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We hope everyone has a happy, healthy and prosperous 2010! To show you what happens when people have a little spare time in Laos, they play around and get a little artistic with hot peppers! For those of you who don't know Lao we spelled Sabaidee in Lao which means "Hello" and, Sabaidee bi mai, would mean "Happy New Year."
At Laos Essential Artistry we can’t begin to carry a selection of sinhs comparable to shops in Vientiane. We have selected certain styles we like and have listed them on our site, but while we have hundred of sinhs, the shops in Vientiane have thousands upon thousands of sinhs. Plus, some sinhs, especially those used for weddings can be relatively expensive. We’re not at that level yet…
So what we’ve done is write in our sinh section on our Yahoo store website that we will custom order sinhs for customers and we’ve completed a number of custom orders over the last year.
What we want to do in this post is share the process we went through for a recent custom order.
About a month ago we had a request from a customer asking if we had any white wedding sinhs in stock or could get one. Well, we definitely don’t have any in stock so Bai called her sister Bouasai who works in Vientiane and asked her if she could visit a couple of the shops we work with to see if they had any white wedding style sinhs. We’ve given her a digital camera so she can take photos and she located some white sinhs, took photos and emailed us the next day several photos of white sinhs, including the one below.
Our customer liked the sinhs in this photo and actually preferred the whitish one on the left. But when we looked at the sinh carefully we could see there was a slight beige color to the white. The Lao actually prefer bright color sinhs, such as red or blue to wear for a wedding, and if they want something white, they prefer a more beige color.
In looking at both sinhs and talking with Bouasai, we determined the one on the right was closest to pure white. We told our customer and although the sinh was more expensive ($450) than she told us she initially wanted to spend, she told us that she wanted to order that one. One of the reasons these wedding style sinhs are so expensive is because of the embroidered patterns on the sinh. In this particular sinh the embroidery uses metallic threads and was quite complex and must have taken over a month to make.
When she told us about her decision then we asked her to send a check for $150 as a deposit. We can also take credit card numbers if a customer wants. Once we received the check we had Bouasai buy the sinh (she inspects them to make sure there are no issues such as discoloration, poor weaving/embroidery, etc.) and then she sent this one by express mail. It weighed just a little over 1 kilo and we paid $65 for shipping, which we had prearranged with her. If something is shipped by express it will arrive in a week. If we ship it by regular air-mail it may take up to a month and would have cost about $40.
Once we received the sinh, we inspected the sinh, took some photos and sent them to our customer. She loved the photos and sent another check to cover the balance due, $350. When we received the check we sent the sinh by priority mail and this last week she emailed us saying, “The sinh arrived last Monday! With all the holiday goings-on, I forgot to email you. Thank you so much; it is very beautiful and the embroidery is so impressive. My fiancé will be so surprised to see me walk down the aisle in such a gorgeous dress! Thanks again for all that you did to put it into my hands!”
The photos of the wedding sinh we sent her are below and we hope this post helps provide more transparency into what goes into a custom order.
We are currently working on an order for 18 sinhs for a customer in Minnesota who needs the sinhs for Lao girls who will be dancing in several performances this spring, beginning with Lao New Year in April. This custom order is a little bit more complex because the sinhs have to be custom woven to meet the specifications of our customer, rather than just purchased from a shop, and since she wants them by mid-March so they can be sewn and ready by Lao New Years, our weavers have only two months to complete the order. Bai’s brother will take photos and video of the sinhs, scarves and tdin sinhs being woven so we can post these later to help our customers understand the process involved in weaving sinhs.
UPDATE! Check out our new post on Dec 7 on our new Vientiane Fashion and Wedding Sinhs!
