Our Group Reflection
This blog entry we are doing a comparison between Singaporean weddings and Peranakan wedding as our group reflection.
Both Singaporean weddings and Peranakan weddings have some of the same food and their costumes are made from the same material - silk.
During a Peranakan wedding, you cannot wear black or white and during a Singaporean wedding, you can wear black or white. Singaporean weddings do not have a tea ceremony while a Peranakan wedding does.
We can show sensitivity by not wearing black or white during a Peranakan wedding and show respect to the bride and groom.
Thursday, 28 August 2014
Friday, 11 July 2014
Malacca Traditional arts and crafts
Malacca Traditional Arts And Crafts
Nyonya Beaded Slippers
Beaded slippers, also known as kasut manek-manek are a must have for the Straits-born women known as Peranakan Cina or Nyonya. It is a unique traditional arts and crafts to the Malaccan. These shoes are worn during formal occasions like weddings and special functions. The materials used include silk cloth, gold thread and multi coloured beads.Wooden Clogs
From an era long gone by, these traditional clogs called“terompah“ were usually worn within the confines of the home. In Melaka town today, clog makers still hand made these pieces of footwear in a variety of sizes, colours and designs, with an addition of low or high heeled.The wood used for the terompah base is usually senduk (Endospermum Malaccese), mahang (Macaranga sp.) while the top cover can be made from plastics or canvas.
The traditional Nyonya women preferred metal knobs. In some cases they use silver to give a dainty look to their footware. Each clog had a screwed-in metal knob instead of the rubber bands over ordinary clogs.
Bound Feet Shoes
Feet binding tradition begins during the Ching Dynasty in China. Young girls at the age of four and of noble lineage were subjected to this tradition. The bandages were only unwrapped when the feet were washed with “min fan“ a Chinese medicine. These girls were not allowed to perform any menial task as their tiny feet were considered the trade mark of beauty at that time. Today the custom made miniature shoes measuring 3 inches in length can be found at Jalan Tokong.
Drums
The kompang or gendang are two types of local drums. These drums are one of the Malay community’s traditional musical instruments. The kompang is the most popular drum that can be seen and heard! You could find it being beaten enthusiastically by youngsters at Malay weddings and official ceremonies. Drums are normally made from goat skin, which has been soaked, dried and cured. Then, the dried skin is stretched over local wood to create this unique musical instrument.
Spinning Tops or Gasing
Top spinning (main gasing) is a game that requires strength, precise timing and dexterity. This is a game played by men as it requires energy to spin the tops. It used to be the main pastime activity in the villages or “kampongs“. Definitely not children’s toys, a gasing or spinning top can weigh up to ten pounds and can be sometimes as large as a dinner plate.However, nowadays there are smaller sized tops available for children that would like to try this traditional activity.
Congkak
This is a traditional game played by the women. In olden days, the women spend their free time playing this game while waiting for their husbands to come home from wars. Congkak is played by 2 players only and is made of wood.Sometimes, the women can also dig holes in the sand to play this game. Normally they will dig the congkak holes beneath their houses.
Chinese Calligraphy
Chinese calligraphy is an oriental art and very much like a painting. The difference is that it uses Chinese characters to “express“ the spiritual world of the artist. If you do not know the Chinese Characters, no problem, just treat it as an art and simply look at them for enjoyment.Aside as a practical technique for writing Chinese Characters, Chinese Calligraphy is rich in content and serves as important part of Chinese culture as it is being used largely in the Chinese community in different form and medium for their traditional arts and crafts. More on Chinese Calligraphy.
Thursday, 10 July 2014
Peranakan Wedding
Peranakan Wedding
Marriage
It was not uncommon for early Chinese traders to take Malay women from Peninsular Malaya or Sumatra as wives or concubines[11]
Consequently, the Baba Nyonya possessed a synergistic mix of Sino-Malay cultural traits.[11]
Written records from the 19th and early 20th centuries show that Peranakan men usually took brides from within the local Peranakan community. Peranakan families occasionally imported brides from China and sent their daughters to China to find husbands.
