As Head of the Arboretum at Kew where I curate the outdoor temperate tree collections in the UK, this work is not the normal subject of a book that you will find in my library at home, but is a valuable new addition to my shelves that I have since used as reference. On my summer vacation to Florida in 2011, I visited the Fairchild Botanic Garden in Miami where I was introduced to a…
Continue readingLiving Landscapes Connected Communities: Culture, Environment and Change across Asia Justine Vaz and Narumol Aphinives (eds). Areca Books, George Town, 2014, pp. xxviii + 344 (ISBN 967-571-911-7). This ambitious book is derived from a multiyear project titled ‘Community-based Initiatives toward Human–Ecological Balance’, which was initiated by the Asia Pacific Intellectuals (API) Foundation and centred upon five diverse sites across Asia. This captivating volume examines the lives and environments of each community visited and asks how the residents in each place have…
Continue readingThe stories behind culture and history should be read in as many languages as possible. A good part of Malaysia’s history has a direct and intimate kinship with the Rawas and an appreciation of the nation’s heritage would be incomplete without the written and oral testimonies in the mother tongue—replete with all the unique nuances and patois. The inevitable forward march of progress, coupled with the passage of time, often impacts upon a community’s connection…
Continue readingThis house fills me with pride, a reminder of my heritage and the rich and unique culture of the Peranakan Chinese…As I live and love the Peranakan way of life, my hope is that the conservation of this house as a museum will encourage the learning, appreciation and preservation of this beautiful culture.- Chan Kim Sinn, Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum The two pictorial publications featured this week raises a topic which heritage watchers are familiar…
Continue readingMusic, dance, trance, colour, ritual, history and community involvement are all part of what makes a festival attractive to both residents and tourists alike. When you add to that mix the diversity of its peoples, Festivals of Malaysia will take you on a festival journey like no other.—Keith Hockton Imagine a calendar or a country without festivals and holidays—it would be like a fine opera without the staging—utterly bland and lifeless ! This is even…
Continue readingMacao: People & Places, Past & Present evokes the city in all its richness and diversity. Full of fascinating details, unexpected anecdotes and superb photography, even those who thought they knew Macao will learn a great deal.—Sir Roger Lobo (1923-2015), Vision 2047 Foundation Macao: People and Places, Past and Present isn’t your typical travel guide to a popular tourist destination. Neither is it a plodding and academic historical chronicle. Yes, there are plenty of lush and…
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