Baba Nyonya Heritage: Peranakan Weddings from a Malaccan Perspective


Book Description

Baba Nyonya Heritage: Peranakan Weddings from a Malaccan Perspective was written by a sixth generation Baba, who has practiced the traditions of Peranakan weddings over a span of eight decades. During the course of his life, he observed, learned and participated in every aspect of traditional Baba Nyonya weddings – from the matchmaker’s arrival, to exchanges between the families, to the actual wedding, which comprises many small and intimate ceremonies of its own. Having been a firsthand witness and participant at the traditional Peranakan weddings of many family members (including his own), he is uniquely qualified to be the author of such an important cultural document. The intention of this book is to document and preserve the traditions of Peranakan weddings, both in their original form and as they have been adapted over the years, in order to ensure that future generations will continue to live up to the proverb “Biar mati anak, jangan mati adat.” (Our cultural identity is more precious than our flesh and blood).




A Baba Bibliography


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Growing Up in a Nonya Kitchen


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Growing Up in a Nonya Kitchen provides a rare and insightful view into the daily life of a Peranakan family harking back to the early 20th century. With comprehensive chapters dedicated to documenting cooking utensils, essential ingredients, the Nonya's agak agak (estimating) philosophy, as well as Chinese New Year and other festive dishes, baked goods and Nonya kuehs, Growing Up in a Nonya Kitchen is a volume to read and treasure for anyone looking for an in-depth understanding of the Peranakan (and Singapore) food heritage.




A Doctor in the House


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The Way of Kueh


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Golden Dragon and Purple Phoenix


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This book addresses the impact of intermarriage between Chinese immigrants and the natives, specifically the intermingling of blood and the offspring from such unions, and the influence they wielded on the society and environment they chose to live in. It also covers how some rose to high positions and their contributions to their societies, and how some openly declared their pride in their ancestry, while others have forgotten their heritage and have dissociated themselves.




Making Heritage in Malaysia


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This book offers a scholarly perspective on heritage as a discourse, concept and lived experience in Malaysia. It argues that heritage is not a received narrative but a construct in the making. Starting with alternative ways of “museumising” heritage, the book then addresses a broad range of issues involving multicultural and folklore heritage, the small town, nostalgia and the environment, and transnationalism and cosmopolitanism. In so doing it delivers an intervention in received ways of talking about and “doing” heritage in academic as well as state and public discourse in Malaysia, which are largely dominated by perspectives that do not sufficiently engage with the cultural complexities and sociopolitical implications of heritage. The book also critically explores the politics and dynamics of heritage production in Malaysia to contest “Malaysian heritage” as a stable narrative, exploring both its cogency and contingency, and builds on a deep engagement with a non-western society in the service of “provincialising” critical heritage studies, with the broader goal of contributing to Malaysian studies.​




Mas Sepuloh


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Gender and Popular Culture


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This book examines the role of popular culture in the construction of gendered identities in contemporary society. It draws on a wide range of popular cultural forms - including popular music, newspapers and television - to illustrate how femininity and masculinity are produced, represented and consumed. The authors blend primary and secondary research to offer the reader a balanced yet novel overview of the area. Students are introduced to key theories and concepts in the fields of gender studies and popular culture, which are made accessible and interesting through their application to topical examples such as DJs, binge drinking and computer games. The book is structured into three clear, user-friendly sections: 1. Production, gender and popular culture: An investigation of who produces popular culture, why gendered patterns occur, and how they impact on content. 2. Representation, gender and popular culture: An examination of how men and women are represented in contemporary popular culture, and how notions of (in)appropriate femininity and masculinity are constructed. 3. Consumption, gender and popular culture: An exploration of who consumes what in popular culture, how gendered consumption relates to space, and what the effects of consuming representations of gender are. Gender and Popular Culture will be essential reading for students and scholars of media and cultural studies at all levels.




Memories of a Nonya


Book Description

Memories of a Nonya was first published in 1981. This reissue of the book is based on the 1982 edition.The late Queeny Chang was a trailblazer. She spoke English, Malay, Dutch as well as several dialects. She led an extraordinary life and in this book, she presents a vision of a way of life that has long since vanished. Her authentic biography opens the windows of time and allows the images of the old world charm of the early 1900s to be seen again.She paints colourful portraits of her family, relatives, and many friends, particularly of her strong minded but fastidious and flamboyant mother. What she had to say to her life with her famous father, the late Mr. Tjiong A Fie is both fascinating and touching. Here is a story of a gentle woman, very real, warm and sincere.