Nomadic Republic

Yusheng, and Opportunities for Regional Cooperation

2012-02-03T12:50:00.001+08:00

Yusheng, and Opportunities for Regional Cooperation

In 2010, I made a Facebook post seeking views on Singapore's intangible cultural heritage but nobody responded. Therefore, I am amazed at how the issue has suddenly come alive and is now being reported in some newspapers as a formal proposal for yusheng to be listed on UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage programme (ICH).

The heated passions and the interest that have been aroused by this issue, together with the KTM Rail Corridor and Bukit Brown issues, do indicate that Singaporeans care a lot about our heritage and identity as a nation.

It is important, at this point to revisit the UNESCO World Heritage scheme and its relevance for Singapore.

The UNESCO World Heritage Convention is an international treaty that seeks to identify sites around the world which possess outstanding value to humanity and commit signatory nations to protect and preserve these sites. It is widely acknowledged that world heritage status often result in significant rise in tourism numbers and receipts, why explains the interest many governments have in the programme.

The 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.is an offshoot of the world heritage scheme, and its key focus are, according to UNESCO, "traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants, such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts."

Singapore is neither a signatory to the World Heritage Convention nor the 2003 Convention on ICH, and as such the issue of Singapore attempting to list a Malaysian intangible cultural heritage does not arise.

UNESCO emphasises that "the importance of intangible cultural heritage is not the cultural manifestation itself but rather the wealth of knowledge and skills that is transmitted through it from one generation to the next." Such heritage is meant to give us "a sense of identity and continuity, providing a link from our past, through the present, and into our future."

UNESCO explains that the scheme is meant to be inclusive, and "does not give rise to questions of whether or not certain practices are specific to a culture." Countries are often encouraged to seek joint listing of intangible cultural heritage. Since the UNESCO ICH inception in 2003, 267 "elements" belonging to 142 countries have been listed as intangible cultural heritage, of which 10 are joint listings, which include, the following:

* Mediterranean cuisine: Joint listing by Greece, Italy, Spain and Morocco

* Nowruz festival: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Turkey

* Language, Dance and Music of the Garifuna: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras & Nicaragua

In the case of falconry, twelve countries as diverse as Belgium, Morocco, Mongolia and Saudi Arabia jointly applied for listing and succeeded in the efforts.

What are these implications for Southeast Asian nations?

This region has, since time immemorial, been a region of transcontinental trade and cultural exchange. The peoples of this region have frequently intermarried with each other, and have demonstrated enormous capacity to adapt other cultural practices into their own value systems. In numerous cases, the marriages of different practices have resulted in a fascinating range of cuisines, crafts, traditions and performing arts that continue to evolve today in a dynamic fashion.

Peranakan culture, which is the marriage of Malay-Indonesian and Chinese cultures manifested through cuisine, material art and traditions, is a good example of this exuberant cultural exchange in historical Nanyang, particularly in Singapore, Melaka, Penang, Jakarta, Surabaya and Medan.

Frequent trading and cultural exchanges between the cities in the region further enriched the communities that lived in these lands and have produced a cosmopolitan hybrid that is still a sense of pride among Singaporeans, Malaysians and Indonesians. This suggests a great opportunity for a joint application of these nations for UNESCO ICH inscription of this unique culture and cuisine. The success of this application would signify a celebration of a shared heritage and would help foster ties among the nations

Also often mentioned by anthropologists as unique to the region are the colourful rituals of the Nine Emperor God Festival, a festival unknown in China but elaborately celebrated among Taoists in Phuket, Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. The festival is already officially acknowledged by the governments of Thailand and Malaysia as a key representation of local culture and traditions. A joint application of this festival to the UNESCO ICH would be an excellent example of cooperation between Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand

This then brings us to the question of whether yusheng would qualify for ICH listing. Yusheng as a dish is originated from neither Singapore nor Malaysia. In fact, the concept of eating raw fish salad exists in many forms from the southern tip of Argentina to Zamboanga in the Philippines. What is unique about yusheng is the tossing of the salad to signify community bond and goodwill, and a hope for peace, happiness and prosperity, all qualities highlighted as UNESCO ICH criteria.

The tossing of yusheng as a focus of community spirit and bond makes it an intangible cultural heritage of both Singapore and Malaysia. However, yusheng at the current stage, due to its relatively recent invention and evolution, probably does not satisfy the UNESCO criterion for a heritage element to have been "transmitted from generation to generation". We do not know if the significance of the yusheng toss of today would survive in the future. This means that, even if the yusheng toss can be considered an intangible cultural heritage of Singapore or Malaysia, it does not qualify as a UNESCO ICH.

I believe that the listing of yusheng is premature. Those interested in the listing of yusheng should come back in 100 years time to see if the yusheng toss is still practised with the same spirit. If it does, then that criterion may be satisfied.

The debate on whether yusheng is Singaporean or Malaysian distracts people from the real issue, which is to find ways to preserve and promote our historical and cultural heritage. I hope this affair would instead sets us off thinking what constitutes our heritage, how to preserve it and whether we can use the UNESCO ICH as an opportunity to promote regional cooperation and celebrate our shared past, present and future.

