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| Subject: |
The Lure of Kampong Traditional Games |
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| Subject: |
The Lure Of Kampong Traditional Games - Bola Tin |
| Description: |
In Malay, "bola" means "ball". Basically, it is a game using a ball to knock down a stack of tins that are arranged in a pyramid. A relatively unknown game, a team (Team A) tries to knock down a tin pyramid. When that happens, both Team A and B will rush for the ball. Team A will get the ball so as to try to throw and hit members on Team B. Once they are hit, they are considered “out of the game”. For Team B, their job is to throw the ball as far away as possible so as to buy time to rebuild the pyramid. If Team B manages to rebuild the pyramid faster than the last member of Team B gets knocked out, Team B wins. However, if Team A manages to eliminate Team B, Team A wins.
Today, this game has lost in popularity tremendously. The game may not be very simple, but requires a big area to play, which may not be available in today’s society. Also, it has given way to other popular games such as soccer and basketball for today’s outdoor activities.
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The Lure Of Kampong Traditional Games - Capteh |
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"Capteh" is patios for shuttlecock. Colourful feathers are attached to a rubber or plastic base. The idea of the game is to keep the shuttlecock airborne for as long as possible by kicking it. The winner is the player who manages the most number of kicks. Another version is on an agreed target of kicks. The winner is the first one who achieves this target.
The team which scores the most number of kicks after all the players have had their turns, wins the game. Today, due to the popularity of soccer, the game of individual capteh is replaced by juggling in soccer, where the objective is exactly the same.
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The Lure Of Kampong Traditional Games - Congkak |
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Congkak is a two-player game. The objective of this game is to bear off the most number of seeds as possible. Back then, people would use saga seeds, for example, to be used as counters in congkak. Some people would count their seeds before moving so as to have greater chances of winning. Played throughout South-West CDC and the rest of Singapore in the olden days, it is no wonder this game survives till today.
Today, the game may have waned in popularity, but people still know how to play this game, and it is one of the more popular traditional games around.
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The Lure Of Kampong Traditional Games - Five Stones |
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This game is played with five small triangular cloth bags filled with seeds, rice or sand. Two or more players can play. The aim is to score as many points as possible. A point is scored when a player completes the eight steps in throwing and catching 'five' stones. In the old days, parents would sometimes sew these cloth bags for their children, or the children will simply sew the bags and fill the seeds in themselves. This was possible because of the ease in collecting seeds during those days.
Today, five stones are only popular in primary schools due to the simplicity of the game. Not only that, this game gets boring after a long period of time due to the lack of variation possible with this game, unlike marbles.
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The Lure Of Kampong Traditional Games - Gasing (Tops) |
| Description: |
"Gasing" is a Malay word for top. Gasing or top spinning is a traditional game of the Malays. It was a popular pastime and recreation among children and adults alike who lived in kampongs.
In Singapore, however, its popularity declined as more and more people moved to public flats. In an effort to revive and promote the games, gasing enthusiasts established the Gasing Federation in July 1979.
Basically, there are two types of gasing. One is ornamental - strictly for display purposes and the other is for playing. There are five different shapes of tops - plate-shaped, heart-shaped, flat-top, egg-shaped and 'berembang'-shaped. 'Berembang' is the fruit of a seaside tree. Tops are made of wood and have a string attached to them. The main idea in Gasing is to outspin other tops in a particular area. Players would wind the string round the base of the top, and then spin it. Today, however, fewer and fewer people play Gasing because of the simplicity of the game. Nowadays, people would rather play computer games due to the higher level of stimulation, and also due to the complexities of the game.
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| Subject: |
The Lure Of Kampong Traditional Games - Hopscotch |
| Description: |
Hopscotch is a traditional game. Drawing the layout of the squares with chalk back then, children would throw a counter, and then hop on squares in one direction, avoiding the marker, and then hop back in the other direction, picking the marker up along the way.
The game is divided into 9 boxes. (though there are variations to the game)
Usually up to 4 players
Each player takes turn to throw a token to the furthest box.
After that, the players hops to box where the token landed.
The player reaches the box and hops back to the starting point.
The victor is determined by the player who is able to hop to the furthest box, after throwing its token to the furthest box, and return to the starting point without stepping out of the box.
Till today, it retains its popularity in primary schools. Primary school students would still play this game during their recess times, using purses or keychains as counters. Variations of the games, and the playing field have been created as a result. In schools, they mark out a hopscotch court using paint instead of chalk today. An example of a school that played this game is the now-defunct Clementi North Primary School.
