With regards to the above statement, I am glad to share of my exciting discoveries and insightful experiences during the fruitful E and C Week, which I am proud to say that I went with an open mind, a positive spirit and a humble heart.
First, we started off on Monday with Malay Dance, where trainers taught us Mak Inang. It is a traditional Malay Dance accompanied by a unique music believed to have been composed by the order of Sultan Mahmud Shah of Malacca. The dance moves and its music are graceful, having all the qualities for court performances. I had a whale of a time catching the dance steps demonstrated by the trainers, together with my class, where some others were happily trying their best to imitate the moves. I loved how even though everybody was not skilled at traditional Malay Dances, we were light hearted in putting up a decent performance. From the dance moves, I learnt that Malay culture is simple yet dignified, because of how female dancers were supposed to appear as shy yet graceful.
On Day 2, my class went to Little India, where a place which left a deep impression on me would be the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple. It was decorated with vibrant leaves, flowers and fruits hanging like party streamers across the entrance of the Temple. The first thing I noticed was the lively atmosphere, with deafening music thumping through the air, the beat pulsating through my body. I glanced around to be greeted by wisps of silver grey smoke curled and dancing their way through the hazy air. I stared in awe at magnificent statues of deities, realising not all of them were portrayed in a positive manner, some carrying murderous expressions with sharp weaponry, some simply frightening me by numerous threatening limbs, as if they were heading off for war. Then, I spotted some Hindus performing rituals. Curiosity aroused, I went over for up-close observations. A Hindu lady raised a tiny candle-like container and circled it in the air 3 times before clasping her hands together for a prayer. Another was rubbing dark red powder on the middle of her forehead, which I finally found out was the 'Indian dot' I used to see! There was a man pouring milk onto a deity, and after research I learnt that it was called Abhishek. It is the process of bathing the deity, done with 11 prescribed ingredients to please the God. These practices show their strong beliefs in their Gods that they would receive blessings and good fortune as long as they worship their Gods faithfully.
On Day 3, my class went to Kampong Glam, visiting the Malay Heritage Centre and Herbs & Spices Garden. I was impressed at learning about how herbal plants were used by the Malays for their aphrodisiacal properties. We had freedom to roam the area around the Sultan Mosque and went to different street shops to take a look at Malay fabric or try out Malay delicacies. I was glad to have dispelled a fib: Kampong Glam had not fully preserved the rich Malay culture as expected, because as time had passed, it developed into a more modern place to attract tourists or customers for the sake of economic income. This shows the change of a piece of heritage land evolving over time to fit into today's era. It made me raise a question in my heart: How can we find the balance between attracting tourists and preserving a culture, if both are so important to mankind?
On Day 4, my class went to Madjid Sultan and Madrasah Aljunied, led by a warm and friendly head facilitator with a couple of facilitators for every class. I learnt of both the interior and exterior designs of the Mosque, of how the carpet, mihrab and mimbar all signified the direction of Mecca. Then, I was told of the 5 pillars of Islam and 6 Articles of Faith, which are the framework of a Muslim's life and fundamental beliefs every Muslim must ascribe to respectively. I enjoyed the short tour in the mosque because the volunteer guide had great explanation and story telling skills, helping me understand a lot more about Muslims and the building of the Sultan Mosque. After that, we proceeded to Madrasah Aljunied to learn more about the education they receive, Islamic Art & Culture. We were also in luck to hear their school song in Malay, sung by them with much pride and gusto. I was filled with surprise and joy to notice the students waving enthusiastically when we walked past their classrooms.
I enjoyed my time at the library the most, as it was a session to learn more about the proper Islamic attire. I used to wonder why Malay ladies cover so much of their bodies, but had never dared to ask my Malay friends. Now, I learnt that not all Malays are Muslims, and it is the Muslims who cover up, not the Malays. Muslims do so out of faith in the Quran. They believe it to be a revelation from God, regarding it as the finest work in classical Arabic literature. To Muslims, the Quran is the most important miracle of Muhammad, a proof of his prophet hood, and the culmination of a series of divine messages that started with the messages revealed to Adam and ended with Muhammad. Most often, the wisdom in the Islamic dress code lies in the basic rule of modesty. By wearing a hijab, Muslim ladies cover up their outer appearances to show noble speech and humble behavior. Hijab empowers women by emphasizing her inner spiritual beauty, rather than wearing lavish accessories which make up her superficial appearance. By the way, in case you're wondering: No, even in Singapore, the hijab does not make a significant difference to the sweltering heat, since they are made of thin silk!