Tan Wee Cheng

捞鱼生与促进区域合作的机遇

2012-02-03T12:31:00.001+08:00

捞鱼生与促进区域合作的机遇

我2010年在面簿上征询网友关于我国是否有哪些非物质文化遗产的意见,一年多来都没有人回应. 所以, 我对各媒体这时突然报道这个话题, 甚至一些马来西亚媒体宣称我正式提议把 "捞鱼生" 申报联合国教科文组织非物质文化遗产感到迷惑。

公众对捞鱼生、马来亚铁道和咖啡山等课题所积极发表的言论，显示了新加坡人确切关心我们的文化遗产及国家认同感。

新加坡不是2003年联合国教科文组织非物质文化遗产公约的签署国，所以新加坡试图把马来西亚的非物质文化遗产申遗的问题并不存在。教科文组织规定此公约是包容性的，对成功申遗的非物质文化遗产是否是某个文化专属并不感兴趣。事实上，非物质文化遗产清单有10个是由多国联合提交成功申遗的，其中包括希腊，意大利，西班牙和摩洛哥联合提交成功申遗的地中海饮食文化。

东南亚自古以来是横贯亚洲的贸易和文化交流的地区。这地区的人民及外来族群经常互相通婚，并以巨大适应与包容的能力将自己和外来的文化习俗与价值观融合在一起，并在民俗、饮食、手工艺品，传统表演艺术是各领域形成了一种迷人的特有现象。

土生华人文化融合了马来西亚、印尼及中国的美食，物质艺术和传统文化，这是一个很好的例子.几百年来，南洋各大城市、如新加坡，马六甲，槟城，雅加达，泗水和棉兰之间的文化交流，已进一步丰富了这地区人民的物质与文化生活，至今这仍然是新加坡，马来西亚和印尼之间的自豪。如果各国可乘绝佳机会成功联合申遗，将有助于促进国家之间的紧密关系与人民之间的往来及地区共同感。

丰富多彩的九皇爷节日仪式是东南亚华人特有的民俗庆典。这节日在中国找不到，但200多年来在泰国普吉岛，槟城、吉隆坡和新加坡的民间，以成为地方文化和传统文化的象征性代表，并得到泰国和马来西亚政府的肯定。如果新加坡、马来西亚和泰国向联合国教科文组织成功的申遗这节日将是三国之间的合作的很好例子。

捞鱼生是否符合教科文组织非物质文化遗产的申遗规则？鱼生作为一道菜的起源并非新加坡或马来西亚。其实，吃生鱼的概念在世界多地区存在，近有菲律宾三宝颜，远则阿根廷南端。新马地区捞鱼生的独特意义不在味道，而是这仪式显示了社区及民间的凝聚力及对未来的期望。这也符合教科文组织非物质文化遗产的部分标准。

捞鱼生可说是新加坡和马来西亚的一种非物质文化遗产。然而，在目前阶段，由于其发明和演变史比较短，并不满足教科文组织申遗所必具备的代代相传准则。捞鱼生所包含的那种民间凝聚力与意义，是否在100年以后还存在，目前还是个未知数。这意味着，即使捞鱼生可说是新加坡和马来西亚的一种非物质文化遗产，它不一定成功申遗。所以我相信，捞鱼生申遗还为时过早。

不幸的是，许多人对捞鱼生是否是新加坡或马来西亚专有的辩论更感兴趣,这种毫无意义的辩论，却使我们忽略了目前更重要的工作 - 就是如何保护两国的历史和传统文化遗产。我希望这事件可让我们思考一下：到底什么是我们的文化遗产、如何维护它，并通过申遗促进区域合作及民间交流。

陈维政

Sgtravelcafe: Kyrgyzstan Feb 2012

2012-01-16T14:41:00.001+08:00

Uzbekistan presentation poster

2012-01-15T15:38:00.001+08:00

Sgtravelcafe: 5TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION & GATHERING

2012-01-14T11:53:00.004+08:00

Saturday 11th February 2012

FIFTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION & GATHERING

Door Opens at 5pm for socialising

Panel Discussion: Latin America @ 5.30

Panelists: Colin, Justin, Kelly & Trisha

Potluck Dinner

Food, drinks or snacks. This is a special occasion. So maybe something special to celebrate.

Presentation @ 8pm
Brief Moments –

(1) Iranian Tales - by Ah Long

(2) Kyrgyzstan by Dorothy

UZBEKISTAN
by Cheng Li

Dress code: ETHNIC COLOURS!

Come in your most exotic ethnic costume or headdress, and make this an exciting and memorable session for all.

@ Wee Cheng's place
11 Pemimpin Drive, #07-03, Marymount View, Singapore 576148

IMPORTANT: The Feb session will be held on a Saturday, not the usual Friday. Also note the time difference.

Take the circle line until Marymount Station, and get out via exit A. Face North on Marymount Road and walk ±400m past an overhead bridge, and past Shunfu Road until a 2nd overhead bridge, which you cross to find Marymount View, at the corner of Marymount Road and Pemimpin Drive, just opposite Shunfu Estate.

Or park your car at your own risk on the roads outside, or at Shunfu Estate across Marymount road.

Click on MAP, or type "Marymount View Singapore" on Google Maps or your iPhone4.

Northeast Taiwan: Jiufen, Keelung & Yeliu (九份，基隆，野柳)

2011-12-27T22:37:00.000+08:00

On the Treacherous Suao-to-Hualien Road (苏花公路)

2011-12-27T12:52:00.000+08:00

The famous 118km Su-Hua Gonglu, or Suao-to-Hualien Road, is a breathtaking but treacherous highway perched along spectacular cliffs of the Northeastern Taiwanese coast. Many workers died building this highway and a number continue to perish every year due to falling rocks and landslides that continue to plague this road even today. We began our journey in the pretty county city of Hualien, famous for its mochi desserts and sunfish, passing quaint fishing towns and indigenous villages, through a massive storm, reaching the prosperous fishing port of Suao at 3pm for a late seafood lunch, before returning to Taipei via Ilan City.

Taroko National Park (Taiwan) 太魯閣國家公園

2011-12-27T12:46:00.000+08:00

Puli, Wushe & Cingjing Farms, Taiwan (浦里/霧社/情境农场)

2011-12-27T12:30:00.000+08:00

A drive around the Central Mountain Range of Taiwan:

Puli (埔里鎮) in Nantou County is the geographical centre of Taiwan, and an important gateway to the renowned Sun Moon Lake. Destroyed in the 1999 earthquake, the this agricultural town was rebuilt and today boasts an impressive Buddhist monasterial complex - Chung-tai Chan Monastery (中台禪寺) - and the paper Dome, an eco-tourist educational centre. We had a nice Hakka meal in the town centre and spent some time at the enormous monastery, before heading for Wushe and the Cingjing Farms.

