The year is speeding by and it will soon be time for the AGM, which will be held on 5 May before our monthly lecture. As I stated in last month’s message, all positions are open for contention and I must regretfully report I have been ‘underwhelmed’ with the number of enquiries concerning Committee and team positions. Without your help the MCG cannot remain viable, so please step forward and volunteer a little, or a lot, of your time for your group! The EP team needs some ‘worker bees’ to help share ideas and do some of the basic work, i.e. taking reservations and monies at events—being new to KL shouldn’t deter you, we have oldtimers to show you the ropes. The EP team has another interesting month planned for you. One of our members Heba Barakat, Curator at the Islamic Arts Museum will guide us through two events: one concerning Islamic calligraphy and manuscripts, and another detailing Islamic architecture. We will also visit Yayasan Restu, a private foundation, where we will see female artists and calligraphers producing the Nur Fatimah, the only Quran in the world produced completely by women. I have had an opportunity to see them at work and it is really fascinating. Last, but certainly not least, MCG treasurer, Arlene Weatherdon has resigned due to other commitments. Thank you Arlene for a job well done! While a committee member, she revamped our system to make it more user-friendly, so if any of you have an inclination in this area, we need your talents! Luckily, Jacqui Chan has offered to help out for this interim period, but she works fulltime and is unable to take it on permanently. Thanks ahead of time Jacqui, for helping us out! If you want to find out more about this, or any position, please contact me. Hope to see you at one of our terrific events!
- Cindy Zeier Additional Annoucements: 2004 AGM Forms The Malaysian Culture Group AGM will take place on May 5th. PROGRAMME OF EVENTS
REPORTS FROM PREVIOUS EVENTS
EXPLORERS LAWAT RUMAH PENGHULU — 09 February This Monday the explorers visited the Rumah Penghulu Abu Seman, a traditional Malay house located in the centre of town on Jalan Stonor 2, next to the mock Tudor bungalow that houses Badan Warisan Malaysia (Heritage of Malaysia Trust). We all got together for a tour of the house and an introduction of the ceramic exhibition of Mr. Cheah Yeow Seng and his students. Ms. Ee Lin of Badan Warisan gave us a tour. She showed us around in the house and gave an explanation on how a Kedah village headman (penghulu) used to live, from where the house was located originally. This house (rumah) is particularly large as it belonged to a village headman. His office was also in the residence and a fairly large area at the entrance was where meetings were held. Ee Lin introduced us to Malay family life by showing us the living quarters, such as living room, bedrooms and kitchen. The house is furnished in the style of the early 1930s. She explained the typical Malaysian carvings with which the house is decorated and also gave us insights on how the house was built. After the tour we watched a film about the house. It showed how the house was carefully taken apart, transported and then built up again in the present location. With that we ended the first part of the morning on the Rumah Penghulu. Then there was time for tea and some delicious Malaysian snacks. At Badan Warisan there is a space reserved for exhibitions and the current exhibition was on the pottery of Mr. Cheah Yeow Seng and his students. Mr. Cheah came personally to show us around. He has extensive experience as a ceramist and pottery instructor. He told us about how the pottery was made with diverse techniques. The students had made vases, bowls, and also saucers and teacups. Some of the items were purely decorative, but others were glazed in such a way that they could be used in daily life. It was a joy to look at all the diverse styles, different materials and colours. I was surprised at what beautiful items were created by the students. Mr. Cheah’s own creations has a certain style and class that showed his long experience as a ceramist. Some of his creations are vases that had become statues of couples and some were statues on their own. The colours and glazing varied and went from matt black to shiny blue and lots of earthy shades. Mr. Cheah has his own studio, called Touch of Clay, in Segambut not far from the centre of KL, where interested people can attend a course in which they can master the different techniques of pottery making. I can certainly recommend it as I have started it myself and am enjoying it greatly. Here with we ended another great explorers’ morning. Members can take visitors to Badan Warisan everyday (except Sundays). More information can be found at http://www.badanwarisan.org.my
REIKI — A GATEWAY TO HEALTH & HEALING
- 19 February Our speaker Kaycee Goh, a certified Reiki master and teacher from UAC Holistic Centre in Taman Melawati, was the epitome of serenity and charm. Throughout her talk the audience was swathed in an unmistakable feeling of wellbeing. The way Kaycee explained, Reiki seeks the wellbeing of body, mind and spirit and seems to be easily accessible to everyone, provided one’s intentions are sincere. After relating how she became involved in Reiki, Kaycee touched briefly on its history, that it was an ancient healing method revived in Japan in the late 19th centuryby Dr Mikaomi Usui. Rei means universal life. Ki means energy (from the environment or life source). It is a therapy in which the outer energy flows through the master’s body via his/her hands onto the patient and energises healing on a physical, mental or emotional level. The master acts therefore as a mere channel. The master’s hands