Selangor Scotsman March 2012

MARCH 2012 ISSUE

THE SELANGOR SCOTSMAN SELANGOR ST ANDREW’S SOCIETY

CHAPTER 1

CHIEFTAN'S CHATTER A FEW WORDS ABOUT WHATS WHAT AND OH THAT

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CHIEFTAN’S CHATTER Well we have had an exciting start to the year with the new event on our social calendar of the SSAS Hogmanay Party, which was held at Lynn Maitland’s home in down town Kuala Lumpur. With the firework show at the twin towers and the traditional hogmanay celebrations and fine fair all who were there I am sure had a good nights entertainment.

We also had our annual Burn’s Supper at the Intercontinental Hotel which was once again a great evening and with no less a record turn of our members and their guests.

With the some very fine haggis and the very humorous entertainment from Raymond Mearns which was a bit risky at times but I am sure anyone with children or family back in bonny Scotland and even in Malaysia could fully relate to the jokes.

Well this is my last Chieftains Chatter as my tenure came to an end at our AGM and its been a great experience and pleasure to represent you all as your Chieftain and I believe we have mostly meet and I am sure exceeded our member expectations in many respects and I am sure our society has a bright and prosperous future ahead.

So I hope to see abody at the next shindig where I can have a wee dram and if am lucky get a wee Gay Gordon’s in on the dance floor hopefully this time without twa left feet.

So n till anither time, Johan

Well what a year to become chieftain of the society. Amongst the events planned for the year we will be celebrating the Queen’s Diamond jubilee at the Great British Ball. Looking at the planning that should be a night to remember for us all.

This year the dive trip is looking to attract families, by all accounts it’s a fantastic weekend for the kids. If your not a diver no big deal last year the ladies informed me they had a wonderful time sitting on the beach, enjoying a cold drink.

If you interest is golf perhaps you’d like to be involved in the intersociety golf tournaments, do feel free to let us know.

Or if like myself you enjoy a good night out with great food and wine, look out for the May concert The society will be bringing Whisky Kiss all the way from Scotland, if you haven’t already heard of them do look them up on line. They have played at T’ in the Park in Scotland as well as some very high profile events in the states Member’s night, an evening where we enjoy the company of our newer members, perhaps lending some advice from the K.L scene, long termers. Also a chance to get to know more of the society’s committee members.

The St Andrew’s Celebration with traditional Scottish country dancing, Richard our dance convener will be calling the dances. Practice for the dances is held once a month. If that’s your thing let us know and join in the fun, we’d love to see you there.

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CHIEFTAN’S CHATTER This year again we will have our annual whisky tasting evening, taking a break from hosting that evening Johan has passed it to Hector.

It has been a resounding success the last few years, I’m sure this year will be no different.

Last to get a mention our fantastic Burns Suppers, this one will be especially testing for me since the men folk of the society inform me I will address the haggis I will be down loading it to my ipod and memorizing it for many months to come. It may not be as stupendous as big Johns Address last year, but I’ll be giving it a go and hope to do it proud.

On that note I’ll leave you to enjoy the rest of our news letter and hope to see you all at the next event.

Dates and venues of all our events can be found on the website www.ssas-online.com Regards

Ali

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CHAPTER 2

THE SELANGOR ST ANDREW’S SOCIETY

ABOUT S.S.A.S. CHIEFTAIN 2012 Ali King Vice-Chieftan Lynn Maitland Honorary Secretary Kathleen Whyte Honorary Treasurer Hector Ingram Committee Yvanka Jeffery Jeff Ross Lorna Mair Elaine Cameron Zoe Shuttleworth Fay Kelly Alan Bernard Newsletter Alan Bernard Dance Convenor Richard Thompson Alice Smith School Rep Yvanka Jeffery

The Society’s aims include fostering of matters of Scottish interest, the celebration of St. Andrew’s Day and the organisation of social events for our members. In addition to our formal annual events – The Burns Supper and our St. Andrew’s Celebration, we organise ceilidhs, golf days, highland weekends, pub nights and whisky tastings.

The Society has, in recent years, staged a series of concerts with Scottish musicians such as the Battlefield Band, Capercaillie, Red Hot Chilli Pipers and Bags of Rock. In addition the Society has also engaged Scottish comedians Craig Hill and Daniel Sloss to perform at Society events.