Wushe (霧社) is a small highland town which was centre of a major anti-Japanese tribal uprising, the Wushe Incident of 1930, which has since then become the subject of a box office film, Seediq Bale, in 2011. Founded as a Japanese model highlands garrison town, it is today a highway stop where tourists stop by briefly at the Wushe Uprising Memorial Park.

Cingjing Farms (清境农场) - an vast area along a mountain highway resettled in the 1950s by Yunnanese anti-communist guerrillas and refugee Kuomintang soldiers based in northern Myanmar and Thailand. Once a pioneer agricultural region that resemble the settlers' mountainous old homeland, it is now a booming tourist attraction and highlands resort region. Many urban Taiwanese come here to experience the cool climate, try Yunnanese cuisine and stay in hotels built in fanciful pseudo-European architectural styles.

Greater Taipei: History, Symbols & Other Random Images

2011-12-23T11:35:00.000+08:00

Taipei Impressions 台北印象

2011-12-23T11:22:00.000+08:00

From a magazine: 台北印象最深的，不是101大楼的流光溢彩...台北保存了不少上了年份的老房子，但都收拾得干净利落，不觉得破败，反而生出了如母亲般慈祥的感觉。不少异乡旅者去了那里，找到了故乡已经丢失的街景。

人望着这片绿地咋舌，在寸金如土的台北市，竟然有这么一大块宝地，难道就没有开发商（有兴趣）...这里可是台北的肺叶啊，肺这么可挖？我不禁慨然，原来台北是一座会呼吸的城市。因为会呼吸，所以更鲜活，想要寻找人性的诗意栖息地。因为会呼吸，所以更努力思考，将值得留下来的，保护下来。

Taiwanese hospitality (II)

2011-12-23T11:19:00.002+08:00

Taxi driver is cooking local specialty tonight and asked me to pick up a bowl at guesthouse entrance later, so that I can compare restaurant and home version. THAT is hospitality.

Beigan Island of Matsu Islands

2011-12-23T11:19:00.000+08:00

Red Wine Fried Rice of Matsu

2011-12-23T11:14:00.000+08:00

Getting drunk on fried rice? This is rice fried with red vinasse, the pulp that is produced after the distillation of baijiu, or Chinese rice wine. The Matsu islanders use red vinasse to prepare all sorts of dishes and foodstuff.

Nangan Island of Taiwan's Matsu Islands

2011-12-23T11:12:00.000+08:00

Matsu Islands which officially belongs to Fujian Province's Lianjiang County - yes, officially according to the governments of both China and Taiwan, but controlled by Taiwan ever since the Chinese Civil War.

The Local Govt HQ. it says Govt of Lianjiang County, Fujian Province. Well, it's the govt-in-exile aka Taiwanese controlled. The Lianjiang county on the Mainland has a population of 600,000 while the Taiwanese controlled county on Matsu Islands has only 9,900 inhabitants.

A poster in Matsu

2011-12-23T11:03:00.000+08:00

This poster in Matsu says: Let us use beauty to change the pugilistic world together.

Matsu Islands - Taiwan

2011-12-23T11:02:00.000+08:00

The blue dot is Matsu Islands. The purple dot is Taipei.

Taiwanese hospitality

2011-12-23T11:00:00.000+08:00

I started experiencing Taiwanese warmth and hospitality in Fuzhou yesterday, at the Taiwanese ferry company where the counter girls were so courteous. Now I am enjoying that friendliness and sincerity on Taiwanese soil. I'm reminded why I really love this place.

Taiwan is everything that Mainland isn't. For the Mainland, firstly, I think the Cultural Revolution has destroyed much of the traditional values and respect for fellow humans. Secondly, today's Chinese communism is a system which is corrupt and greedy, and yet hypocritical. It is anything but communist, proletarian and democratic, which it proclaims itself as. The Mainland society of today is the product of these two influences. Having said that, I have also met many nice people on the Mainland...

As for Taiwan, much of the traditional values were retained and yet the negative aspects of feudalism were weakened by industrialisation and modernisation. Furthermore, democraticisation has cultivated tolerance for minority and disadvantaged groups, e.g., indigenous people, the handicapped and gays/lesbians.

Fuzhou, capital of Fujian Province: Food & Heroes

2011-12-23T10:58:00.000+08:00

Took train from Xiamen to Fuzhou, passing famous ancestral hometowns of Chinese-Singaporeans, such as Jinjiang, Quanzhou, Putian and Fuqing (Fook Ching). These places used to be sleepy farming villages when our ancestors left them; they are now huge cities with modern malls, office towers and luxurious condos. Now in Fuzhou before I set off for Matsu Island which belongs to Taiwan R.O.C. tomorrow.

---

You must have heard about Foochow or Fuzhou Fishball. So, when I walked into a restaurant in Fuzhou, I wanted to have a bowl of that, I was asked how many fishball I wanted. How about 5? The waitress replied, that would be too much. Fuzhou fishballs are huge, she said.

---

I see fried noodle everywhere in Fujian. I recall our Singapore favourite, Hokkien Mee and I wanted to see if they are the same. Yes and no. They share the same yellow wheat noodle that we call Hokkien noodle or sheng mian in Singapore, and both are fried with lots of eggs and sheds of lean meat. But the Singapore version has prawns and squid (sotong) and is fried in prawn broth. That makes the SG version more fragrant and flavourful, or perhaps I'm biased:) SG and MY version also has belachan chili, which I really miss. It's like the SG version of Hainanese chicken rice, that has influences from Cantonese and Southeast Asian cuisines, which made so much nicer than the original Wenchang chicken rice in Hainan.

