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Daweyu. A phrase that traverses the land of the Lahu. A phrase that means hello , goodbye , and everything in between. A phrase that is deeply ingrained in the culture we have immersed ourselves in for the past month. Daweyu . The words effortlessly flow from the heart-warming, toothy smiles of the villagers as they balance bamboo and rice bags on their motorcycles. Despite the cultural and linguistic barriers, the memo solidifies the bond between my homestay parents and I by disregarding our differences. In a similar fashion, the phrase’s influence spreads within the community, branching off individual relationships and turning into an infectious enthusiasm most prominently found at the celebratory dances. Daweyu . The subtle, yet powerful remark used to reel in onlookers into the swirling circle of people gracefully mirroring the movement of the lead with the traditional instrument. As time continues to dwindle, the words grow heavier with meaningful memories of the feast-filled days

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

We all love Ding Wang. They are crunchy and crispy salty and sweet. yum.

Having now been abroad for almost 3 weeks, there are certainly aspects of our home lives that we all miss. Sometimes, the 9 days we have left in the village feel impossibly long, but as we settle back into our routine of morning check-ins, muddy construction work, and home cooked dinners, time continues passing us by. After all, the hardest stretch is over. Through our work with the Lahu construction team, we built 5 bathrooms and rebuilt the village coffee roastery in just the first 2 weeks of our trip. We're spending the rest of our time here doing repair work, exploring the coffee production process, and deepening our connections with our friends and host-families. This morning's check-in, we were prompted to think about aspects of village life that we value, appreciate, or want to bring home with us. As we went around the circle, one theme linked our discussion together: the slower pace of life here. With a decreased focus on technology and a greater emphasis on community,

Today marked the beginning of our eagerly awaited mid-trip reflection. The day began by thanking and saying goodbye to Non, our earth building expert. Without Non, all of the work that we've been able to accomplish would not have been possible. She moved her entire family, including a toddler and a 9 month old baby, to the village for two weeks so that she could teach us earth building and manage our projects. Non showed us unwavering patience and kindness through the muddy, tiring, and at times, painstakingly slow process of teaching eleven teenagers to design and construct earth buildings. We traveled in vans to a retreat center in Chang Dao called The Nest, and the hot water and air conditioning feels luxurious. Lunch and dinner at a restaurant with western food, with dishes including pork bolognaise, burgers, and a huge dessert menu, were a welcome treat. The refreshing saltwater pool was the destination of choice this afternoon, and we dispersed to our rooms shortly after dinn

Today was our second day of building. We've split into three groups, and each taken responsibility for one bathroom. Yesterday, my group made the foundation for the bathroom with concrete and bamboo rebar, and today we started using our earthen building techniques to build up the walls. All three groups made good progress, but the rain slowed our work at points throughout the day. Entering the rainy season, it's now common for there to be multiple heavy rains throughout the day. We are all adapting to these conditions, and continue to really enjoy our experience. After work today, we all went home to rest before our game night. Just like the last game night, we hardly played any games. Mostly, we sat around and chatted about our work and village life. The last few days of our stay here before our retreat are days full of excitement and tiring work, and we are looking forward to have a couple of days to rest and reflect. - Oliver ----------------------------------- Today was our

Today marked our first week in Doi Mod. We are starting to get used to the village lifestyle and connect with our homestay families. We had yet another day of rest as part of a ceremony for the health of the Shaman. So, after breakfast in our homestays, we walked to a Thai village below the Lahu village that we're staying in. The trek was about 30 minutes long down a steep hill, but we walked with hurried excitement because at our destination we knew there was a convenience store. As we walked, the store grew more and more glamorous in our minds, the aisles full of flavors we had never tasted. Once we arrived, everyone crammed in with no hesitation. The store was revolutionary - a week of village life made this small convenience store seem a paradise. It had aisles full of various Thai snacks, from ice cream and orange soda to chocolate bites and shrimp-flavored chips. We filled bags to the point of bursting with every snack that caught our eye. In a frenzy, we negotiated trades wi