by Caryl Teh
It’s… the most wonderful time of the year! The time of the year when YTL Foundation organises its annual extravaganza for youngsters (of all ages) to enjoy! Two years ago, we had Lottie’s Talent Village – a Christmas Bazaar showcasing vocational and artisan skills (read more here: https://ytlfoundation.com/2018/10/22/lotties-talent-village/). Last year, Lottie’s Science Adventure aimed to rally science enthusiasts under one roof to showcase the many fascinating aspects of all things STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) (https://ytlfoundation.com/2018/10/30/lotties-science-adventure/). But this year, THIS YEAR, YTL Foundation took a deep dive back to our roots, our heritage, our identity; to what makes us truly Malaysian, and brought us… Lottie’s Cultural Splash! =D
And if you thought that YTL Foundation organised an agenda for just one day and did the same thing over and over for all three days, then you missed out! Every. single. day. was a different smorgasbord of performances to enjoy and workshops to get involved in. This write up focuses only on the first day’s grand opening ceremony.
Malaysian – Our Unique, Cosmopolitan Identity
The opening address was given by Datin Kathleen Chew. She brought listeners back to her days in standard four geography class, when she was first captivated by a wonderful word that was used, even on wikipedia, to describe this country that she is so proud to be a citizen of – “cosmopolitan”. (Side note: that is also the name of Datin Kathleen’s favourite women’s magazine.)
Returning to the present, she was saddened to find that alas, the word “cosmopolitan” is now no longer used in wikipedia’s description of Malaysia. That said, she expressed her hope that young people today are still proud of our unique heritage – a heritage that is diverse and rich; one in which we have much to give and learn from each other. “When you look at the food we share, the songs we sing, and the dances and games that we enjoy, we know that we are Malaysian.”
Stimulation of the Senses
After the opening address, this exciting three-day bonanza was kicked off with a classic resounding gong by Yang Teramat Mulia Raja Dato’ Seri Azureen binti Sultan Azlan Shah, the eldest daughter of Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak (yes, a princess. We had royalty in our midst!).
Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Abu Hassan Bin Othman, YTL Foundation Trustee; his wife, Puan Sri Jamilah Sudin; Dato’ Yeoh Soo Min, Executive Director of YTL Corporation Berhad; Yang Teramat Mulia Raja Dato’ Seri Azureen binti Sultan Azlan Shah, chairman of PKK; Datin Kathleen Chew, Programme Director of YTL Foundation.
There was something for everyone: those who just wanted to sit back, relax, and enjoy the cultural splash were treated to a stimulation of the senses with several performances by students from Pusat Kreatif Kanak-Kanak Tuanku Bainun (PKK, aka Temple of Fine Arts). First, sound – the rhythmic, percussive beats of 24 Festive Drums (well… seven really) to get everyone’s hearts pounding in unison with excitement.
Then sight – traditional dances, from Malay, to Chinese, to Indian (1 Malaysia mah), each with its own set of colourful costumes and melodious music.
Of those three, the highlight for me was the Bharatanatyam performance – it was clearly the most athletic in terms of physical demands, and intricate in terms of technical skill.
And last, but never least (especially for Malaysians), FOOD! I mean… taste – for the bold and the brave – the chewy, creamy, soft-melted-toffee-like, delicacy that is… sago worms. That’s right, authentic cuisine brought all the way from the other side of the South China Sea. On Saturday, there was even a blowpipe demonstration!
For those who wanted to be a little more hands-on and burgeon some creative skills, there was a line-up of amazingly gifted artists to carry out workshops ranging from traditional music, namely sape (by people from the land where sape is played best) and gamelan; to art forms like Chinese calligraphy, Orang Asli weaving, creating Sarawakian beaded jewellery, and decorating your own gingerbread man (in the true spirit of the soon-to-be Christmas season – indeed, for some, the Christmas season had already begun).
And for those who still wanted to participate, but on a less active side, they could (a) clear out their (kids’) toy cupboards because YTL foundation continued their annual tradition of collecting toys to be repaired & donated, (b) buy a lucky draw ticket, or (c) purchase simple yet beautiful flower bouquets for charity.
Conclusions
Taking a step back, I couldn’t help but be filled with joy to see that there exist avenues like PKK, whose aspiration is to nurture in young people an appreciation of the arts, heritage and diverse cultures of Malaysia (PKK’s website: https://pkktuankubainun.com/). But what overwhelmed me with pride was seeing such an enthusiastic reception & desire among young people to keep our national heritage alive and flowing in their blood. Lot 10 aims to become a hub for young people – this event certainly emanated a youthful vibe: bursting with colour, action and beauty; identity, artistry, and sincerity – bursting, with life. It was a celebration of cultural expression, or a cultural expression of celebration (works both ways).
P.s.
Words can only do so much in an attempt to capture the atmosphere that day. You just had to be there. So if you missed out this year, make sure you keep a look-out for Lottie’s end-year event next year! And you can still see footage of some of the performances over on YTL Foundation’s facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ytlfoundation/) and instagram account (https://www.instagram.com/ytlfoundation/?hl=en).