---

Yam is also one of Fuzhou's famous dishes. I just rumbled off famous dishes from my guidebook, forgetting that I couldn't finish all. I had to takeaway this dish. Like most dishes in China, it's oily. I miss the healthier Teochew version found in Singapore.

---

I have bought my ferry tickets to the (used-to-be) heavily fortified Taiwanese controlled Matsu Islands, located at the entrance of Min River on which Fuzhou is located. Very expensive boat tickets - RMB 300 (S$60) for an hour long journey.

---

Despite countless trips to China (1st trip in 1987; between 2 and 10 trips a year in the last decade), I still get annoyed with hearing people clearing their throats, spitting and quarreling with each other on the streets

---

The Museum of Lin Zexu in Fuzhou. This is the viceroy of Guangdong who burned opium belonging to British merchants thus sparking off the opium war. Viceroy Lin is today a national hero of China. His home museum lies in the middle of a well preserved district of grand mansions, surrounded by shopping malls and high rise apartments. I even spied well-stocked pirate DVD/CD shops, perhaps a modern day revenge against Western capitalism by an even more powerful local capitalism with Chinese characteristics.

The historic village of Xiamei (下梅)

2011-12-23T10:49:00.000+08:00

A pretty tea trading town during the days of the Qing Dynasty. Definitely my favourite part of Wuyishan region.

Wuyishan: UNESCO World Heritage Site

2011-12-23T10:45:00.000+08:00

Wuyishan may look more than half way there to an alpine resort town but it needs to do more in terms of software. Barely one day and I have already encountered 2 dishonest and pushy drivers in a row, and poor and over-priced meals and services. In Swiss resorts, I may pay much more but I get better service, good quality food and (seemingly) sincere smiles. I have brought forward my flight back to Xiamen.

---

Many restaurants in Wuyishan proclaim that they have game food (野味). But Wuyishan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of both natural and cultural significance. If they claim the game meat is farmed, that will diminish their value in the eyes of the Chinese clientele. Hence they claim the meat is brought in from outside the reserve. Whatever the case, most visitors to Wuyishan are domestic and they do not care...

Chongwu: Walled City by the Sea

2011-12-23T10:40:00.000+08:00

Putian & Meizhou: Pilgrim's Route

2011-12-23T10:36:00.000+08:00

Crazy day. 13 changes of transport today. Xiamen to Putian by High Speed Train (CRH), taxi to Wenjia Jetty to take ferry to Meizhou Island. Got onto motorbike to Mazu Temple (mistake! it's so near), free drive-around on island bus, then paying bus to jetty. Take ferry back to Wenjia, then taxi to Putian city centre for walkaround. Another taxi for 1.5hr drive to Chongwu Walled City. Motorbike ride to Chongwu bus station after sightseeing at Walled City. 1.5hr bus ride to Quangzhou City, switched to taxi to CRH station in Quangzhou. Then CRH train back to Xiamen.

Xiamen: Ancient Port City & Vibrant Economic Centre

2011-12-23T10:15:00.001+08:00

The last time I went to Xiamen was to entertain business associates over New Year's day, and we spent most of the time half-drunk with baijiu in dodgy night clubs and cabaret shows. I look forward to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites and many cultural and natural sites in the province of Fujian the next one week.

---

Xiamen has a BRT instead of a MRT. BRT = Bus Rapid Transit. They build road bridges that are only accessible to BRT buses which operate on only a few routes and solely on these bridges. They are just like MRT/metros elsewhere but have buses instead of trains. Maybe a low budget version for a city with less than 2 million inhabitants - less than many Chinese cities.

---

I hear more Putonghua than Minnan/Hokkien in Xiamen. The effect of mass popular culture and tourism? This felt like any other city in China.

---

Xianen's map shows a Taiwan Folk Custom Village. I can't imagine many Chinese go there now that they can go to Taiwan as tourists. And I wonder what they have there. Tribal girls singing 阿里山的姑娘？ Or Monga residents singing 爱拼才会赢?

See the full gallery on Posterous

Posted via email from Nomadic Republic2

The Hakka tulous of Yongding (Fujian, China)

2011-12-05T06:44:00.001+08:00

See the full gallery on Posterous

Posted via email from Nomadic Republic2

The Marymount Series: Lions of Dahomey

2011-11-30T00:49:00.001+08:00

Golden lions, a royal symbol of the ancient kingdom of Dahomey, acquired in Abomey, Benin, West Africa, in 2008. A hundred years ago, Abomey was the capital of Dahomey, which is also the name of the whole country before it was changed to Benin. Dahomey was so named in the 17^th century when King Abaka defeated his archrival, King Dan, cut his belly up in a sacrifice to the gods, built a palace just next to the place Dan's disembowelled remains were buried. Hence the name "Dahomey", meaning, the belly of Dan. What a blood-thirsty name!

The Dahomey kings practiced human sacrifices and as 41 was considered a sacred number, palaces and temples were often consecrated with sacrifice of 41 humans and 41 animals of different kinds. Many kings were also buried together with 41 of their over thousand strong contingent of wives, as well as 41 slaves, 41 bulls and what have you. There was also the tale of how a king slaughtered his wives by covering them in red palm oil and letting ants ate them alive, and how one of these wives came back to haunt him and he had to build a temple to appease her spirit.

Today, the town of Abomey is a sleepy place which is more village than town. Friendly locals greeted us wherever we went, "Bonjour, bonjour," that is, except when we took pictures of the ruins of palaces and temples of the old Dahomey kingdom. The town of Abomey may be a tourist town of sorts and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but the remains of Dahomey have remained scared spots for the Fon people who live here, as well as for the Voodoo religion that they practice. To them, the spirits of the dozen old kings of Dahomey continue to live in the mud palaces and their ruins, and to take the pictures of these palaces (aesthetically adorned with primitivist paintings of sacred symbols) was deeply offensive. We snapped a few photos of the palace buildings and were immediately chased away by locals.

