Season 1 | Episode 33 | Show Notes & Transcript
Episode Title: Traditional Archers Singapore and Occupational Wellness With Performing Artist-Entrepreneur Faridah Jamal III
Music Copyright and Attribution
- “On My Way” by Kevin MacLeod. This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
- “Inspiration” by Ethan Tay. February 20, 2021 (Sydne y, Australia). This work is an original contribution by the artist for the ASK Trio About Wellness podcast.
- “Pro Wellness” by Ethan Tay. March 9th, 2021 (Sydney, Australia). This work is an original contribution by the artist for the ASK Trio About Wellness podcast.
- “Summer Groove 01” by Hardi Kamsani. July 2022. This work is an original contribution by the artist for the ASK Trio About Wellness podcast.
- “Summer Groove 02” by Hardi Kamsani. July 2022. This work is an original contribution by the artist for the ASK Trio About Wellness podcast.
- “Bows and Arrows” by Syazana B. Mohamed Sani. February 2022. This work is an original contribution by the founder for the ASK Trio About Wellness podcast.
Co-Sponsors
Hardi Kamsani and Azman Repin (M. S.)
Hosts
Azimah Azman, Azfar Azman and Syazana B. Mohamed Sani (M. S.)
Guest Speakers
Alfyan Ariff of Traditional Archers Singapore and Faridah H A Jamal of Ethnique Musique Connections (Singapore)
Volunteer Contributor
Hardi Kamsani (Audio Editing and Sound Design)
Scriptwriter | Producer | Director
Syazana B. Mohamed Sani (M. S.)
ASK Trio About Wellness podcast is a production of ASKtrioWello LLC (New York).
Disclaimer
The information provided in the ASK Trio About Wellness podcast is for educational purposes only. You should consult your doctor, specialist or physical trainer for advice on your physical wellness goals before you plan to follow any of the suggestions or recommendations in this podcast.
Copyright ASKtrioWello LLC 2021.
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TRANSCRIPT
[Intro]
Hello! Holã! Marhaba!
WELCOME to the ASK Trio About Wellness podcast! Join me, Syazana Sani and the Astro Duo, Azfar Azman and Azimah Azman, your hosts from New York. Let’s strive to educate, regenerate and elevate family institutions through optimal productivity and wellness education, one episode at a time.
[Intro to Segment I]
ARE YOU READY to listen to inspirational stories of trust, respect, acceptance, integrity, love and social responsibility from multicultural families and special needs communities? Sit back, relax and be inspired by the awesome people that we highlight in the first segment of the podcast…
Segment I | Traditional Archers Singapore
[Azfar] Welcome back to the ASK Trio About Wellness podcast! This episode is co-sponsored by Hardi Kamsani and my dad, Azman Repin. Thank you and may God bless you.
[Azimah] Hello! May peace be upon you!
[Syazana] You are listening to the 33rd episode of the podcast with me, Syazana, and the Astro Duo, Azfar and Azimah.
[Azimah] In Segment One of the previous episode, we shared our experience trying out archery for the first time!
[Syazana] We had so much fun with Coach Farah of Traditional Archers Singapore! We were so curious to know what motivated Coach Farah’s husband, Alfyan Ariff, to establish traditional archery in modern Singapore and why traditional archery is a great sport for families…
[Azimah] Yeah!
[Syazana, Azimah] So, let’s move on to our interview with Traditional Archers Singapore and welcome its founder, Alfyan Ariff! Woohoo!
[Syazana] May peace be upon you! What’s the first question for Brother Alfyan, Azimah?
[Azimah] Question #1: What inspired you to establish Traditional Archers Singapore?
[Alfyan] We were inspired by traditional games and also sunnah (the way of life of Prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him, and legal precedent) games which were not highlighted in the community in Singapore.
Traditional archery is one of the highly recommended games in Islam. We know that we have MODERN archery all around the world and in Singapore especially but because there is no TRADITIONAL archery in Singapore, I began to search for it through(out) the region. Then I found my teacher who is in Kuala Lumpur, in Malaysia, and I started from there.
In the community itself, we are known to highlight more on modern society, modern technology. So, this really inspires me, more to actually pick up traditional archery. Traditional archery comes with traditional learning.
Traditional learning is more of how we have to really be with the teacher. How I started is not entirely starting with archery itself but then, to wake up early, 4:30 in the morning to do my Tahajjud (night prayers), my najat, my all the other sunnah prayers. I started to do that at least maybe about one month before my teacher actually started to teach archery itself.
