Gua Pi Keday or I Went to the Shops

'I went to the shops and bought...' has been a popular listening game for families for hundreds of years. Besides teaching children the rules for taking turns, this traditional past-time helps with memory and can be an invaluable aid to socialization. It is certainly one of my family's favorite go-to activities on long car trips and before bedtime, and I can testify that it brings our family closer together.

So, it was little wonder that when the time came to create the first ever Baba Malay Reader that I fell back on an old and trusty treasure.

Gua Pi Keday or I went to the Shops, is now being used to teach the Peranakan vocabulary (kata-kata) and to introduce beginners to the 22 letters that compose the Baba Malay alphabet. Fun, educational and challenging: a new tool in the introduction of our beloved Baba Malay language.

The first book in the series New Peranakan Tales created to complement the Baba Malay Today series.

'Gua Pi Keday' is a charming reader that not only entertains but also serves as a powerful tool for revitalising an endangered language - Baba Malay. The book is thoughtfully put together in a way that hopefully draws younger readers, who should be the main target audience of any revitalization effort. It comprises fun elements and approaches the language in an intuitive way for learners. It is one thing to recognise that a language is threatened, and another to go beyond and do something about it. Nyonya Theresa Fuller deserves high praise for her dedication in bringing this invaluable reader to life. Her commitment to preserving an endangered language through the creation of this reader is truly commendable.

Dr Nala Lee

Author of A GRAMMAR OF MODERN BABA MALAY

Born in Singapore to Peranakan parents, Theresa was encouraged in her writing by her teacher, Chia Hearn Chek, a well-known local author. Educated in Singapore and Australia, she worked as an analyst/programmer and later as a high school teacher. Her first short story THE CRICKET SON was published in VOICES OF THE PAST, An Anthology of Stories Passed Down In Australian Families.Her second novel, THE GIRL WHO BECAME A GODDESS, is a collection of folktales from Singapore. Malaysia and China published in May 2019. Her third novel, THE GIRL SUDAN PAINTED LIKE A GOLD RING, published in January 2022 is about the folktales of the Sea Dyaks.Theresa has also written a textbook on Visual Narrative for children - Where Cranes Weave and Bamboo Sings.Currently, Theresa is on a mission to save the language of her ancestors - Baba Malay - the Peranakans. Tim Fuller is a game designer with a passion for stories. He loves video games as they take him to other worlds and the one with stories are the most memorable. Language is important as it carries more than just words; it carries stories. So, when Tim's mother, Theresa Fuller, discovered that Baba Malay was dying, he helped her on her mission to save it. He reviewed books, PowerPoints, websites, covers and even begun to make a video game for it."Never underestimate the power of a good story as they stick with you like a catchy song you can't forget."

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