Ha.. I had no special event during yesterday's Boxing Day. My friends were in elsewhere outside of Ipoh. Anyway, my mum called me to have a shopping spree with her in Ipoh city. With no intense aims yet I had spent RM150++ to buy some shirts and shoes.

This year Yuletide season in Ipoh was much disheartened. There were no special decoration in Ocean Supermarket, which finally be our adoption to go for. No breathtaking and majestic courtyard gardens here, demonstrating a vast different of scene and moderate feeling compared with the shopping mall in KL. The Christmas songs here were much bored and they were kept on replaying. Besides this, I can hardly find some showcased christmas items like christmas tree, baubles, christmas pudding, gingerbread, roasted turkey or chicken, etc. The even worse thing was no single santa claus or santarina was around to give free gifts to the shoppers, especially for our joyful children.

But, actually they should not be blamed. I can strongly feel the tremendous effect due to last few years economic recession, and it is seemed haven't leave the darkest days behind our citizens in Ipoh. Our citizens here still have the lower purchasing power, where they need to be cautious and double-thinking before spending even a single penny. Life is not easy to sustain for citizens in Ipoh. That's why the supermaket authorities need to cut down their cost even during this joyous occasion.

But, if I say that Malaysians are still stuggling for a better life after the economic downturn, this might be untrue if we see the scenario and environment in the big city like KL for the same occasion. Klang Valley citizens are much affluent and more keen in spending money during this festival season. Let's take Mid Valley Megamall as example. You can notice that the megamall is crowded with people either during weekday or weekend since long time ago before the Christmas celebration. Every shop lots, cafes, food and beverage restaurants, hypermarkets or supermarkets are full with people from all age range. The environment there is much much joyous and delighting, where we can "sense" the mood of excitement among the citizens in celebrating the birthday of Jesus Christ. They can spend the whole day strolling through enchanting courtyards and gardens laced with magical christmas song, having the sumptuous meal in a majestic restaurant with cool apparel and embroidered pant or skirt, as well as chatting or having happy hours with family and buddies, where the air is infused with the laughs and jests.

I'm wondering if the new generations like us who have shifted to KL and plan to stay and work permanently there, who should be assigned the responsibilitis to develop our hometown? If this situation is ignored for another few decades, how much the gap of standard lifestyle level will be between other big cities and our small town? And at that time who will know what Ipoh Tauges is?