The Marymount Series: Maroons of Suriname

2011-11-29T00:59:00.001+08:00

Calabash musical instrument made by the Maroon people, who are descendants of African slaves who escaped from their masters into the jungles of Suriname and French Guiana in South America. They intermarried with local Indian tribes and formed powerful alliances against Dutch and French colonial troops determined to capture them. In the 1980s, they also rose against the military government of independent Suriname, in defense of their rights and land. I bought this calabash in 2008 in the Central Market by the picturesque De Waterkant (Waterfront) in Paramaribo, capital of Suriname.

The Marymount Series: Nubian drum

2011-11-27T18:33:00.001+08:00

The Marymount Series: A drum from the Nubian people of Southern Egypt and Northern Sudan, acquired in 1995 near Abu Simbel in Southern Egypt. The Nubians were an ancient African race who once conquered Egypt and ruled as pharaohs with their own dynasties. They later converted to Christianity and eventually Islam after a period of resistance. Arabic has since become the main language of the Nubians, with the Nubian language coming under the threat of extinction. Anwar Sadat, late third President of Egypt ( Egyptian Nubian father, Sudanese Nubian mother) and Gaafar Nimeiry, a late president of Sudan, were all famous Nubians.

The Marymount Series: Che Guevara

2011-11-26T09:47:00.002+08:00

The Marymount Series: A painting of Che Guevara with political slogans, on canvas. An icon of the international socialist movement and eternal symbol of youthful idealism. Figurine of Afro-Cuban dancer in traditional Caribbean costume at the left edge - the real but lesser known folkloric manifestation of Cuba's cultural richness. Both acquired in Havana, Cuba in 2001.

The Marymount Series: Nimba of the Bagas of West Africa

2011-11-24T20:01:00.000+08:00

Carving of the Nimba headdress, Baga people of Guinea and Guinea-Bissau of West Africa. The headdress has four legs, a pair of unusually large breasts, u-shaped ears and is carried on the shoulders of dancers under spiritual possession. The Nimba is the symbol of fertility and is often performed during harvest festivals, births and marriages as well.

I bought this carving at the airport of Conakry, capital of Guinea, while waiting for a flight to the Cape Verde Islands via Dakar, Senegal. Shortly before I bought this carving, a corrupt Guinea police officer accosted me in the boarding lounge, checking my passport and asking meaningless questions in an attempt to shake me down for bribes. Gordon, my Australian friend, came at the right time, interrupted and distracted him. We then walked boldly to another hall. When I was confident the corrupt officer was not following us, I bought this carving at a souvenir shop with my remaining Guinean francs. This wouldn't have been possible if I was forced to empty my wallet to pay that annoying robber-police.

The Marymount Series: Andean scene embroidery of Otavalo, Ecuador

2011-11-22T18:57:00.001+08:00

Woolen embroidery of Andean countryside scene, bought in the market of Otavalo, Ecuador, in 2002. Brightly coloured and certainly cheerful, it contains depictions of the Andean farmer, ilamas, alpacas, sheep, mountain cacti, sunflowers, colonial churches and other symbols of everyday life in the High Andes.

I bought this from an indigenous Otavaleño trader in the market. Otavaleño women, who often sport distinctive silky long hair, are famous traders in this part of South America. They are also renowned for their colourful textiles which are widely sold, though they prefer to wear the plain vanilla traditional black robes over white blouses with intricate lace sleeves whilst in their hometown.

The Marymount Series: Wheel of Life

2011-11-21T23:56:00.001+08:00

A thangka (Tibetan silk painting) with motif of the Bhavacakra (Tibetan: སྲིད་པའི་འཁོར་ལོ་), purchased in 2007 in the Old City Centre of Kathmandu, Nepal. The Bhavacakra, or wheel of life, is a graphical representation of samsara, the cycle of existence of all beings central of the Buddhist concept of reincarnation and karma. The detail of this thangka shown in this photo depicts a fierce figure with a crown of skulls holding the wheel of life. This fierce figure represents impermanence, and different layers within the wheel depict the three poisons of ignorance, attachment and aversion, karma, the six realms of samsara and the twelve links of dependent origination (Wikipedia).

Yao Textile of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

2011-11-20T19:24:00.002+08:00

Beautiful embroidered textile of the Yao tribe, Southern China. The Yao, about 3 million strong scattered across the mountainous regions of southern China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, have traditionally lived in fortified villages (yao zai) in build of wood and bamboo. They are also renowned highland agriculturalists. I bought this extravagant piece in Feb 2011 when I visited the misty Yao villages and spectacular terraced fields in the Dragon Spine Mountains (Longji) just north of Guilin in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (Gvangjsih Bouxcuengh Swcigih in the Zhuang language).

Bulgarian Icon: St Demetrius of Thessaloniki

2011-11-17T22:09:00.001+08:00

Woodblock print of the icon of St Demetrius of Thessaloniki (Άγιος Δημήτριος της Θεσσαλονίκης), printed by the Rila Monastery (Рилски манастир) of Bulgaria, acquired at the monastery in 1995. St Demetrius is an important military saint of the Eastern Orthodox Church, and its icons are found in many places in Eastern Europe where Dmitri is a common first name. In Bulgaria, the saint is often shown as a twin of St George the Dragon Slayer. Instead of killing a dragon, St Demetrius is depicted subduing Lyaeos, a gladiator who killed many Christians.

When I asked a monk at Rila what this icon represented, I was told that it was St Demetrius killing the Turks. The magnificent fortified monastery of Rila, nestled in the snowcapped Rila Mountains south of Sofia, was destroyed by the Ottoman Turkish invaders in the 15^th century but gradually rebuilt as the guardian of Bulgarian culture and language during centuries of Turkish rule. It was not surprising that this icon was reinterpreted in the light of Bulgaria's national independence struggle. During my visit in 1995, I was fortunate to witness the official visit of His Holiness, Patriarch Maxim, Patriarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.