Marriages within the community and of similar stature were the norm during that time. Wealthy men prefigured to marry a chin choay: or matrilocal marriage where husband moved in with wife's family.[11]
Proposals of marriage were made by a gift of a pinangan, in a 2-tiered lacquered basket known as Bakul Siah in Malaysia or Tenong Keranjang in Indonesia, to the intended bride's parents brought by a go-between who speaks on behalf of the suitor. There are rare cases where wealthy Peranakans in the past used highly decorative glided pagoda trays (Botekan Candi in Indonesian) instead of the Bakul Siah or Tenong Keranjang. Most Peranakans are not Muslim, and have retained the traditions of ancestor worship of the Chinese, though some converted to Christianity.
The wedding ceremony of the Peranakan is largely based on Chinese tradition, and is one of the most colorful wedding ceremonies in Malaysia and Singapore. At weddings, the Dondang Sayang, a form of extempore rhyming song in Malay sung and danced by guests at the wedding party, was a highlight. Someone would begin a romantic theme which was carried on by others, each taking the floor in turn, dancing in slow gyrations as they sang. It required quick wit and repartee and often gave rise to laughter and applause when a particularly clever phrase was sung. The melodic accents of the Baba-Nonya and their particular turns of phrase lead to the charm of this performance.
Food
Consequently, the Baba Nyonya possessed a synergistic mix of Sino-Malay cultural traits.[11]
Written records from the 19th and early 20th centuries show that Peranakan men usually took brides from within the local Peranakan community. Peranakan families occasionally imported brides from China and sent their daughters to China to find husbands.
Marriages within the community and of similar stature were the norm during that time. Wealthy men prefigured to marry a chin choay: or matrilocal marriage where husband moved in with wife's family.[11]
Proposals of marriage were made by a gift of a pinangan, in a 2-tiered lacquered basket known as Bakul Siah in Malaysia or Tenong Keranjang in Indonesia, to the intended bride's parents brought by a go-between who speaks on behalf of the suitor. There are rare cases where wealthy Peranakans in the past used highly decorative glided pagoda trays (Botekan Candi in Indonesian) instead of the Bakul Siah or Tenong Keranjang. Most Peranakans are not Muslim, and have retained the traditions of ancestor worship of the Chinese, though some converted to Christianity.
The wedding ceremony of the Peranakan is largely based on Chinese tradition, and is one of the most colorful wedding ceremonies in Malaysia and Singapore. At weddings, the Dondang Sayang, a form of extempore rhyming song in Malay sung and danced by guests at the wedding party, was a highlight. Someone would begin a romantic theme which was carried on by others, each taking the floor in turn, dancing in slow gyrations as they sang. It required quick wit and repartee and often gave rise to laughter and applause when a particularly clever phrase was sung. The melodic accents of the Baba-Nonya and their particular turns of phrase lead to the charm of this performance.
Food
Further information: Peranakan cuisine
Ayam buah keluak, a traditional Peranakan dish.
From the Malay influence a unique "Nyonya" cuisine has developed using typical Malay spices. Examples are Chicken Kapitan, a dry chicken curry, and Inchi Kabin, a Nyonya version of fried chicken. Pindang bandeng is a common fish soup served in Indonesia during the Chinese New Year and so is a white round mooncake from Tangerang which is normally used during the Autumn Festival. Swikee Purwodadi is a Peranakan dish from Purwodadi, it is a frog soup dish.
Nyonya Laksa is a very popular dish in Singapore and Malacca, Malaysia while another variant called Asam Laksa is famous in Penang, Malaysia. Pongteh is also another popular and savoury dish of the Peranakan community. The main ingredient is onion, black mushroom (optional), chicken (at times pork is used instead of chicken, hence it's called Babi Pongteh) and fermented bean sauce. The Malaccan Nyonyas are well known for this dish.
Other dishes from the Peranakans in Kelantan includes Telur Kesum, Ayam Kerabu and Khau Jam are influenced by Chinese, Malay and Thai cuisine.
