Monday, July 11, 2005

oNG, oNG-BaK & jiNgGLinG nOnA's

Dear jess,

Sometimes you’re so warped in your own life you forget that there are people out there like you, or like people you know. I went for a Portuguese wedding Saturday, its good, considering the last one I went was years and years ago at my cousins.

I have to admit. I hate Chinese weddings. And I love Portuguese weddings. The difference? Surmountable. A ten course dinner with people you either don’t know, couldn’t care less and food you actually paid to eat isn’t at all inspiring. Here’s how a typical Kristang wedding goes. Buffet dinner, and.. dance! From the jingling nona to the modern day boogying.

It’s been a great weekend of discoveries. You live 27 years of your life, and then you discover you’re 1/8th thai! Bizzare right? My dad’s grandpa married a thai chick. Im still in shock, shows you how much we chat with our dad… tsk tsk

Anyways, the wedding, ah yes. I’m still amazed that in the midst of people half like me, I can still be shocked utterly by them. Kristang people are the most relaxed, friendly, crude and funny people on the face of my planet. If you ever have a meet the in-laws, sessions they’re the last race you’d have to worry about.

So here we were taking photos and the photographer goes Cheese and the Portuegese lady at the right hand side goes Bosekufede! I mean I was flabbergasted, and then tickled. and then wowed at the realization that I’ve found people who are just like me, and speak like me and my grandmother. It was sheer joy.

As the night of discoveries it was, there was more discoveries I made of my dad. My dad, was probably the only Chinese man there, a rarity which I so enjoyed was officially the coolest dad on earth. I’ll tell you why. He danced. Not just a slow dance, or the ones with music from his time, but he was down on the dance floor boogying with me and my cousins!

The amazing part about the whole dance floor, was the adults, uncle’s, aunties, were the ones partying the hardest, dancing the most, and joking the most. Shame on us ‘clubbing people.’

After a whole night of tracing roots and whose realated to who I find it sad that someday this essence of Portuegese heritage wiill probably be lost on my children’s children. But if I’m 60 and I can be half of what my Kristang heritage is, id be glad! WOOO beranyu!

Bong!!!
Jess



UnrELiAbLE eNG- KRiSTaNG DiCTiONaRY

EngLiSh - KriSTANg
Portuguese People/Language in Malaysia - Kristang
Smelly Arse - Bosekufede
Dance - Beranyu
Good - Bong

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow! I didnt know you were a Thai chick as well :P

Collin Michael Nunis said...

Hey there, Collin here from Perth! All I can say is, I feel you. Yeap, I'm 3 years behind in commenting but I know how you feel.

I'm also a half-cast Kristang like you, only on my dad's side though. I only discovered the joys of my heritage last year at a grandaunt's party and I can say yes, I've learnt how to loosen up more, party, dance, and become a little more relaxed. I still can't get over the fact that we drink too much though. Honestly, I can't catch up with my grandfather, dad and my uncles. Crazy eh?