The puppeteers of the Htwe Oo Myanmar puppet show in Yangon, Myanmar.
The International Folk Art Market (IFAM) is the largest of its kind in the world, bringing Folk Art artists and their cooperatives from all corners of the world to Sante Fe, New Mexico. In the past ten years, 780 artists from 80 countries have participated in the Market generating more than $19 million in sales, 90 percent of which has gone home with the artists. For one weekend in July, you meet the world.
I met Khin Maung Htwe and Tin Tin Oo, a husband and wife team from Myanmar who specializes in traditional Myanmar puppetry. Khin Maung Htwe and his cooperative, Htwe Oo Myanmar are based in Yangon where they also have a puppet theatre in downtown Yangon. They travel the world to share their art and participate in puppetry competitions.
Htwe Oo Myanmar’s puppetry follows 600 years of tradition and represents the less than 30 remaining puppeteers in Yangon. The puppeteers make the marionettes featured in their shows and for sales in their on-site shop and markets such as IFAM.
Traditionally the puppets were used for education and entertainment and played a role in media, reporting sensitive events to the king through stage performance.
Htwe Khin Maung and Tin Tin Oo brought their 10-year-old son, Thet Paing Htwe Oo to Santa Fe as they have passed down the traditional art form to him. The mother and son duo performed on the stage at the Market
throughout the weekend.
I can’t wait to travel to Myanmar for the first time with my father in October 2015 and plan to isit Htwe Oo Myanmar when I am there.
Khin Maung Htwe and his wife Tin Tin Oo
Until next time,
Andrea… and my wandering iPhone
UPDATE:
On October 31st, 2015 — While in Yangon, Myanmar visiting family and travelling the country, my family and I went to the Htwe Oo Myanmar puppet show. The theatre is located on Sule Pagoda Road near the Sule Shangri-La hotel. It was easy to make reservations which can be done by calling or emailing.
We were treated to a 45-minute show as well as a history of puppetry. After the show, we got to try our hand at puppetry. They make handling the marionettes look so easy, but I can assure you it’s not.
My family in Yangon had never seen a Myanmar puppet show before and enjoyed it as much as I did. We had many laughs as we each took turns trying the puppets. It is an excellent show and a fun night out in Yangon. If you’re ever in Yangon, be sure to visit the family-run Htwe Oo Myanmar.
My cousin and father trying their hand at puppetry at the Htwe Oo Myanmar puppet show in Yangon, Myanmar.
Le Centre Culturel c’est là the taxi driver announced.
C’est le Centre Culturel Derkle? I ask.
Non, c’est le Centre Culturel Americain
Derkle? He sounded confused.
I think back to my conversation with Amina, the nanny at my friend’s house. She also thought I was going to the American cultural centre. Maybe it’s the one most visitors go to in Dakar. I remembered that I saw ‘liberté six’ on the map when I showed her the location.
Now in the taxi and somewhat lost, I pull the map out of my travel bag and show it to him while pointing to The Derkle Cultural Centre.
C’est là, en liberté six.
Ah, oui, je le sais maintenant.
Ndiaye smiles and turns the taxi around as he knows where to go now. Relief spreads over me. For a moment, I imagined myself lost in Dakar and not being able to explain where I wanted to go. Senegal is the first place I’ve ever been where English speakers were difficult to find, a new experience for me.
Dakar Street Life on route to the Derkle Cultural Centre
We pull up to a rose-colored building in the middle of a residential neighbourhood in Dakar. There isn’t a tourist in sight.
C’est ici says, Ndiaye. I look around and hesitantly step out of the familiarity of the taxi and Ndiaye.
Merci Ndiaye, je vais vous répondre ici à six heures
D’accord, à six heures
Thanking him as I get out of the taxi, we make plans to meet at 6 o’clock that evening. I know that it’s the correct place as I spotted a sign before leaving the car.
There is a gated entry way; I walk through. A circle of senior women are on my right. They gathered in the shade of a tree. I can hear them talking, but I don’t recognize the language. I wonder if it’s Wolof. I want to stop and interact with them, but I have a class to attend, and I’m not sure where I need to go.
