"Whatsamacallit" - 27 May 2013

 A 3-month exhibition, ie "A Tin Mining Family" at an iconic heritage building in the Falim town, Ipoh.

The story of Falim House, built in the 1920s, was the residence of tin mining tycoon, Foo family until the late 1990s.

In the adjacent land to the Falim House, the Tin City Ipoh development project is transforming this sleepy town to a vibrant commercial centre. The developer, at least, promised to preserve this heritage building.

The Towkay Foo was, at that time, looked upon as the richest overseas Chinaman in the world!

An intriguing object - nobody knew what it was, so it was called "Whatsamacallit". Perhaps the Chinese overheard the British curious about what you might call it, and thus the name sticked since then.

Inside Falim House

Different sections in the tin gallery covering the towkay's lifestyle, mining hall, old hawkers of Malaya and the "Silver Screen" (the mining towkays owned the cinema halls back then!)

Falim town will soon be turned into another mixed development hub in Ipoh. Modern shopping complexes and high-rise buildings will change the landscape of this quaint town. We could still see a row of old shophouses across the Falim House, as a reminder of the tin mining history of Ipoh. My husband has much fond memories eating at a dim sum restaurant here with his family in his childhood. 

Escaping from the heat in the afternoon at an old Ipoh coffee shop. 

Savouring the famous Ipoh creme caramel - it's simply to die for and if you get there any later than the normal lunch hours, most often they would have sold out. Why did it taste so good here?? It must be the water from the limestone hills.