Mola of the Kuna Indians of Panama/Colombia

2011-11-15T09:17:00.000+08:00

Mola textile of the Kuna Indians of Panama and Colombia. These textile pieces, which tend to depict tropical and everyday scenes of Kuna life in geometric patterns, are often incorporated as front and back panels of a traditional Kuna blouse. The Kuna Indians, centred in Comarca de Kuna Yala in the San Blas Islands of northwestern Panama, were once a powerful tribe that controlled the coasts and waterways of the Caribbean coast of Panama and Colombia. They resisted Spanish colonial rule for many years and in 1925 rebelled successfully against the Panama government during the Tule Revolution that led to the formation of their autonomous region in Panama today.

I bought a number of mola pieces in 2002 when I visited a Kuna village just outside the Colombian city of Cartagena on the Caribbean. I marveled at these friendly people who are proud of their indigenous heritage and their perseverance of preserving their culture in the face of ruthless modernity. Nearby were the massive walls and monumental towers of the historic UNESCO-listed city of Cartegena, famously raided by Sir Francis Drake in 1586 and other French and English pirates throughout the 16^th and 17^th centuries. Beyond that were the fabulous Caribbean beaches and high-rise resorts which were oases of peace in those days during the height of the Colombian civil war when I visited. Colombia has since recovered after a period of good governance of President Uribe and his near-defeat of the leftist FARC rebels. I look forward to visiting Colombia again and visit other parts of the country I avoided in 2002.

Transdniestria: Banknotes of a forgotten rebel republic

2011-11-15T09:16:00.001+08:00

Transdniestria, officially known as the Dnestr Moldavian Republic, is an unrecognized breakaway state which declared independence from the former Soviet republic of Moldova in 1990. The local ethnic Russians and Ukrainians were apprehensive about an independent Moldova which may reunite with its ethnic brothers in Romania. With the support of the Russian 14th Army, they defeated the Moldovan government forces and occupied a narrow strip of territory in the eastern part of Moldova. Today, Transdniestria, with a population of 500,000 in a territory about 4000 sq km (6 times the size of Singapore), continues to exist in a state of uneasy ceasefire.

I got these Transdniestrian rouble banknotes during my 1999 visit across the ceasefire line. Inflation had rendered it more worthless than toilet paper - at least toilet paper has some utility value. PMRR 1 million was worth US$1 three months before my visit, but its conversion rate dropped to PMRR 3.3 million to a dollar when I arrived. One side of the banknote depicted Russian General Suvorov who conquered the land for the Russian Empire. The other depicted the presidential palace with a huge statue of Lenin outside. In fact, I was arrested briefly at the palace for taking a photo of the building. The black-coat security staff there, who were dressed exactly like those Italian mafia men one sees in the movies, kindly let me off after getting me to sign an offence record book and a statement that I would not break the same rule again.

Sgtravelcafe 9/12/11: Mayan Heartlands by Colin / Kenya by Yifan

2011-11-12T11:20:00.001+08:00

Friday 9th December 2011

Potluck & Chat @ 7:30pm

Just bring a small box of pastries, or a packet of noodles for about 3-4 people,
or a bottle or 2 of soft drinks.

Presentation @ 8:30pm
Brief Moments - Volunteering in Kenya - by Sun Yifan
Discover the Mayan Heartlands:

Journeys Around Mesoamerica

by Colin Chan

Thoughts about my travels

2011-10-30T14:58:00.003+08:00

I do not consider myself a writer, but a traveller who happens to write.

I am not a hardship traveller, or at least no longer so. I hardly climb mountains; I do not camp in the outdoors these days; And I don't do much trekking. I am essentially a city guy who enjoys café, shopping in flea markets, checking out local supermarkets and browsing in local bookstores. As a keen observer of politics and economics, as well as a history bluff, I enjoy historical sites, political oddities, conversation into local issues and a back-of-the-envelope assessment of local business opportunities.

Even then, I do occasional forays to the wilderness. I do have a soft spot for historical sites or spectacular scenery located in the middle of nowhere, and would brave minor discomfort to visit such places. I like remote or difficult-to-reach places, more for the journey there than for what's to see at the end point. However, I would not do endurance treks to get there. If I could, I would organize a quick and easy way to get there. I tend to travel on the budget, but have increasingly resorted to expensive but fast and comfortable ways of reaching exotic locations.

As I get older, I feel that comfort matters more. I have long abandoned staying in hostels – they are too noisy for me. I prefer nice boutique hotels where I can contemplate life, enjoy clean facilities, clear my emails and do some work with privacy. Sometimes, I even stay in expensive, exclusive places with extraordinary setting that I wouldn't dare contemplate when I first began my travels. I still enjoy interacting with locals and other travellers. Hence I would avoid expat enclaves and would just drop by travellers inns and cafes from time to time. When the term "flashpacker" appears, I thought that is the word to describe me, as well as many of us who began as backpackers but have since upgraded for quality experiences and aesthetics.

In fact, I am a regular chap who has a 9-to-5 job. I am neither a full time writer nor a real nomad, though I like the spirit of being the latter. Perhaps, I am merely a nomad wannabe. My passion for travel means that I try my best to arrange my life around my travels. I use all my work vacations for travel, and I have also gone on extended journeys between jobs. I had taken two career breaks of one year each time to travel. In my current job as a university lecturer and business consultant, I am able to travel for as much as two months in mid-year and several weeks at the end of the year. Freedom and flexibility have become key in this stage of my life.

Some people wonder if I had spent too little time in the many countries and territories I have visited. The answer is, yes and no. Now look – I have been travelling for almost 2 decades now. If you have been utilizing all of your available work breaks solely to travel, you could certainly cover a lot of ground in 2 decades. When I first began travelling in the early 1990s, yes, spurred by an urgent desire to experience a wide kaleidoscope of imagery and cultures, I rushed through many places.