Last Tuesday my wife and I were driving to San Francisco to go see the Emerald Cities exhibition at the Asian Art Museum (Outstanding!!!) and on the drive into the city you have to pay a toll at the Bay Bridge toll plaza before crossing into the city. On Tuesday the traffic was fairly light and I maneuvered the car into a lane that looked like it was going quickly. But about six cars ahead there seemed to be a delay and I could feel my irritation level rising and I caught myself beginning to think "If I just..." Which of course gets you nowhere, and the cars started moving again so I got ready to pay the toll and forgot about being irritated, but was mystified at why, when the drivers in front of me would stick their hand out the window to give money to the attendant she was waving them on. Still not comprehending, it was finally my turn and I rolled down the window sticking my arm out with the five dollar bill in my hand and the attendant did the same thing, gave me a quick flick of her hand to tell me to move on without paying. And as I stepped on the gas I could see her counting in her mind and then the aha came, somebody had paid the tolls for a bunch of drivers behind them, including me, and I was thinking maybe since I was the fifth or sixth one this person paid $40 to cover ten vehicles behind him (or maybe more...). And you know what, it was probably that driver who I started to get irritated at.
Wherever that driver is, thank you and Merry Christmas! It was a reality check for me that it's too easy to get irritated and up tight, and I can provide numerous examples of when we've been traveling in Laos and something that I thought was becoming an inconvenience or a bother, turn into a positive experience. Traveling is much more rewarding if one is flexible and always looking at the "glass half-full."
No, we're really not in Sam Neua, but with all the cold weather in the states I thought I would share a photo of a young "king" I took in Sam Neua on Christmas day last year. The weather in December through February can get very cold, sometimes close to freezing! There's a very friendly couple who run the Khaem Xam Guest House where we've stayed when we are in Sam Neua and this morning after walking through the market we came back and found their grandson bundled up and set in this throne by the entrance to the guesthouse where he could watch people walking by. The "throne" is a bamboo stool turned upside down. I just uploaded a video a friend and I took about six years ago walking through the old Sam Neua market on a similar cold morning. You can view it here on our YouTube channel.
I occasionally come across reading lists about Laos, but it’s pretty apparent they’re put together generically, culled from looking at books available on Amazon, etc. What I'm doing now is putting together a list of recommended books I’ve read that I think really have value in providing important insights about Laos. The list when it is finished will be added to our tour information located here.
The first book I would recommend is Naga Cities of the Mekong: A Guide to the temples, legends and history of Laos, written by Martin Stuart Fox with photographs by Steve Northup. The book is published by Media Masters in Singapore, so isn’t on the Amazon “shelves,” though it is readily available from other resellers. It's probably about half the price if you bought it in Laos or Thailand, but even at $35 I think it's worth it. Martin Stuart-Fox has written many books about Laos, probably the most popular is The History of Laos, so he knows what he is talking about. And his passion for Laos is clearly evident in the Naga Cities of the Mekong. The book is quite interesting and is a good read and amazingly the photographs are quite good and closely pertain to the text on the page they’re displayed. I learned an incredible amount from reading this book.
On our tours we've been focusing on the two Naga cities of Vientiane and Luang Prabang. The third, Champasaak is located down south near the Cambodia border and if time and money were no object, I would love to have tour participants visit Champasaak too, especially to visit Laos’s second World Heritage site, Wat Phu and the Khone Pha Pheng waterfalls on the Mekong River which stymied the French from their quest in the late 1800’s of gaining a backdoor into China. And of course I wouldn’t mind taking everyone up to the Boloven Plateau where the finest Lao coffee is grown!
As is written in the introduction, “This book tells the story of these three cities [Luang Prabang, Vientiane, Champasaak], their periods of greatness and decline, and the legends of their naga protectors. It tells of kings and peoples, and of the temples and palaces they built, may of which still remain and are described, each in its historical context.”
Of course here at Laos Essential Artistry we have a passion for the textile arts and nagas are not only one of the most popular motifs woven into Laos textiles, but they are embedded in the psyche of most Lao, including of course Lao weavers. The naga is such an important motif in Lao textiles that Viengkham Nanthavongdouangsy, one of the two sisters who are owners of Phaeng Mai Gallery, wrote a little book called Weaving Cloth, Weaving Nagas: Lao Woven Textile Motifs where she wrote that "The Naga is the most outstanding and dominant motif in Lao woven textiles, artistically created with imagination and respect. It has been so inseparably bound to the livelihood of the Lao people that whenever weavers speak of their work the term "Naga" is spontaneously mentioned first, as in the phrase 'Weaving Cloth - Weaving Nagas."
