Dear MCG Members, I am sure like me you have enjoyed the Hari Raya and Deepavali festivals over the past month. It is easy to get caught up in the atmosphere and joy of Malaysians at this time of year. I have overeaten on Indian and Malay sweets, enjoying the generosity and hospitality at many open houses. This month we have a lecture on Malaysian Names and Titles and a visit to the International Institute of Islamic Thought. And Civilization. In October, we held our annual Newcomers coffee morning. This was a wonderful opportunity for new and old members to learn about the many varied activities of the MCG. They also heard about our Explorers Groups and Book Clubs. We also officially launched the library at its new location. Minna Schwarz-Seim is our new librarian and she is very keen to hear your ideas about how to help you make the most of this resource. Please read Minna's report for operating times and she will be highlighting books in the collection on topics that we have covered or about to cover in lectures. One of the qualities I have quickly learnt in my role with the MCG is that one must be always open to change. Margaret Butorac took on the Explorers Convener role in April 2006 (and has shown great enthusiasm, from dancing with Orang Asli to crawling through dark, narrow and muddy caves), but will shortly be moving to Hong Kong. I would like to thank Margaret for her contributions to the MCG. Cheryl Hoffmann, an equally adventurous member, has accepted the role of Explorers Convener, and we look forward to the continuation of this fun and interesting group The Malaysian Culture Group is a special group of people. We have over 250 members with people coming from over 30 countries. This diversity makes us unique and adds to the rich experience of being a member. I am very proud of what we provide, and it is entirely done for our members by volunteers. If you are interested in joining our team, in whatever capacity you are able to help, your contribution would be valued. Volunteering is one of those funny anomalies whereby "you get more out of the experience than you put in!" Please give me a call if you are interested. Sunita Varlamos PROGRAMME OF EVENTS
REPORTS FROM PREVIOUS EVENTS Treasures of the Wanli: 17th Century Shipwreck Wednesday 6 th September and MCG members and friends gathered in our usual delightful meeting place, Badan Warisan in Jalan Stonar. I think this venue really lends itself to our kind of talks and this one was no exception. We were pleased to have Ben Rongen talk to us about his work with Sten Sjostrand and about his new venture "Tradewind Treasures" ancient shipwreck porcelain shard jewellery and artefacts. Ben Rongen has had a few "past lives" in this and the last century, including nursing and documentary film making. He has had many varied experiences as a film-maker perhaps one of the most memorable being meeting Sten Sjostrand in 2002. Sten Sjorstrand is the man who at that time (there have been more since) had discovered 9 ancient shipwrecks in the South China Sea. Ben filmed hundreds of hours of the excavation of the Wanli a 17 th century Portuguese carrack which may have capsized from a wartime encounter with a Dutch warship. 80% percent of the cargo is broken leading to the belief that she was blown- up, in other wrecks the percentage of broken pieces is much smaller with relatively little ancient damage. We watched some fascinating footage of Ben's work where you could clearly see piles of ceramic ware sitting on the bottom of the ocean. In the west it is felt that shipwrecks should be left undisturbed, a different view is taken in this part of the world. The temperature of the water means that nothing is left of the structure of these vessels and as result the "treasure" is sitting-on the bottom of the sea covered in silt. The increase in the amount and the efficiency of modern trawlers means the contents of these ships are easily destroyed by this aggressive fishing method. In fact usually Sten is contacted by fishermen who find shards of pottery in their nets and this is how a new search beings. Sten is the only "Treasure hunter" licensed by the Malaysian government to search for wrecks and he shares all his discoveries with 30% being given to the Malaysian authorities. Ben spoke at length about the different motifs and markings found on the huge variety of ceramic ware. He shared some interesting anecdotes with us, for example: In 1700 the King of Sweden commissioned a huge dinner service to be made for him by the Chinese potters - 50 place settings for royal use. He was amazed and disappointed when the dinner service arrived in Sweden. Every bowl, plate, saucer and tureen had a tiger painted on to the surface but it also seemed to be falling off the edge. Why? The design which had been sent to China had got wet and the pattern had run. It had been meticulously copied!!!
