Celebrating Peranakans
CLAIRE SEET
Every year, the various sister Peranakan Associations of Singapore, Melaka, and Penang ( at that time Phuket had not joined yet) would host the Baba Convention. A weekend where the members and friends of the participating associations will gather at the host’s city and talk about matters concerning perserving, and continuing the Peranakan culture and of course mingle, makan + joget.
The theme of 2002’s convention was Expressions. There were a series of taped interviews of many Peranakans discussing that it meant to them to be Peranakan. That convention was chaired by Nyonya Margret Chan, and a play by Desmond Sim followed.
The play called A Peranakan Tapestry, revolves around a family heirloom, which has stood witness to the generations of this family. By the time the grandmother tells her grand child, that we breathe life into the things we own, whether they are the original or a replacement, I am determined to search for myself and try to understand what I have taken for granted. What it means to me, to be Peranakan.
Nearly a decade has passed, I have come to realise, that its impossible to preserve the culture of the past, as times are so different. Loosely, the essence of the Peranakan spirit is catptured in their ability to adapt to their new environment, pick the best of what their situations had to offer and to adopt it. Its essential for us (younger) Peranakans to celebrate that spirit, to find our own balance, what works for us.
Over the next few months, I would like to celebrate a few Peranakans whom I know, who champion this concept of ‘adapt and adopt’ in this 21st century. If you know or would like to recommend someone to this list, please email me at news@peranakan.org.sg
