So how do you plan on spending your new year? A massive bout of drinking followed by unconsciousness, then waking up the following morning in a pool of vomit (not necessarily yours) next to someone of indeterminate sex who bears a startling resemblance to a moose in a wig? The Hmong have a different take on new year, and it’s a load of balls.
There are many tours in Thailand which offer you a chance to meet the smaller ethnic groups such as the Karen and the Hmong. Such trips usually provide transport to a sad, dusty village where sad, dusty people are wheeled out for the benefit of tourists. I have always avoided such locations and will continue to do so. But when we were offered a chance to go to a field near Luang Prabang where Hmong from all over Laos were congregating for their new year celebrations; then we jumped at the chance.
Around the periphery of the field there were assorted attractions. Of course there was food available:
There were gambling tables, which seemed to be enforcing an age limit of 12, which was rather disappointing, especially as the limit was a maximum age of 12:
There were places where you could purchase the latest Hmong hits:
There were “burst the balloon” stalls; this one seemed to have been under heavy assault:
And there were numerous photo studios where you could get your photo taken against startlingly unrealistic backgrounds and then have it fine-tuned by a Photoshop expert:
Really; this is what he was doing. Respect.
But these were just sideshows to the main event which was taking place on a raised hill in the middle of the field. There you could find lines and lines of people throwing balls at each other:
<img src=“http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8501/8321046488_6401fc3c7f_z.jpg" height"640” alt="" />
There were a couple of lines when we first arrived; but by the time we left there were hundreds of people stood in a field throwing balls.
What the hell was going on? We sent mother-in-law to find out.
Everyone can take part in the ball throwing, but for young ladies of a marrying age (thirteen and up), this is where they find their husband. Over the course of the four day event they can accept a thrown ball from any young man who takes their fancy (although he must be from a different clan, you are not allowed to marry someone from the same clan). If you have only exchanged balls with one man during those four days; then you have to marry him. If you have thrown balls with several men, you can choose which one to marry; although it is possible for one of your suitors to kidnap you before the end of event and claim you as his own. It’s the Hmong version of speed dating, with balls.
As with like the dance halls of my youth, the ball throwers were initially just girls throwing to each other; while the young men looked on and eagerly discussed who would be the lucky recipient of their balls (in the dance halls of my youth, nobody was the lucky recipient of my balls):
Meanwhile, the elders of the clans looked on and checked out the throwers and recipients:
And out the back, assignations took place amongst the trees in a bid to circumvent to ball ritual:
It was all quite wonderful and the Hmong people were so welcoming, and very happy to be photographed. So I did.
Those bloody French get everywhere:
Beautiful people wearing beautiful clothes; but the reality is that the Hmong in Laos suffer lives of grinding poverty following years of persecution from the government; after being coerced by America to fight against the communists and then being abandoned. They deserve better.
Anyway, I would like to wish all readers of Pattaya Days nyob zoo xyoo tshiab; which is pretty much what you will say when you wake up to that moose in a wig tomorrow morning.
Comments 🔗
2012-12-31| Grant saysHow utterly charming, and what splendid photos, truly you are a cultural conduit for us all! A very Happy New Year to you and yours for 2013 from the far-flung Antipodes, this one’s been great fun and the entertainment you have provided for us all has been priceless. Well done you!!
2012-12-31| Robin Parmar saysWow, just wow. What a nice photo study! And a colourful way to end the year.
2012-12-31| genuinej saysMany thanks from me too, and best wishes for 2013.
2012-12-31| Larry saysBeautiful colors!!! Did you use your 60MM on any of these?
2012-12-31| Wentworth saysBeautiful photos + pithy commentary = Happy customer
2013-01-01| Spike saysAs I had the 75mm, I left the 60mm at home. All shots on this trip taken with the Panasonic 7-14mm, Panasonic/Summilux 25mm, Olympus 45mm and 75mm. At the Hmong event I would have welcomed a zoom, I seemed to be changing lenses every five minutes.
2013-01-01| Spike saysA happy customer is a returning customer. The invoice is in the post.
2013-01-01| Spike saysThanks Robin, and a happy new year to you.
2013-01-01| Spike saysThanks, I look forward to many grammatical corrections in 2013
2013-01-01| Looper saysFantastic pictures and great blog. Cheers and Happy new year
2013-01-02| Diddly Don saysWhat a colourful and cultural way to end the year. I have been enjoying your excellent photos, great advice and sense of humour for some months now and I have set myself a resolution to comment more often in 2013 so I hope nobody minds me “joining the fun”.
2013-01-02| Diddly Don saysExcellent way to bring 2012 to an end. I have been sitting here in sunny Inverness (he lied) looking forward to the latest post on your blog and never being disappointed by your excellent photos and hilarious commentary not forgetting the clever comments from your assorted followers. I have resolved to comment on the blog more regularly in 2013 so I hope you don’t mind me becoming involved?
2013-01-02| Diddly Don saysOops, I was told that my first post wasn’t “suitable” so I rewrote it and now I look like a dick. Sorry, let’s hope I get better at this as time goes on!!!?
2013-01-02| Spike saysWelcome to Pattaya Days and don’t let anyone scare you; unless you spell something incorrectly in which case genuinej will be on you like a pedant Nazi. Grant can be a little tricky sometimes too; but he comes from the colonies so it is understandable. I went to Inverness several times, never saw the sun.
2013-01-02| Spike saysCheers Looper.
2013-01-02| Grant saysHello Diddly Dick Don, What are you on…?
2013-01-02| mike saysAs an Artist of years gone by I’m sitting here Spellbound by your stunning photos -Absolutely Marvelous. How Wonderful to capture those Colourful Experiences - I wish I was there. No I don’t - I would have missed all the angles and moments you had ,saw and shot. Thank you for sharing….When is the calendar coming out ? My Calender for this year is C**P. A present from my in-laws. Oh,Well.
2013-01-03| Chang Noi saysSeeing this wonderful photos of wonderful coloured people we all must also thank SWMBO for dragging Spike to Laos. Thinking of wonderful colours …. if SWMBO did not drag you there already you should visit Dan Sai at Saturday & Sunday after the full moon day of the 6th lunar month (mostly in July).
2013-01-03| Spike saysLuang Prabang was engineered by myself. SWMBO asked if we could take her Mum wherever we went. I knew her Mum likes temples; so I suggested LP as a wonderful place to take her Mum; failing to mention my long unsatisfied desire to visit the place to take photos. We all enjoyed the trip so everyone was happy. Thanks for the Dan Sai suggestion: 2010_06_i-dont-see-dead-people