Besides that, Peranakans are also well known for a wide variety of traditional cakes (kueh or kue) such as Lepak Kacang, Ang Ku Kue (a black variant is called Kueh Ku Hitam), Kueh Tae / Nastar, Nyonya Bak Chang, Apom Balik (Peranakan's version closely resembles Indonesian's Serabi), Kueh Bakol, Tapae, Kueh Kochi, Kueh Bongkong, Rempah Udang, Pulot Enti, Kueh Gulong/Semprong (another variant is Kueh Kapit), Kueh Bolu, Galeng Galoh (also known as Seri Muka), Kueh Bangket and many more. Traditional kueh (or kue) are sometimes made in conjunction with festivals that the Peranakans celebrate. For example, Kueh Genggang (also commonly known as Kueh Lapis), is a type of multi layered cake, most often eaten during Chinese New Year to symbolize a ladder of continued prosperity.
A small number of restaurants serving Nyonya food can be found in Singapore; Penang and Malacca in Malaysia; and Jakarta, Semarang, Surabaya in Indonesia.
Religion
Most Peranakans generally subscribed to Chinese beliefs system such as Taoism, Confucianism and Chinese Buddhism. Just like the Chinese, the Peranakans also celebrate Lunar New Year, Lantern Festival and other Chinese festivals, while adopting the customs of the land they settled in, as well as those of their colonial rulers. There are traces of Portuguese, Dutch, British, Malay and Indonesian influences in Peranakan culture.[11] A certain number of Peranakan families were and still are, Catholic. However in this modern society, many of young Peranakan community have been embracing Christianity. Most notably in Indonesia, a country with the most significant Peranakan where most of the Chinese are Christians.
Just like in any other cultures, the Peranakans still believe in pantang larang (meaning superstition) especially among the older generations. In some cases, quite a number the Peranakan's pantang larang are deemed too strict and complex. But today, most Peranakans no longer practice complex pantang larang in order to keep up with the modern times.
Clothing
The Peranakan retained most of their ethnic and religious origins (such as ancestor worshiper), but assimilated the language and culture of the Malays. The Nyonya's clothing, Baju Panjang (Long Dress) was adapted from the native Malay's Baju Kurung. It is worn with a batik sarong (batik wrap-around skirt) and 3 kerosang (brooches). Peranakan beaded slippers called Kasot Manek were a hand-made with much skill and patience: strung, beaded and sewn onto canvas with tiny faceted glass cut beads (known as Manek Potong) from Bohemia (present-day Czech Republic).
Traditional kasot manek design often have European floral subjects, with colors influenced by Peranakan porcelain and batik sarongs. They were made into flats or bedroom slippers. But from the 1930s, modern shapes became popular and heels were gradually added.
In Indonesia, the Peranakans develop their own kebaya, most notably kebaya encim, derived from the name encim or enci to refer to a married Chinese woman.[23] Kebaya encim was commonly wore by Chinese ladies in Javan coastal cities with significant Chinese settlements, such as Semarang, Lasem, Tuban, Surabaya, Pekalongan and Cirebon. It marked differently from Javanese kebaya with its smaller and finer embroidery, lighter fabrics and more vibrant colors. They also developed their own batik patterns, which incorporate symbols from China. The kebaya enicm fit well with vibrant-colored kain batik pesisiran (Javan coastal batik), which incorporated symbols and motives from China; such as dragon, phoenix, peony and lotus. For the Baba they will wear baju lokchuan (which is the Chinese men full costume) but the younger generation they will wear just the top of it which is the long sleeved silk jacket with Chinese collar or the batik shirt.
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Sunday, 13 April 2014
The history of Malacca
The history of Malacca
Malacca (Malay: Melaka, dubbed "The Historic State" ) is the third smallest Malaysian state after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and Johor to the south. The capital is Malacca City, which is 148 kilometres (92 miles) south east of Malaysia's capital city Kuala Lumpur, 235 kilometres (146 miles) north west to Johor's largest city Johor Bahru, and 95 km (59 miles) north west to Johor's second largest city, Batu Pahat. This historical city centre has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 7 July 2008.Although it was the location of one of the earliest Malay sultanates, the local monarchy was abolished when the Portuguese conquered it in 1511. The head of state is the Yang di-Pertua Negeri or Governor, rather than a Sultan.
