Don't Throw Them Away

Old and New

2010-04-21T11:57:00.001+08:00

Or is it new and old? This peaceful blend of wooden and concrete structures provides a nice and soothing breakaway from all concrete views common in cities and urban areas. Don't throw the art and the skill. We should be adding more to our treasures, not replacing the old with the new ones...

The Treasure of Belum

2009-09-20T07:53:00.001+08:00

Google 'hutan belum' and the result is 1,910,000 hits as at 20 Sept 2009. I did not go through all of the website but I am pretty certain that they all are connected to the 290,000 hectares virgin jungle spanning the state of Perak in Peninsular Malaysia. The name of the forest, Belum, which in the English Language literally means 'not yet' is estimated to be millions of years old.
The book is about preserving, not throwing away, the medicinal practice of the aborigines living in the area using Belum's flora and fauna. It compiles the medicinal values of 65 species of plants and 20 species of mushrooms alonsgide their medicinal values according to the Jahai aboriginal tribe. Its 160 pages is replete with photos and information meant to put on record the tresaure of the people that have been and to some extent still are being practiced.
Khazanah Alam Hutan Belum, ISBN 978-967-9970-40-1.

Geometric Patterns...

2008-07-07T02:17:00.002+08:00

Its all around us. On a trip to Sarawak, by the Wind Cave, I noticed this interesting construction that looks like a web. The geometric pattern is replicated on the floor of the rest area.

All Work and No Play...

2008-02-28T13:48:00.003+08:00

Whatever happens to proverbs, maxims, adages, and all the rest of the same kind or family. Rarely that we hear people using proverbs anymore, not to mention the generation or making-up of new, modern proverbs.
The Malay proverbs for instance are rich in meaning, purpose, and function. Proverbs get the message across more effectively. But not nowadays. Proverbs may not be understood at all since the context is no longer universally known across the community. In fact it could be worse. Proverbs could be misunderstood due to misinterpretation. Misunderstanding is the cause of friction.
As values changed, life philosophy and orientation also change. What was understood as given in good faith and the best of intention through the use of proverbs could be misconstrued. The society, even within the same ethnic group, is no longer homogeneous.
But can new, modern proverbs not be made-up or constructed. Not likely. Saying things directly is more preferred, not the roundabout proverb way.

Batik - The Ultimate Exclusivity

2008-02-06T23:48:00.000+08:00

Artisans struggle to make every pieces of their craft as identical as possible. But there will always be some differences, however small, noticeable even to untrained eyes. The differences show even in a design that is supposed to be similar in shape or size, such as flower petals.
It is those differences that give the tell tale sign of whether a piece of object was machined or handmade. It is hard to fabricate pieces of object emulating that they were handmade without replicating the same features on every object produced. It is hard, but not impossible. There are methods for introducing that handmade-like irregularities in machine, but still finishing by machine is not quite the same as finishing by man.
For batik cloth, however, it is the differences that are celebrated, appreciated, and give them premium values. The differences between one and the other are not avoided, but are deliberately planned. Thus, no two hand painted batiks are the same in design. There won't be another one like it. It is exclusivity of the ultimate kind. The uniqueness of every piece of batik cloth made in that manner is guaranteed.
This fits human nature that vie for uniqueness, wanting to be different from others. Imagine turning up in a function wearing batik dress or shirt similar to your peers. Men can accept that quite well, but the opposite gender may not tolerate that. With the latest ruling that all government officials have to put on batik shirt every Thursday in Malaysia, the odds of striking an exact match is high. The way out is to opt for hand painted batiks.
Those artisans know psychology and apply them in their crafts. But, how do they come up with different, unique designs?

