[Cultural Heritage Talk Series 2016] Imagining Angkor: Politics, Myths, and Archaeology (想像吳哥：政治、神話與考古)

Cultural Heritage Talk Series 2016

Imagining Angkor: Politics, Myths, and Archaeology

想像吳哥：政治、神話與考古

Prof. Miriam Stark (Professor of Anthropology, University of Hawai'i at Manoa)

*Conducted in English*

Date: 14/10/2016 (Fri)

Time: 4:00-6:00pm

Venue: Lecture Theatre (L1), Institute of Chinese Studies, CUHK

Abstract: Angkor's first great king, Jayavarman II, established Cambodia' Angkorian state on the banks of the Tonle Sap in 802 CE and built his first capital, Mahendraparvata, on the slope of the nearby Kulen mountains. What followed were six centuries of political competition, warfare, and imperial rule by Angkor's kings. Like rulers of other ancient states, Khmer kings built vast stone monuments to honor their predecessors and gods that still stand today. A century of scholarly research on the Khmer empire's achievements has shed light on the scale and nature of premodern Southeast Asia's most influential polity; it has also shaped political agenda in unanticipated ways. This lecture visits such accounts and myths and explores how archaeological research offers another strategy for imagining Angkor: its rise, its splendor, and its collapse and regeneration over two millennia.

Bio of the Speaker: Miriam Stark is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. Her PhD at the University of Arizona (1993) was an ethnoarchaeological study of ceramic production and exchange among tribal Kalinga potters in the highland Philippines, and her subsequent Smithsonian post-doctoral fellowship used Kalinga ceramic data to test the analytical limits of compositional techniques. Dr. Stark has conducted field-based archaeological work in Cambodia since joining the University of Hawai'i at Manoa in 1995, when she launched the Lower Mekong Archaeological Project in collaboration with Cambodia's Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts. She also joined the Greater Angkor Project as a Partner Investigator in 2010; this international collaboration (between the University of Sydney, EFEO, APSARA National Authority and the University of Hawai'i at Manoa) focuses on urban organization in Angkor. In 2014 she co-founded the Khmer Production and Exchange Project in partnership with APSARA National Authority, the University of New England (Australia) and Santa Clara University. She has edited or co-edited five books, authored/co-authored more than 70 journal articles and chapters, and serves on the Executive Board of the Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association.

Free admission. All interested are welcome.

Please register at: https://goo.gl/4MJd4R. 

[Multiculturalism in Action Project 2016-17] Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan Culture Workshop

On 20 August 2016, the MIA Workshop organized its sixth seminar. The topic was Bangladeshi food culture and gender issues. Ms. Sabina Sultana, a Bangladeshi nutritionist and medical interpreter, was the speaker.

Ms. Sultana told us that a typical Bangladeshi meal includes rice and fish. Although Bangladesh shares similar food culture with India and Pakistan, Bangladeshis in general cook with less spices and herbs. Unlike Northern India and Pakistan where people have naans, Bangladeshis prefer rice in their main meals. Besides, yogurt and tomatoes, which are commonly used in India and Pakistan, are not popular ingredients in Bangladeshi cuisines.

Ms. Sultana explaining Bangladeshi food culture

Ms. Sultana introduced to us that pitha, a cake-like snack, is common in Bangladesh as well as West Bengal in India. It is made from a batter of rice or wheat flour, and filled with sweet or savoury ingredients such as grated coconuts or gurh (condensed cane-sugar). It can be either steamed or fried. Ms. Sultana also told us that ilish is the national fish of Bangladesh, and it is popular in daily meals and festivals alike.  

Ilish (Photo source: Wikipedia)

Although there is no Bangladeshi grocery store in Hong Kong, Ms. Sultana said Bangladeshis get almost everything they need from other South Asian supplies stores and supermarkets. Those items that could not be found in Hong Kong, such as specific rice and vegetables, are brought by relatives or friends from Bangladesh occasionally. She mentioned that the eating habits of her family has been influenced by the Chinese cuisines since moving to Hong Kong nine years ago. For instance, they love to cook with vinegar now, which was very rare in the past.