In the photo below I've outlined a double-headed naga woven into a silk textile by master weavers at Muang Vaen. Each textile tells a rich story in the motifs woven into the textile and here you can see how the nagas are joined at the tail in a diamond shape. Both nagas and the diamond shape are often considered protective and powerful motifs in the Lao cosmology and woven together like this one can imagine their significance. And since both nagas are carrying spirit/ancestor figures, their protective nature is clearly amplified.
But back to Naga Cities of the Mekong. The key word here in looking at the book is context. The book is rich in context and the outstanding photographs add more depth and meaning for the reader. Highly recommended!
This will be amazing if it really happens, and according to the Sacramento Bee Vang Pao announced at a rally in Fresno that he wants to return to Laos and is "aiming for reconciliation." If this happens, it's great news for Laos and great news for the Hmong here in the states. There are so many misconceptions about Laos floating around because of residual anger towards Laos from a war (a Secret War) that ended over thirty years ago. Vietnam has moved on and the Hmong need to move on. Many have, but Vang Pao being the defacto leader of the Hmong has held back, and it would be monumental if he were to return. And of course, it's not all on Vang Pao's back, the Lao government needs to embrace this opportunity for reconciliation and it could be a win-win situation all the way around. Our fingers are crossed here at Laos Essential Artistry...
In this post we are featuring a video we took of monks chanting at Wat Visoun in Luang Prabang. In the background beneath the large Buddha statue you can barely make out a green Buddha. After the chanting we took some photos (always bring your tripod if you want to get exceptional photos!) and the green looking Buddha is actually a replica of the Emerald Buddha now residing in Bangkok, Thailand at Wat Phra Kaew. Buddha is watching...
I can listen to these monks chanting forever. You'll never be the same after sitting in one of these wats during the evening chants and allowing the pali chanting to enter into your "soul." The first time I went to Laos in November 1998 and sat in a wat like this and listened to the monks chant, I was literally covered with goose bumps for the rest of my trip. I felt like every pore in my body was wide open (although it could have been the hot peppers in the Lao food I was eating!). Those monks and other experiences in Laos changed my life forever... Just play the video and look at the photo of the Emerald Buddha and while looking at the photo and listening to the monks chant, how do you feel? Unfortunately if you click on the photo to enlarge it the video will stop, but you can always copy the photo onto your computer and then open it up to view it in a larger format.
We've been working on our videos today and the good news is that in the new Mac operating system, Snow Leopard, QuickTime version X now exports video to YouTube that is of very good quality. Five years ago we began posting video clips to YouTube, but it was near impossible to upload good quality videos. About a year ago we began uploading video to our new Vimeo Channel. But beginning today we will begin upload video to both our Vimeo Channel and YouTube Channel. The reality is that a lot more people look at YouTube and in just an hour we received our first comment about the Muang Vaen Young Girl Weaver video!
We're also beginning to seriously promote our tour to Laos in June and always one of the highlights for previous participants of our tours is to visit a wat in Luang Prabang to sit and listen to the evening chanting. It's eerie and like stepping back into time. Can't you imagine yourself sitting here inside a centuries' old wat immersed in the sound of the monks chanting? It gives me goosebumps when I listen to it...every time. And what's fun is that the style of chanting varies from wat to wat and can vary if there are a lot of younger monks (we affectionately call them monklets), a small group, large group, small wat where the acoustics are good or a larger wat where there is more of an echo effect. Wat Visoun is famous for backing up against Mt. Phusi and for it's large "watermelon" stupa.
The articles in the Vientiane Times often have interesting titles and text as the Lao journalists enjoy being "creative" in the use of the English language. Right now, as we speak, Laos is hosting the 25th Southeast Asia Games, similar in importance to our hosting the Olympics, and so they are running a series of articles to help foreign visitors learn more about their country and culture. Thailand likes to market itself as the "Land of Smiles" and I think the Lao could market Laos as the "Land of the nop (a prayer gesture formed by holding your hands with palms together in front of your chest)." Of course most people outside Laos wouldn't understand what the nop is and this article does a good job in explaining the cultural importance of the nop. I've included two photos here. The first photo I really like is taken of a nun, a "mae khao" (white mother) with her expressive hands in the nop position. The second photo below the mae khao is of women holding their hands in the nop position during the That Luang Festival. If you join us on a tour in Laos you will have plenty of opportunities to practice your own nopping!
