Curious trade

Street barber

Pic: A barber plying his craft at a roadside corner. Not many such trades exist nowadays with modern barbers preferring to offer clients creature comforts such as air-conditioning, loud blaring music, expensive range of hairstyling solutions and the most modern hairstyling equipment money can buy. But here one will find this man continuously servicing satisfied customers who don't mind a fast, cheap and fuss free hair cut. He even provides services such as mole removal, ear wax clearing and as usual the good old razor shave.

Old trades die hard and even thrive here at Petaling Street. Whereas high rental are forcing other places of business to either increase prices or go out of business, nothing more is needed here but some space and the basic tools of the trade. You'll find rarely seen occupations here, a far cry from the slick and ultra-modern urbane look elsewhere in the metropolitan city. Next to this old time barber is a man offer knife and scissors sharpening for a few Ringgit (less than USD1) with his millstone, by the corner old style chettier (Indian money lenders) who still sit in wearing their dottis, cross-legged on the floor while discussing terms of lending and the ever present fortune teller armed with their charts, predictions and advise. Soon all these may be a thing of the past with no interest from younger generations and much less economic incentive to continue on, the cultural fabric will be a less colourful one i bet.