Commentary on Web Internet Piracy 🌐 Who Stole from Johor Kaki Blog?

Image credit: Wikipedia   

Who stole from Johor Kaki blog?

FoodAdvisor.my
GoodyFeed.com
StreetDirectory.com
Sgmycar.com
Sgmytrips.com
Rakyatnet.com
Etc 

Mentioning only some commercial sites. There are also copycat personal blogs (I shall leave them unnamed but why start a blog only to steal content? Isn't blogging about personal expression? 🤦‍♂️ ).

When the Customer is God of Fortune. Three Hawker Success Stories from Singapore, Malaysia & Taiwan

Public domain photo

Through the years of chatting with many hawkers, I enjoyed the privilege of hearing many interesting stories they shared. One of the things that struck me was how sometimes, just one honest comment from a customer can change the fortunes of food stalls or restaurants. During blogging, I came across a few and these are just three at top of my mind. (If you have other success stories, please share them with us.)

Sometimes, God of Fortune visits hawkers disguised as a picky customer 😄

Is Singapore Hawker Food Too Cheap or Too Expensive? Yes & Yes. Artisanal Hawkers Deserve More

Photo credit: Wikipedia

Bumped into the famous "Dr. Watch" while having brunch at Havelock Road Hawker Centre in Singapore. He is one of the watch experts Singapore courts tap on when they need a professional assessment on the authenticity of ultra luxury watches. He said that it is very difficult for a layman to discern between a $250,000 watch and a $500 clone.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting. What if there were Guard Dogs?

While out on my daily walk this morning, thoughts about Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School came into my mind. Most of us would have heard, read or saw the news about the latest mass shooting in the USA (on 14 Feb 2018 - Valentine Day). Over here in Singapore / Johor, most people view it with detachment as USA is a far away land. Maybe, the mass shootings bothered me a bit more because I have family over there.

Origins of Bak Kut Teh. Move over Malaysia and Singapore. Korea Invented BKT (A Satire on the Perennial SG / MY Dispute)

For the real history of Singapore bak kut teh 👈 click

For the real history of Klang bak kut teh 👈 click

This article below is a satire, so read on at your own risk. 

Huh?! 

Sounds absurd doesn't it?

Perhaps, perhaps not.

Re-imagine Possibilities at World Street Food Congress 2017 with Seetoh

This morning I met up with KF Seetoh of Makansutra for a Singapore style kopi (coffee) and breakfast at one of the homegrown food guru's favourite haunts.

10 Johor Kaki Posts you Like the Most in 2016

Google Analytics as at 26 Dec 2016

On 20 Dec 2016, Johor Kaki blog quietly celebrated it's fifth anniversary (actually I forgot lah 😂 ). I can't believe it's 5 years already. It seemed like yesterday - really. I appreciate your support since the day the blog was launched 5 years ago. It's your support that kept me going. It gives me the energy to keep doing the same thing and still feel fresh and energised everyday. With your support, Johor Kaki blog now consistently receives at least 30,000 page views a day leading to at least 1,000,000 page views a month. 

Who are Johor Kaki readers?

Most of you live in Singapore, followed closely by Malaysia residents. Readers from the USA and Australia are next, mostly people who once lived in Singapore or Johor and tourists. Indonesia residents make up the fifth largest group.

These are the posts you like the most in 2016 😃

A Vanishing Street Food in Singapore

Guess what food is this 😁

Michelin Star Meal for USD1.50? A French Revolution in Singapore 😆

It's been three days since the announcement on 21 Jul 2016 but I am still over the moon about Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodles 香港油雞飯麵 winning a Michelin Star in the inaugural Singapore Michelin Guide 2016.

I have a quirk of rooting for underdogs.

This is such an inspiring story in so many ways.

Ten Reasons to Cheer the Two Michelin Star Singapore Hawkers

Last night, culinary history was made in Singapore.

Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle 香港油雞飯麵 at Chinatown Food Complex and Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle 吊桥头大华猪肉粿条面 at Crawford Lane were both awarded One Michelin Star in the inaugural Singapore Michelin Guide 2016.

Did you Kill Singapore's Hawker Food Culture?

Credit

Yes, you.

Let's face it. Singapore's heritage hawker food is heading towards more serious trouble.

Because of you.

Future of Singapore Hawker Food Culture Interview (NUS USP)

Could you share with us your story on why you decided to go into food blogging?  

When I retired, I didn't have much resources except for my passion for photography, writing and eating :-D I also love travel and meeting people.  I asked myself what is the most good that I can do with the little that I have.

Copyright Violations - Blogger's Heartache & Headache

Last year, I was invited to sit on a panel discussing the issue of copyright at a bloggers and social media conference in Singapore. Much as I am honoured by the invitation, I regretfully declined.

