A KL guide

The Kuala Lumpur Complete Residents' Guide (RM 75.50)

The foreword to The Kuala Lumpur Complete Residents' Guide says:
Whether you are only just starting to think about moving to Kuala Lumpur, or reading this on the plane, or you're an old-time expat who's lived there for years, well done for picking up the right book. It's not really meant for tourists who are looking for the best Twin Tower photo op -- it's written for you, the intrepid resident who knows the value of year-round sunshine.

The Kuala Lumpur Complete Residents' Guide has been meticulously researched and written by a team of seven city experts – some locals, some expats – who not only know the city inside out, but love it too... This talented bunch have scoured all areas to bring you the lowdown on all the things that are most important to a resident of Kuala Lumpur...

Although the book is aimed at expatriate residents, having glanced through the volume, we find that there are lots of information in there (not in the eleast of it, telephone numbers) suitable for locals as well. Let's face it, there are many parts of KL even people who have lived here for 50 years don't know about.

Collectible Cards

The Negaraku 1957-2007 collection

Five Arts Centre has released the Negaraku 1957-2007 collection, a set of 25 all purpose greeting cards featuring Malaysian artists for this holiday season (and any after that). Here is an excerpt from their website:

The arts are among our best instructors. They help us understand and feel understood. Through stories, written, spoken, sung, danced and illustrated, they help us connect, beyond race, culture, gender and economic circumstances, to our human condition. Reminding us that we are more similar than we are different.

In Malaysia, our diversity is a blessing and lesson in abundance. Countless artists have given voice to the heart and psyche of our nation using both traditional and modern art forms. They are an archive of the soul of a nation, offering a plurality of views of the Malaysian experience at different points in our collective history.


The cards are sold at RM20.00 for a set of five different cards (with thumbnail images behind each pack to make it easier for you to chose). They are well printed, packaged and lovely. You would probably want to buy the whole set for yourself. Instead of sending cards featuring fake snow on fake Chistmas trees, send your friends one of these 'postcards of Malaysia' this holiday season. They will want to collect the whole set too.

Calendar 2008:

Calendar 2008:The Deaf Art project


This beautiful 16 inch by 16 inch DEAF Art Wall calendar for 2008 is now available at Silverfish Books. Consisting of reprints of 12 original paintings and displaying the artistic talents of 6 deaf artists in the country, the calendar is priced at PM30.00. Silverfish believes that the Mission deserves our support for their work so that we can all, in a small way, make a difference in the lives of the deaf in this country.

In the words of the Mission, the calendar is unique in that it also incorporates some uniqueness of their language.

One of the visions of the Mission is to make a difference in the livelihood of deaf persons.

The Mission aims to:

Provide Career and Business Opportunities for the Deaf
Set up future businesses to be managed by the Deaf
Consultancy and Training for the Deaf
Community Awareness Projects
Sign Language Interpreting Services
Skill Enhancement Workshops for Sign
Language Interpreters
Sign Language Courses
Form a Network with Employers who have hired Deaf Employees
Encourage Employers to hire Deaf persons
Provide Employers with assistance on guidelines for interviewing and working with Deaf persons
Deaf Studies

Silverfish Books is happy to work with the mission on this project. Proceeds from the sale of the calendar 2008 will, of course, go to RC Deaf Missions Malaysia in support of their work with the deaf in the country.

Please visit their website: http://www.rcdeafmissionsmalaysia.com/ for more information or to pledge support.

Reference

The Encyclopedia of Malaysia,Volume 12: Peoples and Traditions edited by Prof Dato Dr Hood Salleh (RM 95.00) Malaysia is home to scores of ethnic groups. Each community, itself a complex of ethnic sub-groups, is distinguished by its cultural, religious and artistic traditions and customs, which are often centuries old. The resulting ethnic diversity has produced a complex, heterogeneous nation of communities united by shared values, expressed through the acceptance of each other's tradition.

Traditional forms of cultural expression, especially in visual and performing arts, provide evidence of importation and borrowing from South Asia, the Middle and Near East, and the West, while others reflect cross-cultural exchanges and inter-ethnic mergers.

This volume covers all the peoples of Malaysia and their most significant traditions. It commences with a look at the migratory and demographic patterns of the population from ancient times and the genesis of a multiethnic society, and provides insights into the various ethnic groups in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, and their distinct cultural and social identities. It discusses their traditional habitat, culture, customs, costumes, languages, cuisines and economic pursuits, and highlights efforts made by the communities to preserve their heritage in the face of modernization and globalization.

This volume also discusses the cultural fusion that underscores the multiculturalism of Malaysia - the result of assimilation, integration and accommodation - and how this has fostered a unique national heritage: a melting pot of ethnicities, cultures and traditions.