Dawn to Dusk
A village in somewhere in Myanmar.
Village women carrying baskets hanging from a stick on their shoulders head homeward after a day’s work in the fields. Now to make dinner and afterward perhaps spin thread on an old fashioned spinning wheel or weave fabric to make a longyi or skirt, then get the children to bed, feed the animals, etc. No wonder the women are so slender.
(BTW, those longyi skirts are nice! You do have the problem of frequently hitching them up but it’s a one size fits all situation. I love that, don’t you? The longyi is worn by both men and women. The shirt is either tucked in or left out. With a mandarin collared blouse, it’s a nice look for any age woman. I can’t wait until the weather warms up so I can wear mine!)
- The Work Ethic is Alive and Well in a Burmese Village
It was well past sunset when we visited this village in the jungle. How this elderly woman could see to spin boggled my mind. The light looks bright because I used my ‘on camera’ flash. The guide told us that she was 80 years old, but I don’t think so. She was at least in her 60’s though and look at how limber she is. When there are no chairs, legs stay strong. How many western men or women, at this age, could sit in this position and then rise without help? Something to think about. I don’t want to ever be dependent on a helping hand to rise from the floor. I don’t want to be dependent period!
Look how lovely she looks in her blouse and longyi. She never has to wonder about the latest style, but I’m sure she enjoys choosing her fabrics. This was a silk weaving village and the sheen of her blouse and longyi make me think it is silk. All that she wears is traditional, her hairstyle and her dress. It must save a lot of time and effort not to have to consider whether or not you are in style.
breathtaking silhouettes and van gogh sky!
Thanks, Torie. You’ve made my day. I’m hoping you’ll have a great day as well.
This photo is posed. Our guide, Win, hired these women to bring their baskets and parade back and forth on the top of this ditch. We huddled in the ditch and shot up at them. It would be rare if not impossible to get this kind of photo without hiring models. This is where a guide is necessary. Win sent the driver to round up the women while we were shooting in another location.
One woman had placed her toddler in one of her baskets. Sweet! I’ll show that later.
Rosemary