Back in Thailand for We Rock Long Distance 2011

We Rock Long Distance: Thailand blog

For more info Check out:
http://www.werocklongdistance.com/

Yes I have returned to Thailand since 2008 for a new project with ethnomusicologist and filmmaker Justin Schell. I am planning to reconnect, learn and shake things up like when trying to get out the last few drops of siracha sauce from the bottle. I am hoping to perform again at the Hmong new years in Thailand late December. Also get at other Hmong artists, musicians and poets in the villages and universities of Norther Thailand. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who supported us for this project. I will not forget your love and support.

Here is a blurb from our purpose.

While in Thailand, Lee will reconnect with family members still in the Hmong villages around Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, learn about the traditional poetry of kwv txhiaj and paj huam, collaborate and record with singers and poets, conduct workshops, and explore the connections between Hmong hip-hop in Thailand and Hmong hip-hop in America as he explores the global movement of hip-hop amongst the dispersed Hmong people.

We made a documentary called Travel in Spirals from the footage collected in 2008.

Here is info on that

Travel in Spirals Description:

'Travel in Spirals' tells the story of Hmong hip-hop MC, spoken word poet, and community organizer Tou SaiKo Lee as he journeys back to his birthplace of Thailand. Born on the Nongkhai refugee camp, his parents fled Laos after the Vietnam War and came to America when Tou was two months old. Taking its title from the spirals in Hmong paj ntaub, the story cloths that for many years were a way for the Hmong people to tell their history before a written language, 'Travel in Spirals' documents Tou’s journey to the source of himself and his heritage almost 30 years after he left.

With the help of amazing linguist Sherry Ly, we translated the documentary from English to Hmong language. We are planning to show the documentary in villages and universities of Northern Thailand.

FLY AIGHT

We got dropped off at the Minneapolis airport by my mom Chy Yang Lee and the enigmatic Rebel Song.

The flight was 20 something hours...

At the Bangkok airport I saw Ronald McDonald doing the Thai greeting "Sawatdee"
(Note: We did not eat there)


At the airport, I also saw a National Geographic Thailand Travel book which has a Hmong woman on the cover.


The flight from Bangkok airport was one hour. We got picked up at Chiang Rai airport by family (Aunt Joua, Cousin Pao and a Khmer homie named UV) with a Toyoda truck. We drove three hours to the Hmong village "Zos Quav" where they live in Northern Thailand which is not on the map.



Gardening / Farming has been the heartbeat, survival and identity of the Hmong people throughout history. I am always amazed by the scenery of gardens by Hilltribes that reside along Mountains.


The Rice Fields for Real On second day we got to experience my Aunt Joua and her three sons (Pao, Pha, Hua) fan out debris from rice stalks seeds "Yaj Nplej" and I also got to "Ntuas Nplej" hitting the seeds from the rice stalks.



Why do Hmong people live in the Mountains?
Aunt Joua answered this by saying that Hmong people could be free in isolation and focused on farming and family life without influence from control or corruption of outside world. Also being amongst the mountains keeps Hilltribe people away from diseases and pollution that may be around the flatlands. It keeps them healthy through natural food, physical activity and being amongst nature/plant-life.



Using our Cabbages. We drove by huge piles of cabbages along the recently paved roads up the mountain. Hmong people along with other Hilltribes were asked to grow significant amounts of cabbage by the Thai government for relief efforts of the recent flood that has devastated areas in Thailand last month.


Txom Nyem
Aunt Joua says that they can earn up to what would be equal to $5 farming all day, each day.
My dad once told me that they were so poor, up to 5 People would share one spoon when eating a meal together. A person would take a scoop of food and pass it the next. When it was time to eat we all had our own spoon and fork at the table so I mentioned what my father said about the one spoon for 5 people. My cousin Pov Vwj who recently graduated from Mission college replied- that's how he ate meals growing up. I actually feel that my family in Thailand is still struggling as much as when I visited them in 2008...tabsis they seem to be as strong of a bonded family as ever working together to thrive.

Electricity and paved roads came to many Hmong villages in the mountains within the last decade in Thailand.

Laundry and Dishes (Everyday people)
We hand-wash our own clothing with a special soap and dry them out on wires. Me and cousin Pov wash dishes in the backyard.



Pomegranate We got to eat deliciously sour young pomegranate fruits that are soft and had to use a spoon to scoop. Different from eating them in the US.



*Deep Breath* ...its a recognizable feeling and reconnecting with my relatives there from last time felt "rooted" to me. It took a while to get use to living in the village but its a spectacular feeling all over again. The truck took us around curvy roller-coaster like roads by many different villages of Hmong, Mien, Chinese, Liso and other people that have made Mountain tops their home. Getting settled now and ready to do some creativity and interaction in a few days. Thank you for reading. - Tou SaiKo Lee

Hmong Village "Zos Qhuav"