Before the arrival of the first Sultan, Malacca was a fishing village inhabited by local Malays. Malacca was founded by Parameswara, also known as Iskandar Shah or Sri Majara, the last Raja of Singapura (present day Singapore) following a Majapahit attack in 1377. He found his way to Malacca around 1400 where he found a good port—it was accessible in all seasons and on the strategically located narrowest point of the Malacca Straits.[3]
According to a popular legend, Parameswara was resting under a tree near a river during a hunt, when one of his dogs cornered a mouse deer. In self-defence, the mouse deer pushed the dog into the river. Impressed by the courage of the deer, and taking it as a propitious omen of the weak overcoming the powerful, Parameswara decided then and there to found an empire on that very spot. He named it 'Melaka' after the tree where he had just taken shelter at, the Melaka tree (Malay: Pokok Melaka).[4]
In collaboration with allies from the sea-people (orang laut), the wandering proto-Malay privateers of the Straits, he established Malacca as an international port by compelling passing ships to call there, and establishing fair and reliable facilities for warehousing and trade.[3]
"In the 9th month of the year 1481 envoys arrived with the [......] Malacca again sent envoys to China in 1481 to inform the Chinese that, while Malaccan envoys were returning to Malacca from China in 1469, the Vietnamese attacked the Malaccans, killing some of them while castrating the young and enslaving them. The Malaccans reported that Vietnam was in control of Champa and also sought to conquer Malacca, but the Malaccans did not fight back, because they did not want to fight against another state that was a tributary to China without permission from the Chinese. They requested to confront the Vietnamese delegation to China which was in China at the time, but the Chinese informed them since the incident was years old, they could do nothing about it, and the Emperor sent a letter to the Vietnamese ruler reproaching him for the incident. The Chinese Emperor also ordered the Malaccans to raise soldiers and fight back with violent force if the Vietnamese attacked them again.
In April 1511, Alfonso de Albuquerque set sail from Goa to Malacca with a force of some 1200 men and seventeen or eighteen ships.[8] They conquered the city on 24 August 1511. After seizing the city Afonso de Albuquerque spared the Hindu, Chinese and Burmese inhabitants but had the Muslim inhabitants massacred or sold into slavery.[9]
It soon became clear that Portuguese control of Malacca did not also mean they controlled Asian trade centred there. Their Malaccan rule was severely hampered by administrative and economic difficulties.[10] Rather than achieving their ambition of dominating Asian trade, the Portuguese had disrupted the organisation of the network. The centralised port of exchange of Asian wealth had now gone, as was a Malay state to police the Straits of Malacca that made it safe for commercial traffic. Trade was now scattered over a number of ports among bitter warfare in the Straits.[10]
Malacca was ceded to the British in the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 in exchange for Bencoolen on Sumatra with Dutch. From 1826 to 1946 Malacca was under the rule of the British, first by the British East India Company and then as a Crown Colony. It formed part of the Straits Settlements, together with Singapore and Penang. After the dissolution of this crown colony, Malacca and Penang became part of the Malayan Union, which later became the Federation of Malaya and eventually Malaysia.
The state of Malacca covers an area of 1,664 km2 (642 sq mi).[1] The state is divided into 3 districts: Central Malacca (Melaka Tengah) (314 km²), Alor Gajah (660 km²), and Jasin (676 km²). Malacca sits upon the southwestern coast of the Malay Peninsula opposite Sumatra, with the state of Negeri Sembilan to the north and Johor to the east. Malacca is situated roughly two-thirds of the way down the west coast, 148 km (92 mi) south of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia and 245 km (152 mi) north of Singapore and commands a central position on the Straits of Malacca. The state capital is Malacca Town. The offshore Pulau Besar, Pulau Upeh and the exclave Tanjung Tuan are also parts of Malacca.
Source from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malacca#History
Saturday, 12 April 2014
Food from Malacca
Food from Malacca
Glory Food Corner was established 28 years ago in Melaka, Taman Melaka Baru. They serve many local food with home cooked taste that will never be forgotten once you have tasted it.