Derkle Cultural Centre, Dakar, Senegal
Derkle Cultural Centre, Dakar, Senegal.
I continue and am now in the courtyard of the building. There are many rooms; they appear to be classrooms. I wonder where everyone is. I try to look for a sign
that may point to where I’m supposed to go for my Djembe lessons, but there are none. I wander around and try and listen for the sound of a drum, but again, nothing.
I go back to the front of the building and search for someone that may know where I need to go. It looks like I’m at the front office, but I’m not certain. I step inside.
Bonjour? I call out. Suddenly a man appears from a back room. Bonjour.
Savez-vous Ibou? J’ai des cours de djembe avec lui.
Non, je suis désolé mais je ne le connais pas.
I’ve just asked if he knows Ibou, the man I’m supposed to meet. He tells me that he’s sorry but doesn’t know him. I thank him and say goodbye. The only person who seems to know anything about the place doesn’t know the person I’m supposed to meet.
I’m not even sure where I am in Dakar. I don’t know how far away my friend’s house is, and I wonder if there is a local bus nearby but then I don’t know how to get back to my friend’s house. I don’t have a transit map, and I don’t have a data connection as I couldn’t get my Senegal SIM card to work. I don’t even have Ndiaye, the taxi driver’s number, and I’m not sure I can speak French well enough to get me to where I need to go. Suddenly, I feel ill-prepared, and a bit of panic begins to set in.
I take a deep breath.
Okay Andrea, relax. Think. You are more prepared than this; you can handle this. In my excitement, I forgot that I was supposed to call the drumming instructor when I arrived. Good thing I added an Africa phone and text plan to my iPhone the night before since my local SIM didn’t work. I look on my phone, and there’s the information I need. I dial the number. A voice answers.
Salaam alaikum
Alaikum Salaam. Hello, is that Ibou?
Yes, this is Ibou
Great! It’s Andrea; I’m here at the front.
Okay, I’ll find you there
I exhale.
A group of drummers at a local cultural centre in Dakar, Senegal. The man in the blue shirt on the right is Ibou and was my djembe instructor.
From spontaneous drumming with a young shopkeeper at the popular V&A waterfront arts and crafts building to hearing the personal path of an apprentice Sangoma in a local township to singing Christmas carols with 5000 locals against the backdrop of Table Mountain, it was the most incredible trip of my life. I went to the Cape for the great white sharks, the penguins and the scenery, but came home with moments that I will never forget.
INSPIRING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN KHAYELITSHA
I found Uthando South Africa on Trip Advisor and contacted James (the director) about their trips to Khayelitsha. I wanted to visit a township in a responsible, respectable and non-intrusive manner. After learning that Uthando is a non-profit and fair trade certified tourism organization and that you visit community development projects, I was sure that I had booked the right tour for me.
EKHAYA EKASI ART & EDUCATION CENTRE
Our first stop was to eKhaya eKasi Art & Education Centre. We met Lulama, the managing director of the centre and were given a tour and history of the centre. We learned about the programs such as women’s skills development and had an opportunity to see some of the women create handmade crafts. I loved that the centre empowers women by teaching them arts and crafts so they may sell their products to provide for their families. At the end of our visit, we had the option to visit the on-site boutique where we were able to purchase the crafts that were made by the women and other artists in Khayelitsha. One of my favourite souvenirs and gifts for family and friends was the heart ornaments made of shweshwe fabric, a traditional South African fabric. It was an opportunity to buy local and make a direct contribution.
I was then able to personally give the donated items I brought from Canada. To be able to choose, purchase, pack, carry and pass them from my hands to Lulama’s was an incredible feeling. Visiting the centre with Uthando was a definite highlight of my trip to Cape Town. It was inspiring to see the great things that were happening at eKhaya eKasi.
shweshwe heart ornaments made by women at eKhaya eKasi Art & Education Centre in Khayelitsha, South Africa
The view from the rooftop of eKhaya eKasi
ABALIMI BEZEKHAYA
We then continued on to Abalimi Bezekhaya’s organic garden centre in Khayelitsha where we met Mama Nokwanda. We learned how the women learn how to grow, harvest, provide for themselves and sell their produce to organizations outside of the Townships. Great progress had been made in the area of organic produce especially considering the dune-sand conditions on which they grow the vegetables.
