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...
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...
Pic
s from the top:
s 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.
posted by Lim Ai Ling at
4:10 PM
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