Bamboo Rafting

2008-02-01T17:51:00.000+08:00

Rivers are excellent highways. Ask anyone from yesteryears, the time when villages, towns and trade centers grew by the river. Else, ask the aborigines or natives who still exploit that mode of transportations.
There are many advantages in using rivers as highways, getting from A to B, especially when B is downstream of A. Despite meandering, river probably still gives the 'shortest' distance between two points in terms of relative easiness in moving heavy loads around. Even without heavy loads river is attractive since it is also a:
1- source of food, fish that can be caught and barbecued as meals;
2- source of water, both for drinking and bathing. Those who are not hardened to rough life should not drink river water without boiling it first;
3- kind of protection against wild animals. In fact it is said that if one is chased by wild animal run to the water, river for instance. Water wash away the smell and any mark on the ground that is used by the animals to track you.
Of course if the jungle or forest was booby-trapped, or suspected to have abandoned or unexploded mines, the best way to avoid getting into one, is by using rivers. Certain skills need to be had in traveling by river in the jungle. One is to stay afloat. Together with a group of friends, I have had the opportunity of doing so with the aborigines at Belum Forest. It was amazing to see their resourcefulness in using whatever it was around them to survive. Making bamboo raft is easy. Rafting in bamboo raft in the rapids seem easy, and fun too.
Bamboo rafts are made using 8 to 10 bamboo sticks pierced together by a stick at both ends, so that they stay aligned and together. The bunch is then secured using rattan or roots that are strong enough to hold the pieces together. Only freshly harvested bamboo sticks can be used as raft as old ones become brittle and give way on slightest loads.
So, there we go. Load it. All aboard. Bon voyage. Mind the rapids.

How Traditional Are Modern Traditional Delicacies?

2008-01-21T09:36:00.000+08:00

In this era of speed many shortcuts are taken, many things are simplified, many things are considered petty, unnecessary, non-functional, and hence left out. This include traditional foods and delicacies.
Traditional foods that were prepared using specific procedure and process with specific ingredients mixed in specific proportions have been changed. The motivation is minimization of cost and maximization of profit. Can such foods deserve the label traditional? Kueh bahulu, a traditional Malay cookies are now produced in some large shopping complexes, using methods having little similarity with traditional process, and perhaps the ingredients too are simplified. Harder to get ingredients are replaced with ones that are easily found or readily available. Can they still be called kueh bahulu? Some kueh sampan use plastic-based wrappings instead of banana leaves. Do the products deserve the name kueh sampan?
In the absence of any standard or scheme for assuring authenticity it is not hard to guess the answer, especially if such label adds value to the goods. The effect is that the real traditional foods are forgotten and their rightful place occupied by modified 'modern traditional' foods. Future generation, who know nothing of it will regard it as such.

Weaving for Everything

2008-01-19T13:52:00.000+08:00

Weaving is one of the most prevalent method used in producing many traditional goods in the Malay culture. It involves interleaving strips to make mats, baskets, or even wrappings for traditional food known as ketupat. Strips of palm tree leaves are used to make the ketupat wrapping. Bamboo, sliced along its length into strips are woven to produce baskets to handle heavy items such as forest products like durian (thorny fruits). Baskets that are commonly used as shopping bags and mats are woven from soft materials such as the leaves of nipah tree. Rattans, that are bent using special method, also traditional, are used as frames for the basket.
Before plastic people used to go to the market with the woven nipah basket. They put everything they buy, which usually are wrapped by used newspaper, and tied by dried banana ropes (tali pisang), in the basket. Dried banana ropes are made using the trunk of banana tress that are sliced into strips and dried in the sun to get rid of the water. The rope is as strong as the nylon-based rope we have now for securing most of the common everyday needs. The use of everyday, natural and thus biodegradable materials, ensures that the environment is preserved and resources put to clever use. Gradually, perhaps we should migrate to using natural, or traditional good again. If they can perform equally good as synthetics, they should not be replaced. Should they?

Cross-cultural Interactions

2008-01-05T09:27:00.000+08:00

A Mr Kubo of the Graduate School of Engineering, Nuclear Professional School, University of Tokyo remarked before his presentation in Kuala Lumpur that the gamelan music of Java, Indonesia sounds like Japanese traditional music from the island of Okinawa. The night before, Kuda Kepang dance, originating from the state of Johor, Malaysia, which was in the line-up of a dinner cultural show at a restaurant in Kuala Lumpur was said to have a link to Japan. Kuda Kepang dance is one in which dancers dance while riding decorated cutout of horses.
Both, Mr Kubo and the master of ceremony, are not the authority in culture. Thus to know for sure we have to ask those studying the subject-matter. In any case, the point is, culture is something that everyone can relate to and talk about. Highlighting similarities can enhance solidarity, while differences should be enjoyed and appreciated.

