A tribute by Baba Colin Chee

This tribute to the late Baba Lee Kip Lee, Honorary Life President of The Peranakan Association Singapore, was held back in keeping with the family’s request for privacy.

TPAS would also like to thank our partners and friends, in Singapore and abroad, who kindly withheld public condolence messages.

Uncle Kip made his final journey yesterday, 2 January 2019, following a private wake for family and friends.

At his 62nd birthday concert in August 2018, Baba Dick Lee, Singapore’s entertainer extraordinaire, dedicated a song to his father, Baba Lee Kip Lee. Bunga Sayang, composed in 1994, is a much-loved song with a beautiful melody and lyrics that touch the heart.

In every village by the sea
There stands a tall and ancient tree
That shelters from the sky above
A tree of hope, a tree of love

Playing the piano, Dick sang movingly and plaintively in the tribute to his father.

The first time I heard about Baba Lee Kip Lee was when I read his book Amber Sands – A Boyhood Memoir. He was a good writer. Uncle Kip (as he was fondly known) was born in 1922. Amber Sands vividly describes a bucolic life by the sea on the East Coast of Singapore during the pre-war years and life during the Japanese Occupation. It still is a very good read and has been used in schools as required reading for Literature classes.

Uncle Kip was called to the Lord on 29 December 2018. At 96 years old, he had lived a long and fulfilling life. He ran a successful stevedoring business in Pulau Bukom and retired in the 1990s. During his 14 years as president of TPAS from 1996 to 2010, he brought renewed vigour to our Association.

Membership increased three-fold during his term and he actively ensured funding for TPAS activities by engaging Peranakan and non-Peranakan business leaders to take an interest in TPAS. He started a newsletter for members in 1994, which has since evolved into our award-winning magazine, The Peranakan.

Our choir, The Peranakan Voices, was also formed in 2000 during his term. Long-time choir members fondly remember him as “a learned man with a gentle soul whom we will miss dearly”.

Uncle Kip was a quiet person. He listened and observed more than he spoke and was uncomplaining. But I was told by our Association’s First Vice-President, Baba Alan Koh, that Uncle Kip could also be firm and stern when needed. During his time as president, he was very clear on the role of the Association, on how the General Committee should operate and would not broach any nonsense. With Uncle Kip at the helm, the Association gained a reputation as the go-to resource for all things Peranakan.

After he stepped down in 2010, he was made Honorary Life President by the Association for his many contributions to the community.

Uncle Kip’s love for TPAS and the community did not diminish. After I was elected president last year, Uncle Kip remembered to ask me each time we met, “How is the Association?” I would respond, “Baik, lah, Uncle Kip. We have a good team.” And he would nod, with satisfaction.

Uncle Kip was an advocate for heritage and culture. He and his beloved wife, Elizabeth Tan (dear Aunty Liz, who passed on in 2015) were ardent supporters of our Singapore museums. They donated large collections of antique textiles, photographs, furniture, jewellery and other artefacts to The Peranakan Museum and the Asian Civilisations Museum.

I remember the many sumptuous dinners we had at the Lees’ Bukit Timah home. The editorial committee of The Peranakan magazine would meet there quarterly to discuss and plan each issue of the magazine.

Uncle Kip and Aunty Liz would always make all of us feel welcome. Aunty Liz would lead the banter during dinner. Uncle Kip, sitting to her right, would simply look on lovingly at her, with a gentle smile on his face.

In his golden years, his sons – Dick, John, Peter and Andrew – looked after their father with much love and attentive care. It is Uncle Kip’s spirit of generosity, graciousness and kindness that lives on in his family. All of us who have known him will never forget him.

Rest in peace, Uncle Kip. We will always love you and Aunty Liz.

The post Lee Kip Lee – A True Baba Gentleman appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

In preparation for the Lunar New Year, TPAS has co-organised a potong kertair merah (red paper cutting) demonstration together with the NUS Baba House as part of their Explore program where guests are free to explore the house at their own pace.

Red paper cutting is a Chinese folk art originating in the 6th century. These paper-cuts make especially favourable decorations or gifts, as they usually feature motifs that symbolise luck, well-wishes, and happiness for the year.

Traditionally, Peranakan Chinese families would make these intricate red paper cuttings to paste on tins of homemade cookies and kueh before gifting them to family and friends. Potong kertair merah is a simple yet thoughtful way to embellish your Lunar New Year gifts with an auspicious flourish!

DATE: Saturday, 19 Jan 2019
TIME: 4pm
VENUE: NUS Baba House, 157 Neil Road, Singapore 088883

About the Facilitators

Nyonya Linda Chee, 61, was the previous editor of The Peranakan Magazine. As a seventh-generation nyonya, she is steeped in the culture and has created red paper cuttings since she was a child.

Nyonya Samantha Tan, 18, is a young Nyonya promoting her heritage with a special passion for handicrafts.

To register, please email Nyonya Gwen Ong at: events@peranakan.org.sg by 16 January 2019.

Limited to 25 pax, TPAS members only.

Join us to revive a forgotten craft. Who knows? You may just discover a hidden talent!

The post Potong Kertair Merah (Red Paper Cutting Demonstration) appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

Letter from Baba Colin Chee, President, The Peranakan Association Singapore

(This is a monthly column to TPAS members and guests)

Dear Babas and Nyonyas,

Forming Partnerships

Two weekends ago, The Peranakan Association Singapore, together with NUS Museum, successfully soft-launched a series of collaborative cultural and heritage events.

