In Search of the Comb
Today, you may only identify the Kui (pronounced Gway) people by a comb worn in the front of the women’s hair. And not all the women wear this. However Say, our driver, guide and true lover of the ...
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The Beat - A pulse on our findings and adventures
A morning with the Akha Phouly, from the village behind the cliff.
It was dark when we arrived at the Muang Long market and the vendors themselves were still arriving and claiming their square. The Akha Pouly women were over in the corner, and it felt good over th...
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Craft Forward - An Invitation from the British Council
In January I was invited by the British Council to tell the story of Ma Te Sai, at a conference which exposed different Southeast Asian business models to Burmese producers, and shared knowledge of...
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Hmong Embroidery & Culture in Luang Prabang
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 relative...
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Paper Making Season in Luang Namtha with the Lanten
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 Hmo...
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What is Jungle Vine?
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 ma...
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De-clutter & Purchase "Sparks of Joy"
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 makin...
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Wearing a “sinh” or Lao skirt - a brief guide for foreigners
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 sugges...
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