Letter from Baba Colin Chee, President, The Peranakan Association Singapore
(This is a monthly letter to TPAS members and guests)
Dear Babas and Nyonyas,
Things are Looking Up
We are keeping our fingers crossed. The number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases over the past several days has been small, with even no new cases on one day.
We are closely monitoring the situation to see if indeed we can resume our events.
For now, at least, we will continue to hold fast to our Annual General Meeting date of 26 April 2020, and our Peranakan Ball date of 18 July 2020.
However, we should still be cautious. While the number of confirmed cases is declining both in China and Singapore, elsewhere in the world they are just beginning to show.
The Convention
The above notwithstanding, we are hopefully confident that we will overcome this affliction well before our 33rd Baba Nyonya Convention dates of 20-22 November 2020.
In my January letter to you, I said we would announce the confirmed line-up of scholars, subject experts and practitioners for the convention’s Symposium. Here it is:
Symposium 2020
In partnership with The Peranakan Museum
Saturday, 21 November 2020
In conjunction with The 33rd Baba Nyonya Convention
0730 Arrival & Registration of Delegates
Breakfast (Auditorium Foyer, Level 9, Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre)
0845 Delegates to be Seated (Auditorium, Entrances at Levels 9 & 10, SCCC)
0850 Arrival of GOH (To be confirmed)
0900 Start of play, The Matriarchs
Starring Baba GT Lye, wayang Peranakan actor
and Baba Ivan Heng, Founder and Artistic Director of W!LD RICE
Directed by Baba Alvin Tan, Founder & Artistic Director, The Necessary Stage
Based on and Inspired by writer Nyonya Stella Kon’s play, Emily of Emerald Hill
1000 President’s Welcome Message
Keeping the Culture Alive
1005 GOH Address & Opening of Convention
1020 Keynote Address “Change & the Cultural Resilience of Societies and Communities” by Baba Kwa Chong Guan, Historian. Co-author of Seven Hundred Years: A History of Singapore & co-editor of A General History of the Chinese in Singapore
1040 Tea Break (Auditorium Foyer, Level 9, SCCC)
1055 Nyonya Dawn Marie Lee (Head, Communications, The Peranakan Association Singapore) and Baba Ivan Heng to introduce and sequence the Moderators and Panellists
1100 FORUM 1: “Peranakan Culture & Community: Challenges, Pitfalls & Opportunities”
Panel Moderator: Baba Kennie Ting, Group Director of Museums, National Heritage Board
Panellists: Professor Wang Gungwu, Educator, Scholar & Historian, National University of Singapore
Baba Kwa Chong Guan, Historian, Author & Editor
Associate Professor Baba Farish A Noor, S Rajaratnam School of International Studies & School of Humanities’ Department of History, Nanyang Technological University
Dr Vivienne Wee, Anthropologist and Director of Ethnographica Private Limited
1140 FORUM 2: “Fading Heritage? Language, Literature & Rituals”
Panel Moderator: Assistant Professor Nyonya Nala H Lee, Department of English Language & Literature, National University of Singapore
Panellists: Baba GT Lye, Peranakan Wayang Actor
Nyonya Josephine Chia, Peranakan Author
Baba Kenneth Y K Chan, Baba Malay Writer and Language Teacher
Baba Pillay P Krishnan, Committee Member, Peranakan Indian (Chitty Melaka) Association Singapore
1220 FORUM 3: “Living Traditions: Style, Food and Wayang”
Panel Moderator: Baba John Teo, Deputy Director (Research), Heritage Research & Assessment, National Heritage Board & Culture Academy, Ministry of Culture, Community & Youth
Panellists: Nyonya Jackie Yoong, Curator (Asian Fashion & Textiles and Peranakan Art), Asian Civilisations Museum and The Peranakan Museum
Baba Raymond Wong, Kebaya Designer & Embroiderer
Baba Christopher Tan, Food Writer & Author
Baba Alvin Teo, President, Gunong Sayang Association
1300 Wrap-up: Baba Ivan Heng & Nyonya Dawn Marie Lee
1315: Lunch
Afternoon: The Peranakan Arts Festival / BaBazaar and Tours (Concourse, Level 1, SCCC)
As impressive as this line-up may look, I was brought down to earth when a feisty but wise nyonya reminded me: “Ba, you must remember that most older delegates including gua prefer to shop and sightsee. Not all may be receptive to intellectual discourse. But gua very appreciative of TPAS’ efforts to make the convention a success! Gua more concerned about getting tickets to the play The Matriarchs. Boleh chope, tak?”
We would like to assure our members in Singapore and the rest of the delegates from overseas, that this year’s convention will cater to their wants for intellectual stimulation, theatrical excellence, shopping, lao jiat and makan. All in equal portions!
But I also clearly recall a young nyonya from Australia asking during the Symposium during the Melaka convention last year: ”What is the point of all this when we don’t seem to be following up on what we feel to be a fading heritage and just gather to have a good time every year? What is there to pass on to our next generation?”
Poignant questions indeed.
I humbly leave you with this to ponder on: ”Do we care or not?”
Blessings,
Colin Chee
Unity. Stability. Growth.
It is not going to be business as usual.
29 February 2020