Avant-Première - Baba Bling

Yesterday, I went to work for a Singapore exhibition in Musée du Quai Branly here in Paris! It's by the Peranakan Museum in Singapore, and National Heritage Board of Singapore, organised together with an event management company. It was a private invitations-only function yesterday and the exhibition will be open to public on 5 October. More Information.

Warning! photo-filled post (:

I was tasked mainly to help out with the Peranakan Wedding Procession. It wasn't much work really, but it's the first time i've seen a peranakan wedding ritual so it's quite cool. Plus they sang rasa saya, and dayung sampan. It's such music to the ears to hear such familiar songs here in paris! For a while, it didn't feel like i was away from home at all (:

For the bride and groom

Tea ceremony

I wish they sang more songs though!

Costumes that kids can play dress-up and take photos in!

Since the job with the wedding procession was done, I was asked to help with the cooking demonstration section. Violet Oon, Singapore's Food Ambassador was here to do the demonstration and all. I only got to see and taste the last demonstration which was the pineapple tarts.

Ready-made pineapple balls for kids to try making the tarts themselves!

Watching earnestly before trying it out themselves

My tags

I got to meet Prof Tommy Koh! Though it was very brief...

1 of the staff was sooo kind as to bring some ba kwa for us helpers!! (:

It was so much fun! Everyone was really nice, and it was great to meet so many Singaporeans all the way here in Paris. Some of the older ladies who performed at the wedding procession was telling us about making the bead shoes and their traditions and stuff. We even got some leftovers from the cooking demonstration section to bring home as they could not bring it back to Singapore. The pineapple tarts and ba kwa made up for the CNY i missed this year (:

Oh yeah, and a Singaporean lady (there were too many people there i didn't get her name!), who's living in Paris at the moment, taught me to make this drink using lemongrass. Chop them into small slices and then boil it with sugar. It's supposedly one of those drinks that are good for you. So i went home and tried it yesterday and i love it! The smell of the boiled lemongrass is really fresh and minty (that's the best i can describe it), and the sugar made the drink sweet. For a moment it seemed as though i'm back home where my grandma boils all sorts of bird nest and funny stuffs (i usually like them, as long as its not too bitter) that i have to drink cos it's supposedly good for me. I actually felt like i could put everything else aside and sit and just study. Maybe it brought back the feeling of being safe at home you know, where you can let your guard down and don't always have to be alert and careful and watch out for yourself cos you're on your own. I sound like i miss home a lot huh. Well, the longer i'm away, the more appreciative i am of what i have i guess, and the sense of belonging deepens.

Anyways, i'll be working there again at the end of the month for a couple more days and i'm looking forward to it (:

bisous!