FOM - Monday Morning Lectures

Monday Morning Lectures

FOM's very popular Monday Morning public lecture series focuses on the history, art, religion, philosophy and culture of the region. Weekly lectures are held at the Asian Civilisations Museum Empress Place.

Coffee and tea are served from 10:00 on to allow you time to greet old friends and make new ones, but please remember that our lectures begin promptly at 10:30. Speakers are drawn from both FOM and the community and many are recognised local experts on their subject material. For safety and fire hazard reasons, there may be times when we may not be able to admit all members of the public wishing to attend our lectures.

2010-2011 Speaker Handouts:
Will be posted here for downloading upon receipt from speakers.

Roly Poly Pudding


Date & Time:	6 September 2010, 10:30AM
Title:	Roly Poly Pudding and Other Culinary Tales From the British Raj
Speaker:	Pia Rampal
Venue:	Asian Civilisations Museum Empress Place / Ngee Ann Auditorium
Description:	Come one, come all to our Open House Morning Fair presenting exciting information about the many wonderful programmes available from FOM. The Fair will be open from 9:30 am to 12 noon (inclusive of the morning's lively lecture on the Food of the British Raj). Get to know fascinating Singapore more intimately in Explore Singapore! and Field Studies, learn more about Asian cultures in our Study Groups, sign up for a Study Tour to an exotic destination, join a lively Book Group, consider becoming a Museum Guide, enjoy the arts hands on, and more. If you have friends who are interested in the Friends, this is an ideal opportunity to bring them along to meet us. Keeping with our theme, refreshments will be served.

WW2 Soldier


Date & Time:	13 September 2010, 10:30AM
Title:	Park Life -- Adam Park's WW2 Heritage
Speaker:	Jonathan Cooper
Venue:	Asian Civilisations Museum Empress Place / Ngee Ann Auditorium
Description:	Jon Cooper is currently the project manager for 'The Adam Park Project' (TAPP), which is looking at the potential for wartime heritage in Singapore and particularly this historic black and white housing estate off Adam Road. "This estate is like a time capsule; the houses have changed little since they were first built in 1928 and any veteran walking around the estate would have no trouble recollecting where his billet or slit trench was. The story is all around you in the buildings and landscape; it's not unknown for the artefacts from the war to be found lying as clear as day on the surface! It's an incredible oasis of wartime heritage and a story every Singaporean should hear. " Jon will tell you the remarkable wartime history of the estate and reveal how its past is now being unearthed by the TAPP team.

Betel Nuts


Date & Time:	20 September 2010, 10:30AM
Title:	Betel Chewing and Betel Sets: A South East Asian Tradition
Speaker:	Mary Leadbetter
Venue:	Asian Civilisations Museum Empress Place / Ngee Ann Auditorium
Description:	The areca-nut--humble, simple and plentiful--became in its time a status symbol, weapon of power and indicia of wealth. From the tradition of chewing the areca nut along with the leaves from the piper betel pepper plant and lime, a culture of artistic expression was generated in virtually all of South East Asia which manifested itself in the production of betel utensils and paraphernalia in forms and materials as varied as South East Asian peoples are many. But it would be a mistake to think that betel was merely a simple social custom. This tradition was a political tool used to great effectiveness by kings, princes and chiefs to maintain and enhance their authority. Betel chewing has been described by at least one scholar as the social cement that bonds South East Asia. In certain cultures it is still practiced today. Therefore an alternative title for this talk could be" How did something so small become so big!?"

The Island of Sumatra


Date & Time:	27 September 2010, 10:30AM
Title:	Animism, Ancestors and Adat: The Spiritual Worlds of Sumatra
Speaker:	LeeAnn Deemer
Venue:	Asian Civilisations Museum Empress Place / Ngee Ann Auditorium
Description:	This talk by a member of the docent research team for the current ACM special exhibit on Sumatra will illuminate the spiritual ideas that connect many of the cultures and tribes of the island. Join us for a glimpse of the fascinating beliefs and practices that lie behind the architecture, textiles and rituals of Sumatra.

A Jain symbol


Date & Time:	4 October 2010, 10:30AM
Title:	Jainism
Speaker:	Garima Lalwani
Venue:	Asian Civilisations Museum Empress Place / Ngee Ann Auditorium
Description:	While you may have heard of Buddhism, have you ever heard of a religion called Jainism? With its principal tenet of Ahimsa or non-violence, Jainism is one of the oldest religions of the world. The last great teacher of Jainism, Mahaveera, was a contemporary of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. Some believe that the Buddhist philosophy may have been influenced by Jain beliefs. Come and learn more about Jainism at this week's Monday lecture.

Common Central Asian
textile motif


Date & Time:	11 October 2010, 10:30AM
Title:	A Feast for the Eyes: Silks of Central Asia
Speaker:	Margaret White
Venue:	Asian Civilisations Museum Empress Place / Ngee Ann Auditorium
Description:	Come and discover not only the stunning beauty of luxury silks and textiles from Central Asia, but the role they played in trade, politics and the transmittance of ideas.

Rice grains


Date & Time:	18 October 2010, 10:30AM
Title:	Two Telling Tales: A Journey through SE Asian Folklore
Speakers:	Jo Wright and Virginia Sheridan
Venue:	Asian Civilisations Museum Empress Place / Ngee Ann Auditorium
Description:	How did rice come to earth? Why are there insects, bees and birds? The origin stories that SE Asian cultures have told for generations not only reveal belief systems but also touch on traditions and daily habits. Listen to two animated storytellers weave these tales with observations of SE Asian folklore to a backdrop of beautiful photographs. As a complement to the Shaw Foyer's Heroes of Asia exhibition, the duo will include Malay San Kancil stories.

Map of Aceh


Date & Time:	25 October 2010, 10:30AM
Title:	A Restless Migrating Muslim Family from SE Asia
Speakers:	Doria Adam and Helene Gueron
Venue:	Asian Civilisations Museum Empress Place / Ngee Ann Auditorium
Description:	In conjunction with the Sumatra exhibition, we will walk in the footsteps of Doria Adam's ancestors. In sharing the family tree of Doria's restless migrating family, we will be able to focus on Muslim merchants in SE Asia in terms of flows, winds and trades. In this region, Aceh, with the poetic name of "verandah of Mecca," was a main entry and exit point for these pioneers consistently on the move and always ready for adventure and new businesses.