Their famous authentic Claypot Chicken Rice is one of the top dish that will be ordered by their customers whenever they visit their restaurant. This is not a traditional or the usual type of claypot chicken rice where you can taste it at any hawker stalls or other places.
Their Claypot Chicken Rice has been modified with their own made recipes so that the rice in the claypot is not sticky.
Asam fish & sweet & sour fish are also a “must called” dish when you visit their restaurant. The taste is totally different from Melaka local food, because our Asam Fish & Sweet & Sour Fish is a Northern Malaysia type of cooking mix source. Must order!
Information from: http://www.gloryfoodcorner.com/
Some believe this dish, consists of spicy meat on bamboo skewers barbecued over a charcoal fire, was influenced by Arab traders who loved kebabs. Some believe it was introduced by Chinese immigrants. Whatever the case may be, satay served with peanut sauce, is popular as a dinner treat and is available in many restaurants.
Picture from: http://kyspeaks.com/2006/12/13/ky-eats-pork-satay-chendol-at-melaka/
This cafe is all about looks. The place itself looks good, complete with jungle-style foliage, mist sprays and atmospheric music. The food looks good, always stylishly arranged on the plate/bowl/coconut shell. And it doesn’t taste half bad either. Good range of both Western and Malaysian food, with a focus on healthy ingredients and no MSG. Geographers also caters well for vegetarians.
I already spoke about the nasi lemak here, but the real star of the show at Jonkers 88 is the laksa. Seafood or chicken redang floating in a sea of spicy coconut sauce, noodles, veggies, egg and bean curd puffs mean that the queue for this place is often out the door.
Source from:http://www.hungryandconfused.com/2012/04/best-food-in-melaka.html
Their famous authentic Claypot Chicken Rice is one of the top dish that will be ordered by their customers whenever they visit their restaurant. This is not a traditional or the usual type of claypot chicken rice where you can taste it at any hawker stalls or other places.
Their Claypot Chicken Rice has been modified with their own made recipes so that the rice in the claypot is not sticky.
Asam fish & sweet & sour fish are also a “must called” dish when you visit their restaurant. The taste is totally different from Melaka local food, because our Asam Fish & Sweet & Sour Fish is a Northern Malaysia type of cooking mix source. Must order!
Information from: http://www.gloryfoodcorner.com/
Some believe this dish, consists of spicy meat on bamboo skewers barbecued over a charcoal fire, was influenced by Arab traders who loved kebabs. Some believe it was introduced by Chinese immigrants. Whatever the case may be, satay served with peanut sauce, is popular as a dinner treat and is available in many restaurants.
Picture from: http://kyspeaks.com/2006/12/13/ky-eats-pork-satay-chendol-at-melaka/
This cafe is all about looks. The place itself looks good, complete with jungle-style foliage, mist sprays and atmospheric music. The food looks good, always stylishly arranged on the plate/bowl/coconut shell. And it doesn’t taste half bad either. Good range of both Western and Malaysian food, with a focus on healthy ingredients and no MSG. Geographers also caters well for vegetarians.
I already spoke about the nasi lemak here, but the real star of the show at Jonkers 88 is the laksa. Seafood or chicken redang floating in a sea of spicy coconut sauce, noodles, veggies, egg and bean curd puffs mean that the queue for this place is often out the door.
Source from:http://www.hungryandconfused.com/2012/04/best-food-in-melaka.html
Sunday, 6 April 2014
Hello, friends!
Hi there! My name is Gilliana. I am 11 years old. I live in the Philipines and came to Singapore to study. My hobbies are drawing and reading. Usually, I like to play 'Pokémon' and I play with my friends. Besides playing Pokémon, I like to play video games and watch anime.
This year, my friends, Rusydi, Ariff, Janaki, Latifah and I are doing a research about Malacca. We are going to travel there also and learn about their culture, their traditional food, clothes, etc. Sadly, I am not going this year, but I am glad to help my group and know more about Malacca.
In the next blog entry, I will tell you about my findings and later on, my friends will tell you guys about the things they did in Malacca.
I shall end this entry now. Bye!
Gilliana.
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