Dear MCG Members, This is a wonderful time of year for the Malaysian Culture Group as we are truly back in full swing after our summer hibernation. The Events Planning Team has organized a fascinating range of events including a talk, a festive celebration and lunch and a tour of a beautiful garden and artist colony. A highlight in October is the Newcomer's coffee morning. First up this month is our Monthly Lecture by one of our long-time members Colette Hassan who will talk on Malaysian Names and Titles. On the 14th is a Pre Deepavali event at the Temple of Fine Arts in Brickfields. Last year we were treated to a talk on Hinduism and a dance performance. This year, we invite you to dress up in your Saris or Salwars and join us for two spectacular dance performances and delicious lunch. I am sure you will be captivated. On the 19th Angela Hijjas has invited us to for a special tour of the native gardens she has created and to visit the special exhibition entitled "Feed Me! An Exploration of Appetites", an invitational exhibition of 30 Malaysian Artists. Angela is a warm and generous host and you will enjoy Rimbun Dahan. On 27th, Michelle Pease will enlighten us about the exquisite silk ikats. Our monthly lecture for October will be by Prof Dr. Saran Kaur Gill who will talk to us on "Change, Conflict and Compromise: The Story of the Shift in Language Policy in Malaysia." On Tuesday 10th October is our Newcomer's Coffee morning. It is a not be missed event held once a year. Current members are most welcome to attend but please also bring some newcomers. All MCG Committee members will be present to talk about and answer questions about the many varied activities that MCG offers, from Explorers Group, to Book Club, to Travel Tips, and so forth. You may discover lots of ways of enriching your membership of MCG! The Newcomer's Coffee morning is always held at the home of the library. Now is an opportunity for you to acquaint or reacquaint yourselves with our unique collection. I look forward to seeing you at one or all of our many events this month. - Sunita Varlamos PROGRAMME OF EVENTS
REPORTS FROM PREVIOUS EVENTS EXPLORERS — Pulau Carey
On Monday 12 th June, 15 Explorers went to visit an Orang Asli community in Pulau Carey. Rashid Esa, a researcher and activist for the Orang Asli was our guide for the day. Rashid lived with an Orang Asli community for 12 years and works to promote and preserve the traditional crafts and way of life for these people. Rashid has recently been named as one of Digi's five 'Amazing Malaysians' who are teaching young people about the heritage of Malaysia. Through the Digi project Rashid, who has been nicknamed the 'Woodcraft Warrior of Selangor', will lead local children in the replanting of batu nyireh (the wood used for carvings), the carving of the huge statues and the learning of Mah Meri dances and music. The Explorers visited a family who are part of the Mah Meri tribe of Selangor's Carey Island. Initially we sat with a group of women who were weaving and doing origami with nipal leaves. They were making some beautiful and intricate designs including representations of animals and birds. They also make small pouches. The 80 year old grandmother of the family was also working skillfully. Some of the woven items would traditionally be used in celebrations, weddings and spiritual days. We then went on to see some of the Mah Meri men involved in carving the traditional statues and masks. Some of these wood carvings were awarded UNESCO seals of excellence last year. Each statue is different and is the artist's interpretation of one of the spirits. Deforestation to make way for oil-palm plantations in Pulau Carey has led to the loss of some of the trees that would have been used to make the masks and statues. The people also believe that they can't use some trees for their work as the spirits reside in them. Some of the statues, which are all carved by hand, are very large and intricate. Rashid also showed us some traditional Orang Asli puzzles. One example of these puzzles is a piece of entwined rattan with a thin looped rope stuck in the middle of it. Rashid told us that puzzles such as these are sometimes given to the potential husbands of young women in the family to test if the man is sufficiently intelligent to marry! We then walked with the 'chief' of the community to the spirit house and the area where celebrations would take place. This was a very peaceful location. Finally we were treated to a music and dance performance. One of the group was wearing one of the traditional masks and all wore grass skirts. Some of the Explorers joined in the dancing and eventually learned the correct steps! Marama Schnitker was presented with a handwoven grass skirt at the end of the performance. After leaving the Orang Asli community we went to enjoy lunch at a riverside location in Pulau Carey. Rashid, the 'chief' and his grandson, plus Guna, a dancer who will be working with the Orang Asli, all joined us. Many thanks to Rashid Esa for guiding the Explorers on this tour. He gave us a fascinating insight into the traditions and way of life of these indigenous people. Margaret Butorac
Glitter and Silk - An Introduction to Chinese
Opera
Managed by Susanna Goho-Quek and her son Ken, the House of Suzie Wong in the Star Hill Gallery is more than an ordinary store for Chinese and Tibetan antique and artifacts. Susanna tells us, that her family and especially her brother were very involved in Chinese Opera during its prime time in Singapore and Hong Kong during the late 1950's early 1960's and were obviously quite successful. She showed us a little "money flower", which is a bundle of money folded and put together as a flower and given to the Opera singer for a successful presentation. It seems that the family received quite a lot of these "flowers". Instead of being brought up a Chinese Opera singer, Susanna was sent , much to her regret, but probably for the better, overseas to receive a proper education. Her son Ken then educated us about the origins of the Chinese Opera - which is an act of symbolism, gestures, costumes and of course its make-up - started in Hang Zhou during the Tang Dynasty in 12 th century and developed rapidly. By the time of the Qing Dynasty the Chinese Opera was portrayed in 400 variations. Ken told us that the Chinese Opera is made up of four major roles: 1. One male - old or young portrayed in a military costume
