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THE PINTU PAGAR Learning, Living and Loving Peranakan Ways

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THE PINTU PAGAR Learning, Living and Loving Peranakan Ways ISSUE 20 thePeranaKan 1 16 PERANAKAN Where the POW WOW PHOENIX & Convention & Festival Mania! PEONY reside Penang’s WOODVILLE MANSION IS RECREATED The ROYAL & HUMBLE She’S MY BINI, aspects of a globally-loved He’S MY LAKI What it’s REALLY like to CustarD have a Peranakan spouse Beyond THE PINTU PAGAR Learning, living and loving Peranakan ways Coming Event Booth No. L 22 Singapore International Jewellery Expo 2016 21-24 July 2016 | Marina Bay Sands Expo Hall A & B Foundation Jewellers Pte Ltd 11 Cavenagh Road #01-03/04/05, Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre, Singapore 229616 Tel: (65) 6732 6141 / 6738 3151 Fax: (65) 6732 9091 Email: [email protected] Business Hours: Monday - Friday 12:30pm -8.30pm | Saturday 12:30pm -6.00pm | Closed on Sunday & Public Holidays. www. foundationjewellers.com 34 25 14 4 14 ISSUE 1 • 2016 www.peranakan.org.sg EDITORIAL BOOKS ON THE cover • The Edwardian- 3 Entering the Peranakan 30 Gilded Dreams style mansion that was built to inform research. Above the pintu pagar is the World 31 When a Flower Dies signboard with the Chinese characters of the Hall of the Phoenix and Peony. Story on FEATURES EVENTS page 4. Photograph by Colin Chee. 4 The Hall of the Phoenix 32 Great Balls of Fun! and Peony 33 Nyonya Fashion Goes to Japan 8 The French Baba and His Bini 34 What a Grand Affair! 9 A Marriage of Harmony 35 Natgeo’s Into Our World too! 18 10 Keeping It in the Family 39 In the Footsteps of Cheng Ho 12 Drawing from Her Roots 40 Taking TPAS Forward to 2018 14 Tales of a Peranakan Heritage 16 Family Tree and Me IN MEMORIAM 18 Nothing Like Living it Out 41 Remembering Lee Seng Gee MUSIC NOTICEBOARD 19 Digital Dondang Sayang 42 The Federation of 20 Songs of Nostalgia Peranakan Associations New Members THEATRE 21 The Kupang Kids Make Magic CHAKAP HABIS 22 In Good Spirit 43 The Yeows Discuss 23 Was Love Really All She Marriage Over Dinner Wanted? DIRECTORY 33 DALAM DAPOR 44 The Peranakan Guide, 25 The Kinship of Kaya Singapore THE PERANAKAN ASSOCIATION SINGAPORE President: Peter Wee • First Vice-President: Alan Koh • Second Vice-President: Raymond Wong • Honorary Secretary: Ee Sin Soo • Assistant Honorary Secretary: Koh Hwei Ling • Treasurer: Angeline Kong • Assistant Treasurer: Angela Kek • Committee Members: Monica Alsagoff, Linda Chee, Zan Ho, Khong Swee Lin, Emeric Lau, Adrian Tan, Tan Koon Siang, Edmond Wong • For enquiries please contact Peter Wee at +65 63451220. THE PERANAKAN MAGAZINE • Editor: Linda Chee • Assistant Editors: Emeric Lau, Dawn Marie Lee • Creative Advisor John Lee • Associate Editor: Elisabeth Chan • Editorial Committee Members: Colin Chee, Bryan Tan • Webmaster: Edmond Wong • Designer: Michelle Yap • Advertising Manager: Ngiam May Ling • For advertising enquiries, please contact Ngiam May Ling at +65-97410610. The Peranakan is published by The Peranakan Association Singapore, Raffles City PO Box 1640, Singapore 911755. Email:[email protected] • Printer: Lithographic Print House Pte Ltd. M C I ( P ) 1 0 7 / 1 0 / 2 0 1 5 All reasonable efforts have been made to identify and contact copyright holders but in some cases these could not be traced. If you hold or administer rights for materials published here, please contact the publishers. Any errors or omissions will be corrected in subsequent editions. Copyright is by the publisher. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. The Peranakan magazine and The Peranakan Association Singapore disclaim all responsibilities in the articles herein, and state that the views expressed in them, if any, are those of the writers and not theirs. They assume no responsibility for unsolicited materials or articles published herein and state that the writers are wholly responsible for the veracity and authenticity of their articles. 1 | ISSUE 1 • 2016 Being Baba presents specially selected articles on Peranakan culture seen through the eyes of contributors to The Peranakan magazine. Compiled for the first time in the magazine’s 20-year history, the articles in this 352-page book capture the essence of Peranakan culture — from its history, traditions, material culture and lifestyle to its rich cuisine, language and even theatre. Being Baba is richly illustrated with full-colour photographs and is the definitive compilation of all things Peranakan. Available at all leading bookshops in Singapore and Malaysia 2 | ISSUE 1 • 2016 being baba A4 magazine ad 2.indd 1 25/04/2016 9:13 AM e ditorial Being Baba presents specially selected articles on Peranakan culture seen through the eyes of contributors to The Peranakan magazine. Compiled for Entering the Peranakan World the first time in the magazine’s 20-year history, the articles in this 352-page book ver heard of the term, Peranakan chelop? In my capture the essence of Peranakan culture — from its history, traditions, definition, it