Hello members, Can you believe we are already into March? Someone said time appears to move at a faster pace in the tropics. I don't know why but certainly seems true for me. I suspect it has something to do with having so many opportunities for us to learn and enjoy a variety of events and activities in KL. So before March gets away mark down our four special events. On the 7 th we revisit an annual favorite event – Japanese Girls' Day. This is always a popular event so book early. From Japan we travel to Laos, for a talk by Dr Inge Kopp Zell on the beauty and history of this little known Buddhist country. We return to Malaysia, for a special talk by Prof Khoo, an eminent academic, on the Malaysian Monarchy and the Royal Courts of Malaysia. The current King has held office for only a few months so it is an apt time to learn about the unique historical and contemporary monarchy in Malaysia. Finally, on the 27 th Cheryl Hoffmann, our intrepid Explorers Convener, invites us to experience the traditional Kadazan-Dasun ceremony on Penampang in Sabah. This is a rice harvesting festival widely celebrated in the past but now in gradual decline, albeit still of tremendous importance to some rural communities. Cheryl was invited to this ceremony in early 2007 and she will talk about this and share her photos. Many of you would have heard about the Museum Volunteers Malaysia – Muzium Negara. Within a short time they will be in the position to formally commence guided tours of the museum. This is the first time such a group has commenced in Malaysia and we must thank Marie Tseng for her tremendous organization, enthusiasm and commitment. I am sure you will be hearing a lot more from this group in the future. Finally, I have decided to step down as President from the MCG at our AGM in May. I have found the experience to be extremely rewarding and enjoyable but it is time to hand the post on. If you are interested in taking on this role, I would love to hear from you and would be happy to talk with you about it. (Please contact me on 012 2176474.) Best wishes Sunita Varlamos PROGRAMME OF EVENTS
REPORTS FROM PREVIOUS EVENTS Visit to Istana Budaya Explorers January 8, 2007 Today was the first meeting of 2007 and also a first for the new group of Explorers. It was not easy to organize a tour for the beginning of the year as one option after the other fell through. Diana has been very busy but she was very pleased to get a positive response from the Istana Budaya office for us to be able to visit the National Theater. With cables down in Taiwan and communication difficulties as Explorers were coming back from their Christmas holiday, Diana was able to have a group of 11 women who ventured out to see what the beautiful building with the azure roof on Jalan Tun Razak had to offer. Mr. Zulkifli Bin Ab Rashid, the Assistant Director of Production, and his assistants met us. Istana is the Malaysian word for palace and Budaya means culture. Istana Budaya is the National Theater for Malaysian arts. After a brief talk by Mr Zul we watched an official DVD which explained the set up of the theater for dance, music and performing arts. The building was designed by a Malaysian architect, Muhammad Kamar Ya'akub, in the shape of a traditional moon kite in flight. It is set up like a Malay house: the main entrance and the foyer, the mother house which is the auditorium and the kitchen as the stage and rehearsal facilities. The marble on the floor is a traditional arrangement of betel leaves used during Malay weddings and welcoming ceremonies. It is one of the 10 most advanced and equipped theaters in the world with floors that can move up and down. When necessary the orchestra pit can be moved down. Later we asked questions especially about the amount of programs. Unfortunately the theater only has 3 performances for each of the three specific arts. The government uses the theater for receptions and other functions for big events that take place in Kuala Lumpur, which means the theater is not used to its utmost. During the month of Ramadan the theater is closed. We visited the theater with more 1412 seats. It is a lovely theater with the entrance resembling a Malacca palace. The Royal Boxes resemble spacious windows of a Malay house. When no party is using the theater there is a possibility to close off one part of the back stage and set up a small theater with a seating for 250 people. Mr. Zul said it was possible to rent this theater for RM 400. The two-day preparations and rehearsals will not be charged. We felt that it showed that this beautiful building is not set up to make any profit. We also had the opportunity to see the dressing rooms, which was not very fancy and had sober furniture. At the moment the Minister of Tourism is very busy with the launch of Tourism Malaysia 2007. No date has been set to launch the Istana Budaya program 