Chow Kit Road! Chow Kit Road!

Chow Kit Road... Chow Kit Road.. Chow Kit Road-Chow Kit Road...
Di tengah Bandaraya, yang miskin dan yang kaya,
Dari segala bangsa tua atau muda,
Ada yang berkereta, ada yang jalan saja,
Ada yang cuci mata, aha ha ha ha ha!

Wonder why it begins with CKR? No, its not CKR's anniverssary.. Today, I am reveiling how I am closely related to CKR.

If you are not aware with the latest Charity thingy I am working on, please search "Gift Of Love" on facebook. Our next activity will be supporting a Charity Sale organized by KL Sogo Starz Studio which will be on the 30th April 2011 for Rumah Nur Salam - a home for children who are originally from Chow Kit,  children who have come to the area from other parts of Malaysia, who may have been trafficked, or who may be refugees. Most children come from one-parent homes, and many are the children of sex workers and/or drug addicts. In addition, many of the children do not have documents such as birth certificates or identity cards; some are stateless and unable to attend regular schools..

CKR is very near to my home and its always the place people would go to buy their daily gorceries. Batu Road Supermarket, Keramat Supermarket and Hankyu Jaya are the 3 giant supermarket we had in KL back in the 80's till 90's.

I remember my grandfather at the age of almost 60+ he still walks to CKR. When I ask him "Ah Kong! khe ti ko? (Where are you going??) he would joyously reply "Chow Kek Lot (Chow Kit Road)! Ai khe mai??! (Wanna come??!)". And I will shake my head really hard with a smile.. He will walk to and fro ok! no joke! ya, those days people would walk to almost everywhere.

I meet up with Carol Lee last month when I was working on the Charity Sale for Qistina, the moment she mentioned about Rumah Nur Salam, I quickly gave my commitment.

The moment I mention CKR, I'm sure many of you would instantly imagine the 'back lane', the prostitute and the list goes on and on but have you actually stop to think about those children who were born in that particular place? children of prostitutes maybe? What do you think they are doing? how do they survive each day? and who will they grow up to be? One might say.. How good can they turn out to be? living in that kind of place?

How do you relate yourself to a place so common to every single person who was born and live in Kuala Lumpur? how close have you come to living IN CKR? Have you even lived there before? ya ya.. i can see you are shaking your head! of course not! well, I HAVE!

Many years ago, when I was about 9 years old (a little bit older than Yasmeen) I ran off to meet up with my father who was then staying temporarily with a friend while thinking of what to do next. I went to see him tagging my brother KAI along, he missed him dearly upon returning from Brunei. (Never mind why he went to Brunei.) I spend the night with my father @ his friends place and then later realize that its been more than a few nights. After successfully, escaped from my mum (who came trying to bring me home), with some cash left, we stayed in a cheap hotel. 'Hotel Hawaii'. It was when we stayed there that I got the experience living around CKR area. We bought breakfast @ the CKR Market, Dinner @ the stalls just around the corner and sometimes just have an evening walk around the area of CKR.

One day, My father ran out of cash. My brother ran out of milk. We missed lunch. The night before I went to the stall we used to patron and ask for plain porridge for my baby brother. I shared with him.. a little..small bowl la.. and my father just watched from far just to make sure we weren't kidnapped.

I met a girl about my age I think, I can't remember her name. I suddenly have this crazy idea to go beg for money. She said "OK! I come with you". I was a little afraid.. what if someone I know saw me, What would they say and do? but I really don't have any choice so, we did.  I took KAI together, put him on my lap and we just sat there.. 3 of us, at the pedestrian bridge, at night hoping for some generous people to give us some money. Not long after that came a couple. From the way the female dress, I think she is a night club GRO.. I think la.. when this old man wanted to pass us some money, she said "Don't give! all this cheating people's money!" and they left. That was the first ever experience becoming a begger at the age of 9! We got some money that night 2 ringgit I think. I bought goreng pisang for my father and bring it back to him. He asked where do i get it from I just said that little girl friend of mine gave. (she live in one of the room in the same hotel). My father didn't know I went out begging. He never knew.

When I came back to CKR after spending a few years in Malacca.. also with a different story altogether, I was a teenager looking for a job. I worked as a Sales Girl @ Batu Road Supermarket, where I met for the first time my Uncle (my mum's brother) who also worked in the same supermarket.

When I walk around CKR today, it always reminds me of the happening in my life. I could have been there much longer but destiny had taken me out from there. I could have stuck there and do not know what to do but to loiter around begging for money, I could end up like on of those people you see standing at the staircase and the list of 'I could have' is so long its, unimaginable.

I am not ashamed to be telling people my personal experience in CKR area. Its a proof that people who was there once, spending a part of their life there don't have to remain there. With a little help, more and more children who was born in CKR will have a better life quality. With a little act of kindness, they know that the public did not descriminate them. They are young innocent children and they need guidance, assistance, help, support and love.

Myself and a couple of friends are planning to visit Rumah Nur Salam tomorrow to better understand their needs and the situation in Rumah Nur Salam.

I am not Very successful but I am well off in my own way and I would want to give back to the community as part of my contributions to the people  I don't know but who needs it. I may not be able to offer money.. but I can offer my time, my effort and My Love..

How about you?