I had to do some other work like doing cucuk tanam or doing some plant(ing) work and do some other work (which) I thought was not related to archery like pulling bands. It was quite tough because it is the testing of our ego, our patience. At least about six to nine (6-9) months, I had to go through all that before the traditional archery learning actually starts.
The beautiful thing about this is that it actually lifted my own spirituality and my focus even before the archery program starts. Through the traditional archery learning, what I discovered was...there was actually a batch of Malay army that was actually part of the (Sultan) Fateh’s conquest of Constantinople or conquest of Istanbul.
Although this is not known by many people, we have seen murals which is in Romania where the first line of the army is Malay men with tanjak (traditional headgear worn by Malay boys/men).
I have an archer friend in Romania, so I asked him about these specific murals which is said to be on the churches of Romania. So, he confirmed with me on the mural and that confirmed the fact that there’s existence of the Malay army, the Malay regimen actually, in Sultan Al-Fateh’s army.
[Syazana] Hmmm…so Brother Alfyan founded Traditional Archers Singapore out of his LOVE for this sunnah sport and wanting to do his bit for SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY so as to preserve this sport from disappearing in modern Singapore.
Okay! Let’s move on to the second question…
[Azimah] Question #2: Why do you recommend archery as a sport for both Muslims and people of other faith?
[Alfyan] As we know, Nusantara itself is one of the earliest civilizations in the world, so it is sad to say in the community now there is no highlight or nothing has been brought up about traditional or instinctive way of hunting because through modernization, we have lost touch of all these.
Benefits of traditional archery
In our programs, traditional archery enhances the instinctive features of a person which is already in that person. Traditional archery is more on yourself, enhancing your capabilities rather than depending on the equipment(s).
But for traditional archery, you know, you have a bow and then you have (an) arrow. So, the main focus in traditional archery is to use your instinct or mata hati they called it in Malay.
In traditional archery also, we have features like walking while shooting or jumping while shooting. So, these actually help in your hand and mind coordination or (hand) mind and body coordination unlike rifles, you know. I mean it’s very hard to see unless you’re really in the army, then you get to walk and shoot.
As a recreational sport, in traditional archery, we can walk and shoot, jump and shoot. Then we also have running over obstacles and shoot. So, these are the ones that (actually) help you advance your instinctive features.
International competitions
[Alfyan] International competitions in traditional archery:
We have games like for example in Hungary, we have three different settings of completion.
The first day, we had a forest setting which is like hunting. They have 3D targets of bears or pigeons which are hidden but then we don’t know the actual distance of that target(s). So, it is how well you understand your bows and arrows.
Another example of setting is we shoot from the tower of a castle. We have never experienced that before in Singapore. So, in Hungary, this is what I experienced. At a height of maybe seven storeys and then shooting down. The target is directly down, and we have to do stances called Jamarkee, which is an example of shooting down the well during the war times or shooting down the castle walls where the enemy soldiers are climbing up the castle on the walls and then those archers on the walls shooting downwards. So, it’s not a straightforward shooting.
And then, we also have, like I said earlier, dynamic runs where we have to run to a certain station and while panting, we have to calm ourselves down to shoot certain targets and then run again.
Like for example in Malaysia, we did this competition called The Spartan Archery where we have to run at least 400 meters.
I myself seldom jog; you know. But then, at the end of that competition, my legs were really stressed, I couldn’t move my legs! So, I was just lying down...
My archer friends were like “Ohhh! Relax! Relax!”
I had to calm down my legs, they were really stiff at that point of time.
This is the kind of experience we joined traditional archery for.
[Azimah] Bravo!
[Azimah] Did you know that you can show your support for the ASK Trio About Wellness podcast by shopping at our online shop?
[Syazana] Before we end segment one, we’d like to invite you once again to check out ASKtrioWello Shop: Apparel for Women and Kids in America at https://ASKtrioWello.Shop.Social. Free shipping for delivery in the U.S.A. for any orders above $59.
[Azimah, Azfar] Stay tuned to segment one in the next episode…
…and listen to stories of trust, respect, acceptance, integrity, love and social responsibility.
~ End of Segment I ~
Coming up next…
In the second segment of the podcast, we’ll learn about productivity and the nine dimensions of wellness—physical, emotional, environmental, spiritual, social, intellectual, mental, occupational and financial wellness—so we can survive and thrive in this unpredictable world.
Segment II | Occupational Wellness with Artist-Entrepreneur Faridah Jamal III
[Azimah, Syazana] Welcome back to segment two of the show!
Today is the third part of the Occupational Wellness with…
Miss Faridah Jamal from Singapore…woohoo!
[Syazana] Hello, Miss Faridah!