2007. However, Mr. Zul informed us that the new program will be published soon and there will be two big performances, one The King and I in July and later Peter Pan. We finished the tour by seeing the beautiful costumes that are used when performing Malaysian cultural shows. We thanked Mr. Zul and his staff. We were all very happy to have seen Istana Budaya but were sorry that this national theater was not used more as it is such a beautiful place to show off. Odette Shillings Sutra House Visit Explorers January 15, 2007 It is hard not to be impressed by Sutra House. It is harder still not to be inspired by the energy, passion and vision of its artistic director, Ramli Ibrahim – Malaysia's dance legend. As we first gathered in the Balinese gazebo, looked around us and "breathed in" the atmosphere of Sutra house we knew we would be in for a great treat. And treated we were – Sutra House, Ramli, and his partner Siva – didn't disappoint. Sutra House, home to Ramli and Siva, houses a Dance Academy; an Art gallery, an Amphi-Sutra as well as an extensive library- all set in a lush garden. Ramli and the Academy had just returned two days earlier from an exhausting two month tour of India so we were very grateful that Ramli had generously opened his home on a date that we had nominated in spite of his jet lag and heavy commitments. Ramli is an inspiring captivating man full of passion for his craft – lucky enough as he says to do what he loves in life every day. We were very privileged to be entertained for over an hour and half as Ramli took us as on a journey explaining the various forms of Indian Dance and their origins. Ramli concentrated mainly on the Odissi and Bharatanatyam forms of dance that he teaches in his studio at Sutra House. His explanations were beautifully demonstrated by his young talented and enchanting young students. Ramli Ibrahim graduated from the Australian Ballet School in 1977 and was the first non-Australian to be employed by the Sydney Dance Company. On returning to Malaysia in the early 1980's he went on to study dance in India. The Sutra Dance Theatre was formed in 1983 and was housed in Sutra House. Sutra House is an oasis of old world charm in the heart of KL. Sprawled in Titiwangsa – the building was in a previous incarnation a rundown sadly neglected family home, slowly being encroached by an unkempt garden. Saved from demolition it was purchased by Ramli and slowly, lovingly and painstaking transformed from an ugly duckling to what stands today – a jewel of a house. Today Sutra House is a dream come true for Ramli – a pulsating cultural centre where artists of every discipline can contemplate, create and exhibit their works. Sutra House is a showcase for performances and exhibitions of many art forms not only dance; a venue where up- and -coming talent is taught and nurtured; a home to a thriving academy of dancers; a performing arts resource centre for students and overseas visitors through its extensive library. Here in Sutra House one can learn the Odissi and Bhrartanatyan dance forms from the guru himself; be captivated by all forms of artistic expression be it dance, music, photography or painting. In the evening one can sit under the stars and be entertained by the spiritual classical dance from India or be charmed by Celtic musical performances. Dancers such as Rathimalar,Guna, Ajit Bhaskaran Dass, Marvin Khoo and January Low have learnt their steps in its studio. Siva (Sivarajah Natarajan) is a Fine Arts graduate who has been painting for 16 years. Through necessity and to make the vision of Sutra House a reality, Siva has developed, flowered and matured as a visual artist, lighting and stage designer, stage manager, furniture maker; flower arranger as well as the resident photographer. He is, as Ramli, a truly remarkable man of talent and commitment. Physically Sutra house is an electric mix of salvaged wood and recycled pieces from all over KL, each with its own story to tell. The ceiling to floor doors of the kitchen and sunroom extension were salvaged from old houses in Brickfields. Railways sleepers from Old Sentral are found dotted throughout the house and garden; some being transformed into elaborate carvings on the lintel of the front door while others taking center stage in the outdoor amphitheatre. There are pieces that were once parts of the exhibits at the National Art Gallery as well as used items from a Chinese funeral parlor. Siva recounted the early days of Sutra House when money for renovations was so tight he was forced to scurry amongst the neighbor's throw outs and the local demolition sites looking for salvageable bits to use in his renovation – indeed many pieces of furniture that are a testament to his furniture making skills. In the early days many of the original Sutra House supporters "sponsored" a piece of furniture such as the table on which we had our morning