do not touch the patient but move about 5 cm above the body. Besides healing, the placing of hands rids the body of toxins, removes energy blocks and creates a feeling of deep relaxation. For this purpose the master and the patient must be in a pure and relaxed state. Cindy kindly volunteered for a treatment demonstration, which took about 15 minutes (a normal session lasts 45 mins–1 hr). The “patient” and the audience were asked to close their eyes so that everyone may receive some form of energy. We were allowed to peep though! Kaycee moved her hands very slowly over the 7 primary chakras of Cindy’s body, starting from the top of her head. The master thus identifies and concentrates on weak points. Once done, she asked Cindy to describe what she had felt and a few members also described their sensations. The main comments were: warmth in hands, muscle pulls or jerks, tingling, tummy rumbles. Kaycee added that some patients see images or feel a faster heart beat, some have negative thoughts and most are so relaxed that they fall asleep. All these are signs of Reiki working away. Kaycee mentioned that “absent healing” is also possible. Protection — Reiki applications are manifold. First and foremost, it can be used for personal protection at all times. Protection may be extended to your house, car and pets, to name but a few. You may also use it to calm overexcited children. Classes — Reiki is taught at 3 levels. Level 1 is for self-healing. Level 2 deals with the use ofsymbols and colours, and is for healing others (it is also called “advanced healing technique”). Level 3 is for aspiring teachers. Surprisingly enough, levels 1 and 2 can be learned in 2 days. There were many questions from the audience. Some members were more sceptical than others, but Kaycee managed to answer all queries very convincingly. She concluded by stressing that Reiki is a spiritual and not a religious concept. For my part, I was amazed at the extent Reiki applies to all facets of life and the seeming ease with which it can be learned and applied. Kaycee has also written a book about Reiki called Practising Reiki–Background & Philosophy, Treatment, Related Therapies (ISBN: 1-85534-362-2), available at the UAC.
Errata (added April 20) - Please note that the speaker's name in the report on the Reiki talk should be Kayce Goh. There should also be a distinction between "master" and "practitioner": a practitioner can only heal while a master can both teach and heal. There are three basic levels in Reiki training, where Advanced Reiki Techniques 3A is an additional level. Level Two is not Advanced healing technique. Finally, the book mentioned is not written by Kayce Goh. Anyone interested in Reiki and the UAC classes may contact the Events Planning team (mcgevents@yahoo.com) for details.
BANANA LEAF LUNCHEON - Cuisine of Southern India - 23 February I woke up on the Tuesday morning with mixed feelings. I was going to an MCG event and that was good, but this time I had been given the job of writing up the occasion and I was a bit nervous about that when I set off for the home of our hostess Manju Saigal. We gathered in a large airy room and then it was time to decide whether to sit inconspicuously at the back, or bravely in the front. The recipes were handed out and every seat was rapidly filled. Manju introduced us to Suja who is a Tamil Brahmin. Although she had spent most of her life abroad, Suja is very knowledgeable of the customs of South India and was pleased to tell us about her early life in Madras. Four dishes were demonstrated: Chicken Varuval, Sambar Dal, Cabbage with Coconut and Carrot Pachadi. Manju and Suja cleverly made the recipes attractive and full of flavour, but simple enough to tempt us to try them at home. We were given information on the historical uses of the ingredients and the various spices as they were added to the dishes. The aromatic qualities of Indian cooking added to our enjoyment and we became very enthusiastic about tasting the results. Cindy had warned us to all to dress comfortably and the reason for this rapidly became apparent when we saw the banana leaf ‘plates’ laid out on the floor. It was surprising how many members were able to sit crossed legged with apparent comfort! Spoons and forks were provided for the faint hearted but Suja introduced us to banana leaf etiquette and explained that you eat with the tips of your fingers only—a skill that takes practice. The banana leaf is laid horizontally on the floor and the main dishes are traditionally served below the leaf ridge and the accompaniments above. When the meal is finished the leaf is folded away from you, and in India the leaf would then be fed to livestock. The cuisine of South India is more rice-based than in the North. Vegetables are less overcooked, sour and bitter tastes are enjoyed and less meat eaten. There are large numbers of vegetarians in the South and West of India for a number of traditional reasons. Suja explained that the Brahmins are a priestly caste and must try to conquer their physical desires, thus their cooking does not include garlic and onions (which are considered aphrodisiacs) or hot spices (which may lead to anger). The food was delicious, full of flavour with each dish complementing the others. We learnt that to cook with the style and panache shown by Manju, great skill and knowledge is required plus prior preparation. We all thoroughly enjoyed the lesson, lunch, the company of our hostesses, and mixing with other members. Thanks to the events planning committee for another successful occasion. P/S. Being the scribe was not as arduous or daunting as I had feared, but in future I will certainly be more appreciative of the work done by other contributors!
