Category: Life
Malaysian-Japanese Friendship Society Annual Dinner
The Perak Malaysian-Japanese Friendship Society (PMJFS) held their annual dinner at Ipoh City and Country Club recently. Attended by about 400 members and guests, the event was graced by the Consul-General of Japan in Penang, His Excellency, Mr Tetsuro Kai together with his wife Mrs Kai, and Mr Shoichi Toyoda, the Director of The Japan [...]
We Love, We Care Fund Raiser
City Ballet Performing Arts Academy presented a production recently entitled, “We Love, We Care” at Dewan Leong Wan Chin, Perak Girls’ School in Ipoh. A total of 160 performers, ranging in age from 6 to 30 years old, were involved. The two-hour production consisted of two parts. The first part was a ballet performance titled [...]
Exhibition at First Galleria
A photographic exhibition showcasing Malay nationalist Mustapha Hussein, veranda living and Taiping’s bungalows was held at First Galleria, Taiping on Friday, November 11. The launching ceremony was officiated by Taiping Municipal Council President, Shahrom bin Dato’ Malik and witnessed by nearly a hundred invited guests, which included members of Mustapha Hussein’s family. Mustapha’s autobiography, “Malay [...]
Self-Taught Artist Solo Exhibition
A self-taught Filipino artist held a six-day solo exhibition “Art Tunes 2011” at the Garden Villa in Ipoh. Officiated by Dato Dr Madhuri Majumder on November 11, the exhibition was attended by members of the public and Kinta Heritage Group. Artist Julbert G. Maranon displayed 24 paintings, which included a number of oil paintings of [...]
Kebaya Tales: Of Matriarchs, Maidens, Mistresses and Matchmakers
I am not much of a reader of fiction but I couldn’t put down Kebaya Tales, a collection of 13 short stories by Dr Lee Su Kim who was in Ipoh recently to speak about her book to the Perak Academy.
Book Review: The Dulang Washer
Irishman Paul Callan and his Ipoh-born wife, Eve, shuttle between their homes in London and Kuala Lumpur. Paul is the author of first-time novel, The Dulang Washer, which tells the often troubling tale of suffering, hardship and brutality 19th century Chinese immigrant labourers had to endure while working the tin mines of Kinta Valley and [...]
Ipoh, My Home Town: Reminiscences of Growing Up in Ipoh, in Pictures and Words
Penned by 47 different authors, all of whom spent some or all of their childhood days in Ipoh, this is a book like none other. Here they share their memories of their beloved “Home Town”, good and bad, which together provide a rich tapestry of sights and sounds of days gone by. The writers have [...]
Butterfly Lovers & Love Songs
The Perak Society of Performing Arts Performing Arts Festival this year has been nothing short of amazing. The recent Ensemble’s offering “Butterfly Lovers & Love Songs” was an absolutely delightful selection and marks its 5th performing year. The ensemble, this year, consisted of 12 local and international musicians under the direction of PSPA’s Music Director [...]
State Dancers
I caught Kumpulan Selendang Perak during their photo shoot for Hari Raya last week outside the entrance of the State Secretariat. Dressed in their Baju Raya, they spontaneously brought out the mood of the moment ie the upcoming Hari Raya celebration. For those who are not familiar with Kumpulan Selendang Perak or more commonly referred [...]
Master of His Craft
“By his work one knows the workman,” once ventured a poet. It is probably an opinion shared readily by artists. Wong Kean Choon, a well-known figure in the art circle of Ipoh, spoke of the same sentiment when asked what influences an artist’s painting style. Kean Choon, who turns 70 this year, believes that every [...]