tea. Performances are staged in the Amphi-Sutra. It is dominated by a hexagonal, sunken stage with a round and elegant Balinese gazebo standing sentry on one side. Amph-Sutra can comfortably seat 200 people and it doesn't take much imagination to close your eyes and "see" this magical setting transformed under the stars and the twinkling fairy lights and "wait"in the heady anticipation of a spectacular performance to come. The Sutra Gallery opens Monday to Friday from 11-5pm and on the weekends by appointment. It holds 8 major exhibitions annually by prominent as well as up and coming local and international artists. More information can be found on www.sutradancetheatre.com See for yourself the enchantment of Sutra House and the brilliant performances of Ramli and his Ensemble. Anna Miller Thaipusam and Hinduism January 17, 2007 Thaipusam is the Hindu festival that is spectacularly celebrated in Malaysia, as well as in other Asian countries in January or February of each year. Many of you will no doubt have seen photographs of devotees with dozens of hooks and spikes piercing their bodies on their way up to Batu Caves. Shankar Kandasamy, Deputy Director of the Temple of Fine Arts, gave an enlightening lecture on the background to this fascinating festival and the rituals involved. Shankar started off by explaining the origins of the festival in Tamil Nadu in Southern India. Firstly, he explained how just like other world religions, Hinduism recognises one supreme God. However, unlike other religions, Hindus worship six main deities which are manifestations of that God. These deities are 'Shiva', the destroyer, 'Vishnu', the preserver, 'Devi', the divine mother, 'Surya' the Sun God, 'Ganesh', the elephant headed God of prosperity and wisdom, and lastly 'Subramaniam'. The Thaipusam festival is the celebration of when Subramanian first received the 'vel' or spear from his mother in order to vanquish evil demons. Devotees prepare for the celebration by cleansing themselves through prayer and fasting for 40 days to prepare themselves spiritually. Shankar explained that this involved different rituals for different people, but generally devotees restrict themselves to one vegetarian meal per day, sleep on the floor, remain celibate, wear no footwear, chant prayers or possibly maintain silence. The motivation for doing this is personal and includes reasons such as an individual wishing to get married, or to excel in their studies, or to have a child. During the evening on the eve of the festival, here in KL, the Subramanian Deity is carried on a chariot from Sri Mahamariaman temple in Jalan Tun H S Lee arriving in Batu Caves at dawn the next day. The Deity is followed by crowds walking barefoot in a carnival atmosphere. On the day of the festival, devotees usually shave their heads and bathe, which in KL is usually done in the river near Batu Caves. They are usually then blessed by a priest and proceed to go into a trance and it is only then that the piercing is begun. It is claimed that devotees are able to feel no pain and do not bleed from their wounds, but Shankar's brother, a doctor, had other experiences! This show of devotion is done to atone sins and women usually show their devotion by carrying large pots of milk and may have a small vel piercing their skin. It is usually the men who carry out the legendary practice of carrying or pulling a large Kavadi, a wooden frame, attached through tens of vels piercing their chest or back. They may even have several vels piercing their tongues and cheeks. These Kavadis are 'cages' or 'hoods' up to 1.5 metres high usually decorated with peacock feathers, flowers and pictures of deities. To the beating of drums and chants of 'Vel, Vel' the devotees form a constant procession up the 272 steps to Batu Caves to the main shrine. For those planning on witnessing the festival first-hand next year here are a few handy tips from Shankar and members of MCG: -Subramanian Deity leaves Sri Mahamariaman temple in Jalan Tun H S Lee at approximately 9pm on the eve of the festival. It arrives in Batu Caves at approximately 6am the next day. -Wear cool comfortable clothes and leave your jewellery and valuables at home. Expect thousands and thousands of people! -If you choose to walk up the 272 steps of Batu Caves with the devotees it will take approximately 1.5 hours (only devotees carrying the Kavadis climb the middle set of steps) -Do go to the river to watch the purification and bathing ceremonies, although this area can get very crowded. The festival area is less crowded towards the end of the day. -There is a slow train that leaves for Batu Caves from KL Sentral or catch the LRT to Terminal Putra and then a shuttle bus. Sue Spencer Rajasthan, The Land of Forts and Palaces January 25, 2007 Based on a 3-week journey she undertook with her family, MCG member Amita Shah retraced her steps