A few years ago, I found myself at a flea market in Melaka, where I managed to get my hands on a pair of old roller skates. I thought it would be fun to use them as trucks for an old school skateboard; an homage to the early days of skateboarding.
Roller skates from an antique market in Melaka. Made in Guangzhou.
Fortunately, I had Chern to help me with this project, and I figured it would be a nice opportunity to learn a bit more about his woodworking.
Chern is the kind of friend who's down for pretty much anything. He always seems to be doing something interesting, whether it's carpentry or exploring alternative cartographies of KL.
I might extend this into a series, looking at some of the creative things my friends get up to. Who knows if I'll get to episode 2, but — for now — here's the first one: Chern makes stuff with wood.
Also, shout out to Sabrina for getting in on the fun.
More things Chern does
Head over to Instagram to see other stuff Chern makes.
Here's an article Chern wrote about his experiences around Petaling Street during the pandemic, touching on ideas of community, poverty, urban rejuvenation and "dirtiness."