The first event was held at NUS Baba House on Neil Road. This was a potong kertair merah (red-paper cutting) workshop – a fast-fading home craft among Peranakan families – which enthused visitors to Baba House as well as TPAS members who signed up.

The craft was expertly demonstrated by my dear wife, Nyonya Linda Chee, in her early sixties, and teenage Nyonya sisters Samantha and Simone Tan. They are separated by a multiple of years.

Not only this. Linda had learnt her craft from her late father. He would paper-cut intricate designs to be pasted on gifts of Chinese New Year cookies and kueh kueh which he had ordered from Melaka. The sisters, on the other hand, learnt the craft by browsing the internet! They shared a deep appreciation of the craft and a passion for its continuance.

More of such collaborative events are in the pipeline with NUS Museum for 2019.

Slated for February, to coincide with the Lunar New Year, is a talk on the God of Wealth, to be rounded off by a very Singaporean Lo Hei. During Qing Ming in April will be a presentation and re-enactment of ancestral worship in a Peranakan home. September will have a very special demonstration and workshop on floral arrangement in a Peranakan home by a renowned Ikebana sensei who is a Baba.

We are also planning events with other partners. These include The Peranakan Museum, Asian Civilisations Museum and Heritage Conservation Centre; People’s Association; Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre; Gunong Sayang Association; Peranakan Indian Association Singapore; and Singapore Tourism Board. We plan to get in touch with other stakeholders such as the Eurasian Association, National Library Board and quite a few other organisations as well as tertiary institutions and schools.

The basis of our thinking is simple. Firstly, no single entity has a monopoly on any culture, least so when our hybrid Peranakan folk culture draws from so many other cultures.

Secondly, we should always be leveraging on and working with other like-minded organisations – not only to share resources but also to develop a deeper understanding of the cultural and traditional diversity that bind us all in our Singapore society.

Finally, if our culture is to survive and even flourish after us, we must keep it alive among and relevant to our young!

Constitutional Review

It is for this reason that the General Committee agreed on 8 January 2019 to table a constitutional amendment at our scheduled Annual General Meeting on 31 March. This amendment will enable TPAS to create a new category of Junior Membership for children aged 6 years to under 18 years, through a parent, sibling, grandparent or guardian who is already a TPAS member.

We plan to organise separate and special events for this important category of members. We believe culture and traditions are best imbibed by the young. We are aware that this effort can be a double-edged sword. We will either win them over or lose them. But if we can make the experience a fun one, we will win the day.

Other constitutional amendments agreed to by the GC are essentially to clarify the process of nomination and election of candidates. We will share these changes with you in the AGM package that we plan to mail out to you at the end of February.

The AGM will be held on 31 March 2019 at Joo Chiat Community Club Auditorium, as The Peranakan Museum will be closed for renovation from end-March till mid- 2021.

Singapore Bicentennial

We have been working with the Bicentennial team from the Prime Minister’s Office to celebrate various aspects of our Peranakan heritage this year. One of them is our partnership with the Peranakan Indian Association Singapore in early June. Please look out for our announcements on Facebook, our website and email.

The Peranakan magazine – Silver Anniversary Issue

Within February you will have in your hands a bumper 72-page magazine to celebrate its Silver Anniversary in 2019. I will not say more in order to keep it a pleasant surprise for you. We hope you will enjoy reading it.

I would like to thank especially our Magazine Editorial Team, now capably led by editor Nyonya Dawn Marie Lee, for still diligently carrying the torch and upholding its legacy as a recorder and documenter of our culture and community happenings. More important, it stands for all that TPAS is, as the beacon of our Peranakan identity.

I cannot thank enough the previous editors – Baba Lee Kip Lee, Baba Peter Lee and Nyonya Linda Chee – and contributors who have made The Peranakan magazine what it is today. From four pages of cyclostyled paper to an award-winning, much-loved magazine in lavish colour, made possible largely by volunteers.

I must also reserve a special thanks to our loyal advertisers who continue to stick with us through thick and thin – Foundation Jewellers, George Town Heritage Hotels, Guan Antiques, Timeless Treasure, Aster by Kyra, Rumah Kim Choo, Katong Antique House, and Jan Tan & Chan. They are still with us, even now, when social media becomes the preferred, even if perplexing, medium for advertisers.

At this juncture, I would also like to thank Nyonya Ngiam May Ling for heroically working to bring in new advertisers and staunch the leaks in advertising revenues. May Ling has stepped down as the magazine’s Advertising Manager. We are now looking for another brave new volunteer to fill this role.

A White Knight

As I have mentioned before, advertising revenues are still grossly inadequate to fund the cost of publishing the magazine.

However, we are deeply grateful to a donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, for fully funding the magazine this year. We are hopeful this support will continue when the magazine celebrates, with another bumper issue, the Association’s 120th Anniversary in 2020, and in the years to come.

The significance of this funding is that it has, in one fell swoop, almost plugged the persistent annual deficit that your Association has had to struggle with – by drawing down on its reserves over the past several years.

More of this in next month’s letter.

New GC Member

I would also like you to join us in welcoming a new member to our General Committee. He is none other than Baba Christopher Tan, a psychology graduate turned award-winning writer, cooking instructor and consultant, cookbook author, cuisine researcher and photographer.