The beautiful intricate designs on the blue and white china have inspired Ben and his designer partner Justine Vaz in their new venture. They cut and polish shards of ceramics and turn them into a variety of jewellery pieces. They brought a lovely collection to show us, earrings, cuff-links, bracelets, pendants etc. all set in silver.
Lynn Davies
What better way to begin this year's Deepavali celebrations than with a trip to Brickfields! Brickfields is the heart of Malaysia's Indian community and is alive with color and music and, of course, lots of great food. On September 14 th, MCG organized a visit to the Temple of Fine Arts, an institution that promotes a greater awareness of southern Indian culture through music, art and dance. As it was Lord Krishna's birthday, tiny painted feet decorated the pathway through the courtyard, enticing us into a morning of spiritual warmth and vitality. Our hosts, quite charismatically, shared their devotion to their culture with us. Amita Shah opened the program with an explanation of how her family celebrates Deepavali. She helped us to understand the regional variations in the Deepavali festivities across India but emphasized that the same themes – light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance – pervade all of the festivities. Whether it is in lighting rows of oil lamps, painting a picture of Hindu Goddess of wealth Laksmi, adorning an altar with sugar toys or reciting mantras, the spirit of family and community are most important. Amita explained that over several days of Deepavali festivities, different relationships are celebrated. celebrated. Children receive money from their fathers in return for expressions of respect, businessmen and herds of holy cows share a day of worship and there is a special day when women thank their brothers for their devotion and care throughout the year. Of course, the women do lots of cooking and everyone eats well! Our thanks go out to Amita for sharing her personal stories and enthusiasm. Following Amita's presentation we were treated to some Indian music, performed by two very talented artists, sitar player Kumar and tabla player Ganesh. Kumar introduced us to some basic elements of Indian classical music, helping us to understand the traditions of raga, its rhythms and melodies and the interaction between the musicians. They played a beautiful raga for us (in 16 beats), then a folk tune in a more contemporary style. We were so honored that these young men took the time to educate and entertain us. For the finale, the lead dancer at the Temple of Fine Arts, made a special presentation. In honor of Krishna's birthday, Shankar danced a traditional dance in the character of Krishna's foster mother, Yasoda. Shankar was preparing to dance this same dance that evening, so his energy was very high and his love and respect for Krishna were very contagious! He patiently explained the main actions and positions in the dance so we could better understand the story that was being acted out. The dance was very entertaining, some might say enchanting, and except that lunch was awaiting us, we really could have watched him dance again and again! After three such lucid and inspiring presentations, we were left to enjoy an absolutely delicious lunch prepared by Annalaksmi Restaurant and served by the ladies of the Temple. The restaurant, located in Mid-Valley Mega Mall, serves vegetarian south Indian food on a "pay-what-you-can" basis - delicious and spiritual. It was well into the afternoon when most of us went on our way, looking forward to Deepavali celebrations in October and a return trip to the Temple! Thanks to the organizers and the Temple of Fine Arts for a wonderful morning. Cheryl Hoffmann
Rimbun Dahan—Traditional House, Indigenous
Garden & Art Exhibition Rimbun Dahan means "laden branches", presumably so named as the area was a fruit orchard when purchased by the Hijjas family – Mr.Hijjas Kasturi, famed local architect and his Australian wife Angela, a nature lover and conservationist and much more. When you first come into the property, you can see the passions of both have had a very strong influence on their surroundings. Angela was to lead the tour of the property but had to take an overseas trip, so her daughter Bilqis very kindly agreed to take over, and she was charming and knowledgeable with a very easy manner. Bilqis explained to us that her father's designs had the environment in mind, all buildings made of steel, rock and concrete only; open air living, combined with an abundance of greenery mean they are able to live nicely without eco-damaging air-conditioning (apart from the art gallery of course). Initiated by Hijjas Kasturi in 1994, their residency programme invites artists from Australia and Malaysia to live in the compound and concentrate on their practice. Today's tour included a special art exhibition entitled Art for Nature 2006 – Feed Me! An Exploration of Appetites. Rimbun Dahan's curator, Laura Fan, chose the concept for the artists to follow, from the sadness at the passing of her father and her embarkation on a tremendous eating spree. Once she realised what was happening, the subject of food and Malaysia became a seed and germinated, growing with the idea that in Malaysia this topic is so strong – all emotions and conversations are expressed though food; and "on a deeper level the theme of this exhibition forces us to recall how uncontrolled appetites have led to tremendous destruction of natural resources and the oppression of peoples. Under the guise of development and modernisation, we have inflicted irreversible ecological damage to the forests, oceans and hills that surround and