| Ma No, a member of the Burmese
Paduang people colloquially known as the 'long necks' owing to the displacement
from progressively stacking these brass rings over the neck. Contrary to
what we were told locally, the rings can be removed, when the displacement
is very noticeable. We never did find out whether the shoulders are pushed
down, as indicated by one reporter, or the neck stretched. The practice
derives from the once held belief that it protected from Tigers. Ma No lives
in Thailand in her village a short distance from the Thai town of Mae Hong
Son close to the Myanmar border. |
A little Hmong girl swings delightedly
on the tribal swing erected in the market. This was a lovely moment to witness,
in this troubled world a simple swing served to remind me that despite,
ethnic, religious and geo-political differences we are all human . |