Wednesday, August 20, 2008

More about Museums

Before I start, I got comment from Amir Muhammad who said he is not worried now that his SUSUK is not banned. Yes bro, that should be the spirit. We all got our hang-ups every now and then in life. And thats very normal!!
Anyway I visited Charles Dickens museum (his old house actually!) quite sometimes ago in Plymouth England. It housed lots of things about Dickens. From the cradle he slept in when was a baby, to his hand written manuscripts and everything about Dickens. What happened was the government bought his old house. A small double storey linked house that Dickens used to live in and converted that into Charles Dickens Museum. The same thing they did in Salzburg with Mozart's house. Austrian government bought his old house in the heart of Salzburg. A tiny cosy double storey linked house that Mozart used to live in. These are just few examples how we should show appreciations and elevating the status of artists and well known figures (besides politicians!) in our society. We dont have to give posthumous Tan Sri and Datukship to everybody, but appreciations can come in many ways!! I'm sure many people will throng Sudirman/Zaaba Memorial. It may not be very popular in the beginning, but we never know it in 20 and 30 years time.
Many people in DBP talked about showing appreciations to well known writers but their seminar rooms dont even bear names like Dewan Keris Mas/Usman Awang etc. and just called Dewan Seminar!! Is it asking too much? Sorry to all my friends in DBP because I'm the one having to say it but I'm not sorry for having to say it!!

2 comments:

Amir Muhammad said...

erm, do i know you? :-)

Siti Ruqaiyah Hashim said...

Personally, I dont think so Tq