Kuala Lumpur (The Star/ANN)- While
many celebrate Christmas with turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, fruitcake and
pudding, it is not the same at the Myanmar refugee community in Kepong.
For the Yuletide season, their
traditional delicacy comprises boiled wild boar, stir-fried potatoes, diced
cucumber and wild boar soup.
To some, it may sound repulsive
but this is what brings the Zo people of Myanmar together.
David Mung, 31, is the head
teacher at Zo Children's School, a day school for Myanmar refugee children, in
Taman Wangsa Permai.
"Boiled wild boar is a
delicacy in Myanmar during the holiday season. There is nothing fancy in
cooking it.
It is just boiled with some
salt and pepper and we eat it with rice. For us, it is important that we preserve
our culinary heritage despite being in a foreign country," said Mung.
"In Malaysia, you have
many different cultures, not to mention the wide array of local and
international cuisines. We cannot afford to splurge on food. This is what
unites us as it is a reminder of what we had back home," added Mung, who
fled Myanmar in 2008 with his mother and sister because of religious
persecution and the economic crisis. He has been living in Malaysia ever since.
The Zos form a group of
Tibeto-Burman people inhabiting the Chin Hills in Myanmar.
"Our people who are good
at hunting will be in charge of catching the wild boars in the Chin jungles
during Christmas. It was fun for us as a community to take home the wild boar,
cook it and eat it together."
Mung's mother, Mary, 55, was
the one in charge of preparing the home-cooked delicacies.
"It is not easy to cook
the wild boar. The meat has to be boiled overnight so it will be tender,"
she said.
Before the meal, the children
sang along to We Are The World - not the 80's version but the latest one
produced in 2010, via YouTube.
"It's my way to teach
English in a fun way. I also teach them songs from Boney M and Abba, which are
my favourite bands," said Mung.
The tiny Christmas tree at the
school, situated on the first floor of a shophouse, was decked with
mini-twinkle lights.
"We cannot afford a big,
new Christmas tree so ours was donated," said Mung last Saturday during
their annual Christmas party.
Used toys comprising stuffed
animals, cars and other items were laid on the floor where each had a number.
"Just like previous
Christmas parties, we will include a lucky draw for the children to win some
toys, donated by the public."
There is no air-conditioning at
the school which is no bigger than 900sq ft, but that doesn't stop the
festivities from taking place.
While many of us list high-tech
gadgets and smartphones on our Christmas wishlist, the Zo children are over the
moon to receive any toy, even though wrapped in recycled magazine pages.
Grace, 21, also from the Zo
tribe, who works as a waitress at a nearby restaurant, volunteers her time at
the school to help Mung.
"I've been in Malaysia for
the past one year. Being at the school is like being at home for me," she
said.
The setting up the school was
not an easy task for Mung.
"It was challenging
because we didn't have any money to buy books and basic school supplies.
Furthermore the parents
questioned my qualifications as a teacher.
"But eventually they began
to trust me with their children. Many of the parents are uneducated and work as
odd-job workers. They needed someone like me to provide their children with the
basic education," said Mung, who runs the school with seven other teachers
and volunteers.
The children, aged between
three and 14, are taught Bahasa Malaysia, English, Science and Mathematics as
well as music from 9am to 1pm. After they go home for lunch, they return in the
afternoon to the school for computer lessons.
So far, the school has about 50
children. Mung is also a musician and learned his skills at a church in
Myanmar.
"We cannot afford to buy
new musical instruments so most of what we have like guitars and keyboards are
donated," Mung said.
Three years have gone by and
Mung feels happy and tired at the same time.
"I stuck through the odds
and hardships. As the head teacher, I feel it is important to teach the
children good values. I look forward to many more happy Christmas occasions
like these in future," he added.
Aida Ahmad in Kepong/The Star |
ANN
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