I have been thinking a lot of popo, my late maternal grandma who is the only living grandparent I had when I was young.
She was of a Peranakan ethnic, and was never great at speaking Chinese. I was educated in a local school instead of a Chinese school and hence maybe that was why she always dotted on me.
Popo was quiet, even her tantrums were quiet. She always wear sarong at home like a true Nyonya, and always make great Nyonya dishes. She doesn’t seem to enjoy cooking though…
I wonder why none of us didn’t continue her culture and heritage. Maybe a part of us felt like it was outdated. It was also clashing with our identity as Chinese. We were never Chinese enough, especially me who was never educated in a Chinese school. Then came Western influence which was considered cool. Because I couldn’t fit in the Chinese group, I went into a completely English speaking group of friends.
Having children now, I felt like I should embrace all the culture in my blood. I want them to know the origin of their family tree. I want them to understand who they are.
And thus, we shall begin with my very favourite: fashion.