Lisu Workshop

Sunday I signed up for a Lisu bag workshop at MiM's house in the Wat Kate area (right behind where I live!) I arrived by bicycle as it was in the neighbourhood. MiMi is a very warm and friendly woman from the Lisu tribe who spoke English,Thai and her own native language. She started off by asking if everyone drank alcohol!   It was 10 am but why not? We were starting the day off by toasting with a whiskey made from some herbal bark. Quite strong! There were around 10 other women there from all over the world and all ages. I really like this about Thailand, it draws an international crowd. The gardens blocked out the neighbourhood so you didn't feel like you were in the city. There was a bamboo thatched replica Lisu Dwelling constructed in the front yard, open on all sides. An intricate weave in the palm frond roof allowed for protection from the elements (except mosquitoes). On the ground a fire was built and a pot over the burning wood, held rice. Not far from the fire were 4 sticks stuck verticle in the ground, this was the start of the weaving

     

 MiMi introduced her culture to us by explaining the "spirit" bag we were going to see made. The Lisu people weave these bags and offer them to their dead with various items inside, for the deceased to take with them to the next life. Items like a sling shot, rice, money, betel nuts, cigarettes and a knife. There is always a hole in the bottom of the bag for the placement of the inscence. The colors that are used are traditional Lisu colours and are carefully chosen, much talk takes place during the process. There are many different parts to the bag, The ears are square patches embroidered (now machine made) on the side of the bag. They are a kind of "Agamaga" or spider weave, web of life I suppose. When a woman can't finish her bag for one reason or another she will tell her son to find a young girl to finish it for her. He will ask the young girl by singing a song and giving her a bar of soap as payment!  The Lisu thinks the bag looks ugly without the ears. There is also tails and wings (to fly away) that adorn the bag. The larger flaps on the side are called the leaves. so much of the meaning comes from nature with which they live so close. The bag is started on the ground by carefully arranging the threads around the sticks in an arrangement that takes concentration, as one alternates the way you turn the thread on the spindle each pass. Many of us tried it, and something that looks simple is not always as it appears.

The women carefully watched so we did not make any mistakes. It takes one day to make a strap and 3-4 days for the bag part. They have shifted from the multicoloured bags to a two tone brighter version for time and for tourism. The two toned bags go for 200 Bhat which is $6.00!

  The women laughed a lot and had wonderful smile lines on their faces, blackened teeth from the Betel nut chewing. Mimi explained life in their village. Seems the young people want to move out to the cities and not carry on the traditional crafts any longer. Seeking out a better living. The women work hard in the fields doing agricultural chores and when they have time weave. The elders resort to weaving when fieldwork gets too difficult on their bodies. The Lisu people originated from Tibet, they are a semi nomadic indigenous tribe who have migrated over the past 300 years down thru China, Burma and Laos. The last 80 years they began to settle in Northern Thailand close to the border of Burma (Myanmar) in the mountains.

After weaving for a bit we had a traditional Lisu lunch which consisted of Organic vegetables in the form of a local wild spinach soup and a spicy white radish (Daikon) salad, another broccoli salad, green mango slices and of course rice. The dishes are quite simple, not too many ingredients. Rice is special in the Asian culture as we know, but in the Lisu tribe, they take it to another level. Each place has their own special rice and they exchange it among each other if they grow fond of someone else's in the village. Some of the dishes they make like the black sticky rice is made only during Songkran Festival (New Year). The food was delicious.

 

 After lunch we went upstairs to MiMi's showroom of her collection of traditional dresses from back in time. She showed us how the style has changed over the years, how the more black on a certain part of the costume meant more wealth, we also saw a traditional wedding dress. We heard the story of the Dogs teeth, which is too long of a story for right now. Lets just say the Lisu honour dogs,                   they do not eat them, and I am happy about that! It was a wonderful day.