Probably because Muslim boys in my primary school would play soccer and sweat profusely after recess, I was often disturbed to have them in my class, and stereotyped Muslims to be rowdy. Now that I have learnt about how Muslims seek simplicity and modesty, I realised that it was wrong of me to judge a whole religion based on only a few playful minority, how ignorant of me! On the other hand, I find it really fascinating how ancient people were wise in using a head scarf to bring out the qualities a Muslim lady should possess: Modesty, Confidence, Obedience, Respect and Protection.
The most impactful lesson I experienced was at the Sultan Mosque. There, thanks to the volunteer guide, I learnt of interesting beliefs and at the same time, cleared a lot of misunderstandings. At first, I did not understand why Muslims show supreme faith to spiritual conviction. Even if their family members are all Muslims, it did not mean they would have to be Muslims too. However, afterwards, I found that the diligent practices actually came from the Quran, including specific number of times to perform the practices. In addition, most Muslims were brought up with the mindset of worshiping their Gods ingrained in them, thus they did not question the beliefs. Hence, such remarkable knowledge taught to me had made the lesson at the Sultan Mosque the most impactful one.
Of course, as much as I had enjoyed this programme, I felt that there was a time when it can be improved. My group faced quite a few disappointments when we approached stall vendors to interview them or to inquire them about certain practices we have observed from their culture. While we were grateful for some who were patient and willing to take time to answer us, there were more who were busy with work and did not bother with us. Putting ourselves in their shoes, we can also understand that they were not there to answer our questions; they were there for work and earning salary, probably even to make ends meet. However, this left my group with much research to do. I strongly felt this would defeat the purpose of a learning journey, if we could simple search up information and facts online. I would suggest finding more volunteer guides to help us clear our doubts, since some practices and beliefs are confusions hard to clear by simply Googling. It would definitely be nice for someone to be able to comprehend our language well and teach us more about the other cultures, maximizing our takeaway for this programme. Nonetheless, being ignored by stall vendors taught us to not be selfish or self-centered, because the world does not only revolve around us, having others to serve us is a privilege, not something mandatory.
I believe the main objective of this programme was to help us recognise the diverse races and religions in Singapore. From that, we would be able to respect people with different cultures from us for who they are, and learn to appreciate our differences. If everyone is the same, the world would have been such a plain and mundane place to live in. Apart from our skin colours, languages or backgrounds, we should also see that we are not visiting exotic creatures or aliens, hence we should think of others' feelings before oohing and ahhing too much over their presence. Especially since River Valley is a SAP school, where most students take Chinese as Mother Tongue, we do not get much chances to interact with friends of other races. This programme provided us vital opportunities to understand other cultures better, think from their Point of View better, and work along with them harmoniously, benefiting us as we enter society when we grow up. The experiences throughout the week have helped me achieve the main objective, since I have truly felt the importance of other cultures, instead of only memorising our cultural differences, which would have had little impact.
Personally, I was eager to learn new things and carried a positive attitude towards the programme. This made me more receptive to receive knowledge and cheered me up when I encounter unexpected disappointments. If my attitude had been negative, I would for sure, have been dwelling on the unhappy experiences which might make me regret this trip. This effect was a unique experience, because even though it was not perfect, the minor let-downs made it all the more special to me.
In conclusion, I am really appreciative of this opportunity to learn of Diversity in Common Spaces, and to be able to meticulously observe the many practices and beliefs of other cultures. Of course, had I not been paying attention, I would not be able to learn so many cultural differences beyond the knowledge taught in classes, hence, the choice to strike when the iron is hot lies entirely in our hands. I urge everyone to simply lift a foot and stride through the door that has been opened for them. Remember to do it quickly, though, for all we know the door could shut and lock itself up anytime.
Last but not least, I hope to share this beautiful quote with everyone who needs encouragement to walk through those doors which have been opened wide for you: "Opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you miss them."
Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple
Muslims praying towards Kaaba
Beautiful sunrise, don't miss it!
No comments:
Post a Comment