Learning From The Environment

2007-12-28T17:01:00.000+08:00

Before there was cement, before there was electricity, and of course before there was air conditioning and piped water the approach to living 'comfortably' was by incorporation of resources that the environment provides. Natural behavior of the environment and other living systems are taken into consideration as part of the design.
Environment and ecosystem were dominant in the scheme of things, including in the design and construction of dwellings. The design makes use of the path of the sun, North-South orientation, exploitation of topology of the site, streams and lakes, as input variables or boundary conditions. The construction made use of available resources. The environmental impact was minimal then. The design of the traditional Malay house for instance incorporate means for collecting rain water. The floors are raised above ground level, ranging from about 1 meter to several meters high, enough to park a car, to provide air circulation that cools the house. The windows usually are just like doors, with openings right down to the floor level, equipped about half way with decorative wooden railings as safety measures.
As fans and air conditioning became available, and water can be distributed by piping system, environment becomes less and less of a constraint. It is no longer an element in the design and construction. Linked terrace houses have only two paths for air to enter or exit: the front door and the kitchen door. Corner units have one extra path. But no matter. We can air condition the space, the room, and everywhere.
Buildings, according to a report, use about half of the global energy consumption, and is set to increase as urbanization progresses. There are efforts to re-look at traditional philosophy of incorporating the environment in the design. Efforts to use more energy efficient materials; to capture wind to cool the space; capture, collect, and store rain water; making nature as part of the construct of the house. That is the green house, not the kind used in agriculture research, but 'green' as in the context of environment friendliness. This is where we have to re-look and re-visit traditional technology. They look old, simple in design and construction but sophisticated in concept.

Tapai Nasi (Fermented Rice)

2007-12-27T22:07:00.000+08:00

Fermentation, one of the oldest food preservation technique, is still being used today - both in traditional sense and in large industrial processes. Tapai, a product of such technique is still made by traditional means, in small scale quantities, and sold at food stalls. It's not mass-produced in large scale production process.
It is a very popular delicacy in some parts of Malaysia, particularly in the east coast states of Kelantan and Terengganu, or among Kelantan and Terengganu people residing elsewhere. Rarely is that tapai not served especially during festive seasons. Tapai nasi, made of rice, is more popular compared to tapai pulut, made of glutinous rice. Tapai is also made of tapioca, tapai ubi, but it is not as easily found as the tapai nasi.
Tapai seems to be available also in Kuching, Sarawak. To say the whole of Sarawak may be over stretching the fact as Sarawak itself is as big as peninsula Malaysia and diverse in population. A noticeable difference is that coconut leave is used as the wrapping. Rubber tree leaves are almost exclusively used to wrap tapai nasi in Kelantan and Terengganu. Tapai ubi, especially in the state of Perak in Malaysia, is usually wrapped using banana leaves. Again, the process is the same, but the materials used are dictated by local preferences.

Gong of Kampung Sumangkap

2007-12-17T03:56:00.000+08:00

Traditional way of doing things in a particular community is different from another as they were separated from each other by physical distance. Means of communication for interaction was limited or non-existence. Each therefore is self-sufficient in their own way, making use of resources within their reach, and developing their own ways of doing things. Thus, a particular implement developed by one community may not be useful by another, even if the implement is for achieving the same results. As communication developed and travels became affordable cultural exchanges took place, and a larger community was formed.
The gongs made at Kampung Sumagkap, Sabah is different from the one made in Terengganu. The copper gong of Terengganu is made by the lost wax method whereas the gong of Kampung Sumangkap is made by forming the shape using some kind of mallet. In Sabah gongs are made of brass or bronze. The sounds coming out of the two are different. In fact it is different even between gongs of similar manufacturing method. Each gong has different names depending on the sounds they produce. Gong is prevalent in Sabah especially among the Rungus, Kadazan Dusun, and Murut people. Kampung Sumangkap is one that is specializing in gongs production under the one village one product concept.

