Going back to roots..

Bibik passed me a few links to stuff and only today I got to run through them properly. Enough sleep and a bit of java ingested made it much more clearer and intresting :P trust me, reading when one is only focused on rest and sleep is a big no no…

I have always wondered about my genealogy, wanting to trace my roots all the way back in time but with both my parents and grandparents long gone, it kinda difficult to get started. I dimly remember occasions where mum or dad would go into a long spiel about both our family histories. Who married who and had so many children and family heirlooms about eternal conflicts laced with many warnings of what you should and should not do completes bits and pieces of my memory. Bobby once remarked that he can’t seem to remember these bits of information about my family and often wondered aloud how the hell did I come up with these bits of family trivia. but i know he remembers, you see..i suspect bobby is seriously repressing his childhood. WE all can remember, just like cases when we can dimly remember a past life ;) But we both agreed *oratleastido* that I have always been pretty intutive and attentive *kaypoh* since young.

Of many, my mom was the one who influenced me much. Even if I didn’t have much of a relationship with her till the day she passed on. Sorely jealous that I didn’t get the same attention or so I felt from the rest of my siblings, physically I withdrew myself from her efforts. But her stories HAVE always fascinated me. She worked all her life and happiest when she was her own boss. So she was once and all at once a teacher, a healer, a mechanic, a driver, a trader, an amah *ormaid* a cook and tourist guide extradinaire!
She preferred self autonomy *hehe* much like me now. Our quality time with her was ALL the time but my selfishness did not make me realise then how she tried to immerse us both into her life. She brought us everywhere much to my chagrin because who cares about being ‘carpark coupon’ or I term I used ‘accesory’. My life growing up could have been another episode of karate kid for all I care :P but the trips to arab street where she used to act as middleman for spices and electronics are still fresh. And who could forget the throngs of people always in and out from the house?! As it is, I was always surrounded by children because it was my duty to help and entertain them when the parents needed my mom for one reason after another. or the holidays she planned for the family, always big, huge and grand. It could be a road trip through all the states in malaysia in our 800cc car *haha* or a weekend in one kampong after another for local fruits galore! So yes…it rings very much true, you won’t know what you miss UNTIL it is long gone ;)

So, if I had to start the family tree patriach-ticulary, then I have to start on my dad’s side of the family first. When before I felt I had most in common with my dad whose dad was indian from malacca, now the stirrings in my blood is calling closest to my mom. Not much was said about my maternal grandfather but he was banjarese, from kalimantan. So where do I start?! Am I indian or banjarese? And so what if my identity card says I am malay :D being malay means I am a culmination of many races from the eaons of yesteryears as explained below.

“The Malay Archipelago refers to the thousands of islands which make up five countries today: Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, the Philippines and Singapore. The term “Melayu” is even older and dates back to the ancient kingdom of Srivijaya (6th–10th century). The Malay people settled in the pasisir (riverine/coastal) regions of the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo. While the initial Indianisation of the region left Hindu and Buddhist imprints, these were replaced by Islamic influences as early as the 11th or 12th century. This gave rise to Muslim sultanates with a fairly uniform language, religion and cultural practices. – aksara the passage of malay scripts exhibition”

but! The solution will be then to do research on both and if god wills pass in on to the 3 terrors finished or unfinished : ) whoa! HUGE project man!!!!! But it is to take one little step of a time and better it start now.

Stay sane,
Amyemeelea