Happy Chinese New Year! Selamat Taon Baru!

On behalf of your 2018-2020 General Committee, I wish for each of you and your loved ones, in this Lunar New Year, rich blessings of good health, happiness, kindness, and loving relationships. For these are the true markers of personal success and wealth.

Sincerely,
Colin Chee
Unity. Stability. Growth
It is not going to be business as usual
31 January 2019

The post Letter from Baba Colin Chee January 2019 appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

A talk jointly organised by The Peranakan Association Singapore and NUS Baba House.

Date: Saturday, 16 February 2019
Venue: NUS Baba House, 157 Neil Road, Singapore 088883
Time: 4.30-6pm

Who is the God of Wealth?

This affable deity has appeared in Chinese folklore and is today still popular among Singaporeans, especially around the Chinese New Year period as he is thought to bless people with good fortune during this time. Although Zhang Gongming is his most popular incarnation, did you know that there are several other figures who are also worshipped as gods of wealth?

In this talk, Esmond Soh, a student of History, will review literature about the different gods of wealth and examine the historical context that has popularised the worship of these deities, namely the growth of commerce in the Song and Ming dynasties in China.

Closer to home, he will also discuss the popularity of the Sembawang God of Wealth temple in Singapore. Taking an anthropological approach, he will examine the temple’s success within the concept of eudaimonia (a state of happiness) in popular Chinese religion and discuss why Singapore’s neoliberal economy has contributed to the God of Wealth’s popularity.

Join us to learn more about the changing identity of Chinese religious practices in Singapore.

Registrations strictly for TPAS MEMBERS ONLY.
Places are LIMITED. To register, please email Gwen Ong at: events@peranakan.org.sg

About the Speaker – Esmond Soh

Esmond Soh Chuah Meng is a final-year undergraduate pursuing a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in History at Nanyang Technological University (NTU). His thesis examines the changing identities of a spirit-medium practice temple in Singapore. His research interests include the effects of modernity on Chinese religious institutions and the history of religion in general.

The post In Prosperity We Trust: Worshipping the God of Wealth in Contemporary Singapore appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

Letter from Baba Colin Chee, President, The Peranakan Association Singapore

(This is a monthly letter from Baba Colin Chee to members and friends of TPAS)

Dear Babas and Nyonyas,

THE GOLDEN GIRLS

On the fourth day of Chinese New Year, my wife Linda and I shared a table with four elderly aunties at the Marine Terrace food centre beside the market. They were all around the same age, in their late 70s to 80 years.

Three of them were nyonyas, fluent in Baba Malay. But they switched easily to English and Hokkien when they spoke with their friend of over 40 years, a Hokkien-speaking Ah Soh. They were clearly the live-and-let-live types, accommodating one another.

When they discovered Linda and I were from The Peranakan Association Singapore, one of them said: “I am also a member. For a very long time already. But I don’t want to get involved, because we Peranakans are so political. Always talking bad about others and complaining about everything.”

Have we not heard this before? It must be a character trait built in from the time we were little and sat around the dinner table complaining about other people’s cooking and bad behaviour!

UNITY

Yet, if this Association is to grow, the community has to be united. Not just within itself but reaching out to those outside it.

It is about nine months to the day when my team and I were elected on 27 May to form the new General Committee for the 2018-2020 term.

Since then, we have been reaching out to various individuals and parties to see how we can best work together. It used to be that we worked separately because we saw things differently. There was always this competitive tension.

We have since taken the position that our community and culture are much larger than any one of us. They are a sum of our parts, so to speak. I am glad to see that many that we approached share the same view as us.

We have started working together. If not, at least we have started to talk to one another. You will see a great deal more collaboration with our partners in the coming months – events for our members and potential members, a lot more sharing of resources, and more fun together.

STABILITY

I wish to thank each member of my team for making this possible – the General Committee, Magazine Editorial Committee and the Peranakan Voices. Not just them, but their loved ones, too, who have had to tolerate their absences from home so that we may come together to build a stronger working Association.

We now have a more structured Association to show, with sustainable work processes and greater governance in place, and one that will be more prepared for a digital future. It is a stability that we will always need. There are still gaps. We shall work on closing them.

GROWTH

All these improvements have led to growth. In the six months to end-December 2018 since our election, 65 new Life Members have signed up. That makes it a total of 91 new members for the whole of 2018. It is a gain of members not seen for a long time. As at end last year, our revamped membership record stands at 1,984 members. This makes us one of Singapore’s largest culture and heritage associations.

FINANCE

Equally important, the Association’s finances are beginning to look healthier. As at 31 December 2018, we turned in a surplus of just over $7,000, after several years of deficits averaging more than $30,000 a year. We have locked in $300,000 in reserves to be drawn against only when absolutely necessary. This leaves a working capital of over $70,000 to see us through 2019.

We have stopped the bleeding too. This is because, in 2019, a donor has stepped forward to support the cost of publishing and distributing our beloved award-winning magazine, The Peranakan. The cost of designing, printing and mailing out our magazine forms a significant portion of our annual deficits. We are hopeful this funding support will continue.

FRIENDS

Most of all, we thank the Friends who have come alongside the Association. They are our loyal advertisers in the magazine, the table donors who supported our Christmas Malam Jolly in 2018, and our prize sponsors who gave generously to the evening’s Raffle Draw.

