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The Portuguese Mission and the History of the Catholic Church in Singapore

Spencer Low

Feb 18, 20233 min read

The Portuguese Mission and the History of the Catholic Church in Singapore

When the Portuguese took control of Malacca in 1511, the Sultan of Malacca escaped south and founded the Johor Sultanate, which included...

4,848 views0 comments

Living traces of Portuguese influence in the Celebes, Indonesia

Spencer Low

Dec 31, 20222 min read

Living traces of Portuguese influence in the Celebes, Indonesia

I just spent a week holidaying with my family in Manado on the northern tip of Sulawesi, the fourth largest island in Indonesia. Aside...

1,648 views1 comment

The little-known Portuguese influence on Vietnam

Spencer Low

Oct 16, 20222 min read

The little-known Portuguese influence on Vietnam

When most people think of Vietnam in a historical context, the Vietnamese war and the American role come to mind, or perhaps the French...

5,819 views1 comment

How a distinctive Southeast Asian architectural style started with the Portuguese in Phuket

Spencer Low

Oct 11, 20221 min read

How a distinctive Southeast Asian architectural style started with the Portuguese in Phuket

I had the pleasure of spending last weekend in Phuket, Thailand. Reading about things to do, I came across the fact that Old Phuket Town,...

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How a Portuguese adventurer, Filipe de Brito e Nicote, once controlled Burma's main port

Spencer Low

Sep 8, 20222 min read

How a Portuguese adventurer, Filipe de Brito e Nicote, once controlled Burma's main port

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is not among the most well-known countries of Southeast Asia. A former British colony, it was starting...

1,696 views1 comment

Maria Guyomar de Pinha, the Luso-Asian who introduced Portuguese desserts to Thai royalty

Spencer Low

Aug 28, 20222 min read

Maria Guyomar de Pinha, the Luso-Asian who introduced Portuguese desserts to Thai royalty

Following up on Thailand's centuries-old relationship with Portugal, would there be any surprise that cultural exchange extended beyond...

1,779 views0 comments

Spencer Low

Aug 21, 20222 min read

Thailand's oldest European connection

Each time that I go to Bangkok I like to visit the Kudeejeen neighbourhood on the west side of the Chao Phraya river. Not a well-known...

737 views0 comments

The Portuguese influence in Indonesia: "kue pastel" anyone?

Spencer Low

Aug 14, 20221 min read

The Portuguese influence in Indonesia: "kue pastel" anyone?

I had the pleasure of a quick trip to the Indonesian resort island of Bintan this weekend. At the breakfast buffet, I came across this...

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The Portuguese connections of some iconic aspects of Singaporean, Malaysian and Indonesian culture

Spencer Low

Jul 31, 20222 min read

The Portuguese connections of some iconic aspects of Singaporean, Malaysian and Indonesian culture

In my last post about kerosang, I described how this traditional piece of jewellery for wearers of the kebaya blouse comes from the...

3,082 views0 comments

How the Straits Chinese introduced the Malay word "kerosang" from the Portuguese

Spencer Low

Jul 23, 20222 min read

How the Straits Chinese introduced the Malay word "kerosang" from the Portuguese

The Straits Chinese in Singapore and Malaysia are a unique culture, a centuries-old blend of Chinese and Malay. One of their traditional...

1,512 views0 comments

Kristang, a Portuguese creole language, still lives on in Southeast Asia

Spencer Low

Jun 21, 20221 min read

Kristang, a Portuguese creole language, still lives on in Southeast Asia

I recently visited the Eurasian Heritage Gallery in Singapore, a museum at the Eurasian Association that commemorates the complex history...

388 views1 comment

How Singapore could have been Portuguese (or Spanish...)

Spencer Low

Jun 6, 20222 min read

How Singapore could have been Portuguese (or Spanish...)

I recently went to the Singapore National Museum and came across this quote about what is now Singapore highlighted on a wall: Who is...

100 views0 comments

Spencer Low

Oct 26, 20212 min read

Malay words of Portuguese origin

Malay was the lingua franca of Southeast Asia, and after the Portuguese took control of the trading port of Malacca in 1511, many words...

10,795 views4 comments

The joint Portuguese-Spanish interventions in Cambodia

Spencer Low

Oct 18, 20212 min read

The joint Portuguese-Spanish interventions in Cambodia

The Portuguese made their appearance in Southeast Asia when they conquered Malacca on 24 August 1511. Their Iberian neighbours the...

836 views0 comments

Portuguese influence on Southeast Asian cuisines

Spencer Low

Dec 26, 20201 min read

Portuguese influence on Southeast Asian cuisines

The Portuguese introduced ingredients to the Asia palate that some would consider to be fundamental today. What would Thai food be like...

1,141 views0 comments

Spencer Low

Nov 28, 20201 min read

Thai words of Portuguese origin

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to make contact with the Kingdom of Siam more than 500 years ago in 1511. In 1518 was signed the...

1,189 views0 comments

Spencer Low

Nov 3, 20201 min read

The Portuguese in Southeast Asia

Starting with the conquest of Malacca, the Portuguese finally found in Southeast Asia the source of the spices they were looking for.

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