Saturday, January 24, 2009
proud nonya

the Little Nonya series have brought about a (very) little bit more understanding about the Peranakan culture. i am very proud of my peranakan heritage and i'm glad it's gotten itself some attention and recognition now. however, the whole overhype about it doesn't quite sit well with me.

the kebaya has become the latest fashion donned by every jane, sue and mary. it's a sudden surge in trend that i'm afraid would just fall hard. i hope the kebaya will not suffer the title of "fashion trend of yesteryear". the kebaya's a timeless piece in the league of cheongsams and saris. it's not to be placed along with bell-bottomed jeans and gladiator sandals. with this extreme hype, i can't hide my worries. i've been wanting to wear the kebaya for a few lunar new years now but have been holding it back due to the high cost of getting one tailored. this year though the hype has put me off the thought and actually made me not want to wear the kebaya.

there will be much to talk about this new year when our little nonya and baba community meets. how wrong the serial has portrayed certain aspects of being peranakan will be a much discussed topic i foresee. we'll be laughing about how "mama" and "chor chor" were used with a cheena slang and whereabouts "tia" came from. the little things but they are our pride.

armed with my peranakan heritage, photos of my grandparents in the kebaya and batik shirt taken long before it became the "in" thing, my knowledge of baba Malay (whatever little i know), relatives conversing in baba Malay, the skill of making sambal belachan with a mortar pounder, a peranakan-themed 'O' level art project titled "What's my roots?", I AM PROUD TO SAY I AM A TRUE-BLUE NONYA and not a wannabe.