The Lord has blessed me with such richness of culture!
Growing up, I was first surrounded by lots of people from out of the country. I grew to love hearing their stories and would perk up and be the first at the door to shyly welcome new folks. The family spoke English - because the standard was that everyone understood and spoke English. Then we moved to a land with over 70 different people groups and counting.
The costumes, the language, the people. I think back of the little clique we had back in high school Kak A, Nellie, Tiff, Ran and myself. Even earlier to Syl, Lyn and Sia - the blend of our cultures never got in the way of our friendship. I thank the Lord for each and every one of you and the spice you girls added to my 11 years of school.
There were the dances, the music, the sape! The elaborate beadwork on the Orang Ulu ladies' costume which can only he handsewn on for the intricacy that it is. The motifs and just the simplicity of the lives of the people. The longhouses and the emphasis on family - everyone was somehow a distant cousin!
Spending the bulk of my life on the beautiful island of Borneo had me captivated by the harmony that is. Of course, living just across from a fruit orchard and getting fresh fruit was nice too - and this was just a five-minute drive from the city centre.
Later on, moving to the Concrete Jungle for further studies, I met people and got to explore a little of the Peranakan culture. The richness of the food, the traditions. The elaborate kebaya. I became friends with Uncle J, the man behind the security desk on campus. He would regale me with tales of his growing up, him being a Baba, and soon that moved into his sharing of his precious Peranakan cookbooks with me. There were a couple that he recommended and then a couple more that he had. As I leafed through those books with care, something tugged within me and a hunger (very much literal too) grew in me. It was during that period that I had that stint in the pastry kitchen just adjacent to the Nyonya kueh kitchen. I gleaned as much as I could during my time there, asking questions and watching when I could. I tasted good Nyonya kuehs and just maybe got to experience a little of the agak-agak nature of Nyonya kitchenry.
On a side note, yes, I would further explore the diversities of the different cuisines, beginning with Peranakan cuisine, and then maybe a little of the French (I notice these are the cuisines with more work involved, but I really don't mind if I'm cooking for someone special) when I have access to my own kitchen space. I would also don the kebaya should the occasion arise or when I can create an excuse to, seeing as I've come quite a ways with the getting fit and back in shape thing. One day. Someday. In the meantime, I'll just tone up a little more.
Maybe, just maybe, I may have some Peranakan blood in me?
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