support us. Why has our hunger been allowed to run unchecked?" (Quoted on the WWF website .) The artists responded to the concept with gusto. Bilqis took us through most of the pieces, describing the artist's idea when it was not obvious. Half of the proceeds of the sales will go to the WWF-Malaysia group, as will the door entry paid by MCG members. After viewing the exhibition, Bilqis took us on a tour of the gardens, explaining that Angela was very much of the opinion that a native Malaysian garden was more in keeping with the environment, which was an unusual concept in this country, where the national flower, the hibiscus, is apparently not indigenous to Malaysia. We visited the herb and spice garden, passing by the Balinese guardian statues. Angela's criteria for selecting plants were that they either be Southeast Asian in origin, or of some culinary or medicinal significance in the region. This area also provides organic vegetables. We then passed by the amazing collection of antique vehicles belonging to Hijjas Kasturi, two resident artists workrooms and residences, through part of the 14 acres of land, to see the 1901 traditional village house from Parit in Perak, Rumah Uda Manap. It was lovingly dismantled, moved to Rimbun Dahan and restored, with just a couple of changes, i.e. changing over the painted window shutters to have the paintings showing on the inside when the shutters were closed, rather than the outside; and the addition of carvings around the rooms in areas that would normally be left far less ornate than the front of the home where visitors would be entertained. The back half of the house was a new addition to enable "mod-cons" such as a kitchen to be included. Resident artists who are with a family are usually housed here. Begun in 1991, the garden is evolving and not yet complete. Angela or a family member are happy to take groups through the property, and all proceeds go to the Malaysian Nature Society, where Angela is a committee member. Refer to www.rimbundahan.org for information on this and detailed information on the gardens and Angela's hopes and aspirations for them. I was interested in the how and why of Angela being here, so checked the Internet and discovered from the Monash University website that " she was born in Melbourne, and graduated from Monash in 1971, having completed a Bachelor of Arts majoring in geography and economics. After marrying her Colombo Plan Scholar husband, who studied architecture in Australia, her life took a path that reflected her commitment to the arts and the environment. Angela Hijjas chose adventure over convention when she headed to Malaysia on an Australian Volunteers Abroad assignment soon after graduation. More than 30 years later, she's still there", write Rahmah Daud and Allison Harding. "The couple see their residency program as a way of repaying the benefits they have enjoyed from being part of both cultures -- although the motivation was partially triggered by a 1983 political spat when then Australian prime minister Paul Keating labelled his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad a "recalcitrant". Aware the incident could worsen bilateral relations, the couple felt something positive needed to be done. "That was the catalyst, although we had been thinking about it for some time," says Mrs Hijjas, who adores her life in the tropics and was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2000 for services to Malaysian--Australian relations." There is much more that I could write here, the whole concept of Rimbun Dahan , the Hijjas family and their involvement with environmental groups, is fascinating stuff. Check out their website and maybe you could help out with the WWF or MNS. At the end of the tour, we were treated to refreshments in the lower living area of the family home building and members had a chance to ask more questions of Bilqis. Vicki Fennessy
Silk Production and Weft Ikat Textiles of Southeast
Asia Michelle Pease shared her knowledge and appreciation of the Ikat, known as mudmee in Thailand. She took us through each step of the textile production starting with the cultivation of mulberry bushes and harvesting of the leaves that nourished the silk worms, through the recovery of the filament, spinning and dyeing of the threads; loom preparation and weaving of the intricate silk cloth. Using slides from her visit(s) to North and Northeastern Thailand, including the village of Surin, Michelle wove a spell of her own and captivated us with her descriptions of the complexity, detail and skill required to produce even one meter of silk. While she focused on silk production and textile weaving in Thailand, she pointed out that there are similarities in the production of hand woven Ikat in Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia. It's all about women but it starts with the worm After the rice planting is finished, women in Thailand turn to tending mulberry trees in their gardens. Seven days after mating, the female silk moth lays 7000-9000 eggs which develop into larvae. Young worms are placed on finely chopped mulberry leaves, set out in flat bamboo trays and fed three times a day. The trays are covered with cotton scarves or sarongs and set on tables. The table legs sit in bowls of water to keep ants, wasps, and other insect predators away as the young worms are tasty morsels in the food chain and are vulnerable. The normal life cycle of the silk worm is between five and ten days. There inherent dilemma of silk production is that the worm dies. The irony here is that according to Buddhist doctrine, and Thailand is a predominantly Buddhist country, killing of animals is to be avoided.
