Written By Ava
Coming into this week, the group had no idea what the expect. We did not know anything besides the fact that we would be staying with families in the Haui Hin Lad Nai village, there were possible tigers in the woods (village members later laughed when we told them how worried we were about them), and most importantly that this was a HUGE honor to stay in this village. With this just information, we pulled into the village full of nerves. Now, writing this on the last night in the village, I am sad to leave the comfort the village has created for us. If I had to put a title on this week, I would call it “The week of firsts”.
Carpe’s First Home Stay at Haui Hin Lad Nai: The Haui Hin Lad Nai (also known as the Pgakenyaw) village is a group of indigenous people living in the mountains of northern Thailand. They have shut their doors to anthropologists who want to study them and have limited the amount of people who are able to enter and really experience life in the village. This was also Carpe’s first time being invited to stay in this village. Going in was a huge deal and it did not disappoint. We were greeted by Lek and Tho, our two guides from the week. They showed us how to do EVERYTHING and they are the definition of boss. We were also joined by P’Krit and P’Nada from Pun Pun who were our interpreters. By the end of the trip they were joining in on singing challenges and inviting group members to watch How to Train Your Dragon.
Our First Time at a Homestay: This was our first and only homestay of the trip and it was the first homestay experience in general for all of us. We were assigned roommates and then were assigned to homes in the village. My roommate was Leora and we were in Alari’s home (who we referred to as Ma throughout the trip) with her husband and two sons Repot and Pie. Since this was my first time at a homestay, I had no idea what to expect. We sat down for dinner and communicated in the few phrases we knew in Thai and the few she knew in English. We have a language book from our first stop (the Ajarns) and we were flipping through that thing like crazy looking for responses and questions. This meant that our relationship was mostly based on smiles and just vibes. We would sit at meals not saying a single word but laughing the whole time. Luckily, Ma spoke Thai but some families spoke the native Pgakenyaw language so verbal communication was not really an option. We all got REALLY good at charades this week to say the least. Despite the language barrier, we spent time playing with the kids, helping Ma cook food, and playing cards (we are still not sure what game we were even playing). We created bonds that were truly special and unique in each household. Even though it was hard to communicate, I really learned the value of kind gestures and how safe and at home you can feel just from a nurturing smile or from getting offered more rice.
My first time weaving: One of the first days we got there, we learned the traditional way to weave. We gathered with the women in the village and they showed us the two-day process of weaving in a just few hours. We all tried the weaving and at one point someone said “I don’t want to go in case I mess it up” and the response from P’Krit was, “Oh don’t worry they used an old one so you can mess it up”. Very humbling. We were captivated watching the elegant motions of the women in the village as they wove. They make bags, scarf, sarongs, shirts, and much of their very own wardrobe. They even make an outfit for their weddings. Leora and I (in broken Thai of course) asked our mom to weave with us after we learned and she gladly helped us and showed us her techniques. It was kind of hard to get the hang of and Ma definitely gave us some laughs when we messed up but I’m so glad I had the opportunity to learn. It really is such a beautiful art.
My first time seeing a rice field on a hillside: On one of our last days we prepared for a hike to the village’s harvesting fields. When I say that majority of the hills here are at a 70° incline I am not exaggerating. The calves were killing. But what this also means is that the decline is just as steep. People were falling left and right. My back was COVERED in mud. When we walked back later that day we could see the marks from when we fell. But every time someone fell, they got up laughing and by the end it was just comical how often we were falling. Lek and Tho were laughing alongside us as they gracefully walked down the steep inclines in Adidas Slides. Another very humbling moment. We got to the rice fields after about two hours and we were in shock by the view. The whole side of this mountain was just all rice fields. We were in awe of how beautiful it was. We had lunches that our homestay families had packed us and talked with village members about their farming and history for hours. They cooked for us, gathering ingredients from the fields right in front of us. I’m not sure what it was about it but it was just so beautiful. We headed back that night with sore legs but full minds and stomachs. I was completely asleep by 8:15 that night (even before my 3 year old homestay brother).
Additional Firsts to mention:
⁃ My first time trying medicinal honey which is harvested from wild bees in the village.
⁃ My first time using a toilet with no flusher (which I will say is scary when you have no idea how to use one).
⁃ My first time seeing a grown women literally pick up a cockroach that was chasing Leora and I… Ma really came to the rescue.
⁃ My first time harvesting and cultivating tea, a practice that has been passed down for generations.
⁃ My first time making a cup out of bamboo.
This week was full of so many more firsts for the groups. These firsts have been passed down from generation to generation in this village and is something that shapes their community and culture. The fact that we were able to learn from such knowledgeable people and to have them share their culture with us is truly an honor. They have opened their homes, hearts, and minds with us and it is an experience that I will never forget.
Dabroo (thank you in Pgakenyaw)