In addition, we appreciate the donors last year including one who made a large contribution. Also, the donor who is sponsoring the cost of publishing our award-winning The Peranakan magazine in 2019. And others who have pledged their generosity to support us in times of need.

They have taken a huge load off our shoulders. In return, we have committed to both them and you, our members, to continue to spend prudently and giving value.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

As we round up preparations for our AGM on Sunday 31 March 2019, we look to your support and understanding for constitutional amendments that we are proposing for your approval.

The most significant amendment is to introduce a Junior Membership category to enable us to recruit younger members, as culture is best imbibed when young. Other amendments will help to add clarity in the nomination and election procedures of the constitution.

The AGM package has been prepared and will be mailed to you by early next week.

My prayer is for this year’s AGM to be deliberative, measured and civil. My hope is that our members’ decisions will be made not on emotion or bias but on sound wisdom with facts. And always with the common objective of benefitting not just our Association but also our community.

God Bless,
Colin Chee
Unity. Stability. Growth
It is not going to be business as usual
27 February 2019

The post Letter from Baba Colin Chee February 2019 appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

THERE’S LESS THAN A WEEK TO GO TO THE ARMENIAN STREET PARTY. COME JOIN IN THE FUN!

The Peranakan Association Singapore (TPAS) is proud to be a partner of the Peranakan Museum Singapore.

The museum will be closing on 1 April 2019 for renovations and will re-open in mid-2021.

Come join us at the Armenian Street Party on 15 & 16 March and mari buat lau jiat (let’s make merry)! Many of our General Committee members, including Association president, Baba Colin Chee, will be volunteering at this event. Don’t be shy. If you spot us, come by and say hello!

If you’re still not a TPAS member, you can sign up on the spot at the event or do so online here.

Anyone with an interest in Peranakan culture can join us. Few things last a lifetime. Our membership is one of them!

The post Peranakan Museum’s Armenian Street Party 2019 appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

TPAS has specially arranged a guided visit to the Heritage Conservation Centre (HCC) in Jurong for our members. The HCC is not open to walk-in visitors.

The HCC is a repository and conservation facility for the management and preservation of Singapore’s National Collection.

Over 200,000 artefacts in the National Collection are housed at HCC, including Singapore’s National Treasures such as a scroll from the Guangxu Emperor presented to the Thian Hock Kheng Temple in 1907.

Learn how artefacts such as photographs, paintings, textiles, furniture and many more are conserved and restored. Gain valuable tips from conservators on how to care for your own collections.

Date: 23 April 2019

Venue: Heritage Conservation Centre, 32 Jurong Port Road, 619104

Time: Meet at 9.45am in the lobby. Tour from 10am-12pm.

Registration fee: $10 per person

OPEN TO TPAS MEMBERS ONLY
Places are limited to 15 pax, so please register early.
To register, please email events@peranakan.org.sg

Please include your FULL NAME (as in NRIC) and CONTACT NUMBER as your particulars have to be submitted to HCC in advance. If you will be driving, please provide your vehicle number for security reasons.

Confirmation of registration is subject to proof of payment. Payments can be made by PayNow, bank transfer to the TPAS bank account or by cheque. Please email for details.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE
– Please bring along identification as your particulars have to be submitted to HCC in advance.
– This is a 1.5-2 hour walking tour. There are toilets if required, along with the route.
– No food/drinks are allowed during the tour.
– Strictly no photography allowed during the tour.

The post Enjoy A Guided Tour of the Heritage Conservation Centre (HCC) appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

Listen to these joyous Indian Peranakan melodies. These Chitty Melaka songs are an interesting fusion of Indian, Malay and Chinese musical influences.

SURI RAM

This is a lullaby for children. It is a Malay version a well-known Indonesian song.

Ram ram ram suri ram ram ram
Suri ram yang manis
Aduhai suri ram sayang
Putih Kuning di pandang manis

Lihatlah burung kicau kicaun
Memuja alam di pagi hari

Bahagia hidup jika berkawan sayang
Aman dan damai kekal abadi

Suri ram ram ram suri ram ram ram
Suri ram yang manis
Aduhai suri ram sayang
Putih Kuning di pandang manis

Suri ram ram ram suri ram ram ram
Lihatlah burung kicau kicaun
Memuja alam di pagi hari

ENJET ENJET SEMUT

This is a Chitty nursery rhyme about a game children play, where one runs a finger up the arm of
another.

Chorus (2X)
Enjet enjet semut
Siapa sakit naik atas
Enjet enjet semut
Siapa sakit naik atas

Dua lah tiga
Kucing berlan
Mana nak sama
Sikucing belan

Dua lah tiga boleh kucari
Mana nak sama dek oi
Abang seorang

Chorus

Pisanglah emas dibawa belayan Masak sebji di atas peti
Hutanglah emas boleh dibayar Hutanglah budi dek oi
Dibawa mati

Chorus

The post The Chitties of Melaka appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

Ayer Di-Tetak Takleh Putus (Blood Is Thicker Than Water) is new play that will be staged by the theatre group, Peranakan Siblings in June 2019.

Based on a story by the doyen of Peranakan theatre, Baba GT Lye, and scripted by Nyonya Irene Ong, the play is set in the post war years of the 1950s and 60s and revolves around the lives of three sisters and their families.

