Topasses
Topasses (Tupasses, Topas, Topaz) were a group of people in maritime Asia in the early modern period, who claimed Portuguese ancestry or had taken up Portuguese culture and language. Topasses were found in the various places of South Asia and Southeast Asia which were frequented by the Portuguese, such as Goa, Malacca and Batavia. In particular they are associated with the ethnically mixed Portuguese group that dominated politics on Timor in the 17th and 18th centuries.
The origins
The etymology of the name is obscure. It might come from the Tamil term tuppasi, "bilingual" or "interpreter". But it has also been associated with the Hindi word topi (hat) which refers to the characteristic hat worn by the men of this community as a marker of their cultural attachment to the European community. Hence, they are also referred to as gente de chapeo in Portuguese accounts or as gens à chapeau in French accounts. It partly overlapped with the Dutch concept mardijker, "free men", who also usually had a Portuguese cultural background, but had no European blood in their veins. While the mardijkers served under the Dutch colonial authorities, the Topasses of Timor were staunchly opposed to the Dutch and used the symbol of the King of Portugal as their ultimate authority.
Podcasts:
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by Demi Lovato
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by Yazoo
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by Yaz
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by Delfinai
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by Kryoburn
Two Pieces
by: Demi LovatoThere's a boy, lost his way, looking for someone to play
There's a girl in the window tears rolling down her face
We're only lost children, trying to find a friend
Trying to find our way back home
We don't know where to go, so I'll just get lost with you
We'll never fall apart, 'cause we fit together right, we fit together right
These dark clouds over me, rain down and roll away
We'll never fall apart, 'cause we fit together like
Two pieces of a broken heart
I know where we could go and never feel let down again
We could build sandcastles, I'll be the queen, you'll be my king
We're only lost children, trying to find a friend
Trying to find our way back home
We don't know where to go, so I'll just get lost with you
We'll never fall apart, 'cause we fit together right, we fit together right
These dark clouds over me, rain down and roll away
We'll never fall apart, 'cause we fit together like
Two pieces of a broken heart
Now I can lay my head down and fall asleep
Oh, but I don't have to fall asleep to see my dreams
'Cause right there in front of me (right there in front of me)
There's a boy, lost his way, looking for someone to play
We don't know where to go, so I'll just get lost with you
We'll never fall apart, 'cause we fit together right, we fit together right
These dark clouds over me, rain down and roll away
We'll never fall apart, 'cause we fit together like
We fit together like
Two pieces of a broken heart