Baba Nyonya Convention - Melaka 2008

The 2008 Baba Nyonya Convention (Baba Nyonya - "Straits Born Chinese") saw the Babas (the men) and Nyonyas (ladies) from Melaka, KL/Selangor, Penang, Singapore and Phuket, Thailand convening at the Equatorial Hotel Melaka from the 5 - 7 Dec. Henry (who has Straits Born Chinese blood in him) and I were too busy to attend the convention but we made it to the subsription dinners that were held on the 5th (opening night) and the 6th (Hula hula lao jiet night - lao jiet means merriment in Hokkien dialect).

One of the highlights of the convention was definitely the Miss Kebaya International Contest that was held on the opening night. Contestants ranged from 19 to 76 years of age! A clear crowd favourite was contestant no. 13, Mdm. Molek Lee Saw Im ("Molek" means pretty in the Malay language) who oozed glamour and grace at 76. Someone commented that she's our very own Baba Nyonya version of Marilyn Monroe! She also enthralled the crowd with her hand-stitched kebaya outift and accessories, and true enough, she was crowned winner.

The Miss Kebaya International contestants were not adjudged on their figure or looks; the authenticity of the costumes and accessories was one of the criteria among others. Ha!!... this is one contest that many like me stand a chance of winning (at last)!

Another thing that impressed upon me was the zest for joget (a Malay dance) that the Baba Nyonyas have. The ladies can dance in their tight-fitting kebaya tops, sarongs (long skirts) and manik (beaded) shoes. There was no need for the masters of ceremnoies to cajole the crowd to go down to the dance floor - every inch of the dinner halls on both nights was occupied by the Babas and Nyonyas dancing the night away! Truly, seeing is believing...

Pics from the top:

1. Contestant No. 13 Mdm. Molek Lee surrounded by admirers. I'm on the extreme right. Next to me is Rosalind Leow in red kebaya outfit. Standing next to her, I look ... fat!!!

2. Moment of triumph - the crowning of Miss Kebaya International 2008.

3. The Melaka Baba Nyonya choir

4. Young members of the Singapore-based Main Wayang Company keep the Baba Nyonya culture alive.

4. The Nyonyas from Phuket, Thailand entertaining the crowd during the Hula hula night.

From Chiangmai with love

While the Thai anti-government protestors were closing in on the Bangkok airports (which they finally took over on 26 Nov), my family and I flew to Chiangmai on the 25 Nov. Thanks to Tony Fernandez, the CEO of AirAsia (now everyone can fly), we were able to go there for a 4-day 3-night getaway holiday.

My family members and friends having read about the turmoil in Bangkok were concerned about our safety during those few days, but I am glad to say that everything was peaceful in Chiangmai and Chiangrai during our short stay.

The holiday was memorable for a number of reasons: there was overflowing supply of great tasting food at all meals; the Thai ladies lived up to their reputation for beauty (all slim ones, much to my envy); the weather was cool in Chiangmai while the northern towns were cold; the tour guide John was friendly and helpful. What else could we ask for?

Photos from the top:

1. The family at a hot spring, on the way to Chiangrai. William had this habit of posing James Bond-style throughout the course of the holiday! Aaah.. maybe he had this idea that he was on a spy mission trip in Thailand. Fertile imagination...

2. On a Mae Ping river cruise for dinner. The food was great (as usual) and the setting, absolutely romantic...

3. We trekked a short distance to the Karen village where the Karen women have long necks. This Karen woman holds the world record for longest neck in the world, serious...

4. At the Maesa Elephant Camp. Victoria Goh in action feeding the elephants.

5. At the Kantoke Palace where we had dinner and watched cultural performances. William is surrounded by pretty girls, much to his delight!

One thing that struck me during the trip was the poverty in Laos (at a border town in the Golden Triangle). It was such a sad sight to see children begging but we were warned not to give money to any of them as there'd be many others who would swarm us in no time . At the end of the holiday, we thanked God for the many blessings that we have back home in good old charming historic Malacca!