British Studies Seminar, University of Texas at Austin with live oaks and the scattered ashes of one of the founding members of the seminar. On arrival at the seminar, the participants help themselves to a glass of Tio Pepe or Dry Sack sherry, though teetotalers prefer cranberry juice. Sherry has come to symbolize the attitude. The seminar meets to examine in a civilized way whatever happens to be on the agenda, Scottish or Indian, Canadian or Jamaican, English or Australian. The discussion is civil, but sometimes grows a bit heated. What makes the debate engrossing is the clash of different perspectives—including those of lawyers, physicians, retired ambassadors, and
Tio Ie Soei Tan Sie Tat and Lie Kim Hok. Tio was born in Pasar Baru, Batavia, on 22 June 1890. His father was to a Chinese immigrant from Fujian province, while his mother was "peranakan" Chinese (mixed race). The young Tio was educated at a Dutch-run school for ethnic Chinese, learning Dutch and a smattering of various other languages. He made his first venture into journalism in 1905, working for a short period for "Sinar Betawi". Not long afterwards he quit and joined "Perniagaan", which was mostly targeted at ethnic Chinese. He stayed with the publication for another fifteen years. Tio eventually