Date

Event

Venue

21st - 23rd April 2012

Dive Adventure 2012

Redang Island

12th May 2012

Members night

J&R’s Damansara

20th May 2012

Inter-Society Golf Tournament

Bukit Unggal

26th May 2012

Whisky Kiss Concert / Dinner

Hilton KL

13th October 2012

Great British Ball

Shangri-la Hotel

24th November 2012

St Andrew’s Ball

Park Royal Hotel

RESIDENT PAST CHIEFTANS Stewart Forbes (1987), Tristan Russell (1989), Patrick Russell (1997, 2004) Roger McGowan (2005), John Thomson (2006), Hector Ingram (2007) Paul Henderson (2009), Richard Thompson (2010), Johan Murison (2011)

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CHAPTER 3

UPCOMING EVENTS

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CHAPTER 4

HOGMANAY BASH

HOGMANAY BASH Firstly, I am delighted to be submitting my first report as Committee member of the Selangor St Andrew's Society and what a night we had. It was the first ever Hogmanay Bash that the society have hosted and I believe a good night was had by all who attended.

Well at RM20 per entry there should not have been any complaints!

Secondly, I need to thank my sub-committee, Lorna Mair and Elaine Cameron who helped set up the night and especially to Elaine for her lovely Stovies that we served around 10pm along with Lorna's home-made oatcakes. The lentil soup provided was also tasty so I heard......................

The setting was fantastic with an amazing view of Petronas Twin Towers and we must thank the Management of Park Seven Condo for allowing us to host the event here.

We started with a few drams and then a quiz provided by Lorna our amazing quiz master. A mix of Malaysian and Scottish questions made the quiz very interesting indeed.

This was followed by a "run around" type quiz where most contestants were knocked out in the first round by following me in guessing the height of the Petronas Twin Towers. Just because I have lived across from this landmark for over two years does not mean I know the answer!

We then had a few tears in the house when the Pipers played some music which made the evening just that little bit more Scottish.

Finally the part we were all waiting for - the fireworks. What an amazing, spectacular and loud display this was. We were all left speechless at the wonderful display and this finished the night perfectly. Well a few of our members were left where we sang a few Scottish tunes for Auld Lang Syne.

Thanks to all who came and helped celebrate this event and here's looking forward to celebrating many more Hogmanay Bashes with our fellow Committee and Members.

Lang may yer lum reek. Slainte, LYNN MAITLAND 11 / 30

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CHAPTER 5

BURNS DINNER

BURNS DINNER Saturday 28th January 2012 was the date for a grand gathering at the Hilton Sentral Kuala Lumpur for the much awaited SSAS Burns Supper event. We were not to be disappointed, and the evening proved to be a very successful mix of tradition, grandeur, fun, dancing and comedy.

Over 350 people were in attendance, with a colourful mix of tartan and cocktail dresses showing KL once again that the Scottish residents of the city know how to dress, and of course how to party!

As always, the welcome drinks area outside the ballroom was a noisy affair, interjected with lively bagpipes as the evening kicked off.

Ushered into the main room, the packed ballroom had an electric atmosphere, in anticipation of a great night. We were not to be disappointed by the fayre, and a magnificent 5 course meal was served and enjoyed, accompanied by plentiful wine and whisky. No SSAS event would be complete without the customary haggis course, and again this year it was superbly prepared, much enjoyed by even the novice haggis eaters in attendance.

Hector Ingram and his dulcet tones did a cracking job as MC for the night, with his usual dry mix of subtle one liners. But the seriousness of the night was not left amiss, whilst we remembered the real reason for being there - a celebration of the life of Mr Robert Burns. Cue Paul Henderson for a dramatic and polished performance addressing the haggis, and for those (un)fortunate enough to be on his dinner table, an in depth 'post-match analysis' and translation of the speech!

The 2 subsequent Toasts to the Lassies, and Toast to the Laddies raised the bar even further, with Mike McIver getting the balance right for a bit of cheek about the female race, but wisely not pushing things too far. Elaine Cameron was more than up for the response, and she on the other hand did not hold back in slaying the males, but all in good humour also of course! Well done to both speakers and we hope that your respective partners have forgiven you by now.

Up next was our overseas guest for the evening, all the way from sunny Parkheid, Raymond Mearns. A TV star comedian who has appeared on Rab C Nesbitt no less, we were thoroughly entertained, although all of the East coasters in the room could have used some subtitle assistance throughout! Short and sweet it was over, and before we knew it we found ourselves being hauled onto the dance floor for a bit of ceilidh action. 3 hours of lubrication meant most were in the mood for some kilt swingin' and shooglin', and Richard Tompson certainly had his work cut out that evening to direct this mottly crew. His best he tried, and eventually some sets kicked off in high spirits. All went well, and from beginner to expert, the SSAS members and guests showed the hotel how to dance, Scottish style. A very long Strip the Willow was in evidence at one stage, and Chuck Jeffrey was spotted doing some crafty queue skipping on several occasions to ensure he was regularly swinging himself and his partner down the long line. Richard, hollering at the top of his voice on the stage, then announced the Eightsome reel, and chaos ensued! No amount of direction was going to get this rabble in order by this point, but it all seemed to work out in the end. Many of the ladies were in awe of a handsome young Scotsman doing some impromptu press-ups in the middle of one such reel, thus announcing all rules out the windae for the rest of the ceilidh.

