Sugar Rush by Miles

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 with friends who had bought snacks we hadn't - 5 sticks of pocky for a sugar donut. Woozy with sugar, we climbed the long hill back to the Lahu village.

5 minutes from the village, a downpour stared, and we returned to the leader's porch soaked and exhausted. We ate our packed lunches in silence, surrounded by shiny bags of chips and cookies.

In the afternoon, we sat down with our homestay mothers to sew a traditional Lahu bag. Though I needed a lot of help, it was interesting and fun to learn the process of making the bag and getting to try out sewing. After admiring the beautiful fabrics of our new bags and trying them on, we headed home for dinner and family time. Finally, we ended the day with even more ceremonial dancing. We've had 4 dances in the village so far, so we're making a lot of progress learning the footwork!

- Miles









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