Bougainvillea bloom time By C S Wan It has not rained in Taman Sentosa, Melaka for nearly two months. The ground is parched and most of the annuals in the garden have withered. However, the bougainvillea have taken advantage of the long, dry spell to display their beautiful bloom. Here are some pictures of the bougainvillea in my garden.
It has been
our family tradition to hold open house at our respective houses for our
extended family members and close friends at our respective houses during the
Chinese New Year. However, this year (2014) we had to make some alteration to our
usual arrangement as a nephew was getting married on the second day of the New
Year. My brother and sisters then decided to pool their resources and hold an open house at our
ancestral house in Batu Berendam, Melaka. The wedding date, however, was a
blessing in disguise as some relatives from overseas and those residing outside
the state, who came for the wedding,
were also able to attend the open house. Other than our usual guests, this year we
were happy to welcome our cousin, Alice and her husband Ken from Japan; our
friends Peter and his son Aaron and wife from Kuala Lumpur and my cousin,
‘Nyonya”, whom I last met some 20 years ago in Singapore.
The lunch
began with the tossing of the yee shang ( salad of raw fish and shredded
vegetables mixed with other condiments and sauces) . With boisterous shouts and
laughter we tossed the yee shang into the air, as it is believed the higher you
toss the yee shang the more earnings you will receive for the year.
Then it was
time to head for the buffet table which was filled to the edge with a wide
variety of delectable dishes:
Mee, satay and other delectable dishes
Special delivery: Otak-otak from Muar
Rojak from Simpang Empat
Rojak: Joon's speciality
Les's signature dish
With a
disposable plate piled high with food, I joined my cousin, Tiam Swee, and
others at a table under a red canopy and we were soon recollecting and sharing
our childhood experiences and escapades during our stay in Batu Berendam. Those
days most of the area in our neighbourhood was covered with thick, lush
vegetation and the few houses in the village stood far apart. At night only the
pale glow of kerosene lamps flickered from within the wooden houses, as
electricity and running water had not reached the village.
One night,
Tiam Swee recalled, he was down with a slight fever and was resting in the
bedroom when from just outside the window he heard the mocking sounds of birds
and animals. Grandma too had heard the sound and knowing it was a Pontianak (
vampire ghost ) she hurried to the kitchen. She took out some dried chillies
and placed them in a lighted incense burner. Irritated and angered by the pungent odour that wafted from
the burner, the Pontianak let out a
spine-chilling cackle that rent the night air. In the pin-drop silence of the
dimly-lit room, Tiam Swee and grandma listened to the mocking laughter that gradually faded into the distance.
The story
reminded me of an earlier conversation with my cousin Alice from Japan. Alice
too had fond memories of her childhood days in Batu Berendam.
Alice and Ken
She remembered
harvesting lemon grass and tying them into neat bundles which they sold for
twenty sen a bundle. She also recalled the time when the village was buzzing
with the sightings of orang minyak (oily man ). According to Malaysian
folklore, the orang minyak was a physically deformed hunchback who made a pact
with the devil. The devil promised to change him into a handsome, young man
during the day, but at night he would be transformed into a dark, oily man and
had to seek and sleep with young, unmarried girls. Alice also remembered the
kampung folks telling them the branch of a drum-stick tree (pokokkelor ) when
placed inside the house would deter the orang minyak from entering the house. Mother
who was also concerned about the safety of her young, daughters too had managed
to get a branch of the tree and placed it beside the main door.
The sight of
a drum-stick tree that stood at the edge of the playground now triggered a memory.
Camera in hand, I made my way towards the tree and was joined by my sis, Teck
Neo and nieces Lisa and Fiona.
While my
sis explained to my nieces on how to select the fruits for cooking curry, I
stood gazing at the tree. I was told when news about the sightings of the orang minyak finally fizzled out, mother took out the branch of the drum-stick tree that had been placed beside the door and planted it in front of the house. I am not sure if the tree was
able to provide protection from the orang minyak, but to-day, fifty years on, the tree provides us
shade from the heat of the scorching sun and bountiful supply of fruits. And it
stands there as a reminder of a mother’s care and love for her children.
This Chinese New
Year ( 2014 ) not only gave us the opportunity to renew and strengthen family
bonds and friendship, but also an opportunity to share our childhood memories.
By C S Wan Photos courtesy of Lisa Lim Update with more photos and video
Sarong
kebaya and pantun ( Malay poetry ) are synonymous with the traditional peranakan
culture.
In
the old days, it was common to see the nyonya in their sarong kebaya, however,
today the nyonya signature attire has been reserved mainly for special
occasions.
The
older generation of peranakan were also adept at berpantun and would often
exchange extemporaneous pantun (berbalas pantun) when they performed the ronggeng or dondang sayang
and even their everyday conversations would sometimes be interspersed
with pantun.
Recently,
my niece, Lisa with her sis and cousins, elegantly attired in their beautiful sarong kebaya, posed for a photo at the Ramada Plaza which she posted on Facebook .
Nyonya manis
She also penned a pantun to accompany the photo of the
bevy of Melaka nyonya beauties. The pantun generated a lively exchange of
pantun among our family members. I am glad and proud that they have all shown
keen interest in preserving their peranakan cultural heritage.
With
Lisa and the others kind permission, I have posted photos of my nieces in their
sarong kebaya and a selection of pantun penned by the nyonya and baba.
A bevy of Melaka nyonya beauties
A selection of pantun penned by the nyonya and baba
Lisa Lim: Tinggi tinggi pokok pinang
Tinggi lagi pokok kelapa
Cantik cantik anak Pulau Pinang
Cantik lagi nyonya Melaka
Joon Wan: Anak bermain di tengah bendang
Lari-lari jatuh terluka
Sarong kebaya memang cantik dipandang
Apalagi dipakai nyonya Melaka
Fiona Lim: Sorong papan, tarik papan
Buah keranji dalam perahu
Anak-anak nyonya, cantik menawan
Apatah lagi, pada tahun baru
Xhen Song: Budak budak main bunga api
Orang tua main judi
Pakai kebaya setahun sekali
Bila mo gayakan lagi
Fiona Lim: Satu, dua kucing berlari'
Manakan sama si kucing belang
Kita boleh gayakan kebaya lagi
Tunggu aje Lenny kahwin sekarang
Lenny Wan: Dua tiga kucing berlari
Kucing belang bermain tali
Duit kahwin penat gua cari
Tapi habis dikaut si Leslie
Les Kwong: Sepupu Lisa asyik suka perli
Kenapa si laki belum cuti lagi
Kalo Lenny mau duit kahwin lagi
Jom mari main judi lagi
Joon Wan: Dua tiga kucing berlari
Salah-salah lompat masuk perigi
Si Leslie ajak main judi
Boleh dia keruk duit kita lagi
Photos taken on 20th December 2014
The nyonyas in their sarong kebaya at Jean's and Lenny's wedding dinner at the Philea Resort, Melaka.
Photos taken on 23rd July 2016 A bevy of peranakan beauties with their beautiful sarong kebaya at Justin's and Sheila's wedding luncheon held at the Ramada Plaza, Melaka.
