The September sky over Cheras was still overcast by late afternoon, even though there had been a heavy downpour earlier on. I wondered if the new pasar malam in my new neighbourhood was going to be washed out.

We tend to take our hawkers and petty traders for granted, and few realise that they depend on the weather for their livelihood. Even if they all have those huge umbrellas to shelter themselves and their wares from the rain, potential customers would probably prefer to stay indoors.

Fortunately for them that Sunday afternoon, the overcast sky did not rain, and the coolness was good for open air trading.