Photo credit: Photos courtesy of Peranakan Siblings

The post Ayer Di-Tetak Takleh Putus (Blood is Thicker than Water) appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

: Follow The New Modern Lights on Facebook.

: thenewmodernlights

      : thenewmodernlights@gmail.com

      : https://thenewmodernlights.bandcamp.com

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Come learn more about Cheng Beng (Qing Ming) or the Chinese Tomb Sweeping Festival that will be observed in April this year.

Traditionally, Cheng Beng is a time when Peranakan families remember their ancestors, visit and clean their tombs and honour them with prayers and other offerings.

In this talk, Baba Cedric Tan will discuss the contemporary rites of ancestral worship practised by Peranakan families during Cheng Beng. This is a rare opportunity to learn first hand about semayang abu (prayers for ancestors) and see how an altar is elaborately set up for ancestral worship in a Peranakan home.

Ancestral worship originates from ancient Chinese rituals dating to before 100 B.C. The practice emphasises family unity, filial piety and honouring the deceased.

Date: Saturday, 13 April 2019
Venue: NUS Baba House, 157 Neil Road, Singapore 088883
Time: 4.30pm – 5.30pm

(If you would like to explore the Baba House, please arrive just before 4pm.)

Registrations strictly for TPAS MEMBERS ONLY.
Places are LIMITED. To register, please email Gwen Ong at: events@peranakan.org.sg

About the Speaker – Baba Cedric Tan

Baba Cedric Tan is a sixth generation Peranakan who hails from Melaka. He has been the president of the Kuala Lumpur & Selangor Peranakan Baba Nyonya Association since 2014, and is also a regular contributor to The Peranakan magazine, a publication of The Peranakan Association Singapore.

The post Cheng Beng (清明) Festival: Talk on Ancestral Worship Practices appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

Alternatively, click here to download and view The Peranakan Issue 1 2019.

The post Issue 1 2019 appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

Letter from Baba Colin Chee, President, The Peranakan Association Singapore

(This is a monthly column to TPAS members and guests)

Dear Babas and Nyonyas,

ALLOWING JUNIOR MEMBERSHIP

In my February letter I wrote about allowing children of members to join the Association as Junior members.

I wrote: “The most significant amendment is to introduce a Junior Membership category to enable us to recruit younger members, as culture is best imbibed when young.”

One well-read member responded with an encouraging comment: “I think the creation of a Junior category of membership is such an obviously brilliant far-reaching move.”

Our dear member, in her careful use of the phrase “far-reaching move”, was spot on.

Allowing junior membership does not only encourage our young to appreciate Peranakan culture and take pride in being a member of the community, but is also vital to the Association’s longevity!

Our membership as of 29 March 2019 stands at 2,006 members. Analysis of our demographics reveals that a mere 1 percent (15 members) are in the 18-29 year age group.

42 percent of our members are aged between 30-59 years, and 57 percent are above 60 years old!

This age profile was presented at our Annual General Meeting on 31 March 2019.

Sharing our concerns and sentiments about an aging membership base, all 54 Association members who attended the AGM unanimously approved the constitutional amendment to allow those aged between 6 to 18 years to join our Association as junior members. This is an important first step in revitalising the Association.

We will soon announce our Junior Membership drive. The Junior membership fee will be an affordable, one-time payment, and junior membership will be valid until the year that the child turns 18.

We now urge our members who are parents, grandparents and guardians to sign up their anak and chuchu as junior members.

Already, a well-known nyonya has declared that she would sign up all four of her grandchildren!

For us in the General Committee, it is a new responsibility that we will take very seriously. We will manage our junior members with sensitivity, care and mentorship, with the support and understanding of their parents, grandparents and guardians. My team and I have started to plan events and programmes for our junior members.

Our young should grow up being proud of our inclusive culture that has organically evolved over six centuries from a hybrid of influences into one that is embracing, exquisite and unique.

WE NEED VOLUNTEERS

For the past 10 months since this General Committee (GC) was elected, my team has been working very hard to revitalise the Association and put in place working protocols for future committees. Many of the GC members are volunteers with full-time jobs.

Our members have told me that they are delighted and excited that our Association has been actively
conducting monthly events, talks and workshops. While this is very encouraging, I must stress that there is only so much the GC can do alone.

We are a small team and we need more volunteers to work in sub-committees.

I urge our members to come forth and volunteer your time and talents, especially in the areas of website management, IT skills, graphic design, photography, cultural outreach (to schools and to the public), helping out at events or helping us with administrative tasks.

To volunteer, please write in to our Secretariat at secretariat@peranakan.org.sg or fill in this form online to volunteer with The Peranakan magazine.

Have a lovely month ahead!

Blessings,
Colin Chee
Unity. Stability. Growth
It is not going to be business as usual
31 March 2019

The post Letter from Baba Colin Chee March 2019 appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!

32nd BABA NYONYA CONVENTION IN MELAKA, MALAYSIA
22 – 24 NOVEMBER 2019

Members of The Peranakan Association Singapore may now register to attend the Convention.

Download the forms here: INFORMATION | BOOKING FORM

Please note that the availability of rooms is on a first-come-first-served basis.
Bookings will only be confirmed when payment is made.

For enquires, email Nyonya Gwen Ong at: events@peranakan.org.sg

The post 32nd Baba Nyonya Convention 2019 appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

Join us at this talk where food writer, Dr Ong Jin Teong, will discuss the distinct characteristics of cuisine from the Straits Settlements.