We were told that the more embroidery a costume has, the higher the social status the "figure" portrayed. Officials from the High Court, for example, would have a Dragon on their costume, whereas a warrior's costume would be decorated with a lot of glitter. Another important asset for expression of a character are the so-called Water sleeves, which is used to express emotions of its character. Feathers are also used to support the story. For example, to symbolize a warrior riding a horse, the actor would move a stick-like object decorated with feathers up and down, plus its support via the musical instruments, to show the movement of a horse. Susanna told us that she started searching for female costumes to compliment her collection. Through the Chinese Opera Society, she not only found a person, who had been acting with her brother, she also found an Opera actress, who was willing to sell her some females costumes. Inspired by her success she gained more knowledge about the Chinese opera and is now capable of showing pieces of Chinese opera at her store. Ordinary people, who during the day have jobs like you and me change into opera characters – which we were able to see watching an excerpt of their first show at the House of Suzie Wong - of the Chinese Opera at night and relive famous opera pieces like the "Butterfly Lovers" and the "Patriotic Princess". Susanna's dream is to lift the Chinese Opera to a higher level and hopes that her enthusiastic volunteers and herself can give back the glory the Chinese Opera once had. We thank for Susanna and Ken for her vivid and colorful presentation and wish her all the luck with future performances. Anja Kehding
Venerable Lama Samten: A Personal Story "The entire phenomenal world depends on causes and conditions. Causes and conditions are guided by our motivation. We have the perfect potential to create whatever we want: positive or negative, wealth or poverty, health or unhealthines." Lama* Samten. *The words 'Lama' and 'Guru' have the same meaning; 'Lama' is Tibetan and 'Guru' is Sanskrit, both mean 'teacher' in a strong spiritual sense.
Venerable Lama Karma SAMTEN Gyatso is a Tibetan Buddhist monk in the Karma Kagyu tradition ( Tibetan Buddhism has four main traditions). Born in Tibet, he is the sole survivor of his family which attempted the escape to India via Nepal. Whilst on a visit to KL recently, MCG members had the privilege to meet him. Although Lama Samten believes in not dwelling on the past, he was still willing to share with us his personal story when asked. Excerpts from his often harrowing tale have been reproduced here with kind permission. For the full story refer to: http://www.geocities.com/karmakiwi/LSamten.html Lama Samten's parents were originally from Kham, East Tibet. After a pilgrimage to sacred Mount Kailash, they decided to settle in this rugged region. Lama Samten was born in Gertse, West Tibet, February 25, 1947. When he was five years old, Lama Samten went to live with one of his uncles at his monastery. It was set high up a rock face overlooking the valley, a day's journey on horseback from his home. It was here in this monastery that Lama Samten first took refuge * – the most important and basic practice in Buddhism and involves making a commitment to Buddha, Dharma*(his teaching) and Sangha*(the Buddhist spiritual community) . When Lama Samten was ten years old the Chinese army 'invaded' Tibet. His family, ill and desperate, eventually crossed into Nepal and settled in Dolpo. Of the original 16 members of his family group including servants, only three of them were still alive. His father was forced to give up his 7-year-old daughter for adoption. Lama Samten never saw his younger sister again and still doesn't know whether or not she survived. The family had managed to make it to Lumbini the holy place of Buddha's birth in the Nepal/India border region and then to India where they went to a refugee camp in Himachal Pradesh state, where his father fell sick and eventually passed away. After the death of his father, Lama Samten recalls "a big silence – there was no-one". He was thirteen, overwhelmed by grief and remembering his uncle in his cave above the monastery, he just wanted to find a cave, meditate and die. When he was sixteen he took novice monk vows from the abbot venerable Khempo*(the highest level of monastic training) Chimme Rinpoche. The Indian government decided to once again move the Tibetan refugees to a settlement in Mainpat in Madhya Pradesh in Central India. They gave them land and three years' supply of food rations. A new monastery was then constructed for the monks to study philosophy, logic, grammar, art and medicine. Ritual music, chanting, mantra, and lama dancing were also subjects studied. The older monks taught the younger monks and Lama Samten was able to continue his studies. At 21 he took full ordination and began his own three year, three month and three day solitary retreat. He did two retreats in succession. On completion of his second retreat, he spent another three years in solitary retreat in a forest near the centre. Lama Samten expected to spend the rest of his life in retreat. However, in 1981 when Lama Samten was 34, His Holiness the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa and H E Beru Khyentse Rinpoche requested that he go to New Zealand and Australia. He spoke no English and hardly knew where these countries were but he placed total trust and faith in His Holiness' decision and went. Interestingly, Lama Samten explained that in New Zealand at the time, it was