Mama Nokwanda, Khayelitsha, South Africaorganic gardens in Khayelitsha, South Africa
THOKAZANI BROTHERS
Our final visit was to the Thokazani Brothers. They are a choir that originally started with a group of men, but has expanded to include male and female youth from the township. They sing traditional songs. In addition, the adult leaders provide counselling and friendship to the youth and the building houses a creche (daycare). This group is sponsored by Uthando South Africa and was getting ready for a very important performance at Kirstenbosch Gardens for the 20th anniversary of Carols by Candlelight that was only 3 days away. We were treated to a beautiful performance by the youth of Khayelitsha. I had no idea what was being sung as it was in isiXhosa, but music has a way of expressing itself universally and I found it moving.
Thokazani Brothers, Khayelitsha, South Africa
Khayelitsha, South Africa
My visit to each of the community development projects in Khayelitsha left me feeling inspired and moved. It was amazing to see the work being done by community members and leaders, a real grassroots endeavour. Each leader of the projects works hard to pass on skills and to uplift and empower their communities and they do so with such passion and commitment. Every tour booked with Uthando contributes to the projects visited.
GETTING IN THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT WITH NEW FRIENDS
A few days after my tour with Uthando, James invited me to attend Carols by Candlelight at Kirstenbosch Gardens with him and a few of his friends. The Thokazani group that I heard sing in Khayelitsha was the opening act. It was a thrill to not only watch them perform but to see the pride on their mother’s faces as they watched the group on stage.
The Christmas carol sing-a-long began around 8 pm in the shadow of Table Mountain, under starry skies and with the shimmering lights of Cape Town in the background. It was a different experience for me to not only be singing Christmas carols in the middle of summer (rather than in winter like at home in Toronto, Canada) but to do so with 5000 Capetonians. It was a great night and a perfect way to end my time in Cape Town.
Carols by Candlelight, Cape Town, South AfricaCarols by Candlelight – Cape Town, South Africa
SPONTANEOUS DRUMMING AT THE V&A MARKET
While wandering around the V&A Waterfront, I happened upon a djembe stall. I stopped to check out the djembes (African drum) after having lessons in Senegal the week prior. The young man who worked the shop insisted on hearing me play the djembe even though he knew I had only 2 lessons. He made me feel comfortable to play in such a public place and the next thing I knew, we were jamming. He showed me some beats on the drum and we played together for almost an hour, people even stopped to watch. Though we came from two completely different backgrounds, we connected in that experience and our mutual love of the African drum. He even suggested that I record him playing so I can practice at home.
THE SPIRIT OF UBUNTU
During my time at eKhaya eKasi, I connected with Lulama, the Managing Director or the Centre. For about 20-30 minutes on the rooftop, we discussed the challenges of running eKhaya eKasi, ways I might be able to assist and her journey to become a Sangoma (traditional healer). A moment I’ve remembered to this day (now 6 years later).
Participating in Cape Town Carols was another highlight and I enjoyed my time with the 4 people I met and spent that evening with. I was given a ticket to the event, welcomed by the group of friends, shared in their food and drink, sang and laughed with them and felt as if I had known them for a long time.
I had never encountered such openness and warmth as I did in Cape Town. I am grateful for those moments and the people I met. I know that without those experiences my time in Cape Town would only have been a series of proud accomplishments especially as a solo traveller rather than a journey of my heart. The moments inspired me to continue to live a life with an open heart. That time will forever stay with me.
I learned of the term Ubuntu, a beautiful word in the isiXhosa and isiZulu languages that in summary means “I am what I am because of who we all are.” Ubuntu speaks of the interconnectedness of all people. It is openness, caring, respect, love, community, humanity, compassion and sharing to name a few adjectives that describe the essence of the word.
These experiences in Cape Town taught me that travel is more than the seeing of the sights, it is the sharing of experiences and it is about the connections we make.