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Manners maketh the Lao
"Different cultures have many ways of greeting
each other. The French kiss each other on the cheek. The Maoris of New Zealand
touch noses in a traditional greeting. While an Australian might give you a
hearty handshake and a “G'day mate”.
Lao people have a particularly gracious
and beautiful welcome that involves a gentle smile, a polite and courteous bow
of the head, a raising of the hands and the greeting “sabaidee”.
When a Lao person welcomes you with
“sabaidee”, it literally means “feel good”.
Sabaidee (hello) is used when Lao
people meet each other or visitors. If some one asks “how are you?” you can
reply with sabaidee, which means I am doing well. If you are upset or not
feeling well your answer may be “bor sabai” or “bor sabaidee”.
Sabaidee is lovely word that shows
politeness and friendliness to people you respect, have just met, or can even
say to passing strangers and foreigners to be hospitable.
Sabaidee can be used formally and
informally. For example when you greet someone on the street, you do not have
to give a “nop” (a prayer gesture formed by holding your hands with palms
together in front of your chest), which is a more formal greeting.
In the home or office, you are often
greeted with a “sabaidee” from your hosts, accompanied by a nop.
This shows appreciation and gratitude
to relatives and friends for joining them for the occasion. In this case, you
should return the greeting with a similar nop. You should also smile and bow
your head slightly when meeting people.
Do not lose your temper with people or
embarrass them, even if communication seems very difficult. Lao people respect
calmness and do not act in response to pressure or anger.
Lao people like to be friendly and
smile when greeting you; even in these more modern times they want to maintain
this traditional greeting.
Children and teenagers are taught by
their parents and their teachers to speak politely and to nop when greeting
people who are older.
Young people should give the greeting
first when they meet older people to show respect. If you attend important
parties or events you should greet your hosts first with a nop and a
“sabaidee”. Also don't forget, if
you enter a stranger's house, you should first say “sabaidee”, before anything
else.
How
do you greet special people?
If you want to greet monks who are
visiting your house or you encounter in a temple the nop is slightly different.
This time you should use two hands joined together at the fingers but slightly
apart at the palms like a lotus flower bud. Then place your thumbs on the
bridge of your nose between your eyes and bow your head a little, before saying
“sabaidee”.
You should put your hands together, and
place your thumb near the end of your nose and bow your head a little when you
greet your parents.
Students should sabaidee their teacher
by using two hands placed together, with the thumb under their lips and a bow
of the head.
When you see any of the country's
leaders or older people, you should raise your two hands joined together, with
your thumb near your chin and bow your head a little.
If you want to greet your friends or a
person who is slightly older than you, you should position your hands in front
of your chest and bow your head a little.
In another traditional gesture, Lao
people will often serve you a glass of water when you visit their home. This is
to show their friendship and hospitality."
By Ounkham Pimmata
(Latest Update
December 10 , 2009)
When I travel to Laos my fellow teachers always ask how my "vacation" was. It's hard to explain that Laos is a landlocked country and definitely not the Riviera! And in the rainy season traveling on dirt roads can be especially tricky. Getting up to my wife's parent's village, about a four hour (with no problems) trip can be a challenge during the rainy season (our summer). I thought for fun I would post a few photos from my trip back from Bai's village to Vientiane. It's always sort of a crap shoot about what the bus will be like and this time it was one of the more run-down buses I've been on.
Just about ten minutes from Bai's village is this one hill that becomes very difficult to get up when it's been raining and the logging trucks, etc. have chewed up the road. You can see the bus I was riding at the bottom of the hill after it slid off to the side after trying to get up. The bus to the right tried to pull us out, which it finally did, bu then we then had to wait for about an hour until a logging truck came that somehow, when it went up the hill, compacted the mud so the bus could make it up.
And then, about an hour later there was a big pop and whesh of air as one of the tires went flat.