mostly hippies who were open to Buddhism as they had travelled and were "looking for something". They were good conservationists too. Eventually, the Karma Choeling Buddhist Monastery was established on 45 acres of land near Auckland. Lama Samten was the first Tibetan to become a New Zealand citizen. With his NZ passport, he was able to return to Tibet twice – albeit to Lhasa only on a limited two week visa. He believes that spiritual development – loving kindness, wisdom and compassion – is more important than the concept of religion. He added that older Tibetans, such as HH the Dalai Lama, promote peace and the answer is to touch hearts, not guns. Iolanda Capodanno BOOK CLUB REPORTS The MCG Book Clubs are stimulating venues for discussion of Asian Literature, both fiction and non-fiction. Each of the two clubs meets one morning a month (either Wednesday or Friday) to discuss a book selected by the group prior to the new season. Each group is able to accept up to 15 members, so currently there are a few places available in each of the clubs. If you are a keen reader and like to discuss what you read, we would love to have you join us. The books to be read this coming season (Aug-June) are as follows: Book Group 1:
The Great Railway Bazaar
Three Cups of Tea
The Inheritance of Loss
The Alchemy of Desire
The Wind up Bird Chronicle
Trespassers on the Roof of the World
The Red Queen
Sightseeing
Leaving Mother lake
I am cat
The Hamilton Case Book Group 2:
The Soul of Malaya
The Death of Vishnu
The Piano Tuner
The Good Women of China
You'll Die in Singapore
The Hamilton Case
Map for Lost Lovers
The River at the Centre of the World
Sightseeing
City of Djinns—A Year in Delhi
Diary of a girl in Changi
Saman
Contact Joanne Mahendran if interested and/or for further information:
03 42566150
Group
I A relatively small group had a fascinating discussion at its June meeting, about the Malayan Emergency, which began, according to general opinion, on June 16 th 1948 in Sungei Siput. Barber's non fiction book tells the story of the Emergency from inception to when it was practically contained and Malaya gained independence. (The final peace treaty was signed only on December 2 nd 1989.)
I find the book to be written in an engaging and fast moving style, with brilliant descriptions and facts interspersed with an insight into the human element of such a struggle for both sides. However, some of our readers found it harder going in some parts. The book has stories from the point of view of individual people: the wife of a secret service agent; foreign nurses working alone in jungle areas; and no one can forget the wonderful stories of Tommy Lucy, a planter's wife. These people were people just like us and yet they lived through such extraordinary events and circumstances only 50 to 55 years ago.
In the book you meet amazing characters such as Templer, Gurney, Bob Thompson, Briggs and even Churchill and the Tunku. Malaya was lucky to have men of such caliber, sensitivity and vision. We all lamented the lack of such leaders in other conflicts around the world today. All of us drew personal comparisons between the way this conflict was handled and the way other conflicts that we know of are, or were, handled, such as in India, Palestine, South Africa, Iraq. Some of the tactics were unique at the time and they should remain inspirational today.
I feel the book also gives another angle about how Malaya gained Independence. Much is made of the unique cultural existence here in Malaysia and the roots of this are clearly in the Emergency and the tactics that the leaders mentioned above used to tackle it. Malaysian culture is put into context much more clearly after reading this book. Irony is thick in the history of Malaysia.
However, we did note that this book is a product of its time. It was written very much from the British, or European, point of view. As one of our readers researched and confirmed, no where does the book give
enough credit to the part played by local security services. The security battle was fought, and won, by local men of all races more than foreign troops. It also portrays the British administration and security forces in a dazzlingly bright light. Other books tend to give a more balanced view.
The memoirs of Chin Peng, (the Communists' leader), which came out only in 2003, give a fascinating look at the Communists' side of the story. Again, it is unbalanced so it is best to read both and then find a position to take somewhere in the middle! There's lots out there on this fascinating subject. Emma Davidson
Group
II LIBRARY A new Library location, a new librarian (who is a trained librarian) and a new focus on our access to the Library. We have roughly 600 books related to our part of Asia - from old copies, to prints and cook books. We also have a budget to buy more, so let's make it a special place to visit over the next few months.
As most of our members know, the books have been stored with Jo, but now they are finding a new home in Damansara Heights, in a venue that will always be accessible to our members.
I took on the position of librarian earlier this year, and have had a very quiet time in this role, but now the books have been relocated and we are about to shelve them for the grand opening Coffee Morning, in early October.
I was very happy to continue in the librarian role, but on finding a 'real librarian' who is keen to take on this position, I am now (with arm twisted many times) happy to help Michelle on the Events Team.
Our new librarian is Minna Schwarz-Seim, who has just arrived in Kuala Lumpur, and is keen to become involved. I shall be helping Minna, along with some other volunteers who have shown interest in this work, to keep the library accessible. Welcome Minna, and thank you for coming to our aid,
Fran Turland
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 October newsletter by September 4.
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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