During the short break, Workshop participants got a chance to taste some Bangladeshi food including a vegetable salad, dal puri (a fried puff bread with mung bean), piazu (a deep-fried snack made with lentils), chicken curry, ruhi (fish) curry, rice, and masala tea, all prepared by a home chef.

Piazu (red in colour) and dullpuri (yellow in colour)

In the second part of the seminar, Ms. Sultana explained to us the gender situation in Bangladesh. She said Bangladeshi women still suffer as an underprivileged group in terms of health services, education, and employment. For instance, there is a big gender earning gap in Bangladesh. According to Ms. Sultana, women only earns USD 0.12 per day, compare to USD 1 earned by man. In terms of politics, the Bangladeshi government is trying to engage more women in the political system such as reserving 50 seats for women in the Parliament. However, Ms. Sultana commented that the process for improving gender inequality is slow because of the lack of rule of law and corruptions in the government.

Lastly, Ms. Sultana pointed out that Islam teachings consider men and women equal and they will receive fair judgements from Allah. Besides, some may question why Muslim men are allowed to marry a maximum of four wives. Ms. Sultana explained that according to the Quran this is only allowed when the men can treat the wives justly and equally. And often people misunderstood and/or abused this teaching. She reminded us that we should consult the Iman or visit the mosques to learn the truth of Islam.

[Publication] Wishing Well: Voices from Foreign Domestic Workers in Hong Kong and Beyond

The book Wishing Well: Voices from Foreign Domestic Workers in Hong Kong and Beyond, co-edited by Dr. Ju-chen Chen and Min Lee, is now available online.

Wishing Well is a collection of poems, essays and fiction written by migrant domestic workers. Published by HelperChoice, it is an open access book free for everyone to read.

Dr. Chen hopes that the book can help to convey the voices of foreign domestic workers to the mainstream society, so that non-domestic-worker readers can get to know more about the worlds of the domestic workers.

Link to the eBook: https://issuu.com/helperchoice/docs/wishing_well_domestic_workers.

Book cover (Source: issuu.com)

[Upcoming Seminar] 在禮物經濟的思考中：藝術、 人類學和基層社會運動 （三個人類學學生的分享）

在禮物經濟的思考中：藝術、人類學和基層社會運動（三個人類學學生的分享）

講者: 李維怡、蕭朗宜和張詠儀 (影行者)
日期: 二零一六年九月廿三日(星期五) 
時間: 一時正至二時三十分
地點: 新亞書院人文館11室

***************************************************

雨傘運動期間，人類學系的同學亮出了「革命是為了愛情」的橫額。相信這「愛情」應是一種公共的愛，而「革命」的意思是「改變社會的根本構造形態」。在人類學的意義下，革命是要根本改變社會制度和主流文化中讓人不能（被）愛、無法（被）愛的處境。禮物經濟是我們從人類學學到的概念，在這個資本主導、競爭為尚、個人中心、消費就是快樂的社會中，如何發展共享而非競爭的資源流動之可能性？三位不同時期的人類學同學，希望與大家分享人類學走出課堂，介入社會的感想。

李維怡、蕭朗宜和張詠儀是三位不同時期的人類學畢業/在學同學。三位皆是影像藝術團體影行者的成員。影行者以「把藝術還給人民，把人民還給藝術」為宗旨，致力於藝術及媒體的創作及解讀能力之普及化。透過記錄社會文化議題，影行者希望以影像與邊緣社群同行。
歡迎大家參加! 

(於十二時三十分敬備茶點及午餐。先到先得。)

Friday Seminars Schedule (Fall 2016)

The Friday seminars schedule of this semester has been announced! Don't forget to mark down the seminar dates on your calendar!

Seminars in this semester will take place at 1:00P.M.–2:30P.M. at Room 11, Humanities Building, CUHK. A light lunch will be served at 12:30pm.

We look forward to seeing you at the seminars!

