First, a member of this hill tribe took us on a short walking tour of the village. The inhabitants live as they have for generations in simple huts. Families still cultivate crops of staples such as corn, rice and soybeans.

With the assistance of our guide as translator, we were able to speak with a local woman spinning thread outside hers. The thread would be used in the distinctive and intricate handmade Hmong weaving and embroidery they are known for. Of course, fine examples of this colorful work were available for purchase.

I was suddenly reminded of  childhood fairy tales involving spinning wheels. A princess who pricked her finger while spinning wool into yarn, falling into a deep sleep for a hundred years. Apparently, it was just a hobby and no one was relying on her handiwork for their livelihood.  A girl spinning straw into gold based on someone else’s greed until she could cleverly gain her release. Fabric is nowhere near as profitable as precious metals.

Today, machines have taken over textile manufacturing in uniform mass quantities. Garments produced by the thousands in factories are shipped all over the world. But here and now in Thailand, needlework is still done by women in a labor-intensive process with attention to detail.

Remember those young girls waiting. Patience is an important skill in this type of work. These crafts will be passed down to them from their mothers as they were from their grandmothers.

Hurry up and wait. It’s difficult to sit backstage, fully costumed and ready to go. Expecting small children to do the same is asking for patience worthy of a saint.

I spied these two little girls sitting quietly outside ”in the wings”, as it were. They both turned simultaneously, casting a glance over their shoulders at several classmates who were expending their nervous energy in  a very different way, by playing a rather rough and tumble game of chase and tag.

We had come to Khun Chang Kien, a Hmong village with a prearranged purpose.  The owners of a local Chiang Mai tour company, Window of Thailand, had worked with a local charity to set up our visit. The company is a family business run by three sisters and a brother-in-law. Two of the sisters, Mayuree (left) and Chintana (right) Suwawan, who spent the entire day with us are pictured here. They went out of their way to accommodate several requests and certainly exemplified the best of Thai hospitality.

We had brought reading books and school supplies to donate to the local elementary school. The school administration had several things planned for us before the donation would be officially made and formally received.

First, a member of this hill tribe took us on a short walking tour of the village. The inhabitants live as they have for generations in simple huts. Families still cultivate crops of staples such as corn, rice and soybeans.

With the assistance of our guide as translator, we were able to speak with a local woman spinning thread outside hers. The thread would be used in the distinctive and intricate handmade Hmong weaving and embroidery they are known for. Of course, fine examples of this colorful work were available for purchase.

I was suddenly reminded of  childhood fairy tales involving spinning wheels. A princess who pricked her finger while spinning wool into yarn, falling into a deep sleep for a hundred years. Apparently, it was just a hobby and no one was relying on her handiwork for their livelihood.  A girl spinning straw into gold based on someone else’s greed until she could cleverly gain her release. Fabric is nowhere near as profitable as precious metals.

Today, machines have taken over textile manufacturing in uniform mass quantities. Garments produced by the thousands in factories are shipped all over the world. But here and now in Thailand, needlework is still done by women in a labor-intensive process with attention to detail.

Remember those young girls waiting. Patience is an important skill in this type of work. These crafts will be passed down to them from their mothers as they were from their grandmothers.

Hurry up and wait. It’s difficult to sit backstage, fully costumed and ready to go. Expecting small children to do the same is asking for patience worthy of a saint.

I spied these two little girls sitting quietly outside “in the wings”, as it were. They both turned simultaneously, casting a glance over their shoulders at several classmates. They were expending their nervous energy in  a very different way, by playing a rather rough and tumble game of chase and tag.

We had come to Khun Chang Kien, a Hmong village with a prearranged purpose.  The owners of a local Chiang Mai tour company, Window of Thailand, had worked with a local charity to set up our visit. The company is a family business run by three sisters and a brother-in-law. Two of the sisters, Mayuree (left) and Chintana (right) Suwawan, who spent the entire day with us are pictured here. They went out of their way to accommodate several requests and certainly exemplified the best of Thai hospitality.

We had brought reading books and school supplies to donate to the local elementary school. The school administration had several things planned for us before the donation would be officially made and formally received.