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Malaysia

   Malaysia is a country situated in the heart of Southeast Asia at one of the world's major crossroads, Malaysia has always been important to the trade routes from Europe, the Orient, India and China.  The country weather is warm and the tropical climate with abundant natural resources makes the country a blessing for immigrants as early as 5,000 years ago. The history, the formation of the country and their Religion makes Malaysia a very interesting place.

History

   The ancestors of the people now living the Malaysian peninsula first migrated to the area between 2500 and 1500 B.C. The people in the coastal regions had early contact with the Chinese and Indians; and traders from India who brought with them the Hinduism, which had blended with the local beliefs. As the Muslims conquered India, they spread the religion of Islam to Malaysia. In the 15th century, Islam acquired a firm hold on the region when the Hindu ruler of the powerful city-state of Malacca was converted to Islam.

   British and Dutch interest in the region grew in the 1800s, with the British East India Company's establishment of a trading settlement on the island of Singapore. The trade increased, with Singapore's population growing from only 5,000 in 1820 to nearly 100,000 in just 50 years. In the 1880s, Britain formally established a protectorate in Malaysia. At about the same time, rubber trees that were introduced from Brazil, mainly from the Brazilian Amazon, and with the mass production of automobiles, rubber became a valuable export, and workers were brought in from India to work in the rubber plantations.

The formation of Malaysia

   Malaysia was formed in 1963 out of a number of former British colonies: the Federation of Malaya (comprising 11 states), which had independence in 1957 and had been self-governing since 1959; and the two territories in northwestern Borneo, Sarawak and Sabah (then known as North Borneo), which by 1960 were well advanced on the road to independence.

In 1961, the prime minister of Malaya, took the initiative and suggested a plan whereby Singapore, North Borneo, Brunei (another British territory in Borneo that had achieved autonomy), and Sarawak should be brought together. The plan was approved with the consensus of the British.

Religion

   Malaysia is a multicultural and multi-religious country. The strong religion in Malaysia is Islam, which is composed of 61 percent of the population. Islam is considered the state religion of Malaysia, but the country allows many different religious. Due to Islamic forces, the government has become more Islamic, with Islam beginning to have more influence over the daily activities in Malaysia. The government is promoting Islam, which is under the control of the individual states.

    Religion often goes along racial lines, with most Muslims being Malays. The code that Islam is supporting is the Sunni Muslim. The government is promoting a moderate form of Islam and any teaching which deviates from the official Sunni code is illegal, and no other forms of Islam are allowed. It is illegal to convert Muslims to other religions, and disputes have arisen over the use of the word "Allah" for God in religions other than Islam. Restrictions on religious freedom exist, especially for Muslims, who are often not allowed to legally convert to other religions, and are forced into rehabilitation camps if they attempt

Conclusion

   Malaysia is country in which the main factor is Religion; however the relations between different religious groups are generally quite tolerant. Christmas, Chinese New Year, and Deepavali have been declared national holidays alongside Islamic holidays. Various groups have been set up to try to promote religious understanding among the different groups, with religious harmony seen as a priority by Malaysian politicians.

An empress and warriors

An empress and the warriors

This action movie was release in 2008AS an R rated movie, with duration of 1 hour and 39 minutes. The director was Ching Siu Tung and the main stars were Donnie Yen, Kelly Chen,and  Leon Lai. The movie was produced in Hong Kong under an emerging warring period or era.

How people interact with one another?
The Asian society interacts with one another with respect. The people in Asia respect each other to the point that respect is a normal way of life and a powerful sign showing the relationship as a loyal member, within a rank, among family members, within a friendship, or within the government. The respect in Asia is the equivalent of respect within a well organized Army.

Similarities between the Asian and my own culture.The similarities between the Asian and the American society are very few. In fact what I did find was much dissimilarity between both of our cultures; we have different language, customs, way of dressing, currency, food, religion and government to name a few. However, in the movie, there are some similarities between the Chinese society and the European society of that time. You could see that the folklore or legend from the warriors’ time in China is similar to the medieval time in Europe. Some of the similarities are: the princess and the man in the woods in china with the princess and Robin Hood in Europe, the bows, the arrows, the ambushes, the fight atop floating logs.etc. The level of violence is much higher in the movie that in the Robin Hood movies.

What did you learn about the culture by watching the movie?The movie is giving the false representation that the Asian culture is a violent culture. However, the movie also presents that fact that our cultures are totally different and that we have to learn a lot from them.  The Asian society is an ancient civilization in where their history and culture is rich. I mainly learned that we are totally different and that we do not know how they are. Their wisdom within their society is immense.

Would you like to visit their country or meet their people?I do know that I don’t know much about the Asian culture. I do know it is a rich culture that has a lot to show. If I have the money, I would love to travel to the Asian countries, mainly to mainland China and Taiwan to meet their people and learn their culture. However, I do know that I would not be able to learn their language.

Japanese Art in the University of Miami’s Lowe Art Museum

   

     The University of Miami in Dade County has a wonderful exhibition of Japanese art in the Lowe Art Museum.  The exhibition presents the Edo and Meiji periods (1615- 1912). The Japanese culture in those years is expressed through paintings and sculptures.  For example, “Folding Screen: Cranes” from late 18th to 19th century Edo Period by Kano School reveals a group a cranes relaxing by the waters of a lake. They inspire peace and tranquility. Another piece that impressed me was Netsuke: Clam’s Dream” by Kaigyokusai  Masatsugu” (1813-1892). It is a city engraved in a shell.  It is surprising how the author was able to meticulously carve the city in a small conch. Both pieces were handmade.  Finally, the Japanese woodblock prints surprise for their delicacy even though it is considered a rustic art. To illustrate, Sawamura Tossho II as Saemon Shigeuji by Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III) (1786-1864) is a very impressive work of art that captures the facial expression and feelings, if we look deeply, of a Japanese man in a particular situation. It was made with natural colors. In conclusion, I recommend to everybody to visit the Lowe Art Museum of the University of Miami to discover a new culture and to learn from them.