The World Of Tzu Chi(Vol.114).

TZU CHI 114 45 “W hen I was younger, my husband and I used to work day and night to keep our business up and running. Now I’m already 50, yet I’m still bustling around. Others are curious about my constant state of activity; I would tell them I keep myself occupied by working at the wet market, because I cannot afford to waste any more time,” Heng Gek Wah managed only a few sentences in halting speech, yet she exuded an air of contentment, her eyes crinkled in a smile. The wet market in question used to occupy the space on the ground level of the condominium block Gek Wah resides in since its establishment in 1999; it accommodated 60 to 70 booths alongside an array of food stalls. Any mention of the wet market would evoke images of its spacious interior, leading out to a flowerbed before its facade, not to mention echoes of the spirited cries of vendors hawking their wares, reverberating across its premises lined with stalls selling poultry, fish, meat, vegetables and fruits. The uninitiated might be misled by Gek Wah’s claims of working at the wet market, inevitably associated with the assumption that she is one of the many vendors there. Unbeknown to them, the wet market had already been vacated over a decade ago, its former glory lost in the passage of time. The space previously occupied by the wet market was converted into the Tzu Chi Cheras Utama Recycling Centre in 2013 with due permission. The stalls left behind are now used to store recyclables neatly sorted in bags and baskets. Informative bulletin boards have been installed in the designated recycling education corner, while the rear segment houses a welcoming dining area for volunteers to gather and catch up over a meal after completing their recycling duties. The Recycling Centre operates three days a week. The small flowerbed situated at the entrance is full of life, blooming with lush greenery and delicate flowers in pink and navy blue – a picture of vitality that reminds one of spring, maintained by none other than Gek Wah. “I call two places home – the Cheras Ria condominium where I live in, and the Recycling Centre. I would check the storage box every day for any recyclables deposited there and transfer them into the Recycling Centre to be sorted by the volunteers. My other role is to tend to the plants and clean up the compound. Time flies when I’m kept on my toes,” she mused. She receives no financial remuneration for her work, yet she derives joy from sprucing up the Recycling Centre to ensure a clean and comfortable environment for the volunteers to work in. All in due time Gek Wah was born into a large family of modest means. As the second among 11 siblings, she stopped schooling after completing her primary education and was sent to work for her aunt by her grandmother to allow her younger siblings a chance at education. She later befriended a seamstress and moved to Kuala Lumpur to become a seamstress’ apprentice. Striking out on her own at a young age meant that Gek Wah has had to toughen herself – an attribute that led her to develop a quick temper. Her temper gradually mellowed under the influence of her mild-tempered husband, whom she met at the age of 17 and married three years later, raising three children together. She became her husband’s trusty assistant at his car repair workshop. The monotony of repetitive work stirred Gek Wah’s desire for a break from her routine. In her longing to escape the daily grind, she recalled her encounter with an elderly amputee