Benjamin Seck talks with Jennifer Lim about everyone’s favourite topic - food!
Read MoreWho Are The Peranakans? A Chat With Benjamin Seck
Australian artist Jennifer Lim chats with Benjamin Seck from True Blue Cuisine on the origins of the Peranakan people ahead of their joint show Crossing Cultures in Singapore.
Read MorePERANAKAN GENOME RESEARCH PROJECT
An update on this exciting study! In June, 2018, results were revealed to both many a Baba and Nyona at a fun evening at the Peranakan Museum. A few photos below capture the event.
Are you a BABA or NYONYA? If you think you've got even a touch of Peranakan in your bloodline, do support a ground-breaking study of Peranakan DNA! Supported by the National University of Singapore, this study is being conducted by doctors & scientists who are all volunteers. It is meant to benefit the Peranakan Community as a whole to discover our genetic ancestry.
At least 200 more participants are still needed for this project. Thank you so much for spreading the word and supporting a great cause! Please use the 'share' button below to let your friends and family know. This project has now ended - thank you for your interest!
Dr. Foo is leading this valuable project! Hope he doesn't find any skeletons in my DNA cupboard...
Gunong Sayang Association, the home of Peranakan dance and performances, recently hosted its annual Chinese New Year Bazaar. The event also hosted a reach-out event whereby a volunteer research team from NUS hopes to sequence the genome of Peranakan people and find out more about their roots - whether it be Chinese, Malay or other!
Dr. Foo and his team digging deep to uncover the mystery of who the Chinese Peranakans are!
My daughter and I were also thrilled to also meet Singaporean Peranakan actor Pierre Png during the bazaar. She (and me too!) enjoyed watching him a while back in local television drama called Mata Mata. We both like quite a few local actors including Rebecca Lim and Daren Tan!
It's a hard life being a little nyonya, but someone's got to mingle with celebrities!
Where to Do Peranakan Beading in Singapore
Beadwork instructor Robert Sng of The Little Shophouse
Discover where to do Peranakan beading in Singapore.
Read MoreWhat Language Do Peranakans Speak?
What languages do Chinese Peranakans or Straits Chinese speak? Find out more.
Read MoreWhere to Buy Peranakan Jewellery in Singapore
I love jewellery, but most of the mainstream designs don’t really suit my style. That’s why I’m so keen on the unique creations by local design houses including Chinoiserie Blu and Choo Yilin. Check out some Baba Nyoyna inspired creations sure to make you stand out from the crowd!
INTERESTED IN SINGAPORE CULTURE?
Subscribe to my monthly newsletter to learn more and keep up to date with my artwork, events and art workshops.
Who Are The Peranakans?
I found this red-haired Nyonya at The Peranakan Museum dressed in Sarong Kebaya!
Spicy dishes, tropical coloured outfits and grand shophouses - the Peranakan Chinese feature frequently in Singapore tourism brochures but their true identity still remains mysterious to many. My research into my father’s background has helped me to discover that this intriguing culture extends well beyond just prawn paste and beaded slippers. So who are these Chinese-looking people with unique tastes influenced by Chinese, Malay and European elements?
Read MorePeranakan Culture on Video
Some recent videos I found on Youtube describing Peranakan culture - enjoy!
Top 5 Peranakan Things To Do in Singapore!
Peranakan culture has many elements and influences including those from European, Chinese and Malay sources. Here are some things you can do in Singapore to learn more about the 'Straits Chinese'!
Read MoreWhere To Buy Nyonya Sarong Kebaya in Singapore
Singapore is famous for its gorgeous sarong kebaya, the Nyonya outfit that inspired the shapely uniform worn by female flight attendants of Singapore Airlines. But it's not easy to find where the good shops are unless you've spent time pounding the pavement! Save your feet and check out my blog post on where to buy this unique sarong skirt and kebaya blouse outfit loved by many Peranakan ladies.
Peranakan Partying With a Purpose
From left: Baba Eng Thai, Baba Peter Wee, Mrs Mary Tan, President Tony Tan Keng Yam and Baba Koh Choon Hui.
A roomful of Nonya ladies in colourful kebaya blouses and floral sarongs, and Baba men in handsome batik shirts was a spectacular sight at the recent Peranakan Ball in Singapore!
Read MorePeranakans - Neither Fish Nor Fowl?
An interesting article titled 'Neither Fish nor Fowl written in 2008 by Patricia Ann Hardwick of Indiana University.
'This article traces the way in which political processes influence the creation and presentation of Peranakan ethnic identity during the colonial and post-colonial period in Singapore. Peranakan culture combines southern Chinese and Malay traditions and is unique to the nations of Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Peranakan identity began to emerge in the seventeenth century and flourished under the British administration of the Straits Settlements and British Malaya in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Associated with the British colonial system, Peranakan identity was suppressed by early Singaporean nationalists. Aspects of Peranakan identity including women’s costume and Peranakan material culture are currently celebrated by the Singaporean nation as emblems of its unique past, as individuals claiming to be Peranakan are encouraged to assimilate to majority Chinese culture.'
How about the good 'ole Qilin? A pretty exotic beast with the head of a dragon, the body of a horse, and fish scales covering its skin!
Auspicious Designs: Batik for Peranakan Altars
If you like Batik AND Peranakan design…this looks like a great show! See the latest special exhibition at The Peranakan Museum – don’t forget to take a guided tour! Runs from 11 April to 28 December 2014.