New Year in Taphin (Tamay's village near to Sapa in north Vietnam) is the most celebrated moment in the annual calendar, full of feasting and parties. This week, families across the mountainside in Taphin and beyond are preparing for the weekend when they will celebrate the beginning of the year of the dragon. It is very important welcome in the new year. What is particular for Tamay's community is to start the New Year with new, handmade clothes. Tamay is Mien*. All Mien Women will have spent the whole previous year preparing their new clothes for the New Year’s parties and to then wear for the year to come. On the eve of New Year everyone will have a...
So for all these years I have been describing Tamay's cultural identity as Dzao because that is what she said she was, but it's time to use the true name which is Mien.
Inspired by the previous blog post Sophie wrote to me to ask to write a guest post... enjoy this wisdom I have been witness to the story of Tamay & Me for 8 years (and its inception another 8 years before that). It is the sort of love story that seems to get deeper with time. It carries a kind of enlivenment – a rare and sacred thing, especially in these times. To bear witness is a beautiful and humbling role. I also believe it to be necessary. For what are we humans to do if not shed some tears for and sing the love songs of that which we propose to learn from? Surely this could be a...
