23 Jan 2015: The Mutes in the Sun February 5, 2015 – Posted in: Newsletters

“Written with a sense of realism, and laden with elements of local colour in the setting, speech, social structure and custom – Lee’s story is truly Malaysian” So much has been said of Lee Kok Liang’s writings, during his productive years and after his passing in 1992, that there are few stones left unturned. Still, his works continue to haunt us and we can’t help but keep revisiting them time and again. One such work is…

27 Dec 2014: Moving Pictures – The Rickshaw Art of Bangladesh December 29, 2014 – Posted in: Newsletters

Beautifully painted and brilliantly decorated, rickshaws are a defining feature of Dhaka; turning the City of Mosques into a city of rickshaws. Hello reader, Rickshaws and their counterparts are a common sight in some Asian countries like the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Bangladesh. Although the flat terrain of Bangladesh is suitable for bicycles, people prefer to commute by cycle rickshaws, a mode of public transport which swiftly replaced the horse drawn carriage after the Partition. Auto…

19 Dec 2014: The Fiction of Colonial Malaya – Posted in: Newsletters

The British Empire is long dead and gone, but the study of its literature remains relevant especially with respect to the elements of neo-colonialism which continues to be present in today’s world. – Mohamad Rashidi Pakri British colonialism roughly describes the period between the 18th and 20th centuries when Malaya came under British rule. Before surrendering the nation, however, the British wanted to ascertain that their influence and interests would remain intact beyond 31 August 1957.…

11 Dec 2014: Malay Weddings Don’t Cost $50 – Posted in: Newsletters

An incomparable and easy-to-read guide to an assortment of Malay customs, culture and heritage, from the common to the unusual. Hello reader, There is arguably no transgression more embarrassing than cultural ignorance, and none more clichéd than stereotyping. Years of co-existing as a harmonious unit is no guarantee that one will not commit the mother of all social blunders. One surefire way of avoiding such gaffes is through education, which brings us to our book-of-the-week –…

Living Landscapes, Connected Communities December 8, 2014 – Posted in: Reviews

How does an architect talk to an actor about something an activist does? How should a teacher exchange notes with a dancer? What if this is further complicated by them not speaking the same language? The challenges are many for someone putting together a book, but in the case of editor Justine Vaz, who co-edited Living Landscapes, Connected Communitieswith Narumol Aphinives, she says that it is “probably the most difficult thing” she has ever done. “I’m…

20 Nov 2014: Twee & the Mysterious Howl November 24, 2014 – Posted in: Newsletters

If my books can help children become readers, then I feel I have accomplished something important. – Roald Dahl Children’s literature can be divided into two broad genres – a saccharine world of rainbows and happy endings or a darker world filled with otherworldly beings and surreal towns. For every Perrault and Andersen tale there exists an offbeat counterpart found in works by the likes of Roald Dahl and Chris Van Allsburg. Closer to home,…

31 Oct 2014: Reaching Out, Touching Lives November 10, 2014 – Posted in: Newsletters

The award recipients have shown what can be accomplished when we have a vision. They are all examples of courage, wisdom and action. The Right Livelihood Award was established in 1980 by German-Swedish philanthropist Jakob von Uexkull to honour and support people “offering practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent challenges facing us today”, in fields like environmental protection, human rights, sustainable development, health, education, and peace. Because the RLA was founded indirectly as…

24 Oct 2014: The White Crocodile’s Tale – Posted in: Newsletters

His memoirs revealed how he interacted with the students … it gives us a tantalising view of how the early citizens of our country were educated. This was a story that had to be written, if not for the ex-pupils of the Penang Free School, then for the people whose lives were touched by its former headmaster John Michael Broome Hughes (Mike to his family and friends). “He was”, his son John recalls, “a friend…

13 Oct 2014: Handmade in India – Posted in: Newsletters

Handmade in India unravels a tapestry of the knowledge and skills of generations of India’s craftspeople in traditional and contemporary settings. UNESCO defines traditional craftsmanship as perhaps the most tangible manifestation of intangible cultural heritage. The Convention acknowledges that it is not just the skills and knowledge involved in craftsmanship that are important, but also the continuation of passing skills and knowledge onto others, particularly within the same communities. Handmade in India is a celebration…

03 Oct 2014: Concepts of space in traditional Indian architecture – Posted in: Newsletters

Architect and academician Yatin Pandya helps us understand the generic principles of space organization that render so many historical Indian buildings timeless. What sets traditional Indian architecture apart from other forms involves an abstract concept of what is known as kinesthetics, or “the spatial experiences derived through narratives of the dynamic perceptions of time, space and existence.” It’s certainly an intriguing subject, even if it sounds very formidable to all but the most architecturally-informed. Rest…

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