HEADBANDJack's family has prepared huge amounts of food for us: rice, chicken, pork, all washed down with bottled water. Now it's time to watch the traditional Karen dancing competitions and be deafeaned by the rock bands that are cheek by jowl with the dancers.
Doh dancing is very energetic; dancers are constantly in motion, hands and wrists twirling, feet ( clad in white socks ) skipping, hopping, dipping. While dancing, they sing, accompanied by percussion and a chorus. The dance vocabulary is uncomplicated but the patterns of choreography are not. All this done on tarpaulin-covered ground, full of bumps and dips, Boys wear longys in brilliant blues, yellows, and greens, with long sleeved white shirts under a traditional woven Karen top. Girls wear bright sarongs in neon fuschia or yellow, form-fitting Karen blouses in matching color and flick white hankies attached to a finger. Everyone has a head band of some sort. The dances are looooong, 20 to 30 minutes, so when the troupe is finished they are dripping and their once white socks are grey.
BOYS DANCINGThe rock band is mostly loud and very popular. There's a sliver of moon and Venus shines brilliantly.
SHIRT WITH A MESSAGEAfter a '3 in 1' Nescafe ( coffee, powdered milk, sugar in a packet, add hot water) we head for bed. The music continues, the generators throb, and at 1 am we are awakened by the sounds of rocket fire. No, it's not an attack, it's only fireworks. Yikes!
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