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The Lure Of Kampong Traditional Games - Kuti-Kuti |
| Description: |
2 player game.
Each uses an animal-shaped token to flick on his or her opponent’s token.
The one who successfully flick its token on his or her opponent’s token, obtains the token.
Winner can probably be decided by the most number of kuti-kuti.
Can be played on tables. As such, tables meant for games such as Chinese Chess in the void decks of Clementi can be used for playing such games as kuti-kuti does not require a lot of space to play.
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| Subject: |
The Lure Of Kampong Traditional Games - Main Lereng (Bicycle Rim) |
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This game was innovated by children in the late 50s in Singapore. With much energy to spare and no computer games to keep them occupied, children in that era were very innovative and find many ways to amuse themselves. This is one of many games innovated during that era.
Today, this game is hardly played. Many people no longer have safe space to roll bicycle rims. Also, due to the popularity of computer games, such physical games are no longer
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| Subject: |
The Lure Of Kampong Traditional Games - Marbles (Golie) |
| Description: |
Marbles can be played in many different ways. In many of the ways, the winner gets to keep the marbles he has acquired through the game. This was very popular last time, as it meant hours of fun because of the variations of game play that could come with it. Also, children would feel excited buying marbles to get one of the opponents’ one that they fancy. Children can play marbles in parks, or at any open space. An ideal area would be a void deck, because of its smoother ground for marbles to roll.
Today, not many people are seen playing marbles indoors anymore. Space is not a problem, however nowadays computer games still has a strong hold on children, and as such the popularity of marbles has declined. Also, marbles encourage overspending, and this would hurt their parents’ pockets because of the purchase of marbles after losing them.
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| Subject: |
The Lure Of Kampong Traditional Games - Pick-Up Sticks |
| Description: |
It is a very simple game featuring 2 players, whose aim is to pick up sticks and not touch other sticks whilist picking them up. The winner is someone who picks the sticks up first.
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The Lure Of Kampong Traditional Games - Sepak Takraw |
| Description: |
It is generally believed that sepak takraw was played as early as the 9th Century. Traditionally a game of the Malays in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei, Sepak Takraw is also played in other Southeast Asian countries -- Philippines, Thailand, Burma and Laos. It is known by different names -- Sepak raga, Sipa, Takraw, Ching Loong or Kator. An enduring pastime, it combines the teamwork of volleyball, the dexterity of football and the fine finish of badminton. The net for the game was introduced in the 1920s.
In 1957, players and officials gathered at Istana Kampong Glam to standardise Sepak Takraw rules. Since then, it has become an international sport as countries in Southeast Asia adopted these rules. Sepak raga continued to be played as a recreational game without the competitive element.
Today, its popularity has not really waned compared to the other traditional games. The sepak takraw ball is still used for variation of games the Malay community plays. For example, a team can arrange in a circle. The objective is similar to capteh – keep the ball up in the air for as long as possible. The loser is the person who allows the ball to touch the ground.
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The Lure Of Kampong Traditional Games - Soccer |
| Description: |
Soccer was, and is a very popular sport. Back then, people frequently played on fields, wherever they could find grass. Unlike professional soccer however, the fields they play on are not proper fields, without goalposts or flags. However, people back then enjoyed the games all the same.
Till today, soccer has retained its popularity, but people have more ways to express their like for soccer now. With technological advances, people begin to learn more about soccer. For example, nowadays, many people in Singapore who play soccer support certain teams, especially English Premier League teams. Also, due to the increasing development, fewer fields remain, and these people play at void decks of HDB Flats, or at courts of other sports.
Soccer was formerly played in West Coast Park, because of the vast amount of field available within Clementi. Just as how East Coast and Marine Parade residents use East Coast Park for their recreational activities, Clementi residents use West Coast Park for their recreational activities, such as soccer.
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| Subject: |
The Lure Of Kampong Traditional Games - Zero Point |
| Description: |
Zero Point was common among girls. The game objective is to jump across a particular height. This height can be represented by a string of rubber bands tied together for elasticity.
Zero Point can be played anywhere, void decks of HDB Blocks, and other places. One example where people used to play Zero Point would be at void decks of Clementi Blocks 402 – 409 at Clementi Avenue 1.
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| Subject: |
Traditional Medicine vs. Modern Medicine |
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| Subject: |
Traditional Medicine vs. Modern Medicine - Modern Western Medicine |
| Description: |
Introduction to Modern Medicine:
Advantages:
- Treats infections by targeting the microorganisms directly.