He will highlight the regional differences of Nyonya cooking from Melaka, Penang and Singapore, identify the distinctive ingredients used and explain cooking techniques which often employ Malay practices, distinguishing Nyonya food from those of later Chinese immigrants.

As a special treat, he will demonstrate the making of ondeh-ondeh where guests may get a chance for hands-on learning.

Date: Saturday, 18 May 2019
Venue: NUS Baba House, 157 Neil Road, Singapore 088883
Time: 4.30pm – 6pm

(If you would like to explore the Baba House, please arrive just before 4pm.)

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO ATTEND THIS TALK. OPEN TO TPAS MEMBERS ONLY. Places are LIMITED.
To register, please email Gwen Ong at: events@peranakan.org.sg

About the Speaker
Dr Ong Jin Teong is a heritage food writer and consultant. The retired professor was born into a Penang Peranakan family and was exposed to home cooking at an early age. His mother used to give cooking demonstrations to members of the Penang YWCA and the MGS Old Girls’ Association. He has published two award-winning books, Penang Heritage Food – Yesterday’s Recipes for Today’s Cook, and Nonya Heritage Kitchen – Origins, Utensils and Recipes, after his retirement as a professor from the Nanyang Technological University’s College of Engineering. He lectures, photographs, runs supper clubs and conducts classes and write books on Nyonya cooking and heritage related to food.

The post Characterising Straits Chinese Cuisine (with Cooking Demo) appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

Date: 27 & 28 April 2019
Venue:
Serangoon Gardens Country Club (Main Clubhouse)
22 Kensington Park Road, Singapore 557271
Time: 11am-7pm

FREE ENTRY TO ALL.
NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

Bring your family and friends to enjoy this colourful marketplace. There will be Nyonya attire, jewellery, gorgeous batik, Peranakan handicraft, delicious kuehs and food on sale.

Watch how some favourite Nyonya dishes are made, learn creative ways to tie a sarong and watch how Peranakan beadwork is made at the lively demos on all
afternoon.

VENDORS:

1. The Peranakan Restaurant – Nasi Ulam and Apom Bok Kuah

2. Mary’s Kafe by Mary Gomez – assorted snacks and kueh

3. Bibik Catering – Mee Siam and assorted kueh

4. Nya Besair – Peranakan fashion wear and costume jewellery

5. Billa – Women’s batik wear

6. 2 Peas in a Pot – Household items and enamelware

7. Peraskin – Peranakan inspired skincare

8. Pei Lin – Handmade ladies bags in beautiful fabrics. Custom orders available as well.

9. aNERD Gallery – Batik fabrics
and menswear

10. Kim Choo Kueh Chang – Nyonya kueh, food items and bak chang

11. TPAS – Souvenir Peranakan tiles, Peranakan music CDs, song books and assorted bric brac.

DEMONSTRATIONS

Saturday, 27 April 2019

12 noon – Making Nasi Ulam by The Peranakan Restaurant.
2pm – Making Apom Bok Kuah by The Peranakan Restaurant.
4pm – Creative Sarong tying in many styles by aNERDgallery.
5 pm – Beadwork jewellery making by Molly Nah.

Sunday, 28 April 2019

12 noon – Making Nasi Ulam by The Peranakan Restaurant.
2pm – Making Apom Bok Kuah by The Peranakan Restaurant.
4pm – Dress up like a nyonya and sarong tying demo by Nyonya Agnes Ng.
5 pm – Peranakan beadwork demo by Baba Raymond Wong.

The post Peranakan Marketplace appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

Letter from Baba Colin Chee, President, The Peranakan Association Singapore

(This is a monthly column to TPAS members and guests)

Dear Babas and Nyonyas,

THE 120th ANNIVERSARY PERANAKAN BALL, JULY 2020

I remember very clearly the Thursday afternoon of 4 April when my iMac alerted me to the arrival of an anticipated email.

I was then deep in thought working on a document for an important meeting the next day. I was finalising a list of discussion items that I would like covered with someone I had identified as the most suitable Organising Chairperson for our 120th Anniversary Peranakan Ball to be held next year on 18 July 2020.

I quickly checked my mailbox and saw an email from the Media & Communications Team in the President’s Office.

The most important sentence I was looking for simply popped on screen: “President has accepted the invitation.”

It was in answer to an invitation the Association had sent just over two weeks earlier on 18 March to her Excellency, President Halimah Yacob, to be our Guest-of-Honour at our 120th Anniversary Peranakan Ball.

We received it with a great sense of relief, honour and happiness.

President Halimah Yacob’s acceptance as Guest-of-Honour at our Peranakan Ball next year continues an unbroken tradition which started with our late President Dr Wee Kim Wee and Mrs Wee; our late former President Dr S R Nathan and Mrs Nathan; and our former President Dr Tony Tan and Mrs Tan.

For me, personally, it has come one full cycle.

I remember working in the late 80s with a young, bright, female Malay lawyer in the then Ministry of Manpower. She was helping to mediate disputes between the multinational company I was working for as its Industrial Relations Advisor and our industry-based trade union.

She was so capable I had asked her why she was working with the government and not go into private practice. In those years, law firms were paying good money for fresh-out-of-school law graduates.

The gist of her reply struck and humbled me. She said she came from a poor family and had always been educated through government bursaries and scholarships. She added she wanted to pay back to the country.

