Monday
Hosting Bangkok VIPs came to photographed the Mansion in the morning.
Six hours and a quick change later, the Mansion is transformed into a Baba fairyland for jazz and joget party!
Yes! Dancing, Joget and Partying is part of a Museum Director's portfolio!!! Olè!
Rousing Jazz Joget Evening led by Sayang Sayang Nyonya Dancers.
International visitors get down to twist, jazz, and joget!
As evidenced in the photos, AngMoh Nya was eyeing the phoenix cape in my office.
So after the dance party, Bunga Angmoh Nya has to (she can't help it!) drape the rosy cloud collar around her, posing as a noble phoenix in the midsts of her five fine feathered friends, all paying homage to the Queen of Birds (depictations of the phoenix surrounded and saluted by five pairs of auspicious birds - woo niao chao feng tu 百鸟朝凤图 is a theme in Chinese art and paintings).
Tuesday
Furiously finishing up my inventory, interviews and notes on the central place of the Chien Arp in the Baba Nyonya Ninth day of Chinese New Year Pai Thnee Kong (Supreme God of Heaven/Jade Emperor's Birthday) altar table. Homework for GeorgeTown World Heritage Incorporated intangible cultural heritage documentation office.
Wednesday
Along the way, distracted to find replacement for a missing 'kerabu' in this vintage Anglo-Indian earrings . . . . . . . . and some tactile therapy, playing with the colourful silk tassels decorations on antique silk home furnishings.
A most wonderful day!
A precious book arrived today!
Bid RM5,000 for this copy at a recent auction.
Friday
Buried my head in this new acquisition. Reading, researching and taking notes for a project going to print soon . . .
Weekend
It's filming day! After months and weeks and days of back and forth communication, Naeloofa and a team of thirty pax is here to film and shoot their new Hari Raya collection. Two days and twenty hours! No photos please, as you have to wait for the unveiling of their new Hari Raya tudung and scarfs.
Monday.
Penang State Tourism Exco (PETACH) invited owners and stakeholders of tourism products and attractions to brainstorm for EXPERIENCE.Penang Year 2020.
YB Yeoh Soon Hin and PETACH assembled private owners, stakeholders, experts, tour agents, tour guides, and tourism agencies, for consultation and collaboration to curate an unforgettable EXPERIENCE.Penang Year 2020 for our visitors.
Presenting pandai pandai observations and ideas at a Tourism meeting with YB Yeoh Soon Hin, Penang State Exco for Tourism, Arts, Culture and Heritage (PETACH).
Penang Tourism's happy faces
Welcome to Penang!
Tuesday
Typed and printed out notice of meeting for AGM 2019, Annual Report, Minutes and Accounts, and have them duly signed. Then got the boys at work to staple, fold, insert documents into envelopes, write addresses, lick a hundred stamps and send off 123 envelopes to Persatuan Peranakan Baba Nyonya Pulau Pinang members by Friday.
Wednesday
Some mid-week love
Meh! Happy to have help with my draft, checking the RAM random-access memory of my overloaded computer . . . and cloisonné company for the afternoon.
Thursday
Exquisite mirror curtains
Studying and documenting the intricate threading styles and designs in these antique and vintage bead tassels.
Thursday
Thursday
Reading and researching for our new project
Friday
Outdoors, making the round to update on the progress of restoration projects at Mansions and palatial in homes in GeorgeTown. No. 65 Timber work coming along fine.
Quite pleased with the progress of this restoration. No. 9
Had a big round of roti jala, roti chanai with a rich class of teh ais, sitting in a little shack in Telok Bahang, waiting for the driver to show up with my VIP guests. The driver finally drove up, 2 hours late.
A whirlwind tour from sea to hill, to sea, to airport!
Sunday
Visit by Chanikan and interpreter from Thammasat University on Museum management and employment of creative industries in museums.
The girls decided a Nyonya would make a good portraiture subject, and request that I pose for their attempts at portraiture photography. As you can see, I am happy to oblige.
Monday
China's psychedelic blings and pedicure!
The State Government brought China media for an early morning tour and shooting at the Mansion.
Haha! I am as amazed with their fashion (blings and matching rainbow neon diamanté nails!!!) as they are with my sarong kebaya.
This is followed by an interview with Rahul on Museum practices and definition
Take part in creating a new museum definition – the backbone of ICOM
The need of a new museum definition
Over recent decades museums have radically transformed, adjusted and re-invented their principles, policies and practices, to the point where the ICOM museum definition no longer seems to reflect the challenges and manifold visions and responsibilities. We are thus inviting members and other interested parties to take part in creating a new, more current definition.You can submit a proposal on the form below until May 20th, 2019, and new proposals will be published hereon a continuous basis. A decision on a new definition will take place in Kyoto in September 2019.
The format for a new museum definition
A new definition can be terse as law or concise as a poem. Or both. It can be long or short, a cohesive whole,or split into sections or hierarchies. We have, however, some parameters which we would like a new definition to contain or reflect:And then a quick change out of my floral red Kebaya to a black and white polka dot dress to attend a funeral. Condolences to SK, owner of TeddyVille and Owl Museum on the loss of his beloved father.
Another change back to sarong kebaya to host State Tourism Board members, officials and China business owners for a tok'panjang Nyonya cuisine, dance and tour of the Mansion. Three changes of clothes. all in a day's work.
