Perpatih: Architecture (Rumah Gadang)

As a student, author always heard and crossed upon the word "Rumah Gadang" and I do not really pay attention to it until recently while conducting the research about the Perpatih custom. Rumah Gadang is actually a traditional house in Minang society. Rumah Gadang or literally means "rumah besar" or big house in Minangkabau language, serves as a house (a place to live in), as a place where families gathered together for a meeting, and as a place to holds customary rituals or activities. Following the Perpatih custom, Rumah Gadang is owned by women which families lives in the house, often inherited from their mothers to their daughters.

This Rumah Gadang has a very unique architecture, and is different from any other traditional architecture. The roof, especially, distincts it from other houses. The end of the roof are pointed upwards, resembling the shape of a cow's horn which is called the gonjong. Often in any rumah gadang, there would be a place to chill and relax outside the house. This place, though it is considered outside, is still connected to the house and it is called the "anjuang" or anjung, literally means balcony. 

The walls of the houses, or "dindiang" are often decorated in woods carving and sometimes verses from the Holy Quran are carve into the walls. The woods carving are usually inspired from human beings' behaviors, plants, animal or any nature around us. This rumah gadang is also famous because of its architecture that does not use any nails to connect the woods; they used a very strong glue made out from tree latex, instead. One of the most famous type of rumah gadang is the Istana Seri Menanti.

*Istana Seri Menanti: Famous of its building that does not used any nails*

*anjuang*

*the roof, or gonjong*

*the walls, or dindiang*

*one of the most amazing wood carving I've ever seen*

*the wall with the Holy Quran verses carve on it*

*an example of rumah gadang: Muzium Negeri, Seremban*

Perpatih: Games

When I was a kid, there were just so many games that I love playing with my siblings. I might never know what I was playing but how much I love it, I remember it well. Only now that I have grown up and living my life as a young adult, while doing research about the wonderful people of Minang, I finally I know that I’ve played 3 of the most famous games in the world that was brought on by the Minagkabau people. There are of course other games like sepak raga, wau and galah panjang but 3 of the most common ones would be ketinting, batu seremban and congkak where I have personally experience for myself.

The number one game that I have played was hop-scotch or as the Minang people name it, Ketinting. This game is actually preferred by the girls but seeing my brother playing along with us all when we were kids, I say this game is preferred by all the kids. We started off by drawing lines in the sand by using a stick or by using chalks to draw on a tarred road nearby our house. The lines should be completed after there are nine boxes have been drawn. There should be at least 2 players or more and the players would need a rock or what they call it, Gundu which is for the players to throw into any of the boxes and pick it up later when coming back hopping using only one leg.

                                                

 

The other game is Batu Seremban or in English we call it Five Stones. I love this game as it tests our mental and physical strength. I and my friends and siblings were very competitive and so, we will all play with our opponents’ mind for them to lose. This game challenges our speed to catch the stones before it falls down to the ground. In a way, you sort of juggle the stones. From the very beginning, they use actual stones but they change it by using handmade stones where they stitch up cottons or any other materials to 3cm triangles and filled them up using green peas.

The famous Congkak game was also came from the people of Minang. This game was invented from the start of Kesultanan Melayu Melaka but wasn’t sure whether it was invented through outsiders’ influence that came from merchants or it was really invented by the Minangs. Anyway, Congkak was made from wood with 20 wholes. 18 of the holes, 9 from each sides was called kampong and the other 2 holes, 1 big hole for each player at their right sides was called Rumah which means home. For each of the kampong, there will be 7 marbles or what they call it buah congkak. The game was easy and fun even for just two players.

These games don’t just symbolize the people of Minangkabau people but also symbolizes the country of Malaysia. The best thing that I learn about this culture and their games is how they made these games’ material and objects using what they have during those times that technology and fancy materials exists. The creativity that they have displayed was remarkable and something that It’s hard to be seen these days. Therefore, children today should learn about these games as well so that these traditional games will continue to go on and the creativity of how the ancient people have contributed will never be forgotten since all these traditional games doesn’t just contribute to fun and excitement, it also contributes to the world of art with all the beautiful carvings and lovely paint job.

