Remember we were back in Ipoh for the Chinese New Year celebrations get-together not too long ago? Oh my, it’s been almost a month since CNY, time passes by really quickly, huh?! So yea, we passed by this very old shop along one of the streets perpendicular to Cockman Street - I didn’t get the street name - and I saw this ancient herbal tea dispenser standing outside this very old shop.
We don’t get to see such herbal tea (or water) dispenser anymore today, do we? So I automagically whipped my camera from my bag and took a picture of it. The owner of the shop saw me taking pictures of the dispenser, and then guess what he did?
He invited us into the shop and showed us other stuff that I could take pictures of! And since it wasn’t everyday that I got invited into an old shop by an equally old owner, I jumped at the opportunity. I was already thinking about the antique stuff that I’d be able to find inside the shop!
So yea, this is how a shop selling traditional chinese medicines looks like from the outside. We don’t see those glass cabinets anymore, do we? We now have fancy racks and shelves and what-nots to display our products.
And the owner of the shop, he was a very good host. He showed us around, prompting me to snap pictures of this and that. He even asked me to look at this very old framed picture hung on the wall in his shop. I asked him whether he was in the picture, and he said yes. And while he was showing us which one was him, I took a picture of him. Now this looks like one of those pictures you see on TV and papers, no? Kekkeke…
And when we walked into the shop, guess what he asked me to take a picture of?!
The antique cash register that he was still using in his shop! And I was surprised that it was still functioning! So we got him to demonstrate how to use the machine and he willingly obliged 
Instead of punching in an amount like in modern-day cash registers that we see today, he pulled the little handles on the machine according to the denominations of the amount. And when he was done with “entering the amount”, he turned the dial on the right a full circle, and that sort of registered the amount. Then the words “NOT REGISTERED” on the dashboard will turn to “REGISTERED”. Click on the picture to see some notes on it (opens in a new window).
Boy, it was indeed an eye opener and we left the shop grinning
P/S: You may want to see some pictures of Ipoh as compiled by Jenn. Nostalgic, I tell you.
If you think this post might benefit other bloggers:
Oh boy
That is a real antique cash register machine
Its all these contraption that builds the machines that we have now
It’s like watching a revolution altogether
pelf: I would say it was an eye opener because I’ve never seen something like that
Hey Sis
1- I bet the guy probably thought you were tourists LOL…..
2- The road name was hillarious
3- I’ve seen those drink dispensers with traditional Chinese herbal drink vendors.
pelf:
1- But don’t I look Chinese enough? But my Mum sure does!
2- Hahhaha, maybe that was why it was later renamed to “Jalan Dato’ Onn Jaafar”? Such a long road name..
3- Ouh, OK.. And I thought they’re becoming extinct :)
Haha, the man and the shop should be put in a museum
pelf: Hhaahha
But at least he wasn’t mean.. In fact, he was very nice to us 
BTW you don’t have have to do the meme
it is just a matter of links and rankings. I enjoyed myself though and it took me a whopping TWO hours. Oh..that Cely woman hahahahahahahah, she tagged me.
pelf: I will do it, for the fun of it, right? But I’d probably take longer than 2 hours