Over the years, however, I have also learnt to appreciate the subtleties of places and cultures, especially ethnic minorities at the periphery of nations. I began to cultivate an interest in festivals and local histories. In the last decade, I have spent a lot of time in the places I visit - at least what could be considered a fair bit of time for someone who continues to have a career beyond writing and travel per se. Certainly, I cannot go away for 3 months at a time like many continental Europeans do because of the peculiar work vacation system they benefit from. In fact, I often return to the countries I have been, to visit regions I hadn't gone to, or to experience festivals and cuisines that I did not in my earlier visits.

I do not spend two months in a small country. My other commitments simply do not allow me to do so, especially when I am not a full-time travel writer or traveller. But I do try to spend time to appreciate aspects of places which are worth learning about, and my extensive pre-journey planning allows me to experience these things when I get there.

Am I trying to break any record? No, the record of visiting the most number of countries has already been broken a long time ago. I keep track of the numbers partly because they are of statistical interest, and partly because of my interest in nations and places. The reality is, I often return to places I have visited before and spend quite a bit of time in such places that do not increase my country count.

In an era where rising incomes have allowed many Asians to travel and see the world, I hope my experiences could be useful to them. Asian travellers do have peculiar priorities and preferences which differ from those of Western travellers. I hope that my travels would also provide them with some ideas.

Writing is neither my career nor a key source of income. My objective is to encourage independent travel. I do not consider my travels extraordinary. I take public transport, hardly treks or cross dangerous rivers and brave tall peaks. I even keep a regular job connected to neither writing nor travel. I hope all these encourage others to do the same. That is the essence of my writing and the key objective of this website.

Videos: Dances of the Orang Seletar of Johor

2011-10-28T00:20:00.000+08:00

The Orang Seletar: A Blast from Singapore’s Past

2011-10-24T07:58:00.001+08:00

On Saturday, I visited Kampong Sungai Temon, a tiny village in southern Johor (20+ km west of Johor Bahru) inhabited by the Orang Seletar tribe, which is officially classified as part of the Orang Asli (“original people”) ethnic group in Malaysia. We arrived early evening, as the sun set over the Straits of Johor. At this point, the strait was only 2km apart. We could see the electric tower at the northern tip of Lim Chu Kang, at the far northwestern corner of Singapore. We had a wonderful and affordable seafood dinner (about RM 16 per person) at Restoran Asli, built on a large stilt structure over water.

The Orang Seletar is a little-known ethnic sub-group that once inhabited on the northern coast of Singapore, in particularly along the Seletar River and on Seletar Island. The Orang Seletar were one of the three Orang Laut (“Sea People”, also sometimes known as sea gypsies) tribes that lived in Singapore when Sir Stamford Raffles arrived in 1819. The other two tribes, Orang Kallang and Orang Selat, have since disappeared in history, after a great plague in mid-9th century and following their relocation to Johor by the Temenggong family who later ascended the throne of Johor.

I learnt about the Seletar people a few years ago, and thought that they had completely disappeared. A few months ago, I read a report about the opening of their cultural centre – that to me, was as though I had read about the survival of the Goths and Babylonians till the modern times. I set about arranging (via email of course) a visit there. 13 of us visited the Orang Seletar that day and a cultural performance was arranged specially for us.

The Orang Laut people were among the earliest inhabitants of coastal Southern Thailand and Malay Peninsula, the east coast of Sumatra and the many islands of the Straits of Melaka. They were Austronesian by racial origins and perhaps close to the aboriginal peoples of Papua and Australia, which explain their darker complexion and curvy hair. They worship their own gods and sea deities. They speak their own language, which some say, is 20% similar in vocabulary with the Malay language. We were told that Malay speakers would find the Seletar language and accent sound oddly Malay, and yet would not understand it.

Despite being non-Muslims, their command of the myriad islands and treacherous sea channels, during the pre-colonial era, made them master navigators and navy commanders of the Malay sultans of Melaka and later, Johor. There are accounts that suggest that Hang Tuah, the legendary Melaka admiral and the classical manifestation of the most chivalrous warrior, was in fact of Orang Laut birth.

Whatever it was, the arrival of European colonial powers and the advent of a new Malaya that rely more on industrial and agricultural development had blushed the Orang Seletar aside. From proud naval guardians of the seas, the Orang Seletar had by the beginning of the 20^th century, become a neglected people, bullied by the powers and their neighbours. When the British needed land to build the Seletar Air Base and Sembawang Naval Base, many Orang Seletar were forced to relocate across the Straits of Johor to Johor State now ruled by their historical patrons.

Some accounts said that another great migration occurred during the 1950s and 1960s, when a rapidly developing Singapore meant that more land was needed. Newly independent Singapore was also apprehensive about a nomadic water-borne tribe who crossed borders at will, and possible smuggling activities that could take place. Indeed, we were told that the Orang Seletar lived on boats and follow where the currents brought them. Sometimes, they would wake up one morning to find themselves on an unfamiliar island, far from their village. Eventually, the whole tribe was moved to Johor pursuant to inter-government agreements.

Since then, the Orang Seletar, removed from the land that gave them their name, has since languished in poverty and official neglect. A great flood dispersed the tribe across 9 villages in southern Johor. Many members of the tribe, by then, had also converted to Christianity, which seemed to put them at odds with the Malay Muslim majority population. A lady told us, “If we convert to Islam, we would lose our culture as Orang Seletar, and become Malay instead. With Christianity, we continue our customs and traditions. We can eat pork and do whatever we like, just as our ancestors do”

Relations with ethnic Chinese-Malaysians appear to be better. During WWII, many Chinese children were hidden here by their parents, and looked after by the Orang Seletar. They rubbed the children’s faces with mud so that they would look like the Seletars. There have been inter-marriages and liaisons between Chinese and Seletar people. In fact, the first seafood restaurant in the Sungai Temon village was opened by a Chinese man and his Seletar wife. Since then, four restaurants have opened in the village. The largest group of customers are the ethnic Chinese and the seafood was cooked Chinese-style. The Orang Seletar Cultural Centre was a project that began with the assistance of ethnic Chinese marine researchers who have fallen in love with these people and their way of life, and wanted to help them preserve their culture.

