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November 22, 2006
There's Something About M'sia Traditional Games
"Imagine yourself in a tropical country some 10,000 miles away... imagine you are surrounded by lush greenery and wrapped around the arms of mother nature.. imagine you don't have to travel far from a city to witness all these.. welcome to Malaysia."
Donned in beige baju melayu and hand-woven songket cloth around his mid waist, Jab began our presentation with a sensational/suspenseful/awe-inspiring opening. Before him sat our hyperactive audiences who stopped chattering and focused their inquisitive eyes on the screen projecting the map of Malaysia. A keyboard sat next to the screen with recital books strewn all over the floor. A big drum the size of a coffee table sat quietly nearby, isolated from its smaller siblings. The music room in Burnett Creek Elementary School immediately transformed into an ethnical tribal council, led by 3 emerging tribe elders. The tribe people (some really wore Red Indian costumes) listened intently to what wise words the elders were about to deliver.
Upon looking at this picture, the 'tribe people', mainly 4th-6th graders, hollered and became an excited bunch. They seemed to identify their favourite pastime activities. Elder Jab calmed them down and showed them the magical rattan ball spitted from Mother Nature's stomach and what Malaysians did with it.
The audiences cheered when Elder Jab decided to show his talent in keeping the ball airborne with his agile body. He kicked, he headed, he shouldered, he knee-ed, and the ball kept bouncing for more than 12 times. As Jab gave a full bow and ended his presentation, the kids were wild with cheers and smiles.
Next, Elder Peter, the true Sarawakian who lived among the natives and learned their ingenuous hunting techniques, decided to let our audiences into his little secret skills.
"Come on everyone, repeat after me: SUM-PIT!"
"SOON PITT!"
After a little explanation of how it works, Elder Peter decided to show his skills. He inserted a wooden pin into the hollow body of sumpit, he aimed, he puffed! Wooosh! The pin hit the makeshift target board Jab made using polystyrene with sudden force. Such a lethal weapon made Elder Peter think twice about fulfilling his tribe people's request to try it out. However, Elder Peter's skills wowed them good.
Then, as if saving the best for the last, came Elder Pei Xin with his extraordinary-looking, intellectually-challenging, mind-boggling, brain-twisting congkak set! (a tad exaggeration haha) After a brief description, he chose an apprentice to pass down all his knowledge about congkak while the rest pooled around to nip bits of the knowledge from the Chosen One.
The cycle was completed, and the moon was in the right position to bid farewell. We quickly ushered the audience away as we prepared for the next wave of those cute kids, and the next.
Three times we presented the traditional games of Malaysia, in an effort of promoting international awareness, diversity and culture in the very heart of the biggest most progressive country in the world, directly to their next generations. It is an annual program organized by the International Students' and Scholars' Office of Purdue University, running for almost 7 years now. I'm glad i'm part of it.
Posted by peixin at November 22, 2006 04:42 AM
Comments
Hey! That's a great picture of you surrounded by kids! That fellow over on the top-right looks very intrigued! Anyway, you need to teach me how to play congkak (and what's mancala?).
Posted by: zx at November 22, 2006 09:15 PM