The Tic-tic Man (a.k.a. tok-tok man)

From a very tender age (i.e. as far back as I can remember), there used to be this guy on a bicycle with a payong top and a stainless steel container strapped to the back of his bicycle roaming the the streets making that unique tic-tic-tic sound. We've found him all over, in residential areas, the towns, the cities and the countryside - so many people knows this guy just at the mention of the word tic-tic (or tok-tok) man. I just read a blog, that this guy has been spotted as far as Muar. To name some of the places that he has been spotted at: Kajang, Balakong, Peel Road, KL City Centre, Muar, Seremban, Port Dickson, just to name a few. And all these places are apparently covered on his bicycle.

He pedals around peddling his tok-tok candy. My guess is it's a special home made verity. It certainly is unique with sesame seeds on it with a nice unique candy flavour. Its one of a kind. I don't even know of the proper name to call it.

Whats special is, its tasty and as he comes almost everyone just wants to buy some. I remember it used to be 20 sen to 50 sen a packet. Just 2 days ago in Balakong, I paid RM4 for a pack (and it appears smaller now). This pack of candy sent me back about 30 years, with nostalgic memories of this 'uncle' on the bicycle with that tic-tic sound. Besides making that sound (to attract us), the uses this 'chisel' to chisel away at the candy to hand us that packets of sweet goodness we used to crave for as kids. It was nothing like the candy we bought from the shops - it was just different.

I candidly asked him, how old are you uncle, since I have been buying from this you since primary school days. He told me he was now 70+, but I suspect he may be much older. He still cycles around in his trusted bicycle and peddles the unique tic-tic sweet, that sends you back in time.

It was really a trip down memory lane meeting him. Sadly it is perhaps a dying art of homemade candy, brought right to your doorstep. A Malaysian santa claus perhaps /