Few among the Orang Seletar go far in education. An online audio interview say that the Seletar children sometimes found themselves bullied in schools because of their different appearance and accents. Many did not complete school as a result, which condemns them to a hard life at the fringe of a rapidly developing Malaysia. They can no longer continue to fish or harvest crabs and mussels, as the sea is fast getting polluted. Restaurant and tourism business are possible avenues out of poverty.

However, even this is under threat. The new Iskandar Development Region project has included this village in their master plan and the new townships built have reached the edge of the village. “If they force us to move, where do we have to go? We have already been forced to move so many times the last hundred years. We now have nothing but this land,” said a worried Seletar woman. It is indeed unfortunate, as the Seletar people do not have title to their land and the nearby waters upon which their livelihood rely upon.

After our dinner, we proceeded to the Cultural Centre, and were welcomed by Jessie Yap, who is with the Malaysian Society of Marine Science. She was about to to rush to Johor Bahru as the representative of the Seletar people at the JB Film Festival, where a documentary about the Seletar people would be screened. She introduced us to Wee Kang, a young university student from Selangor now studying at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu. This was Wee Kang’s first day of internship at the Orang Seletar Village. He would be our guide and translator tonight.

We visited the gallery which had an informative display about the history and culture of the Seletar people, plus old photographs about the more idyllic, nomadic days. Then a cultural performance was conducted for us at a thatched platform built across the other side of the pond where the cultural centre was located. This was what I would call Hawaii meets Hang Tuah! The Seletar people were dressed in grass skirts and dresses that vaguely resembled the South Pacific; yet the music was distinctively Malay, even with gamelan beats from time to time. In the old days, the Seletar people were almost naked most of the time, but the modern era has brought some changes. It was also obvious that the Seletar people have also been influenced by mainstream Malay culture. Most of the dance moves were similar to those of Malay folk dances but with occasional hints of Hawaiian style hip swaying. In fact, I was told that many younger people prefer to speak the Malay language and old Seletar customs are fast disappearing.

The performance, whilst enthusiastic, was hardly professional. There were also occasional disruptions caused by failing sound systems. However, these were more than made up by the friendliness and hospitality showered upon us by the locals. The whole village turned up to watch the show. It was as much a performance for us as for them as well. Indeed, the main performance was over in one hour, but stretched for another hour on their request so that they could dance with us. It was fun and there was so much joy among these people. What a wonderful evening! We only left the place around 10pm.

I learnt a lot about the Seletar people, yet there is much more I would like to find out. I would certainly love to visit again, perhaps during day time, and see how they live. I wish them the best in their struggle for their rights. After all, they once shared Singapore with us. I wonder what the Orang Seletar would have been today, if they had remain in Singapore. A separate ethnic group recognized by the state and enjoying the fruits of our development? Or totally assimilated with much larger ethnic groups on this land?

Brief Moments @11 Nov 2011: Salar de Uyuni: Wonderland of Desert & Salt

2011-10-20T21:58:00.001+08:00

Brief Moments @11 Nov 2011: Salar de Uyuni: Wonderland of Desert & Salt - by Matthew Goh

Mok Ly Yng on “Horsburgh Lighthouse: 160th anniversary” (Sat 15 Oct 2011) « Otterman speaks…

2011-10-17T08:47:00.001+08:00

The Horsburgh Lighthouse is located on the island of Pedra Branca, awarded to Singapore by the decision of the International Court of Justice in 1998. The anniversary of the lighthouse's operation is important as a key factor of the award, which effectively confirms our maritime boundary all the way to where the Straits of Singapore meets South China Sea. This not only extends substantially our exclusive economic zone but confirms Singapore as the southern guardian of one of the most important waterway in the world, the Straits of Malacca, through which most of the fossil fuel that powers China, Japan and Korea passes through.

Wee Cheng

====================================================================

Click the link below to read what Mok LY tells us about the history of this famous lighthouse.

Mok Ly Yng on “Horsburgh Lighthouse: 160th anniversary” (Sat 15 Oct 2011) « Otterman speaks…

From: Mok Ly Yng Subject: Horsburgh Lighthouse: 160th anniversary Hi everyone, Today (15 Oct 2011, Sat), or rather tonight, marks the 160th anniversary of the start of regular operations of the H...

We need to delink heritage from tourism

2011-10-17T08:45:00.001+08:00

Friends asked me why bother to preserve places that few tourists are likely to visit. My reply: We need to delink heritage from tourist attractions. Heritage sites are what define us as a people and nation. Most countries preserve heritage sites for national education and identity. We must stop looking at everything from a profit perspective. We are a nation, not a mall and certainly not a corporation.

Let's use the UK as an example. Apart from the top tier attractions such as the British Museum, Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London (plus maybe five to ten other attractions), London has over 300 other museums and numerous other historical homes and conservation sites, most of which attract hardly any non-British and indeed even few locals. Why are they set up or conserved? Certainly not for tourism, but because they are important nationally or locally. Many of these do not attract the foreigner because they are not of global significance. A good number are not even of UK-nationwide significance but are of local/municipal significance.

Next Gathering: 11 Nov 2011: Tibet by Patricia

2011-10-16T02:30:00.001+08:00

Friday 11th November 2011

Potluck & Chat @ 7:30pm
Just bring a small box of pastries, or a packet of noodles for about 3-4 people,
or a bottle or 2 of soft drinks.

Presentation @ 8:30pm
Brief Moments - TBD
Spectacular Tibet Journey on The Friendship Highway
by Patricia Lee

@ [Venue TBD]