More Keris (Wavy Blade Daggers)

2007-12-12T04:19:00.000+08:00

It is heartening to know that there are still three keris (wavy blade daggers) makers actively in operation in Perak. We visited one in Kampung Padang Changkat near Kuala Kangsar recently. Although the operation is similar in some respect to that practiced in Terengganu, there are slight differences. The 'musang' is made of planks in square pipe formation instead of hollow wooden log as in Terengganu. The concept of mixing iron from various sources to make the keris is similar. The code 7P for seven type of sources from which the keris is made is also practiced here. 7P for example stands for keris made up of pieces of seven implements or objects with the name beginning with the letter 'p' in the Malay language such as parang, paku (nail), pisau (knife), and penyabit. So, don't throw any old pieces of implements or objects, collect them and better if they are all having names beginning with the same alphabet. I guess it could be names in the English language too: blade, brake pedal, bicycle wheel, boat anchor, bulldozer, etc.

Pots, pots, everywhere

2007-12-08T11:49:00.000+08:00

The village is not far from the royal town of Perak. A bit isolated, but accessible. We can easily spend several hours there looking at the various designs and shapes of labu sayong, as the product is known. Those made by hand fetch a higher price, almost three times as much as the one made by casting method. The designs are various, each depicts the area from which the pot come from. It can be used as indoor as well as outdoor decorations.

Is Tradition A Hindrance To Progress?

2007-11-25T23:39:00.000+08:00

In this modern, contemporary living, how relevant is tradition? Does it have a place at all?
Most traditional products may have little use, they are being replaced by new, more efficient ones. Some become obsolete altogether as we change our way of life, our environment, and our pattern of living.
Practice, however, should not be affected much. As much as possible it should be preserved, and maintained in its original form. The importance of doing so is to instill discipline. If something is labeled as traditional, it should follow strictly the traditional way. It should not be modified to cut cost.
The proverb, 'biar mati anak jangan mati adat' is harsh if taken literally. I believe it could also be taken to mean that whatever we do in traditional sense must faithfully adhere to traditional specifications and methods in order to earn the label traditional. It is the quality control, the quality assurance, not taking corners or taking shortcuts. That is hardly hindering progress. Discipline, QA, QC are all essential to progress.

Let The Artisans Speak

2007-11-14T17:45:00.000+08:00

Some peoples are good at speaking. Others are good at their hands, the artisans. They feel more comfortable with their wares and the trade than with others in any formal event.
However, something different was tried out in a seminar at Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia last August. A keris (wavy blade dagger) maker, a coppersmith, a boat maker, a kite maker, and a weaver were persuaded to make a presentation each in front of a gathering of academics, researchers, and curators. They elaborated the methods and practice of craft making in their area of specialty, and a brief history on how it all started, mostly with them as the actor as well, of course, and what have changed, if any.
Each presentation was followed by another delivered by researchers or academics elaborating on the scientific basis of the steps taken by the artisans in producing their crafts. They, the artisans, were oblivious to those scientific basis, but the achieved those that they set out to do.
The results of that juxtaposition, artisan on the practice of their craft and researchers in providing the scientific explanation of all those steps, are fantastic. It gives insight into how the artisans come to know the processes and ingredients that are suitable for their crafts. The keris maker even has an age old home brewed organically-based acid for etching the keris.
Greater understanding of the role of each other and mutual respects I believe are another significant achievements of the seminar.

Keris Making (Wavy Blade Daggers) -- A Dying Art

2007-11-12T00:41:00.000+08:00

Making keris (wavy blade daggers) in Terengganu, Malaysia... looks simple, but there are a lot of scientific principles underlying the age old traditional method for making keris... forging, tempering, etching... the tools look equally simple, but they are able to be perform the task of producing a beautiful keris used to make the keris... it is a dying art, no one to pass on the knowledge to; youngsters no longer find such a 'career' or vocation attractive...

Introduction

2007-11-07T21:32:00.000+08:00

Old things tend to find uses later, they tend to be recycled and become useful again. This is not just for material things, but also for concept, philosophy, and fashion.