Brits as well.

This pic was taken just 2 months ago in one of the gardens there. You can't really plant those flower in our lowland tempretures, either they don't bloom or they'll die on you.

[Patricia Thornton]

Oddley: You must have meant to say that you went to the old markets when you were a child didn't you? But they certainly were wonderful places to wander around and now gone forever I guess.


Lance: Great photographs and congratulations on the beautiful daughter!

The Cameron Highlands look wonderful. I know just a little about the place because the Malaysian Government had/have a scheme for 'oldies' to retire out there; at the time we were looking for somewhere cheaper than the UK to live. The Cameron Highlands was one of the places I would have loved to have retired to - my fantasy included an old colonial tea planters house with wrap around verandah, the full works of course. As I remember, it was 'discovered' during a British map making expedition led by a man called Cameron, hence the name. Perhaps some of his descendants left his recipe for sausage making behind!

[Lance Yeoh]

Oddley: You must have meant to say that you went to the old markets when you were a child didn't you? But they certainly were wonderful places to wander around and now gone forever I guess.


Lance: Great photographs and congratulations on the beautiful daughter!

The Cameron Highlands look wonderful. I know just a little about the place because the Malaysian Government had/have a scheme for 'oldies' to retire out there; at the time we were looking for somewhere cheaper than the UK to live. The Cameron Highlands was one of the places I would have loved to have retired to - my fantasy included an old colonial tea planters house with wrap around verandah, the full works of course. As I remember, it was 'discovered' during a British map making expedition led by a man called Cameron, hence the name. Perhaps some of his descendants left his recipe for sausage making behind!

Hi Patty, that is one place I won't mind retiring in as well. In fact I told my wife I want to buy a place once I made enough and just have a laid back lifestyle instead of getting stuck in the rat race. We even discussed about actually quitting my job here and moving there to start a small business and running a small resthouse especially for church retreats. But I guess the time is not right just yet.

[Oddley]

Lance, The scenery there looks absolutely fabulous. I hope you get your wish and are able to retire there. Perhaps when your sausage empire comes to fruition...

Patricia, Some of my earliest memories are of the old billingsgate, my grandad use to take me to work there. Also my dad used to take me whilst he got fish for his stall. As I said the new billingsgate on the Isle of dogs is not a patch on the old one.

[Patricia Thornton]

You are certainly too young to retuire yet Lance, but I too, sincerely hope you make the Cameron Highlands!

[saucisson]

Thanks aris and Lance, those chickens certainly caught my eye, I thought they must be dyed in squid ink!.


Dave