Friday Seminars (Fall 2016)

[Multiculturalism in Action 2016-17] Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan Culture Workshop

On 13 August 2016, Mr. Syed Ekram Elahi, President of the Bangladesh Association of Hong Kong (BAHK), was invited to give a talk on the religions and social life of Bangladeshis in Hong Kong.

According to Mr. Syed, most Bangladeshis in Hong Kong are Muslims, with a few Hindu and Buddhist families. Various Islamic and Hindu festivals are observed by the Bangladeshi community in Hong Kong.

In the Eid al-Fitr (Festival of breaking of the fast), Bangladeshi Muslims will gather at mosques for morning prayer, and then visit each other’s homes. People will say “Eid Mubarak”, to greet each other, which means “To wish you a happy Eid”, and it is a custom to hug each other one to three times.

Bangladeshi community gathering at Kowloon Mosque for the Eid prayer
Photo source: Syed Ekram Elahi

Eid al-Adha (Festival of the Sacrifice) is another important festival observed by Bangladeshi Muslims in Hong Kong. Animals such as cows and goats are sacrificed and distributed to relatives and people in need. In Bangladesh, there are cattle markets in every village, while in Hong Kong, they usually buy cows and goats from the Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse.

Mr. Syed explaining Eid al-Adha

Durga Puja, a Hindu festival of Bengali origin, is jointly celebrated by Bangladeshi Hindus and the West Bengalis from India.  It is organized at Henry G. Leong Community Centre in Yau Ma Tei every year.

Durga Puja celebrated at Henry G. Leong Community Centre

In terms of social life, Mr. Syed told us that the family structure in Bangladesh has changed from joint family to nuclear family. Most people opt to live with their parents rather than to live individually. Although arranged marriage is still common in Bangladesh, the role of parents has changed from making decisions to giving advice. According to Mr. Syed, Bangladeshi men usually get married at the age of 28, while women get married at the age of 22 to 25. Gaye holud is a ceremony observed in the Bengali wedding. Henna and turmeric paste are applied to the bride and groom respectively as a form of blessing.

As told by Mr. Syed, it is hard to conclude the marriage pattern of the second generation in Hong Kong as most youth have not reached marriage age yet. However, he believed that most of them will organize wedding activities in Bangladesh because the family’s social networks are there. It is also expected that intercultural marriage will be more popular among Bangladeshi youth who grow up in Hong Kong. 

[Announcement] New Minor Program Offered—Minor in Archaeology

Apart from the Minor in Cultural Heritage Studies program, our department now has a new minor program that Anthropology majors can take! The Minor in Archaeology program, coordinated by the Department of Anthropology, provides students an option to develop an integrated focus on archaeology by bringing together various perspectives including anthropology, culture management, fine arts, geography and geology, and history. Students will learn about the preservation and management of archaeological sites and excavated objects, and relevant data such as in art and historical studies. 

While there is growing awareness about the significance of archaeological discoveries in Hong Kong and the rest of East Asia, systematic training is lacking locally. This minor programme is the first and only programme in Hong Kong that teaches students basic skills in archaeological excavation and research, as well as knowledge in the appreciation, curation, and exhibition of archaeological materials. The programme will connect students with Archaeology programmes in Mainland China and overseas, to expand their perspectives beyond Hong Kong.

In light of increasing admission figures to archaeological exhibitions, students will find themselves equipped for culture-related careers, especially in archaeological excavations, museums, education, and cultural tourism.

Detailed information can be found at www.cuhk.edu.hk/ant/arcan.html.

[Multiculturalism in Action Project 2016-17] Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan Culture Workshop

On 6 August, 2016, the Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan Culture Workshop invited Mr. Dewan Saiful Alam, former President of the Bangladesh Association of Hong Kong, to give a talk on Bangladeshi Culture and the Bangladeshi Community in Hong Kong.

Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Over 90% of the population are Muslims, other are Hindus, Christians, and Buddhist. Geographically speaking, Bangladesh is a plain country and flooding is common during the monsoon season. In rush hours and festival times, Mr. Dewan said using waterways is more convenient and reliable than road transportation. 