There are many types of silk worms, three types are used in Thailand, one produces a creamy yellow cocoon another produces a silvery white one and a third a mix of the two. Commercial cocoons are larger than those produced in village gardens. Michelle passed around examples of each type for comparison. There are also commercially cultivated mulberry plantations (such as those involved in the Jim Thompson enterprise). But nonetheless, silk production remains largely a cottage industry in Thailand involving the women in small local communities. Producing the Thread Cocoons (with live pupae inside) are immersed in almost boiling water and a fine, almost invisible filament can be plucked from the floating cocoon. When the filament unwinding from one cocoon becomes thin, the reeler splices in another filament from a new cocoon to keep the strand continuous. Each cocoon produces 1 – 2000 ft of silk filament. Three thousand cocoons are needed to produce one yard of silk fabric. Spent cocoons float on top of the steaming water and are later scooped out as fresh cocoons are added. The entire process is like a rhythmic dance; one gesture flows into the other. Before the silk thread is ready to be woven, it is subjected to a de-gumming process. The tacky gum is removed from the thread with an alkaline solution of water and coconut husks and hung in skeins to dry. An interesting side note: after the filament is gone from the chrysalis, they can be stir fried with chilies and served in a spicy sauce. Michelle and her Mum were brave enough to actually taste them. Those of us in the audience were quite satisfied with the photographic evidence! Natural Dye to Weave and the Weaving of the Mudmee The weft Ikat weaving process is a dye resist method involving several steps. Beginning with silk weft threads on a frame, the tier establishes a pattern by tying them off with banana leaf string ties (they look a bit like our 'twist ties"). The dyed thread is wound onto bobbins which are numbered in the order in which they will be woven. Michelle presented slides of traditional patterns as well as actual textiles that showed the squid, turtle, peacock and the ever popular bamboo leaf designs. Michelle passed around bags of herbs, plants and the cochineal that were used in the production of natural dye colors. These colors combine with a mordant that helps the color to penetrate the cloth. We had an opportunity to handle actual cocoons, touch the 'raw' silk skeins at various stages in the process, see how the threads were tied for the dyeing process and marvel at the details and textures of the finished product….a truly memorable hands-on experience. Women's work is never done… These beautiful textiles as works of art though their weavers are mostly unknown and unrecognized. They are all women. Women cultivate the trees, feed the worms, harvest the cocoons, boil them to release the filament, dye the thread, weave the mudmee and perhaps wear it. (Those of the best quality are sold.) All of this occurs within the village community... a true cottage industry. Their efforts make the difference between existence and subsistence for their families, impacting the quality of life and the future for their children. And then it's rice planting time again. Carol McKenna Fort BOOK CLUB REPORTS Group
I Cups of Tea is a great read. In 1993, descending from a failed attempt to climb K2, emaciated, exhausted and alone, American climber,Greg Mortenson stumbled into Korphe—an impoverished Pakistani village high in the Karakoram mountains. There he was nursed back to health under the watchful eye of Haji Ali, the Balti tribal head of the village and soon to become Mortenson's mentor. While recovering, he watched the children at their lessons. 79 boys and 5 girls, sitting in the open, on the ground, scratching their answers in the dirt with sticks or for the lucky few, writing on a slate board with sticks dipped in mud and water. The lone teacher was mostly absent because he served 2 villages; Korpe residents couldn't affort his $1 a day salary. Desperately wanting to repay the villagers for their kindness, after all they had saved his life, he promised to return and build a school for them. But how? This book is the result of that promise, insightful, moving and often funny. Although he was homeless, living in his aging Buick in California, Greg sold what few possessions he had…and thus begins one of the