A quick downing of a Chang, then cue the Proclaimers, and some classic wedding dancing moves appeared on the dance floor. The transition from ceilidh to disco had occurred, and seamlessly done. The rest of the evening was a blur, culminating in a rowdy Auld Lang Syne, before the hardcore element hit the hotel bar.

A big thank you to the organising committee for a fantastic event.

And if you thought that was good, just wait until the May concert... See you all there, cheers! :) Jeff Ross

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CHAPTER 6

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2012

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The Annual General Meeting was held at the Royal Selangor Club on the 24th February 2012.

2011/12 was another very successful year for the Society with 9 events and over RM30,000 donated to local and Scottish charities. In addition, membership reached a record high with over 304. The Society’s aim is to deliver great and enjoyable events, 5 newsletters per annum and an informative and professional website. All this in an effort to foster matters of Scottish interest and culture.

Gallery 6.1 Listening attentively !

The following events were organised in 2011/12:30 April 11, Society Dive Trip 14 May 11, New Members Night 15 May 11, Inter-Societies Golf 28 May 11, Bags of Rock Concert 01 Oct 11, Welcome Back Night 22 Oct 11, Great British Ball 05 Nov 11, Whisky Tasting 3 Dec 11, Annual Celebration 28 Jan 12, Burns Supper

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CHAPTER 7

NEW COMMITTEE MEMBERS

2012 VICE-CHIEFTAN AND HONORARY SECRETARY Hi, my name is Lynn Maitland and I am thrilled to be joining the Selangor St Andrew's Society. I was born and raised in Aberdeen and never thought I could leave my home. However, having been in Malaysia for almost 6 years and seen such beautiful parts of South East Asia, we have decided we are in no rush to leave. I came to Malaysia with my husband and our daughter Abagail for my husband's work. We have had the joy of adding to our family when our son Myles was born here almost 3 years ago.

I am looking forward to working with my Scottish friends on the Committee and planning lots of fun events for our members to attend. The work that the Committee puts in for its members is amazing and they work so hard on each event that is hosted for our Members. I have big boots to fill with the current and past Committee members but I am looking forward to a new and exciting challenge. As a Mummy who also used to have a "job" outside the family, life in Malaysia could have been challenging. However, assisting on various Committee's not only helps fill this void but also gives you a chance to meet some wonderful people along the way. Look forward to meeting you all at our next event.

Lynn x

Hello everyone! I have been asked to write a few words to give you some background on me and my family so here goes... I became a committee member of St Andrews Society last September and I am thoroughly enjoying my role working alongside the rest of the committee preparing for our events, we have great fun and its wonderful to see the results on the night with everyone enjoying themselves. I think when you leave the shores of home you definately become more patriotic therefore having our society is a great way to enjoy our Scottish culture away from home and for our members to meet up and make friends with fellow Scots, Malaysian and International Expats thus enjoying the cultural experience that Malaysia offers us all. At our events I especially love to hear the bagpipes and always get goosebumps when I hear them.

I am married to James and we have two wonderful children called James and Gemma and a labrador called Snowy who I think is related to the dog in Marley and me! Moving to Kuala Lumpur from Glasgow was a very exciting thing for us to do as a family and we are enjoying living here and the wonderful opportunity for our children to be educated at International level and also the chance to travel to lots of great holiday destinations while we are here, so if you have recently arrived I would recommend that you join lots of societies where you will meet some wonderful new friends and learn all about their cultures! There is a link page on our website that lists the contact details of these groups. When we came here I became 'a lady of leisure' so its been a big change to say the least! Enjoying the social scene in KL and.

I have made lots of lovely friends. I help out with a fabulous group of some of them every Wednesday at Pudu helping to teach the Burmese refugees, its very fulfilling and the children are so lovely, there are lots of charity organisations who are always looking for assistance and for more details I would recommend that you contact the ABWM (Association of British Women in Malaysia) this group is a must for the girls to join as they have lots of clubs and lunches to keep you busy and they are very friendly and welcoming just like our society:) So I will say cheerio for now and look forward to seeing you all soon at the AGM or at our summer concert in May when you will be entertained by a fabulous Scottish band called Whisky Kiss.

Kathleen x 23 / 30

CHAPTER 8

ALL ABOUT SCOTLAND

THE THISTLE AND BAG PIPES Alongside tartan, the thistle is perhaps the most identifiable symbols of all things Scottish and nowadays, it can be seen promoting the 'Scottishness' of a wide variety of products, services and organisations.

The thistle legend

Early history

But why is it that such a proud people as the Scots should choose a humble weed as its national symbol? In truth, noone knows. There is a legend which relates how a sleeping party of Scots warriors were almost set upon by an invading band of Vikings and were only saved when one of the attackers trod on a wild thistle with his bare feet. His cries raised the alarm and the roused Scots duly defeated the Danes. In gratitude, the plant became known as the Guardian Thistle and was adopted as the symbol of Scotland.