After this first encounter with now President Halimah about 30 years ago, I am really looking forward to catching up with her again in July next year.

I have lived long enough to agree with the late Steve Jobs’ comment that, sometimes, all the dots that we casually jot down in life may one day begin to connect into something recognisable and welcoming.

As it is with our President, so too my chance meeting with Nyonya Genevieve Peggy Jeffs, our Chairwoman for the Organising Committee of our Association’s 120th Anniversary Peranakan Ball next year.

I first saw Peggy at the Baba Nyonya Convention in Penang in November 2017. I was covering the event as the photographer/writer for The Peranakan magazine.

She was always beautifully dressed and made her presence felt through her exquisite, almost eccentric, head dresses.

When I saw her again in November last year at the Baba Nyonya Convention in Indonesia, I made it a point to chat with her. I was then into my sixth month as president of the association but I still did not even know her name or who she was!

I was so impressed by Peggy’s down-to-earth, common-sense approach to life and philanthropy I asked if she would advise our team for our 120th Anniversary Peranakan Ball. She said yes without hesitation.

When I returned home and googled Peggy Jeffs, I realised she could just be our Organising Chairwoman, if she had the time and inclination, because although our Association is not a charity, we still need to raise funds for our activities.

This was how Singapore Tatler had described Peggy:

The effervescent Genevieve Peggy Jeffs’ passion for improving the lives of the less fortunate has led her to chair numerous fundraising gala committees. These include the Singapore Red Cross, Breast Cancer Foundation and in 2018, the Muscular Dystrophy Association. In 2019, she will chair the Singapore Red Cross 70th Anniversary Benefit Gala.

In a way, we have broken with tradition to always have a General Committee member lead the Peranakan Ball by having Peggy, our high-society doyenne with a huge heart, to chair it.

We are very confident that Peggy will bring a different perspective and sense of fun to our much-awaited Peranakan Ball. She will still maintain our standards of excellence.

Baba Raymond Wong, our 2nd Vice President, is the Organising Committee’s Advisor.

Thank you, Peggy, and welcome to our team!!!

Babas and Nyonyas, please save the date, 18 July 2020, to attend our gala dinner. It will be fabulous, glamorous and may well be the Ball of the Year! More of this in the months to come.

MALAM JOLLY WESTERN, DEC 2019

Another date to lock in is Saturday, 28 December for this year’s Malam Jolly Western!

Our Association treasurer, Baba Bryan Tan, will again lead the team for this year’s Malam Jolly. He coordinated last year’s very well-received Christmas Malam Jolly.

This year’s Malam Jolly will be held at Joyden Hall, a large, pillar-free function hall with superb acoustics. Because this year’s event is close to the New Year, we have opted for a sit-down, 8-course, specially curated dinner.

The hall is large enough to accommodate 26 tables including a dance floor. That’s four more than last year’s 22 tables which were quickly sold out.

The venue on Victoria Street, is a very short walk away from Bugis MRT station and is also easily accessible by bus, taxi and car.

Keeping with the Western theme, Singapore’s very own country singers, Matthew and the Mandarins, will entertain with tunes to get you dancing!

Best of all, we will joget the evening away with our very own Peranakan Voices choir and The Merrilads band.

Look out for booking details in the next few months.

MELAKA CONVENTION, NOVEMBER  2019

Babas and Nyonyas, thank you for your overwhelming response to this year’s convention. It is being hosted by PPCM in Melaka from  22-24 November 2019.

All 40 twin rooms allocated to our Association have been fully booked and largely paid for.

However, for the few members who have booked with TPAS but have not yet paid up, a last reminder and deadline will be given.

If, by the deadline, the fees are still not forthcoming, their places will be released without further notice or reminders.

We have many members on the waiting list and it is only fair that they be given a chance to attend if others do not want to confirm their places by paying in full.

Please note too, that bounced cheques will NOT be considered as payment. Do be careful to ensure your cheque is made out to “The Peranakan Association Singapore”.

Several cheques have bounced because they were made out to “The Peranakan Association OF Singapore”.

Please treat this as fair alert of what we aim to do. We are trying to be as fair as possible to everyone concerned.

Also, please note that the organiser, PPCM, will not accommodate any independent delegates for this Convention. All registrations must be made through any one of the 13 associations in the Federation of Peranakan Associations.

Until my next letter, do keep well, be safe and make time for your loved ones.

Blessings,
Colin Chee
Unity. Stability. Growth
It is not going to be business as usual
30 April 2019

The post Letter from Baba Colin Chee April 2019 appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

The Christian Peranakan community played a significant role in the development of the churches in Singapore, with many key figures acting as prominent community leaders.

Join Dr Marc Rerceretnam, a historian studying the role of religion within colonial society in Singapore, in this talk where he elaborates on the historical convergences between the Straits Chinese community alongside the beliefs and practices of the Christian religion.

Baba Chan Eng Thai, an active member of the Singapore Peranakan community will share how he blends age-old Peranakan worship rituals with his Catholic faith to keep his heritage alive.

Date: Saturday, 25 May 2019
Venue: NUS Baba House, 157 Neil Road, Singapore 088883
Time: 4.30pm – 6pm

(If you would like to explore the Baba House, please arrive just before 4pm.)

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO ATTEND THIS TALK.

OPEN TO TPAS MEMBERS ONLY.