I Hate Food Bloggers - Chef Jimmy Chok

Food blogger bashing is in the news again in Singapore :-D

The latest blast from Singapore Celebrity Chef Jimmy Chok :-D

Do New Hawker Centres Secure the Future of Singapore's Hawker Heritage?

I was chatting the other day with a friend about the future of our hawker heritage. She said most people she spoke with are optimistic about the future of Singapore's hawker heritage because the government is building more hawker centres.

What's the Singapore Hawker Scene got to do with the Story of Swiss Watch Industry? JK1238

The lack of continuity - very few young people willing to become hawkers - is often cited as the cause of decline of the Singapore hawker scene.

Singapore Food Centres and Hawker Culture • Hard Truths about the Future?

Disclaimer: Before you read any further, please note that I am just a casual observer, a Singaporean man in the street. I have never worked in the food and beverage industry. I have no affiliation with any corporation or government agency. But, I care passionately about our food heritage. I do write a food blog johorkaki.blogspot.com and in the process interact daily with hawkers, foodies, restaurateurs, and others in Singapore and Johor who know a lot than me about F & B. Bearing in mind my limitations, here are some of my thoughts on the future of Singapore street food and the hawker scene.

Best Top 50 Singapore Food Travel Lifestyle Blogs | Bloggers as at May 2015

Note: This list is outdated. Get the latest list of top Singapore blogs here <- click.

Before you read any further, please note that third party estimates like SimilarWeb (and Alexa) used in this ranking are very blunt tools.

What's Singapore Style Prawn Noodle Soup got to do with Louis Hartz's Fragments Theory?

Old Singapore style prawn noodle soup

Tracing the movement and stories of dishes as they migrate across the world is so fascinating!

What's Air Conditioning our Public Hawker Centres got to do with "No Egg" Char Kway Teow in Singapore?

"Let them eat cake." Marie Antoinette.

..........

What does it mean to "preserve our hawker heritage"?

In my humble opinion, our hawker heritage has two essential elements.

Food and people.

I feel it should be people first, then food.

Giving everyone access to daily sustenance is part and parcel of our hawker heritage. Cost of everything from rental, utilities to ingredients etc are kept low. (There is an imbalance between cost and price now, but that's another discussion for another day.)



Gratefully, our hawkers did marvellous things with simple ingredients and created the wonderful hawker food we now enjoy and value. Preservation of our hawker heritage obviously includes the tastes and flavours that we now so love.

Indeed, the discussion on preserving our hawker heritage has focused on the fabulous flavours and tastes of our hawker food, at times overshadowing the people aspect - the dimension of accessibility for all.



The direction has been to make eating hawker food more enjoyable for young Singaporeans which are deemed to shun public hawker centres. Young Singaporeans are the future customers of hawker food. If they won't eat at public hawker centres, it will be the end of that public institution and along with it, our treasured hawker heritage.

Two approaches have been broached.

One, use premium ingredients like making "prawn mee" with lobsters. As our country progresses, young Singaporeans are believed to have more discerning tastes.

Two, install air conditioning in public hawker centres as young Singaporeans are known to avoid these places because of the stifling heat and perpetually near 100% humidity.

We should do both of these things; premium ingredients and air conditioning. 

Premium ingredients address the taste, flavour and enjoyment aspects of preserving our hawker heritage. The higher margin also encourages more young people to enter the hawker trade. Air con addresses accessibility of public hawker centres for well-to-do Singaporeans. Oppressive heat is a form of oppression, no less.



Premium ingredients is a natural progression. 

Some of us are old enough to remember that char kway teow of old comes in the premium "with egg" and ordinary "no egg" versions. Some of us may even remember bringing our own eggs to the char kway teow stall to cut costs ;-D As our average disposable income increased, now "with egg" char kway teow is the default.

Similarly one day, lobster "hae mee" could be the default when average Singaporean disposable income reaches that level.

In the meantime, perhaps we could address preserving our hawker heritage holistically, which means also addressing accessibility for all, including less well-to-do Singaporeans.

Air conditioning is an optional cost.

Let's consider options of "with air con" and "no air con" in tandem with the general level of disposable income of average and also low income Singaporeans. In any case, private food courts already provide the "air con" option for well-to-do Singaporeans who need a more conducive eating place. I have no figures - does anyone know whether there are now more air con private food courts than no air con public hawker centres in Singapore?



Likewise for food, in the meantime, we can have the premium lobster version for those who can afford it, and the shrimp version for most of us. For example, Wah Kee at Pek Kio food centre have versions of prawn mee ranging from SGD3 to SGD35 (cough, cough nearly choked ;-p ).

We should phase out "no air con" hawker centres and ordinary prawn mee when there are no more Singaporeans who need them. Then "no air con" public hawker centres and ordinary prawn mee will naturally go the way of "no egg" char kway teow.

Hope we can have a fruitful discussion by sharing your views in the comments below ;-D

Date: 20 Apr 2015

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