[Faridah] Hello! Hello, world!
[Syazana] What’s our next question for Miss Faridah, Azimah?
[Azimah, Syazana] Question #3A:
During the start of COVID-19 in 2020, did your work shift to online, work from home or remote?
During the start of COVID-19 in 2020, did your work shift to online, work from home or remote?
[Faridah] Yes, it did. At first there was a total lull between Mid-March till end of June 2020. It definitely affected my income from angklung teaching. It was for a while, quite a good time to spend at home, to do things that I never got to do. We were lucky that in Singapore, we could still go out to shop for groceries and food within our neighborhood; and to get other essential services. It was certainly very boring not to have any actual work done in schools, and definitely no performances nor social and performing arts events to attend to or to conduct. Being a very hands-on musician and music instructor/teacher, I was not very adept at Infocomm and Technology (ICT). This was a good impetus for me to learn to manage digital work and the basic equipment necessary for online work, including meetings and webinars for various interests.
[Azimah, Syazana] How long was Singapore on lockdown?
How did you come to terms with having to stay at home, quarantine, practice social distancing or no overseas travel?
[Faridah] The “circuit breaker” (partial lockdown in Singapore) pushed me to have more online communication with all my contacts. Over time, we actually enjoyed Zoom sessions as it meant we could reach out to the larger audience and global platform without spending time and money for actual traveling.
At the same time, like all others, I certainly miss traveling particularly for the Hari Raya celebrations in Malaysia – my mother and I used to go up north to spend the holidays with my brother and his family, and other relatives who live in Kuala Lumpur.
I had to cancel my business trip to Indonesia and instead order my angklung instruments to be shipped to me or the schools. The pause in leisure travel, which would usually include spa and massage sessions was definitely a snag in my joy.
I spent more time walking and exercising in the neighborhood parks. I suffered too, for a while, when swimming was not allowed.
From July onwards, after the opening of Phase 1, instructors and coaches could begin our online teaching with our students; after the academic teachers had had their first experience. It helped us to reconnect with our students and colleagues. It made us rethink our teaching methodologies and to be digitally resourceful and creative.
From August, too, many Singaporeans had started attending or conducting face-to-face events and training with restrictions in the number of participants. This was definite for us.
I attended a course in safety in food-handling which was compulsory for all volunteers wishing to serve the community – I joined the Lions of Singapore in a nationwide cookie-baking and then mooncake making for the elderly.
In November, the Ministry of Health relaxed the restrictions a little for the Ministry of Education, thus school activities could return to normal, while enforcing the regulations like compulsory mask-wearing, safe entry and social distancing. This definitely gave us much relief. It was so good to be back to work again and carry out lessons and co-curricular activities.
[Syazana] Oh! I feel you…
Alhamdulillah, the Singapore government has finally made many new changes in late 2021 and with recent changes, Singapore has returned to almost like pre-COVID times. People are now allowed to gather again in larger groups. And no more PCR or ART tests for travelers coming to Singapore. Yeayyy!
Now, what’s the next question, Azimah?
[Azimah] Question #3B:
What are you doing to make sure that you and your family members are staying healthy and engaged throughout the years?
[Faridah] We practice heightened personal hygiene, partake in regular exercise and consume more warm water and healthy food. We took advantage of the opening of nature reserves, beaches and restaurants and started going to these places at least once a week for our family getaway, and thus regained a good level of sanity and normalcy. We could receive visitors to our home according to the fixed number allowed: five (5), and then eight (8), thus it was very good for my mother and my relatives for that very important family reconnection.
[Syazana] Wow! I love what you did!
What’s next, Azimah?
[Azimah] Next. Question #3C:
Despite all the anxiety and confusion in an unpredictable world, how are you and your family moving forward and giving back to your community?
[Faridah] I am blessed to still be able to hold on to my career and work for schools. Like many others who had a big cut or loss in our salaries earlier, I later received the government’s help of a fixed, advanced salary. This gave me the golden opportunity to continue teaching my students and more importantly, to prepare them for 2021 and the Singapore Youth Festival.
My involvement with the Rotary Club of Kampong Gelam (RCKG) is also inspiring me to spur on connecting with the different levels of community. At the moment my team is initiating service to the “DOT” – Daughters of Tomorrow – an NGO working for the betterment of women who are marginalized or going through a very challenging time.
[Azimah, Syazana] How exciting! Yeah!
Stay tuned to the next episode…for the concluding episode of Occupational Wellness with Faridah Jamal. Woohoo!Woohoo!
~End of Segment Two~
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~ End of episode ~
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