- Sometimes have side effects.
- Precise.
- Consist of a General Practitioner who diagnoses the disease and prescribe medication.
Why Modern Medicine?
- Traditional Medicine have their limitations, which Modern Medicine can overcome.
- More people are becoming educated in the 1960s to 1980s, hence, are aware of the benefits of Modern Medicine.
- Accurate.
Interviews:
"I prefer Modern Medicine to Traditional Medicine as Modern Medicine, in my opinion, is fast, efficient and easy to consume."
- Mdm Mariam Bee
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| Subject: |
Traditional Medicine vs. Modern Medicine - Traditional Chinese Medicine |
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The Overview:
Traditional Chinese medicine has a "macro" or holistic view of disease. For example, one modern interpretation is that well-balanced human bodies can resist most everyday bacteria and viruses, which are ubiquitous and quickly changing. Infection, while having a proximal cause of a microorganism, would have an underlying cause of an imbalance of some kind. The traditional treatment would target the imbalance, not the infectious organism.
A practitioner might give very different herbal prescriptions to patients affected by the same type of infection, because the different symptoms reported by the patients would indicate a different type of imbalance, in a traditional diagnostic system.
The holistic approach of traditional Chinese medicine makes all practitioners generalists.
In recent decades there has been an effort to integrate Traditional Chinese Medicine with scientific medicine. One important component of this work is to use the instrumentation and the methodological tools available via Western medicine to investigate observations and hypotheses made by the Chinese tradition.
Much scientific research about TCM has focused on acupuncture. There is no scientific consensus as to whether acupuncture is effective or only has value as a placebo. Reviews of existing clinical trials have been conducted by the Cochrane Collaboration and Bandolier according to the protocols of evidence-based medicine; some reviews have found efficacy for headache and nausea, but for most conditions have concluded a lack of effectiveness or lack of well-conducted clinical trials. The World Health Organisation (WHO), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the American Medical Association (AMA) have also commented on acupuncture. These groups disagree on what is acceptable evidence and on how to interpret it, but generally agree that acupuncture is relatively safe (even if not effective) and that further investigation is warranted. The 1997 NIH Consensus Statement on Acupuncture summarized research and made a prediction as follows:
"...promising results have emerged, for example, efficacy of acupuncture in adult post-operative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting and in postoperative dental pain. There are other situations such as addiction, stroke rehabilitation, headache, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma for which acupuncture may be useful as an adjunct treatment or an acceptable alternative or be included in a comprehensive management program. Further research is likely to uncover additional areas where acupuncture interventions will be useful."
Much less work in the West has been done on Chinese herbal medicines, which comprise much of TCM. Traditional practitioners usually have no philosophical objections to scientific studies on the effectiveness of treatments.
Some herbs have known active ingredients which are also used in Western pharmaceuticals. For example, ma huang, or ephedra, contains ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. (Due to the risk of adverse impact on the cardiovascular system and some deaths due to consumption of extracts in high doses, the use of ephedra is restricted in the United States.) Chinese wormwood (qinghao) was the source for the discovery of artemisinin, which is now used worldwide to treat multi-drug resistant strains of falciparum malaria. It is also under investigation as an anti-cancer agent.
In the West, many Chinese herbal medicines have been marketed as dietary supplements and there has been considerable controversy over the effectiveness, safety, and regulatory status of these substances. One barrier to scientific research on traditional remedies is the large amount of money and expertise required to conduct a double-blind clinical trial, and the lack of financial incentive from the ability to obtain patents.
There are a priori doubts about the efficacy of many TCM treatments that appear to have their basis in magical thinking — for example that plants with heart-shaped leaves will help the heart, or that ground bones of the tiger can function as a stimulant because tigers are energetic animals. Such doubts, however, do not invalidate the efficacy of the medicines themselves. While the doctrine of signatures does underlie the selection of many of the ingredients of herbal medicines, this does not mean the substances do not (perhaps by coincidence) possess the attributed properties. Given the thousand-year evolution of Chinese materia medica, it is possible that while herbs were originally selected on erroneous grounds, only those that actually proved effective have remained in use. In any case, clinical trials of Chinese herbal medicines will need to be conducted before the question can be considered resolved.
The Origins:
TCM practices include theories, diagnosis and treatments such as herbal medicine, acupuncture and massage.
