- Rice needs soil and water to grow - Rice is grown on vast spaces of land - For riverine and coastal communities, the river or the sea would be the source of life - River provides mode of transportation - Sea provides food - Due to the connection and the connectedness between the individual and the surroundings, the notion of "tanahair" is very central to the life and culture of the Malay community. - Tanah tumpah darah - Literally:"soil where blood is/was shed" - Meaning: Birthplace - Tanah hidup -Lit: "Living soil" -Meaning: Lands used for growing crops. -Tanah Mati -Lit "Dead soil" - Meaning: A piece of land that is not arable.
RE: Pre-reflections on Field Trip to Armenian Street and Peranakan Museum
Well, since I wasn't able to attend the first field trip, so I shall just write today about the up and coming field trip to Armenian Street and the Peranakan Museum.
Firstly, I had actually wished to do some prior research on Armenian Street and the Peranakan Museum as I wished to fulfill my prior knowledge of the place, before actually going there. Personally, I feel that this is a good chance for me to enrich myself and when I go there on the actual day, I might not feel as lost or as unknowing as compared to if I had not done this prior research. Instead, I might be able to know my way around better and have a better understanding towards the rich history behind these historic sites. This, I feel will thus be more insightful for me.
Armenian Street Armenian street is located at the Museum Planning Area and covers and area from Coleman street to Waterloo Street. It includes landmarks such as the Substation and Old Tao Nan School, which is now the Peranakan Museum, of which we will be visiting eventually. The street had gotten its name from the nearby Armenian church and was built in 1835 by George Drumgoole Coleman. The Chinese used to call this street Seng Poh Sing Chu Au and was inspired by Tan Seng Poh, who was a wealthy spirit and opium farmer.
Peranakan Museum This museum features Peranakan displays which portray the Peranakan way of life. Ranging from the Peranakan origins, to their wedding traditions and clothing, Nonya, religion, food and feasting and even contemporary Peranakan displays, this showcases the rich tradition and historic significance it had in the world we know today. It plays the role of bringing people together as a community and certain practices may even affect our way of life now.
In regard to my thoughts and feelings towards these two significant places of the upcoming field trip, I am excited maybe mostly because I have relatives and friends who practise the Peranakan way of life and are even Peranakans themselves. I want to know beyond more than just the household favourite Kueh Pai Tee which is Peranakan, and also one of my favourite delicacies. I wish to know more about the rationale behind these practices and their way of life or even why their food tastes this way. It is that uniqueness which intrigues me. That interesting blend of spicy and sweet, which is probably my guess of their interesting combination, could be a certain way of life which the Peranakans possessed. Though my knowledge of the Peranakan culture may be relatively limited currently, I hope this insightful field trip will be able to provide me with more knowledge of the culture. In that way, it may be able to allow closer relationships between Peranakan relatives and friends. Being aware and knowledgeable about the culture, I can also advocate the certain good beliefs and cultures which are not overbearing to others who may not know much about the Peranakan culture, and even I myself can be able to educate myself and improve myself. Maybe even with knowledge of how to cook Peranakan food, I may be able to cook for those who may wish to try this delicacy and can spread my knowledge of the Peranakan culture and traditions. I hope that this trip may be able to provide me with these insights. (:
