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Hmong New YearNov 29, 2008
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Elaborate beaded costumes and the inevitable parasol to protect from the sun
Lovely smile!
By chance, we stumbled upon the festivities of the Hmong New Year. We spent an interesting hour or so wandering around the field and forest that had been set up by the locals for partying. The main activities were long lines of girls throwing wooly balls to the boys opposite, in times past, a kind of mating ritual but as some of the girls were teenies, we assume that the matchmaking element didn't necessarily apply to them. Also, many of the young ladies were keen to have their photos taken against colourful painted mural backgrounds.
As the only Westerners present, we were nonetheless made to feel welcome although, sadly, our lack of language limited communications.
