Christmas Eve was spent traveling north of Chiang Mai, with our guide Sarah and PLa our driver to the Lisu Village. We first stopped at the Orphanage where Sarah coordinates the safety and security of young children in the area. She has 10 or so children at the orphanage we visited, and we got to listen to them sing songs, and visited with them a bit. BC, Mark, Tiffany and I sang Silent Night and Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer to the children and taught them a game. Sarah was our translator as the lady working in the Orphanage, our driver, and the children included did not speak English.
After the stop with the kids we continued on our way to the Village. We arrived in the dark and followed the way down the hill to the hut we were staying in for the night. Three ladies cooked us a meal of rice, beans, black chicken, and fresh papaya. Black Chicken is typically used only for special occasions, so these tribe people really went all out for our arrival. We spent the night in one of their huts with cardboard for a ceiling, it was definitely not the most luxurious accommodations, but the gesture behind the offering was very moving.
We all crashed quite early and I woke up a few times in the night and one time went outside and saw the brightest moon in the sky I have ever seen. I could see well into the valley and could make out the outline of the mountains before me. It was awe inspiring and one of those 'pinch me' moments that I have often found myself in as I have traveled this year. How did I end up in this place? What was I to learn from this particular stop in the journey? Would I be able to remember forever what the trees looked like in the moonlight? It was breathtaking. A perfect way to celebrate the birth of Christ.
Awaking to a rooster is not my favorite, but we all did around 8am and went outside to get warm. The man we were staying with put on the Backstreet Boys, which was classically funny. I think what struck me most about the Lisu village was the colliding of two worlds. They did not have elaborate homes, or a modern kitchen...but they did have a TV with a CD player and some electricity. No comfy mattresses, no built four walls- and yet they all walked around with cell phones. It was the strangest experience to watch.
Christmas morning breakfast included rice that combined with coconut milk and pan fried to be dipped in sugar, again a meal typically served once a year. With all of their gestures we were treated like royalty in their culture. It was a completely challenging experience- wanting comfort that is familiar, but accepting their offering with complete grace and appreciation.
After breakfast we went up to the playing field and welcomed the children of the village for treats we brought and games. We tried to teach them tag, it didn't quite go as we had planned. But 'Simon Says' was a true winner. We gave candy and cookies, and Tiffany made spiced apple cider- we sang songs, and we prayed for them. The Lisu people for the most part do practice Christianity so to celebrate Christmas with them was perfect.
We went to the village nearby that was 6 miles from Burma that was also celebrating the birth of Christ. There was a random Ferris wheel, and all of the food vendors were out and buzzing with their culinary creations. We met Amanda from Kansas who is in Thailand teaching at a local English School and is engaged to a Lisu man---the questions we all had were outstanding. "Why?" "Where are you getting married?" "How did you meet?" We tried to pace ourselves and not completely judge her, but it was just one of those things that I couldn't believe. But she seemed happy and excited!
Lunch where we stayed went well, and we packed up for the greatest thing ever: ELEPHANT RIDING!
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