Mr. Dewan presenting an overview on Bangladesh

One of the most important days in Bangladesh is the International Mother Language Day. It has been observed annually since 21 February 1952. At that time, Pakistan was planning to impose Urdu as state language in East Pakistan (later became Bangladesh after the independence in 1979). University students and politicians demonstrated for the recognition of Bengali and oppose the imposition of Urdu, and in the process some students were shot dead. Nowadays, it is still an important and emotional day for many Bangladeshis. 

Martyr Monument at the University of Dhaka, commemorates those who were killed in 1952.
Photo source: Essay and Paragraph

Since 2005, the economy in Bangladesh has been rapidly developing. The garment industry in Bangladesh ranks second in the world. Mr. Dewan told us that more than 70% of the businesses owned by Bangladeshis in Hong Kong are related to this field. Tea production is another essential industry in Bangladesh. It owns three of the world’s largest tea gardens, which are all located in the Sylhet Division in the eastern Bangladesh.

According to Mr. Dewan, there are around 2,000 Bangladeshis living in Hong Kong. Most of them have started their businesses in Hong Kong since 1985 as middle people between the textile factories in Bangladesh and the raw material suppliers in China. Nowadays, Bangladeshis are working in various occupations as well, such as bankers, editors, and mobile phone traders. 

The Bangladesh Association of Hong Kong was established in 2003 to support the Bangladeshis living in Hong Kong. Mr. Dewan felt that as the first generation in Hong Kong, it is his duty to help pass down Bengali traditions to the future generation. Every year, the Association organizes various activities, such as celebrations for the Bengali New Year and National Day, to keep their traditions alive in Hong Kong. Besides, there is a weekend school for children to learn Bengali.

Carnival for Bengali New Year
Photo credit: AFM Tariq

Dance performance on National Day
Photo credit: AFM Tariq

Mr. Dewan said language barriers and getting a job are the biggest challenges for Bangladeshis living in Hong Kong. It is not easy to get a job in Hong Kong due to the Chinese language requirement. Many Bangladeshis who have graduated from the universities in Hong Kong have chosen to work in other countries such as Singapore and the US. To Mr. Dewan, it is a loss of human capital for Hong Kong. He said the Association have been negotiating with the government to resolve these issues, and it is hoped that Bangladeshis can truly integrate in Hong Kong, which is home for them. 

[Multiculturalism in Action Project 2016-17] Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan Culture Workshop

On 30 July, 2016, the Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan Culture Workshop organized its weekly seminar at Pearl Lanka, a Sri Lankan grocery store in To Kwa Wan. The first session of the seminar was about food culture in Sri Lanka, presented by Mr. P.B. Thilakarathne, then followed by the second session on gender and family issues in Sri Lanka, presented by Ms. Girtie Jirasihna and Mr. Kanishka Samarasinghe.

The first speaker Mr. Thilakarathne explained that the food culture in Sri Lanka has been influenced by different cultures, especially the Islamic, Indian, and Western cultures. Rice and coconuts were the basics in ancient Sri Lankan cuisine. Later, spices and tea were added to Sri Lankan cuisines as these products were encouraged to be planted by the colonial governments. Nowadays, most foods in Sri Lanka include a touch of rice, coconut, and curry.

Mr. Thilakarathne explaining Sri Lankan food culture

Coconut is an essential ingredient in Sri Lankan cuisine. Unlike the Chinese who put coconut mostly in soup, Sri Lankans have different ways of using coconuts. For example, coconut milk is added to almost all types of curry. Grated coconuts are mixed with spices for coconut sambol, serving as an accompaniment for rice and string hoppers (rice-noodles). Virgin coconut oil can be used in cooking as well as massage.

Mr. Thilakarathne showed us some cooking utensils, such as string hopper mat and presser, clay plot, and puttu (steamed rice cake with coconut) cooker.