most amazing humanitarian campaigns of our time. Along the way we learn how Greg survived a kidnapping, 2 fatwas issued by enraged mullahs and death threats from Americans who consider him a traitor. As the co-author Relin says "one evening he went to bed by a yak dung fire, a mountaineer who had lost his way, and the next morning after sharing a pot of yak butter tea with his hosts, he had become a humanitarian who had found the path he would follow the rest of his life". Greg's focus is on educating girls, for as he says "if you educate a boy, you educate an individual, but if you educate a girl, you educate a community". Today, as the director of the Central Asia Institute, Mortenson has built 55 schools, serving Pakistan and Afghanistan's poorest and most isolated communities. He now enjoys great support from the areas where he spends four months each year, away from his wife and two daughters. Greg Mortenson is living proof that one passionately dedicated person can change the world. ''His dreams were nourished by Haji Ali and three cups of tea; the first cup of tea you share with a Balti, you are a stranger; the second cup of tea, you are an honoured guest ; the third cup, you become part of the family".
Cindy Peters Zeier
Group
II The Piano Tuner is an amazing book – it combines historical and political tension, colonial issues, romance and love, but above all it is a book about what a person believes in, the purpose of a life and the decisions one takes along the way. To be honest, I admit to feeling some awe and envy of the author, Daniel Mason, who at the age of 26 (in between completing his degree in medicine) has written a book of such sensitivity and insight that one is simply reluctant to not read it in its entirety from woe to go! Better to savor it and linger a little. The book is about a British piano tuner sent deep into Burma in the19th century. It is his first trip away from England and all the more extraordinary that he agrees to step outside his comfort zone and travel to the jungle in remote Burma, where a rare Erard piano is in need of repair. The piano belongs to an army surgeon-major whose unorthodox peace methods – poetry, medicine, and music- have brought tentative quiet to the southern Shan states but have elicited questions from his superiors. On his journey through Europe, the Red Sea, India and into Burma, Edgar meets soldiers, mystics and bandits, as well as enchanting women as elusive as the surgeon-major. And at the doctor's fort on a remote Burmese river, Edgar encounters a world more mysterious and dangerous than he ever could have imagined. We had a great discussion on issues of living in a land which you don't come from, taking risks and generally what motivates us. As one member said "the important thing was that we really enjoyed discussing it with each other! We all identified in some way with being a foreigner exposed to new experiences in a different country and how you grow as a person as a result a la Edgar Drake". I think by now you have worked out that we would all recommend this book – it is a rare treat. Sunita Varlamos LIBRARY The MCG Library in its new location at Lynn Davies' house was officially opened on October 10th at the Welcome Coffee. It was a lovely sight to see so many people carrying books. The MCG Library is a wonderful resource for material about Malaysia and the Southeast Asia region.
Location: 23 Jalan Terentong, Damansara Heights
Librarian: Minna Schwarz-Seim, minnasch@gmail.com (Please put MCG Library as subject)
Hours: Friday, 12:30 – 2:30 pm. (please email Minna by Friday morning to confirm)
Borrowing books: there is no fee, you may borrow as many books as you need, you can keep them for a reasonable amount of time, BUT—please return them so they can be a community resource.
The collection is organized using the Dewey Decimal System, a means of classifying books by their subject matter. An outline of the system:
000 General Knowledge
A list of the books in Excel spreadsheet form is available; please email Minna for an emailed copy. Hope to see you at the MCG Library! Minna Schwarz-Seim
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 November newsletter by October 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.
| Home | About MCG | Join MCG | Committee | Interesting Links |
Please forward site comments to the website administrator. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