Perpatih: Clothes

The thing that sets the culture of Minangkabau and other cultures apart would be their clothing. Fashion sense of the people of Minang was extraordinary and everything that they wear and how they wear it provides meaning to them. I love the Minangkabau’s clothes as it is just gorgeous. The materials and designs are very different and exquisite. They design their clothes in a way to show who they are and what status they are in.

The leader of the tribe as what they call it, Penghulu wears the kind of clothes that symbolizes the greatness about the people of Minang and not anybody can wear what he wears.He is also not suppose to wear it whenever he likes so only on certain events where he is suppose to wear it. Overall, Destar is what he wears on his head, Baju which is his clothes, Keris which is form of weapon that he carries around and tucked into his Sesamping, Sarawa means his pants, Sesamping is what he wears on the outside of his pants, Cawek refers to his belts, Sandang is what he puts on his shoulder and Tungkek is like a cane that he carries around. Everything he wears, from accessories to the colour symbolizes different meanings.

As for the lady of the leader which they call, Limpapeh Rumah Nan Gadang it is another set of totally different things. Firstly, Limpapeh is like a main pole that holds the other poles to keep a house still and steady. This is like a metaphor of how they see women as someone remarkable and the only thing that can keep a family together. So, what this Limpapeh Rumah Nan Gadang wears are Baju Bertabue which refers to the golden stitches everywhere, Minsie which is the golden stitches along the side of the clothes, Tengkuluak which is what she wears on her head that shaped like the bull’s horns, Sarung, Salempang, Dukuah and Galang.

Other clothes that were worn by other people were also beautiful. They are all different in a way since some may use different materials and different colors and some would add up other accessories. I simply adore how they mix and match their clothes in a way that some might not even dare to mix up. They would just simply use satins and mixing it up with silks and somehow it goes. The other best part about their passion for their fashion is how they are proud having big objects on their heads and not every women can wear horns on their heads and look amazing but from what I see, the people of minang especially the women can really pull it off.

Perpatih: Food (Rendang)

Delicious meals or cuisines are different in every countries and each came from our ancestor’s secret recipe or our new inspiration. It is amazing to see something that is the same but taste all very differently. We all have our favorite food and the greatest thing about having favorite food is that most of our favorite food comes from our own family background. Therefore, what we eat also can be influenced by our culture.

The people of Minangkabau has their own specialties too when it comes to cuisines. The two of the most famous food that came from them would be rendang and padang rice. Padang rice is actually famous in Indonesia and since the people of Minangkabau originate from Sumatera, padang rice is one of the common thing that Malaysia and Indonesia have. They serve the padang rice actually by serving different kinds of dishes and let we choose what we want to go with our white rice. The dishes range from spicy to fried food. They have different types of Gulai which can be a curry of meat or a curry of cow liver or anything. Friend stuff that they usually serve are like dendeng which is thin crispy beef, ayam pop which is padang style of frying the chicken where they made it golden in color and others.

As for rendang, nowadays we could find rendang anywhere in Malaysia but not every rendang tastes the same and the Minangkabau’s style of rendang happens to be the best. Rendang takes a very long time to cook and we would use cubed meat, some spices and herbs and a lot of coconut milk. It might take a long time to cook this particular dish but it will all be worth it when it’s done. Before it starts to cook, in between the time it will actually look like curry but when it is fully cook, it will turns out moist and a little dry.

The origin of any particular food might not be precise unless we really look it up since whatever recipe that any culture has created will be spread all over the world. For instance, the Indian-Muslim who has created roti canai, nowadays we could see that even the Malays are doing it too. But that is what happens when we mix around with other cultures, we would tend to learn new things from other people. Personally, when it comes to cuisines and food, mixed culture should be a must since it is always great to taste different kinds of tasty and healthy food so that our lives would not be very dull with everyday eggs and rice or everyday noodle soup. 

*Rendang, with the herbs that are used in cooking it*

*Nasi Rendang Minang*