Monsoon History by Shirley Lim
Shirley Geok-lin Lim was born in 1944. Her first poem was published in the Malacca Times when she was ten. The poem “Monsoon History” is the one of the greatest masterpieces of Shirley Lim. The theme for this poem is the harmony of the Baba-Nyonya lifestyle. As a Malacca-born child, she has seen the uniqueness of Baba-Nyonya lifestyle in her own state. Baba and Nyonya can only be seen in Malaysia, most apparently in Malacca. Therefore, it is not uncommon for her to infuse the special Baba-Nyonya culture in her work.
Let's look how Shirley infused her work with a uniquely Malaysian identity. Monsoon is referred to the monsoon season that Malaysia has. The title gives the readers the sense of nature and environment. The sentences such as “the water vapour soaks into the mattresses causing them to be damp” help the readers clearly understand the dampness and humidity of Malaysia’s tropical weather.
The readers can experience the culture and custom of the Malaccan Peranakan; Baba and Nyonya through the accurate choice of words by Shirley Lim. For instance, the mother’s sarong comes with a silver belt, the long hair of the nyonya, which is usually worn in a bun, the silver paper money that is burnt in Taoist funeral and also the portraits of ancestors in the sitting room.
Baba and Nyonya has now become a trademark of one of the Malaysia culture for the foreigners. There is a lot of uniqueness that the readers of “Monsoon History” can see and know Malaysia better.
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