for us and unveiled the fascinating Indian state of Rajasthan, the Land of Kings. Packed with history, art and culture dating back several centuries, Rajasthan, the second largest state in India, is a land of superlatives, located in the North-Western region and is as large as France. The landscape includes the Aravallis mountain range and the Thar desert. Most of the many spectacular palaces dotting this region have been converted into high-end heritage hotels thus affording the tourists an insight into the opulence of pre-independence rulers. One can also stay at havelis which are typical North Indian houses with a courtyard in the centre and a verandah all around into which open all the rooms. Havelis are middle class heritage hotels. Our tour guide took us through the following itinerary of which I noted the most salient facts: Mandawa dubbed the open air art gallery where havelis are decorated with breathtaking frescoes and paintings on both the inner and outer walls. As water is scarce, there are numerous deep wells. Worth noting is the medieval hotel Fort Mandawa. Bikaner founded in 1488 along the caravan route where Rajasthan's most beautiful Junagadh Fort is found. Also worthy of note is the Anoop Palace where a single candle can light up the entire palace thanks to a multitude of mirrors plastered on its walls and ceilings. Jaisalmer forms part of the desert triangle and is a city built entirely of yellow sandstone surrounding Lake Gadsisar. It is a World Heritage Site. The entire facades of its havelis are intricately carved and are a sight to behold. Jaisalmer has numerous Hindu and Jain temples to cater to both communities and their thriving trades. However, a visit to this city would not be complete without an excursion on camel back to the sand dunes which are awe inspiring. Jodhpur with its roofs painted blue. Of the 365 rooms in the palace, 50 are still occupied by the royal family, 100 are used as a hotel while the others are locked up. Peacocks wander in its vast gardens. Mt Abu the only hill station and home to the summer residence of the royal family. Lake Nakki, Fort Achalgarh and the Dilwara Jain temples – made of white marble - date back to the 11 th century. Udaipur the city of lakes, founded in 1559. The Saheliyon Kibadi is a complex of fountains and an architectural marvel as it recycles its waters. Here we find the largest palace complex in Rajasthan. The walls of the Mana Mahal were originally inlaid with precious stones that were replaced with coloured glass in 1812. The Fatahprakash palace is another must-see as it houses the largest collection of crystal ever ordered by one individual comprising beds, tables and chandeliers. Nathdwara the focal point of Krishna devotees with its 7 Krishna temples Ajmer renowned for its public schools and for the Dargah of Khwaja Moimudin Chisti which every Shia Muslim would visit at least once in his/her lifetime. Pushkar famous for its lake which has no visible source of water and for its camel fair held every November. Jaipur the pink city. Old monuments are made of pink sandstone and new ones are painted pink. Arguably the most famous building is the Hawa Mahal, a huge stand-alone façade with 370 windows, built in 1799 for royal ladies to watch the market place below without being noticed. Beautiful objects are exhibited in the City Palace which is still the royal residence. Samode An old village with a beautiful haveli, an orchard and an array of cultural activities. Sariska Tiger Reserve one of Rajasthan's wildlife sanctuaries where one can ride in an open jeep to view a whole spectrum of animals. Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary which was the private property of the Maharajah until the Government gazetted it as a National Park in 1957. It is home to thousands of birds and a resting place for an even greater number of migratory birds Amita mentioned that all these places, although far apart, can easily be reached by car as the roads in Rajasthan are in excellent condition. We then viewed a film on another shorter – albeit rather costly - way of seeing Rajasthan, i.e. by boarding the exclusive train "The Palace on Wheels". Thank you Amita for this interesting morning. For those MCG members who, like me, have yet to visit India, this definitely whetted our appetites. We shall keep in mind that such a journey is best undertaken in either November or Feburary. Colette Hassan
BOOK CLUB REPORTS Group
