Nothing beats the scent of roasted coffee beans on a cold and chilly Saturday morning especially when you are at the scene of the crime and the master brewer is there to whip up his signature creation. To add spice to the euphoric atmosphere, there's the aroma of probably the best char kway teow in pj at the same place. People might be wondering if this might seem a little too utopian but in reality this place really does exist in a quaint, tranquil and almost forgotten part of the city.

It was just another one of those treasured weekend mornings where i decided to venture out and explore things since life is already pretty mundane with nothing else but work. Since the 'prancing pony a.k.a my white MyVi' needed to go for her scheduled appointment with the car doctor at the sleepy hollow of pj old town, i thought it might be a great idea to go explore the sights and sounds of this forgotten area of town by foot.

Starting off with the walk from the garage, the frangipani trees which shade the roadsides really give the area a nostalgic feel. Pretty much like what you would experience 20 to 30 years ago i guess. It's an atmosphere you would hardly experience nowadays with almost every tree in the city being chopped down in the name of modernisation and progress. Advancing each step, you'll see old buildings and retro houses on each side of the road which reminded me of the place where i once grew up in Ipoh. Pretty surreal to an extent.

Reaching the heart of pj old town @ jalan othman, there's the old school market where the hustle and bustle of life is seen. It's quite a unique scene especially when you'll see loadsa old sundry shops lining each side of the road interplaced with ah beng owned car tuner garages. A real mix of the old and the new. Not to forget are the traditional pet shops which are in abundance around the area. I guess people pass their time here by breeding pets since most people who live here are octogenerians.

My destination was none other than a rumoured to be 100 year old, traditional family owned coffee shop right smack in the middle of the town center. It is for years that this coffee shop has served as a venue for the folks of this area to have friendly banter, gossip about their neighbour's weird habits and voice their thoughts on politics. For the non-resident like me, this place is one heck of a watering hole since it serves coffee which totally rocks even though it ain't my dear Illy which still is number one. Having traditional toasted Hainan bread with telur setengah masak with Kopi ais just does the job. If that isn't good enough, throw in a plate of char kway teow. That will set you up for the rest of the day with a big grin on your face.

It is while waiting for my coffee and food that i started to reflect on life. While scrolling through my phone, an old hunched back auntie in her seventies or eighties tugged me on the back and asked me for cash. Without saying a word, she left me before i could reach for my pocket and walked across the road to her next destination. That was quite a strange encounter. Needless to say, I asked myself, where were her children or her family members? Is anyone caring for her? Does she have a roof over her head? More importantly, does she know that there's a God who cares for her and died for her that she may have a purposeful life?

After the meal, there was the journey back to the garage to collect the 'prancing pony'. This time round i decided to use another route through the housing area. Passing each house, cottage industries were abundant, from people selling eggs to car seat artisans, you could probably find a whole load of stuff here that you wouldn't find right smack in the middle of KL. On crossing a bridge, there was a scenic view of the old town with the backdrop of the new pj town. The only word which came into my mind was transition. As i sat and stared at the scene for a while, it just reminded me of what i'm stuck in, a point of transition. The scene just pretty much paints a picture that says the past is the past and life must carry on.

As i arrived back at the garage, the 'prancing pony' was given her jabs and ready to run again. It wasn't too pleasing when i found out that she burnt quite substantial hole in my pocket for loadsa small 'prostheses' which needed replacements. All said and done, it was a great morning and an excellent start to a weekend!