is literally about ‘dipping’ oneself material culture and lifestyle to its rich cuisine, language and even theatre. Einto the culture. This can occur when someone ‘outside’ the community attempts to become a Peranakan (sometimes referred to as a wannabe) or is identified as one by marriage. Being Baba is richly illustrated with full-colour photographs Older Peranakans of generations past, our parents or parents’ parents, would recoil in horror should a and is the definitive compilation of all things Peranakan. baba or nyonya dilute their ‘pure blood’ by marrying an outsider. A cheenagerk (common Chinese people) would be looked upon with disdain because he or she did not possess the refinement of a Peranakan upbringing or high status in society. Such times are long gone. Does it matter now to entertained in the newly be a chelop? The newly-elected TPAS refurbished Victoria Theatre. committee for the next two I dare say these days we take pride that non- Recently in March, the first years. Story on page 40. Peranakans want to imbibe our culture. In a much- Armenian Street Party was Pictured here are most of the welcomed way, they contribute to sustaining it. organised by the Peranakan committee members. Front One fine example is the mansion that Dr Lye Museum in the fashion of row, from left: Angeline Wai Choong built to house his fabulous collection partying, or lao jiat, by the Kong, Alan Koh, Peter Wee, of Peranakan artefacts. Although he calls himself Peranakans. Our culture has Raymond Wong, Ee Sin Soo. a chelop, this grandson of a nyonya has made it his Middle: Khong Swee Lin also travelled to Fukuoka! calling to collect items that will inform research, as (arm on banister), Tan Koon Many thanks to our you will read. Siang, Edmond Wong, Zan association members We also take a delightful journey to observe how Ho. Last row: Linda Chee, who turned up at the others have participated in and built on our heritage. Emeric Lau, Adrian Tan. association’s AGM in late- Australian-Peranakan Jennifer Lim does it through April to vote in the next main committee. We are her art. Louis Chan cooks his way to his roots. heartened that four new faces have been voted The students of Singapore Chinese Girls’ School in: Koh Hwei Ling, Angela Kek, Khong Swee Lin identify with the culture through their studies in the and Tan Koon Siang. We also welcome three new Humanities. Three married couples – the Chassins, members to the magazine team – Dawn Marie Lee, Grunenfelders and the Wongs – share on coping Victoria Chanel Lee and Ngiam May Ling. Their in a Peranakan household. Peter Lee gives tips on respective involvement will bring fresh perspectives building your own family tree. and ideas to the association and the magazine. The past months have been a buzz of activity. Enter the world of the Phuket Peranakans from Our association hosted the inaugural Peranakan 24 – 27 November this year, when they play host to Arts Festival and 28th Baba Nyonya Convention the 29th Baba Nyonya Convention. Look out for more last November. More than 300 overseas delegates details in our website or by email. gathered with locals over three dizzy days on the lawn of the stately Victoria Memorial Hall and were Linda Chee, Editor Fit for a queen ven Queen Elizabeth II is ‘wearing’ our culture! She has been seen and photographed wearing a modern Peranakan kerosang (brooch) designed and Ecrafted by Singapore’s own Foundation Jewellers at least 10 times since it was presented as a gift to her, on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee in 2012. Besides official engagements, the much-beloved Royal has worn the Jubilee brooch with a Bird of Paradise motif for personal occasions, including the 2015 christening of her great-granddaughter Princess Charlotte. The listings of the occasions when she used it can be seen The Jubilee brooch worn by Available at all leading bookshops in Singapore and Malaysia Her Majesty was designed at queensjewelvault.blogspot.com/2012/10/ by Thomis Kwan of the-gold-filigree-brooch, a blog dedicated to Foundation Jewellers. chronicling the jewels worn by the Queen. 3 | ISSUE 1 • 2016 being baba A4 magazine ad 2.indd 1 25/04/2016 9:13 AM ff eatureeature The Hall of the NYOPhoenixNYA LINDA CHEE is enchanted by one man’s dream come TRUE and For about five years after he started collecting in 1993, Dr Lye Wai Choong focused only on porcelain. As time progressed, his passion widened into all things Peranakan – from metalwork, furniture, embroidery and beadwork to documents and literature. “ believe I have the collecting predisposition in museum because there was already one in Malacca, my genes because I have collected one thing and the NUS Baba House was in the process of being I or another since I was a child,” says this self- established.” As a child growing up in Penang, he had professed Peranakan chelop whose tenuous link to been impressed by Lim Lean Teng’s mansion called the culture was his maternal Woodville, along Northam Road, nyonya grandmother.
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