TCM theory asserts that processes of the human body are interrelated and in constant interaction with the environment.
Advantages of TCM:
- There is a saying "Chinese medicine treats humans while western medicine treats diseases."
- Affordable, Accessible, Safe
- Polyclinics/ dispensaries are too packed.
TCM as alternative mostly for the Chinese of SWD
- No side effects
- Traditional belief of Modern Medicine is too direct
Interviews:
"Traditional Chinese Medicine is very safe."
Mr Chan, Aspiring Practitioner Interviewee
".TCM practitioner can cure ailments and apply acupuncture but has their limitations as they cannot conduct surgery."
Mr Wong of Wan Seng Medical Hall (Clementi)
Safety Of Traditional Chinese Medicine:
Acupressure and acupuncture are largely accepted to be safe from results gained through medical studies. Several cases of pneumothorax, nerve damage and infection have been reported as resulting from acupuncture treatments. These adverse events are extremely rare especially when compared to other medical interventions, and were found to be due to practitioner negligence. Dizziness and bruising will sometimes result from acupuncture treatment.
Some governments have decided that Chinese acupuncture and herbal treatments should only be administered by persons who have been educated to apply them safely. "A key finding is that the risk of adverse events is linked to the length of education of the practitioner, with practitioners graduating from extended Traditional Chinese Medicine education programs experiencing about half the adverse event rate of those practitioners who have graduated from short training programs."
Certain Chinese herbal medicines involve a risk of allergic reaction and in rare cases involve a risk of poisoning. Cases of acute and chronic poisoning due to treatment through ingested Chinese medicines are found in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, with a few deaths occurring each year. Many of these deaths do occur however, when patients self prescribe herbs or take unprocessed versions of toxic herbs. The raw and unprocessed form of aconite, or fuzi is the most common cause of poisoning. The use of aconite in Chinese herbal medicine is usually limited to processed aconite, in which the toxicity is denatured by heat treatment.
Furthermore, potentially toxic and carcinogenic compounds such as arsenic and cinnabar are sometimes prescribed as part of a medicinal mixture or used on the basis of "using poison to cure poison". Unprocessed herbals are sometimes adulterated with chemicals that may alter the intended effect of a herbal preparation or prescription. Much of these are being prevented with more empirical studies of Chinese herbals and tighter regulation regarding the growing, processing, and prescription of various herbals.
Many Chinese medicines have different names for the same ingredient depending on location and time, but worse yet, ingredients with vastly different medical properties have shared similar or even same names. For example, there was a report that mirabilite/sodium sulphate decahydrate resulting in a poisoned victim. In some Chinese medical texts, both names are interchangeable. Chinese herbal medicine authorities are working towards improved standards in this area
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| Subject: |
Traditional Medicine vs. Modern Medicine - Traditional Indian Medicine |
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Introduction:
Traditional Indian Medicine (TIM) consists of:
- Yoga
- Naturopathy
- Homeopathy
- Siddha
- Avurveda
However, Traditional Indian Medicine is not as accessible as Traditional Chinese Medicine and Traditional Malay Medicine in the South West District.
Believers of TIM will have to travel to Serangoon to seek TIM treatment.
Why Traditional Indian Medicine?
Believers have faith in the treatments.
Interviews:
"Business is suffering. Shop manages to continue to stay open because of regular customers."
- Mr Ganesh, a staff from Ayurvedic Medical Shop in Serangoon
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| Subject: |
Traditional Medicine vs. Modern Medicine - Traditional Malay Medicine |
| Description: |
The Origins:
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Bomoh / Dukun
- A Malay folk medicine practitioner
- Main Aspects:
- Spiritual Therapy
- Herbs
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Tukang Urut
- A Malay term for a masseuses
- Provide therapeutic and soothing body massages to cure a range of illnesses
Advantages of Traditional Malay Medicine (TMM):
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Why Traditional Malay Medicine(TMM)?
- TMM has long term effects.
- Affordable, Accessible, Safe.
- Polyclinics/ dispensaries are too packed.
- TMM as an alternative.
- Organic, thus chances of side effects are low.
- Fear of Modern Medicine due to injections and operations.
Interviews:
"In the past, people believe heavily in TMM."
- Mr Hussein Bin Haji Marzuki, Owner of Hussein & Rafiah Enterprise
"Many different races seek TMM unlike the Malays who are not receptive to other forms of treatment."
- Mr Hussein
"Effectiveness of TMM depends on one’s blood."
- Mr Hussein
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