A bantal busuk (a.k.a. chou chou) is every Asian child’s treasure, no matter how old you are. It can be a well-loved pillow, stuffed toy, scraps of cloth, or even an old baby blanket — right by our side all through the night.
My chou chou is a stuffed bunny my mom brought back from London before I was born. Since my birth, it’s been a permanent fixture on my bed. No matter how many other stuffed toys arrive, or when my bedsheets turned from cartoon characters to neutral monotonous shades, Bunny remains a constant.
Bunny even had the luxury of travelling to far-off places! Although she (yes) only got to see the insides of our suitcases and hotels, she was able to sit on a plane and go on holidays. 😅 All that time travelling and wiping my tears at night, being cuddled by me, Bunny eventually began to break down and start fraying…
And then one night, the biggest mistake happened.
I was getting ready for bed and settling down. For context, I sleep on a single bed that’s about 20% covered with toys. Because my bed is small and so is Bunny, sometimes she gets lost in the tangle of bedsheets, blankets, and other sleeping accessories.
I laid down on my bed and felt something soft poking my back. I grabbed it thinking it was a stray scrunchie, and the next thing I know, I heard a heart-wrenching “SSSSSSSSRRRIIIIIPPPPP” 😭😭
I had grabbed her ear, one of the more vulnerable parts, and a part of it tore off. What remained hung limply by the miracle of a few good strands of thread. Instant remorse and sorrow filled my head.
The thing about Bunny: Even before this incident, she wasn’t in very good shape.
One leg was limp while the other had only 50% stuffing. The back of her head was full of mismatched seams and threads from years of attempts to patch up tears. Her arms had little holes in them. The fabric covering her nose had disintegrated. Her eyes were faded, and her dress looked like a cat’s scratching post.
Heartbroken, I quickly asked on Facebook if anyone knew where I could fix Bunny.
Someone suggested a boutique named Ruth Tai Alterations in Setapak, and at first, I was very wary. I had never had anything altered before, and Setapak is at least an hour’s drive for me! But she sent some videos of their past work refurbishing chou chous, so I felt more reassured that they would take care of mine too.
I sent them a message explaining my situation, and they recommended me to bring it to them so they could properly assess the damage.
I brought Bunny the next weekend and explained a bit of Bunny’s history and origin story (haha). She has a very smooth, cold touch, and I told the owner, “Maybe it’s satin.”
He told me though “No, it’s not satin, it’s cotton. The reason why it feels so smooth and cold is because the cotton has been ‘seasoned’ for so long.” LOL.
My partner also brought his chou chou in hopes of getting it fixed, and he said the same thing: “It’s cotton.” Not any other magic fabric or blend. 😂
After a brief discussion, the total to repair Bunny was RM150. Half of it was paid as a deposit, and the remainder was to be paid upon completion. I think it’s fair game for something that has been with me for over two decades!
The owner told me that they work on a ‘first in, first out basis’, so the earlier you send it to them, the better. He told me Bunny would be ready in about 2-3 months, and that was perfectly fine. Although, there were nights I reached for Bunny only to remember that she’s in surgery. 😥
One day when I was out, I received a call from them to say that Bunny’s done and finally out of hospital! 😂 This is how she greeted me after her few-months’ stay.
New skin, new stuffing, new dress, but same ol’ eyes, nose, and heart. 💛
Bunny’s original nose and eyes were kept as is, because any changes would make her look VERY different. The original eyes are hand-sewn and difficult to replicate. To sew another would be difficult, and frankly, might not be worth it. Plus, I can’t imagine Bunny with glass bead eyes and nose or worse, googly eyes…
I was really, ever so grateful to find Ruth Tai Alteration, someone who repairs chou chous and does a good job with it. Bunny’s shape is still the same, which I’m thankful for because her size fits me just perfectly. 🥹
P/S: The shop specialises in alteration, not fixing chou chous. They did it the first time for a friend, and from there, word got out so more people started to send in their chou chous, including me. 😂
If you’re looking for place to repair your chou chou or bantal busuk in Kuala Lumpur, I hope you consider paying them a visit! The owner is friendly, well-informed, and they did a really good job rescuing Bunny. 🐇
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