And here's one of our YouTube videos of a bus trying to make it up the same hill. If you watch the video you have to think of the book "The Little Train that Could!"
And both times it was lightly raining as we (the passengers) had to wait out in the rain until the bus finally made it up the hill.
But when you travel in Laos, you just have to be relaxed and the problems always seem to take care of themselves and usually something will happen that turns a "lemon" situation into lemonade.
For those of you who might be thinking of ever going on one of our tours, don't worry, we don't travel on buses as we rent vans for our travel groups! But when Bai and I travel on our own, it doesn't bother us to take the bus. It's just part of being in Laos...
The following is an article we read recently in the online Vientiane Times. What the president of the Huaphan handicraft group, Mrs Bouaphanh Chanhthachith is talking about is very true. We've spent a lot of time up in Huaphan Province the last three years, primarily in Sam Neua, Muang Vaen, Sam Tai and Sop Bao, and with the remoteness of this province it's very hard for weavers to market their textiles. There can be a handicrafts group like Bouaphanh talks about, but the reality is most weavers don't belong. There are informal cooperatives and more formal galleries (Nuaykeo) in Sam Neua and Sam Tai, but they still probably represent only a minority of all the weavers in this province.
It takes a lot of effort (and depending on mode of transportation, money) to either get to Sam Neua from Vientiane or get to Vientiane from Sam Neua. And for the foreseeable future, with the lack of a "real" airport, most tourists will not include Sam Neua in their itinerary, though if they are textile aficionados they should because really Huaphan Province represents the heart and soul of weaving in Laos, and some of the best weaving as is referenced in the article, comes out of Huanphan Province.
We carry a lot of gorgeous Huaphan textiles, from various galleries, towns and weavers, and we are just waiting for people to discover our Naga and Bird Silk Scarves (As seen in the photo above) we had custom designed and woven for us this last year. The weaving techniques, the motifs, the quality of the silk all represent the best weaving, and these are woven in a gem of a weaving village, Muang Vaen. Here's the article:
Huaphan Handicraft Group Needs Support
A handicraft group in Huaphan province
has started to see the benefits textile weaving has made to the province's
income, but workers need more funding to improve their handicraft activities. The
President of the Huaphan handicraft group, Mrs Bouaphanh Chanhthachith, said
recently handicraft activities, particularly textiles, have generated a lot of
interest from many people in Laos and overseas.
The handicraft group was established in
2007 and is a member of the Lao Handicraft Association and is a non-profit
organisation founded in 1998 under the supervision of the Lao National Chamber
of Commerce and Industry.
Mrs Bouaphanh said the group was not
strong enough to attract handicraft makers to work together in a larger group
which consists of four sections: textiles, bamboo and rattan, wood carving, and
pottery. “These sections are not
promoted much because people in the four groups have limited funds for
developing their activities. People in the four groups have a low income. We've
been faced with many difficulties in developing handicrafts in Huaphan province
in the past and at present,” she said.
“If we had more money, the work would
boom and more people in the province would have jobs. This would mean the
province would have more income from the sale of handicrafts.”
Of these four categories, weaving was
particularly successful and had boosted the reputation of Huaphan province. “We've
won various prizes from several national handicraft contests. This year is a
special year for us. Huaphan province won the Top Award at The Asean Fashion
Show in Bangkok, Thailand. This award generated a positive image for our
country, textile weavers in Huaphan province and handicraft groups in Laos in
general,” she said.
Mrs Bouaphanh said she wanted the
provincial authorities to provide better support for the handicraft group. She
said in the past, the authorities had made an effort to help but that more
assistance was needed.
The tax on handicraft activities is
quite high, and borrowing money from the bank is difficult because of the high
interest rates, she said.
“I think the interest rate should be lower,
as well as the taxes we have to pay,” she said.
“We would like the provincial
authorities to deduct loan interest and taxes for us because then group members
would be able to borrow money from the bank to develop their product range.”
She also said the group welcomes all
organizations that would like to promote handicraft activities in Huaphan
province.
“Promoting handicrafts means helping
low income families to have a better standard of living,” she said.
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