I "Leaving Mother Lake" is the story of a young girl, Namu, from a remote Moso mountain village on the Chinese-Tibetan border, who eventually makes her way to Shanghai and becomes a famous singer. Namu's story is told with the help of anthropologist Christine Mathieu who had studied the Moso minority people and befriended her. The Moso have a unique matriarchal/matrilineal culture, with "walking marriages," where women take as many lovers as they want and the men continue to reside in their mothers' homes; Marriage is considered impractical and unnatural. The customs of this remote part of China are interwoven with the story of Namu's determination to have a worldly life despite her family's poverty and her own inability to read and write. Growing up, Namu displayed an independent streak similar to that of her mother. When she was discovered by Chinese officials looking for talented singers of ethnic songs, there was no stopping her from finding her way into the outside world. She ran away from home, traveled across the country and successfully auditioned for a place in the Shanghai Conservatory of Music at the age of 16. There, she learned to read and write and eventually launched into an international singing career. Although this book is far from a literary masterpiece, it is a fascinating description of a unique culture which led to a very lively discussion. Matriarchy vs. matrilineality and comparisons with other such cultures was one topic discussed. At another point, we examined what Namu said: ' It struck me that marriage was a source of great misery and that love was a very complicated thing outside our Moso country'- -this too generated amusing discussion. Other ideas discussed concerned mother-daughter relationships, the nature of the collaboration between the two authors, the preservation of a unique culture in the midst of modernization and tourism, the utopian nature of matriarchy, etc. The group unanimously agreed this was a good read, especially for the discussion it generated. Joanne Mahendran
Group
II Nine members met to discuss this book. It is a travel documentary and so it differs from our usual choices. We all agreed that it was interesting reading with a wealth and sometimes a surfeit of information. We acknowledged the scroll depicting the Yangtze river as a formal introduction to a planned expedition from the estuary to its source which was undertaken to provide content for this book. This is a verbal documentary of the geography and some of the economics of the river. The modernization of China has spread from the coast inland and the author has used this to illustrate historical progress of the nation. There is a great deal detail and a plethora of research information about historical events and the economy of China. We felt a lack of interaction with the people who lived and worked along the river banks. Even the feelings and thoughts of the writer are limited perhaps because he is critical of the government. There are no pictures and the maps lack continuity and detail. We were all interested in his travelling companion whom he called Lily. She was obviously a very capable and exceptional woman. We regretted that even in the latest edition no mention is made of her. She must have been known to the authorities. Winchester has many publications. He has written other works using his geological expertise. Some of us will reread this complex book and some will read some of his other books. It was an interesting and challenging choice. Gwen Smith LIBRARY The MCG Library is an excellent resource for learning about Malaysia and Southeast Asia, but sometimes that's not what you're looking for. In the first of a series of articles, I'll look at some of the other library resources available in KL. Japan Foundation Library If your interest is books about Japan—in English, Japanese and a few in Bahasa Malay—the Japan Foundation Library is the place to go. The collection includes all aspects of Japanese culture and is especially strong in Japanese literature in translation. Magazines, newspapers and videos are also available. Unfortunately, the catalog is not online, so you'll have to visit to see what's there. You can borrow books if you are a member of the Japan Foundation (RM10 and 2 passport photos for a one-year membership) or you could just stop in to look out the windows—there's a great view of KL from the thirtieth floor! Location: Menara Citibank, Jalan Ampang (next to the Nikko Hotel), 30 th floor (you need ID to enter the building) Hours: Tuesday—Friday, 10:30am—6:30pm; Saturday, 10:00am—6:00pm Web: www.jfkl.org.my/dept/library
NEWSLETTER REPORT You can submit articles, artwork and photographs to the editor at mcgevents@yahoo.com with ''newsletter'' in the subject line. Please submit all articles for the April newsletter by March 8. Stories are edited for reasons of clarity, space or accuracy of expression. The opinions expressed in the MCG newsletter are those of the writers concerned and not necessarily those of the MCG. Jaishree Balasubramanian
BOOKING POLICY FOR EVENTS Reservations Wait List Payments Cancellations Refunds Eligibility Event Participation Eligibility Your co-operation with the Booking Policy would be much appreciated by the Events Planning Team.
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