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The weather is always a factor in Jakarta. Just ask Lim Mey Hoa, 46, a noodle and dumpling vendor in Jembatan Lima, West Jakarta.

She may have to duck under tin roofs and run with food in one hand and an umbrella in the other, but “rain or shine,” she explains, “the show must go on.”

Tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’m 46 years old. I finished my formal education up to grade six. Even though I was an only child, we couldn’t afford school fees. I was born in Jakarta, and I have a husband and two daughters. The noodles here are halal .

So what’s your specialty?

Our specialties are the noodles and dumplings. We sell big noodle soup, small noodle soup, as well as dumplings. A bowl of noodle soup with chicken is Rp 9,000 (95 cents). Customers usually order the one with an additional three dumplings, which costs Rp 12,000. The dumpling soup has 10 dumplings and that’s about Rp 12,000.

Is this a family business?

Yeah, it’s just the three of us: me, my husband and my oldest daughter. I like to think I do a little bit of everything: going to the market, making dumplings, preparing everything from soup to chili sauce, and I’m also the delivery woman and dish washer. My husband prepares the noodles and dumplings and he tends to the cart. My daughter helps out at home and tends to the cart sometimes.

How did the business start?

My late father was a Chinese civilian defense guard [ hansip ] in this neighborhood. As he grew older, we suggested he start a noodle and dumpling business. With my mom helping out at first, he started the business 21 years ago. He was in charge for about 10 years, then I took charge 11 years ago.

Has business been affected by the recent economic crisis?

Health, social and economic issues have definitely had a major impact on sales. During the Asian flu scare, I would only sell one kilogram of noodles, or about 10 bowls or less each day. In 2008, before the economic crisis, I could sell four or five kilograms of noodles, but now I sell around three kilograms of noodles. My business is dependent on those factors that are beyond my control.

Are your products homemade?

We buy the noodles and dumpling skins on a daily basis from a noodle factory not far from here. As for the filling of the dumplings, I buy the whole chicken and chop and mince the meat myself.

We don’t use MSG in our noodles and soups unless requested. We only use kampung chicken in both the noodles and the dumplings. The broth soup is flavored using real chicken stock. The chili sauce is homemade. It’s easier to maintain quality because we do everything ourselves.

Who buys your dumplings?

Our noodle and dumpling business is quite popular in this neighborhood. I have a lot of regular customers. But there are people who come from all over Jakarta to taste my noodles. It’s a word-of-mouth business. Some of them even order a lot of noodles for church or temple events. Some people order the dumplings to be brought overseas for their friends or children. They say it tastes good even after a long airplane trip.

How do you feel about living and working in West Jakarta?

I’ve lived in this neighborhood my whole life, so it’s fine. However, I did learn to be more careful when it comes to dealing with buyers, no matter how rich in appearance they may be. I was cheated a number of times by some customers in fancy clothes who took some of their orders and then said they would come back for the rest and pay, but never did. Some were even local customers.

Was there much change when you took over from your father as the provider for the family?

There was a big difference in quality of life considering that I only have to provide for five people compared to 10 people, like when my late father was in charge. He took in a lot of relatives so there was no savings and we rented our house. It was good if we could make enough just to get by day to day.

Are you happy with and proud of what you’ve achieved so far?

If you could understand where I came from, then you would know how big a deal the daily orders have been for me. I was born to a very poor family and our lives were full of enormous struggle just to cover the basic needs. Being able to stand on my own two feet and doing what I do, I’m thankful beyond belief. I’m more than happy. I feel honored, as a woman and as a daughter, to be able to give back to my mother.