HINAMATSURI: Japanese Girls' Day - 03 March Today, MCG members celebrated Hinamatsuri at Wa-Raku Japanese Dining House on Jalan Stonor. We thank Junko Harada, Miki Udagawa and Mariko Konishi for organising this special event, which included a talk by Junko about the various Japanese festivals (matsuri) and the history of the dolls (hina) associated with Hinamatsuri. That led to a session when we made our own origami hina, after which was kaiseki-ryori or “lunch”. Japan celebrates 5 major seasonal festivals (go-sekku). The original meaning of sekku is to eat together with the gods. These festivals were introduced from China and are based on animism, mythology and feng-shui. Each festival is celebrated in a month with an odd number of days and has its own seasonal flowers and special offerings to the gods.
The history of dolls in Japan seems to have had rather morbid beginnings. Historical records tell of a lord who decided not to bury live slaves with the dead ruler, as was traditionally done, because their crying lasted too long. Instead he ordered that dolls made of clay (called dogu) be buried beside the coffin. When the philosophy of feng-shui was introduced, dolls made of wood, paper or rice straw were used to curse enemies. These dolls, used in place of live sacrifices and to curse enemies, may have been the origins of Nagashibina, or the purification ceremony, as Hinamatsuri was once celebrated. Today, Hinamatsuri is the day when little girls display their favourite hina dolls, usually given by their maternal grandparents at their birth. These dolls are made of clay or porcelain with elaborate costumes often in expensive fabric. The dolls are carefully arranged on a set of step-back shelves displayed as an old-fashioned Japanese court, with the emperor and the empress at the top and other ranks below. A full set consists of 15 dolls, including the emperor, empress, 3 ladies-in-waiting, 2 ministers, 5 musicians and 3 male servants. Friends are invited to admire the dolls and the young ladies, dressed in their best brightly flowered kimonos sit before the display and eat candies and other delicacies. After Junko’s presentation, we folded and cut and folded some more to produce our own origami hina – the emperor and empress – with excellent direction and coaching from those who’d done it before! When Chef Ando was introduced, we opened the lacquered boxes that were placed before us, to a stunning visual presentation of our lunch. Japanese cuisine is derived from kaiseki-ryori, a series of light dishes served before the tea ceremony to ease the hunger of the guests. Kaiseki means to hold a warm stone on one’s stomach to numb the pain of hunger. Kaiseki-ryori is also served at Haiku parties but in a casual manner where the dishes are served on one or two trays. In each lacquered box there were five small beautifully arranged dishes and when you don’t know what you are eating, wasn’t it nice to have a diagram describing the delicacies in front of us! Each dish had a name. The takimono agemono consisted of grilled salmon, yam, fish cake, egg roll, deep-fried fish and pickled lotus root; the nimono–yam, octopus and tofu; the gohan was sushi rice wrapped in baked egg; the kuchitori on hassun–yam with miso sauce, grilled shrimp, clam and vegetable tossed with fish-flavored vinegar, and the sashimi on omukoh was seabass. Green tea flavoured ice cream was the sweet ending to this gastronomic experience. We were also treated to the fine voice of Miki who sang a Hinamatsuri song. For those interested in more information about Japanese dolls and culture, two books that were on display – Identifying Japanese Dolls by Lea Baten (Hotei Publishing) and Japan: The Cycle of Life (Kodansha International Publisher)–are available for viewing at the library of The Japan Foundation in the Citibank Building on Jalan Ampang. The Japan Foundation also sets up its collection of hina dolls during the celebration of Hinamatsuri.
