Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Storytelling in Laos and other Asian Countries

Suddenly thought of the chants in the orphanage in Laos. 2006 Spring, I wonder if anyone's got those videos.
Most of the time, I miss the children from Lipa more, but I have a sudden urge of revisitng Laos, it would be better if there is a translator, back then, each of us were sent into one family for dinner every night, just one of us, with nine kids who don't speak English (and a "mum").
Body language naturally became the main means of communication, but drawings were also very useful when interacting with young kids.

I am curious in their folktales, their story-telling culture, in a place that is so isolated culturally - with no tall glass blocks, air con or McDonald's, they must have some interesting stories - related to spirits, animals or the nature. Picture story books are many young children's first encounter with books, most of the time, they don't understand the words, they learn the story through their parents' voice and intepreting the pictures. I guess, the first book LEDC children get in contact with might be textbooks, luckily they have those stories that were passed on verbally, or chants, from thousand of years ago.
I wonder why I don't remember everything clearly, the details - I remember their rice, sticky rice in bamboo, where we had to use our hands to roll them into a ball; the really interesting latasoy, the kids picking sour fruits from the tree... oh... distant memories...
I miss the peaceful chant, such interesting moments, when all children take off their shoes, kneel on the icy marble floor and chant together... pure innocent voices...

1 comment:

Michelle said...

oh i remember the sun, the sandy road, playing hen & eagle with SO MANY people under the heat...the break dance brothers, are they from the same family? and Mai, that cute little girl that everyone fell in love with.
and the many necklaces of flowers that they made us, and we would get new ones every night when we have dinner with them...