Lahu Traditional Dance by Lucy

We are summoned to the dance ground in a ceremony to promote the expedient recovery of the village's spiritual leader. The mood is far from somber. As the sky melts to black and the stars freckle the night, the children are the first to gather. They grab us by the hands, begging us to be swung in circles, unbothered to learn our names or ages.

The adults of the village emerge from their homes. Generations come together to dance, following a musician who plays a song on his flute and stomps in rhythm around a lit candle. I am dragged into the circle by my host sister, and I concentrate on her feet to learn the steps on the fly. The task is daunting - we are foreigners thrown into a community that has done these dances their whole lives. But with extended hands and forgiveness for our initial clumsiness, everyone is more than welcoming. In our Lahu attire, bathed in dim lighting, we fade into the scene.

-Lucy









Comments

  1. a parentJune 25, 2023 at 10:37 PM

    Looks like you are all having fun! Keep writing and posting!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

First Days in the Lahu Village by Zara and Addie

Image
Today we left Chiang Mai and drove to the Lahu village, where we will be living for the next four weeks. I met my host mom and spent some time at my homestay unpacking before meeting the group at the village head's house. We were warned that a pig would be killed in a ceremony meant to celebrate our arrival, and a few moments later three Lahu men walked over carrying a small, squealing pig. The sound of the pig squealing made my stomach turn, but the men worked with efficient, practiced movements and the pig quickly went silent and still. The still pig was carried to another spot up the hill to be butchered, and we played in the street with the Lahu kids. A few hours later, a bowl of delicious pork soup was placed in front of me. I've never eaten meat so fresh. Zara  ------------------------------ Playing with the kids of the village was the best part of my day. When we arrived, there were already children lined up, eager to latch onto our hands. With gestures and broken Thai,
Read more

Reflection on Community by Anabelle

Image
It’s hard to miss the sense of community in the village. It’s something I felt when I first entered the village and am continuously reminded of. This type of close-knit community is hard to find when compared to the neighborhoods in Seattle. When a representative from each household meets together before a ceremony, the Lahu people all talk amongst themselves, drinking tea and having a day of rest together. Or even the concept of sitting down and offering a glass of tea to a neighbor or friend is not common in Seattle. But it’s the small gestures like welcoming another person for dinner and tea or playing games with the kids that fosters the deep sense of community. In the same way that the adults talk and visit each other, the kids do too. If there’s a group of kids together at a house, many others will follow and be welcomed in. And they all talk and laugh together, no matter the age differences. The kids grow up living right next to their close friends, which allows them to create t
Read more

Arrived in Thailand by Graham

Image
We woke up today jet-lagged but excited for our first day in Thailand. After a hotel breakfast, we started the day with a steep hike to a Buddhist Temple, where we explored the beautiful gardens and shrines. Krit, a teacher from from the partner organization, led a group meditation for us, and we soaked in the surroundings and reflected on the journey that we've made and our intentions for the next month. After a noodle soup lunch, we ventured into a busy indoor market in the old city. We were each given 100 baht and the challenge to find the coolest thing we could in under 45 minutes. I roamed the packed stalls, stopping to take a closer look at objects that caught my eye, attempting to bargain with half-recalled Thai. At the end of our 45 minutes, my friends and I had collected candy, wood crafts, a jacket, and pants. Not bad for 3 dollars and 50 cents. Tomorrow morning we are driving to the Lahu village. We are so excited to meet our home-stay families.
Read more