MCG NEWS BOOK CLUB REPORTSInterpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri ISBN: 0-006-55179-3 (Flamingo Edition) Inspired by the Oscars, we cast our votes for Favourite Character, Favourite Story, Least Favourite Character and Least Favourite Story, in this Pulitzer-winning short story collection. The exercise was really more of a straw poll due to the small turnout. Nonetheless our different backgrounds and personalities meant thought-provoking nominations, and we had a lively discussion defending our own! Almost unanimously disliked was Mrs Das (of “Interpreter of Maladies”), colourfully described by one member as “a total cow”. Mrs Das won for being selfish and self-absorbed. Despite her Americanised ways, she is still “too Indian” to break out of her marriage. But while we sympathised with this, we did not appreciate her callousness towards her children. On the other hand, nearly all of us liked Mrs Sen (she of “Mrs Sen’s” naturally), the Bengali wife caught between her love for fresh fish and her loathing of driving. We empathised with her sense of alienation and homesickness, and were touched by the unique bond between her and the boy she baby-sits, Eliot. In the least-liked category, the narrator of the last story, “The Third and Final Continent”, came in second. He was followed by Haldar (“The Treatment of Bibi Haldar”), Miranda (“Sexy”) and Shoba (“A Temporary Matter”). The last story’s narrator isn’t fleshed out very well, although some of us liked the way he handles Mrs Croft, his landlady. This was why he also came in second as Favourite Character — such controversy! Some members felt that a typical American tenant might have just ignored Mrs Croft, but the narrator’s culturally ingrained respect for his elders makes him treat her with perfect courtesy; in contrast to the way he first treats his new bride. A long-time bachelor, he is almost offensive in the way he doesn’t help her settle into her new life. It is only when Mrs Croft makes an approving appraisal of his bride that he sees her in a new light. In the Favourite Character category, some members voted for Twinkle (“This Blessed House”) because of her ebullient disregard for her husband’s wishes in persisting to hunt, collect and display the mysterious Catholic tchotchkes left behind by their home’s previous owners. Unfortunately, “This Blessed House” was voted Least Favourite Story. Some members felt that the proliferation of Catholic icons in the house was unrealistic. Surely the previous owners would have wanted to take them away? Winner of Favourite story was “A Temporary Matter”. Members liked the twist at the end, and one said that it was interesting how the grieving couple hide their feelings from each other, since a white American couple might have sought marriage counselling by now. A close second was “Interpreter of Maladies”. Some liked comically pathetic Mr Kapasi, the “interpreter” himself. Secretly lusting after Mrs Das, little does he know that when she does finally confide in him, her guilty secret will shatter all his daydreams and illusions about her. The titular story is one of the best crafted in the collection. A couple of the others (for instance the over-long “Sexy”) are not as good. So even though she deserved the Hemingway Award for First Book, we felt Lahiri’s Pulitzer Prize was premature. We ended by comparing the book to Mukherjee’s The Middleman and Other Stories. No prizes for guessing which collection we preferred. Where Lahiri is sweetly naïve, Mukherjee is bitter; where Lahiri “interprets” emotional truths, Mukherjee chooses technical virtuosity; while Lahiri sticks mainly to one ethnic group (Bengali), Mukherjee jumps among disparate immigrant ethnicities. Chapter 1 thanks Joanne for hosting and the great quiche. We look forward to reading Lahiri’s first full-length novel, The Namesake, hopefully later in the year.
No reports submitted for Chapter II this month.
LIBRARY REPORT Dear members, I would like to introduce you to some interesting books from our own library. You can really have any topic in mind and generally you will find something relevant in our collection. Like ‘Singapore’, the city so close and at times so far away from KL. We have a number of books from which you can learn an amazing lot about the history of this city-state. You can choose from academically-oriented books that describe the founding of Singapore:
But you can also choose an easier way to learn about Singapore. I highly recommend some books that were written by people who had spent part of their lives in Singapore, e.g. the former Straits Times editor, George L. Peet, who started working in Singapore in 1923. His book Rickshaw Reporter is so interesting. His descriptions are very fresh, covering the city and its inhabitants, not only on the circle of British civil servants, but on other communities as well. To complete the picture, read the letters of the founder of Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles, edited by J. Bastin, The Letters of Sir Stamford Raffles to Nathaniel Wallich 1819–1824. It is a tiny book with a lot of worthwhile information. We also have an extensive collection of different articles published by MBRAS, such as Reprints–150th Anniversary of the founding of Singapore, where different writers offer history from different angles. If you are interested in WWII, I recommend reading the book by Cecil Lee – Sunset of the Raj: Fall of Singapore 1942. To get the secrets of Singapore’s success, don’t forget the book by former Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew – The Singapore Story. I don’t mean to say that these are the only good books on the subject, but you definitely don’t need to buy them to read them! Come to the library, borrow, and then decide if they are worth investing for your private library.
Note: Further information on the library can be found here
BOOKING POLICY FOR EVENTS Reservations Wait List Vouchers Cancellations Refunds Eligibility Event Participation
Your co-operation with the Booking Policy would be much appreciated by the Events Planning Team.
PLEASE NOTE that the information in this website has been gathered informally within the group and reproduced privately for members' enjoyment only. There may be inaccuracies and these publications are not designed for commercial use. Anyone intending to make formal or outside use of MCG material is requested to contact the President
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