String hopper presser (left) and mats (right)

Before the establishment of the first Sri Lankan grocery store in Hong Kong in 2012, Sri Lankan products were brought to Hong Kong occasionally through friends and relatives. Yet, bulky and fresh products such as rice and coconuts could not be brought to Hong Kong. Although the Sri Lankans tried to use substitutes (such as Indian rice and Chinese vegetables), Mr. Thilakarathne said they could not find substitutes for coconuts and fish, the two essential components in Sri Lankan cuisine. Hence, he decided to open a grocery store to serve the needs of Sri Lankans in Hong Kong.

Serving a limited population in Hong Kong, Mr. Thilakarathne admitted that it was tough to run the business, especially due to the high rent in Hong Kong. Besides, not all Sri Lankans would go for Sri Lankan products. For example, some domestic workers have gotten used to the food culture of their employers, and they seldom have time to cook Sri Lankan dishes. Despite these challenges, Mr. Thilakarathne persisted in his import business on high quality and healthy products.  

During the break, participants had a chance to enjoy some great-tasting Sri Lankan dishes including kiribath, string hoppers, koththu, and Sri Lankan doughnuts.

Sri Lankan dishes we had during the break

In the second part of the seminar, Ms. Girtie Jirasihna and Mr. Kanishka Samarasinghe shared with us their views on gender and family issues of the Sri Lankan community.

Mr. Samarasinghe said in ancient Sri Lanka, a family used to have eight to ten children because of the demand for labour in agricultural work.  Nowadays, a family usually has a maximum of four children.

In Sri Lanka, males are usually the breadwinners while females control the house keeping. It is a usual practice to wait for father to start dinner, and the mother will eat only after serving her husband and children. Mr. Samarasinghe said the situation has changed nowadays, as females also receive higher education and work as administrators in companies. Housework is shared by both husband and wife. Ms. Jirasihna told us that the Sri Lankan family expects the first child to be a daughter, as it is believed that the daughter can help to take care of the younger siblings, and to assist mother in housework.

According to Mr. Samarasinghe, arranged marriage is still practiced today but young adults will not be forced to marry someone he/she doesn’t like. It is a common practice for parents to match the horoscopes of the potential bride and groom to judge whether it will be a good or bad marriage. Moreover, parents identify a potential spouse for their children through advertisements in the newspaper. Mr. Thilakarathne said he also got to know his wife this way. Caste system was once a tradition in Sri Lanka, in which people believed that people cannot get married with those from a different caste. However, the speakers said the caste system is no longer a main concern in marriage nowadays, especially for families living in cities.

Mr. Samarasinghe (left) and Ms. Jirasinha (right)

[“Multicultural Hong Kong in Celebration” Series] Songkran: A Sprinkle of Thai Fiesta in Hong Kong

"Although the district [Kowloon City] is known as “Mini Bangkok”, most of the Thais here are working and leading their lives unnoticed; while on the day of Songkran, they engage in a flagrant jollification, having fun with locals attracted to the event and refreshing their national pride."

 —Rick Leung

Extract from the article:

"Sa-nuk is a common Thai word that means “joy” and “playfulness”. Thais really love fun, and they know how to make fun in their insipid life. To these larky people who often wear big smiles on their faces, the Songkran Festival - commonly known as the Water Festival - is recognized as their happiest time of the year. Songkran is the New Year’s Day to communities on the Southeast Asian peninsula (including Cambodians, Laos, Burmese and the Dai people of Yunnan). The festival was meant to be lasting from New Year’s Eve to the 2nd day of New Year for blessings of a start over. One of the customs is to splash water at one another to “cleanse bad luck” and bring good wishes. The modern Water Festival has become a street party to cool off the summer heat. As a major ethnic minority in Hong Kong, there are more than 10,000 Thais who live and work here. Every year they gather at Kowloon City to celebrate Songkran. You may get to know more about Thai cultures and the Thailand-Hong Kong relationship through this water fiesta in Hong Kong." (Leung 2015:52)

Want to know more about Songkran and how the Thai in Hong Kong celebrate it? Click here to read the full text article (first published in Hong Kong Discovery Vol. 89 in July 2015).