The Beat - A pulse on our findings and adventures
Hmong Embroidery & Culture in Luang Prabang
Posted by Emi Weir on
Bai Lee has been making products and teaching embroidery classes with Ma Té Sai for four years now. These classes help supplement income for the family. Extended families live together and relatives often visit those living in town, so there are always many mouths to feed. She started sewing when she was about four years old.
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- Tags: embroidery, Hmong, Luang Prabang, workshops
Paper Making Season in Luang Namtha with the Lanten
Posted by Emi Weir on
February in Luang Namtha province is “paper making season”. The Lanten people make bamboo paper for three months during the dry season. Made for their own ceremonial use, they also sell it to Hmong people.
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- Tags: bamboo, Lanten, Luang Namtha, paper
What is Jungle Vine?
Posted by Emi Weir on
Jungle Vine or "Piad", pronunced pee -ad, in Lao, is a versatile plant fibre used to make nets and bags. A while ago I visited a Khmu village near Udomxai where they make a lot of jungle vine. A marketing group in Udomxai fashion the vine into different products, purses and bags, to capture a wider audience.
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- Tags: jungle vine, Khmu, Oudomxay, piad
De-clutter & Purchase "Sparks of Joy"
Posted by Emi Weir on
Do you often think about how much stuff you have? Every time you move home, does the amount of contents always surprise you? A wonderfully, maybe a little overtly, organised Japanese woman is making a living out of creating home order and concentrating on possessions that "spark joy!
Wearing a “sinh” or Lao skirt - a brief guide for foreigners
Posted by Emi Weir on
No it is not a confession, a “sinh” is a Lao skirt. When in Laos, a foreign woman who wears a sinh is showing respect, whether she wears it for ceremony, to work or just around out about. I suggest try it. It gives you kudos, partly because many assume you are working here or even better still, volunteering.