In fact, the earliest recorded reference to bagpipes is on a Hittite slab from Asia Minor which has been dated to 1000 BC while by the 1st century AD, bagpipes existed in many countries from India to Spain and from France to Egypt. It's also clear that bagpipes were popular throughout the rest of the British isles prior to their documented appearance north of the border. When, and how, they did first appear in Scotland is a hotly contested topic with competing theories claiming they were either a Roman import or that the instrument came from Ireland.

Sadly, there is no historical evidence to back up the tale and in fact, there's even confusion as to the type of thistle that we see represented everywhere. There are many species of thistle and the spear thistle, stemless thistle, cotton thistle, Our Lady's thistle, musk thistle and melancholy thistle have all been suggested as possible candidates.

The thistle as symbol Whatever its origins, the thistle has been an important Scottish symbol for more than 500 years. Perhaps its first recognisable use was on silver coins issued in 1470 during the reign of James III and from the early 16th century, it was incorporated into the Royal Arms of Scotland. Scotland's premier Order of Chivalry, established in 1687, is The Most Ancient and Noble Order of the Thistle and its members wear a collar chain whose links are made of golden thistles. The Knights and Ladies of the Thistle also wear a breast star which bears the thistle emblem and a motto which is regularly associated with it, Nemo Me Impune Lacessit - 'no-one provokes me with impunity'

Components and styles of pipe In whichever country it developed, the basic bagpipe comprised the same elements: a bag with a chanter (on which the melody was played) and one or more drones (pipes which play a continuous note). Some examples were mouth-blown while others used a bellows attachment to supply the air to the bag. The bag provided a sustained tone while the musician took a breath and allowed several tones to be played at once. The original Scottish pipes probably had, at the most, a single drone. The second drone was added to the pipes in the mid to late 1500s while the third, or great drone, came into use early in the 1700s.

While different styles of pipe emerged in Scotland, it is the Highland bagpipe or the piob-mhor 'the Great Pipe', which has emerged as our national instrument. These are blown by mouth and the bags were traditionally made from the skin of a sheep, although nowadays leather, rubber or other synthetic materials are used. The pipes themselves were originally made of bone or ivory, but hardwood is the modern choice. The melody is played on a reeded chanter leading down from the bag while the three drone pipes sit on the piper's shoulder and provide a constant, steady sound as a background to the melody.

So while they did not invent bagpipes, Scots can fairly claim to have made them their own through keeping them alive as part of their musical tradition and by making them one of the outstanding parts of our culture.

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CHAPTER 9

BITS N BOBS

SFC SUPPORTERS CLUB

At the tail end of last year a number of people met up to watch the Scotland V Czech Republic football match in Finnegans Changkat Bukit Bintang and a good night was had by all.

With world cup qualifiers starting later this year I was looking to see if there was any interest in forming a Scotland Supporters Club in Kuala Lumpur where we can all meet of and watch the games together. Obviously time differences will have an effect on if this is possible or not.

There may even be the option of travelling should they head over to Asia for friendlies.

On a very rare occasion would Astro show a Scotland game but I have friend back in Scotland who currently sends me live Scottish football via a slingbox. This is a one to one feed not a normal stream.

If anyone is interested in exploring this drop me an E-mail to srbrockett@googlemail.com and I collate the names and if sufficient numbers reply arrange a get together to discuss it further and get others ideas.

Stewart Brockett

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2ND HAND CORNER

If you have any 2nd hand non-commercial items for sale then please send photos, price and details to alan@abprophoto.com.my for inclusion in the next edition of the Selangor Scotsman, due for release in early May 2012. ** SSAS members and immediate family only ! ***

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UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW 2012 Kuala Lumpur Dinner Thursday 29 March 2012 Professor Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice-Chancellor welcomes alumni, friends and applicant students for a drinks reception and banquet dinner at the Equatorial Hotel from 7.00pm.

The occasion will provide an opportunity for alumni, students and friends to celebrate the University's connections with Malaysia and to hear the latest news. This will include: • • • •

Arrival and welcome from 7.00pm University update from the Principal Banquet dinner and drinks, with time to mingle Prospective students will be invited along to join the reception and meet with our esteemed alumni ambassadors.

Tickets cost 120 RM per person and all reservations must be made in advance. Places are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment.

One of every two tickets bought should be for a graduate of the University.

Venue Hotel Equatorial Jalan Sultan Ismail 50250, Kuala Lumpur For any enquiries please contact: Sarah Armour Acting Alumni Manager E: Sarah.armour@glasgow.ac.uk T: +44 141 330 8574 Visit the webpage for full details ;- http://www.gla.ac.uk/alumni/events/2012kualalumpurdinner/

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