2018-05-25

Day 4– Wutai

#KantaTaiwan Day 4, journal, Friday 25 May on the southern hills of Taiwan, Wutai

  1. Part of the village is in intensive mode, it's the morning before the wedding and preparations and gifts distribution is in order, 8 pigs in total, headresses and the special miller wrap
  2. Elder ladies making the headdresses for the ceremony
  3. 80 portions, pork distributed among the extended family and community in this groom's village, yesterday it was for bride's village
  4. making of the millet wrap
  5. millet wrap
  6. Rubu, my first traditional #rukai meal of rice, corn and water spinach in a porridge like broth
  7. Attempted daytime portrait sessions with grandma #8intrepid #intrepidcamera
  8. reviewing the prints
  9. Instant portraits of @legeay731216 in his grandfather's hall
  10. Given a lesson in making natural jelly, using the inner spirit to bring out the taste. Wild Yee collected from a mountain lake makes the best tasting jelly I've tasted.
  11. Spent the late afternoon walking to professor's house for a portrait, but he wasn't in. Only saw 1 other person in the village when I was walking back, setup at the square and made a portrait of visiting couple. Coffee champion aunt stall in the background.
  12. Language class with Moo Moo (grandfather) who was previously a rukai language teacher in the community too. A very well respected elder, with a wealth of memories and stories from the past. 
  13. Calinga / Telinga / Ear, we share many rudimentary words. #austronesian origins of Malaysia and alot of tribes in East Malaysia. Where we are from.
  14. Cultural Mapping, is all documented, in oral traditions through songs, stories now dotted on the map as reference points. This publication from early 2000, hasn't had a public release yet, but holds so much important notes and references for their village and tribe. Needs a champion to pull it through.

The close knit of the community, roles and function, plays such important roles in keeping these cultures and structure alive. Rituals and practices might change, but what holds a village together is by working together, eating together, respecting each other. And it starts from the smallest nucleus of the family. #KantaPortraits #BeyondBorders #EdgesofMalaysia

1. wedding and preparations

2. making the headdresses

3. pork distributed

4. making of millet wrap

5. millet wrap

6. traditional #rukai meal

7. daytime portrait sessions

8. reviewing prints

9. Instant portraits

10. making natural jelly

11. setup at the square

12. Language class

13. Calinga / Telinga / Ear

14. Cultural Mapping