Places are limited.
To register, please email: events@peranakan.org.sg 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Those who register and do not show up will be barred from registering for the next three TPAS talks/events.

Our talks have been very popular and were fully booked in less than 2 days.

Unfortunately, there were still a handful of no-shows. This is unfair to the long list of members that we had to turn away because all the places were filled.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Marc Sebastian Rerceretnam is a Sydney-based historian and research consultant with a Ph.D. in Economic History from Sydney University. He has been affiliated with the Peranakan Association of New South Wales (Sydney) for many years.

Having published extensively, Marc is a current recipient of the 2019 Lee Kong Chian Fellowship issued by the National Library Board. He is completing a research project on the formation of early Roman Catholic communities in Singapore, going back to the 1830s.

Baba Chan Eng Thai is an active member of the Singapre Peranakan community. He is married with two adult sons. Apart from running his law firm, Eng Thai is passionate about composing pantons (poems) and singing dondang sayang in Baba Malay.

He has written and presented his original pantons to dignitaries including the Prime Minister of Singapore. Eng Thai continues to give talks on Peranakan culture and traditional practices, as well as demonstrations of Peranakan cuisine. He is currently preparing for his stage role in Ayer di Tetak Takleh Putus, a Peranakan play that will be staged in June  2019.

The post Talk: Christianised Peranakan Communities in Early Singapore, Circa 1830 – 1900 appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

Gather your family and friends to enjoy a fun-filled Sunday at this fiesta to celebrate Joo Chiat’s 60th anniversary as a community!

Check out all the fun activities including craft workshops from Peranakan beading to decoupage, a talk on Baba Malay, an angklung performance, a ukulele session, a soccer clinic by the Real Madrid Foundation Football School Singapore and much more.

Enjoy a delicious array of food and indulge yourself at the colourful Peranakan Bazaar. End the day with a Movie Under the Stars.

Tickets are just $5 and includes an activity card, a food voucher, a community batik activity and a goodie bag.

Tickets and more details about the programme are available here: https://joochiat60.flyingcape.com.sg/

You may also sign up for the workshops at this link. Places are limited.

Co-organised by The Peranakan Association Singapore, People’s Association, Telok Kurau Zone 1 Neighbourhood Committee and Flying Cape.

The post Joo Chiat 60 Fiesta at The Yards appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.

The Peranakan Association Singapore (TPAS)
is proud to present the inaugural

Baba Nyonya Literary Festival
July 20 and 21, 2019 / 1pm to 6pm

The Peranakan Gallery
Level 2, Claymore Connect, 442 Orchard Road
Singapore 238879

The Festival is a showcase of Peranakan culture
through literature by both Peranakans and non-Peranakans.

Day 1:

Peek into the lives of great Peranakans and learn about their roles in the development of Singapore.

Vivienne Tan reads from her book, Tan Kim Seng: A Biography.

Shawn Seah reads from his two books, Seah Eu Chin, His Life & Times and Leader & Legislator – Seah Liang Seah. Seah Liang Seah was a founding member of the Straits Chinese British Association, which is today The Peranakan Association Singapore.

Rambunctious entertainment follows by Nyonya authors who, like the protagonists in their stories, embody spunk, brilliance and earthiness.

Stella Kon will read from Emily of Emerald Hill, Josephine Chia from When a Flower Dies and Lee Su Kim from Manek Mischiefs.

To add to the festivity, Chan Eng Thai will bedazzle with a dondang sayang recital.

Day 2:

Lim Kay Tong will read from the late Lee Kip Lee’s autobiography, Amber Sands: A Boyhood Memoir, which traces Lee’s journey as a young boy in the colonial years, through the Japanese Occupation and pre-Independence years.

Ovidia Yu will thrill and delight as she reads from her series of novels on Aunty Lee, the much-loved amateur sleuth. Walter Woon will read from The Advocate’s Devil which is about a Baba hero’s adventures in colonial Singapore.

Food is never far from the heart of Peranakans. Sylvia Tan will lead by the gut when she speaks about her books, Modern Nonya and Asian Larder, while Christopher Tan will titillate taste buds as he reads from Nerd Baker: Extraordinary Recipes, Stories & Baking Adventures from a True Oven Geek.

Exploring our linguistic roots, poet-playwright-novelist, Robert Yeo, will read from his poem A Homage: Small Town Romance which is partly in Baba Malay, while Kenneth Chan will read from his upcoming book (to be published in October 2019), Chrita-chrita Baba – a collection of short fiction written in both Baba Malay and English.

The panel discussions with the writers will be moderated by Robert Yeo, Goh Eck Kheng (founder of Landmark Books), Ila Tyagi (Writing lecturer with Yale-NUS College) and Christopher Tan (award-winning food writer)

Books by the panel of writers will be available for sale at the Festival.

The venue is generously sponsored by The Peranakan Gallery.

Tickets:

One-day ticket: $30 / Two-day ticket: $50
(Includes an exquisite tea by The Peranakan Restaurant on both days.) This event is open to the public. TPAS Members will be given priority.

Purchase of tickets:

To purchase tickets, send your full name, phone number and number of tickets you wish to purchase to Ms Ngiam May Ling at BabaNyonyaLitFest@gmail.com and you will be advised of payment details. She may also be reached at mobile number 9741 0610 should you have any queries.

The post Baba Nyonya Literary Festival appeared first on The Peranakan Association Singapore.