Hmong Girls, Sa Pa, Vietnam

In the Summer of 2009, my travels took me to the hills of Sa Pa in North Vietnam. Unlike the rest of Vietnam's smoldering Summer heat and pollution, Sa Pa is a refreshing escape, with a cool, fresh breeze and an average temperature of 15 degrees Celsius. Characterized by green rice paddies high up on the mountain-side, a midst the spray of the clouds, its like a heaven on earth.

Sa Pa is predominantly inhabited by the Hmong people, making up around 52 per cent of it population. Outside of Vietnam, the Hmong also have significant populations in China and Laos. Although Hmong society is traditionally rather patriarchal, there seems to have been a shift in female attitude in the mountains of Sa Pa. A possible cause of this change in mindset may be down to the daily interaction of the Hmong girls, who mostly work as tour guides, with Westerners. Not only does their English improve, but they also seem to be changing attitudes about the role of women in society. In the Hmong sisters bar, where many of the girls relax after work, and enjoy the company of foreigners, I played pool with some of them. When they played against male competitors, they seemed to enjoy beating them even more, as they jeered at their male opponents, whilst being more respectful to female ones. Even in Western society, we don't often see women mocking and challenging men in sports, but the Hmong girls seemed intent on crushing whatever ego the men had. This could be their way of expressing their freedom outside of their home, where they may be expected to act in a more submissive way with men of their own tribe.

Whilst walking with a Hmong girl and two male trekking partners, the female guide expressed that I should not let men treat me in any way disrespectfully. She made it quite clear that she regarded women very highly and that they should be treated with respect. She said she wanted to study and go to university too, showing the ambition of Hmong girls to eventually leave Sa Pa. The level of English of the young Hmong girls was astounding, considering that they had only learnt it from tourists. As a fellow woman, I found my stay in Sa Pa very comfortable. Even male tourists there seemed to enjoy the feisty, energetic personalities of the Hmong girls, as a stark contrast to the stereotypical, quiet, shy Southeast Asian girls. I will leave you with these images of the beautiful landscapes and people of Sa Pa.

Khalsa Diwan Gurdwara: Lessons and Langar

The Gurdwara
A Gurdwara is literally a ‘doorway to the Guru.’ This means that it houses the Guru Granth Sahib, otherwise known as the Adi Granth Sahib, which is the Sikh’s most devotional holy scripture and the successor of the last living Guru. Its importance can be understood when considering that it is believed to be the embodiment of the ten Guru’s, who will be described later.
We put on rumal before entering the Gurdwara, and removed our shoes, following universal patterns of religious worship. We proceeded to the Darbar Sahib where we heard Shabad played on Harmonium and Tabla.
The music was very peaceful and thought provoking. Verses from the Guru Granth Sahib were recited, as it was fanned by a Chaur as a sign of respect. Worshippers entered the hall, laid offerings, bowed to the Guru, prayed and left the hall whilst still facing the Guru, as further sign of respect.

The Gurus and their Teachings
Many people misunderstand the Sikh belief in the Gurus. The role of a Guru is that of a teacher, who guides his students, the Sikhs. Contrary to common misinterpretation, the Gurus are not Gods. Sikhs believe in only one God, as all other mono-theistic Religions do. This is echoed in the Mul Mantra, the most important phrase in the Guru Granth Sahib, which begins, “One Universal Creator, the Name is Truth, Creative Being personified…”
The Ik Onkar, seen below, is a symbol of the oneness of God. It translates to mean “There is only one God.” Another symbol of Sikhism, which is displayed at the beginning of this report, is Khanda. The circle, chakkar, represents the eternal nature of God. Then the double-sided sword through the middle embodies the knowledge of God. Finally, the two swords pointing upwards represent Miri and Piri, political and spiritual sovereignty respectively. The separate parts together make up the essence of Sikhism.

One of the main teachings of Sikhism is the equality of all people regardless of their race, gender, colour, caste or Religion. This is an echo of Guru Nanak’s wise words, “Call everyone noble, none is lowborn: there is only one potter, God, who has fashioned everyone alike. God’s is the only light that pervades all creation.” (AG 62) The concept of equality is also reflected in the Langar, which will be discussed later. Guru Gobind Singh gave all Sikhs the name Singh, meaning Lion, to replace their caste-specific names. This way, people would be more united and would not discriminate each other by caste.
Whilst we were being educated by one of the speakers, I was warmed by the words which I heard. Everything he said reminded me of my own personal beliefs. There is one quote which strikes me the most:
“A Sikh should be a Brahmin in piety, a Kshatriya in defence of truth and the oppressed, a Vaishya in business acumen and hard work, and a Shudra in serving humanity. A Sikh should be all castes in one person, who should be above caste.”

The Five Kakars of Khalsa
One part of the teachings which I found most interesting is the five Ks. Devoted Sikhs, or Khalsa, must carry on them or retain five things. The first, and maybe most visible, is Kesh. The hair is considered as something sacred, which God gave us, and should therefore not be cut. Instead, it is grown long, kept clean and neat and is wrapped up in a turban. Women should abide by the same rule, but are not required to tie a turban.
The second Kakar is Kangha, which is the comb used to keep the Kesh tidy. When it is not in use, it is tucked behind the Kesh, under the turban. Thirdly, a Kirpan, a small sword, represents a Sikh’s duty to bring justice and protect the vulnerable. Then there is the Kachh, a cotton under garment which is worn under the trousers, is said to represent sexual restraint. This means they are reminded to be loyal to their partners and not to be promiscuous. Finally, the Kara, which is an iron/steel bracelet, has multiple meanings. It’s circular shape represents God’s infinity and a reminder to always do only good with your hands.
The amount of discipline required to be Khalsa is highly admirable. Those Sikhs who choose to keep Kesh must awaken up to 2 hours before leaving the house, in order to clean and prepare their kesh, turban, and pray. Then when they return home, they must do the same before bed. Getting into this kind of routine tends to keep one in good habits, preventing them from straying into ‘bad paths.’

Langar: Equality at Meal-times
The final part of the visit was eating Langar, which is a traditional way of communal eating. It represents the equality of all. Everyone eats the same vegetarian food, in the same way, on the floor, with their hands.
Sewadars, who voluntarily give service in the Gurdwara, helped distribute the food to us. In my culture, we feel a little shy to ask for seconds or even thirds, so I was a little hesitant to ask for more roti. However, I later learned that it is actually seen as a good thing to eat more. We ate two types of daal, to be eaten with roti.

Conclusion
The experience of visiting the Gurdwara opened my mind in that I began to understand the meanings behind things I had seen many times before. I enjoyed having the teachings given by the people in the Gurdwara because they were noble and kind-spoken. My favourite part of the visit was the Langar because I like to feel included and equal to everyone else, as we all sat together, eating the same. I had entered the Gurdwara without any expectations, and I left with a mindful of thoughts and inspiration.

2010 Elections: Filipino "Heroes" Vote in Hong Kong

Hong Kong's Non-Chinese Side

Strangers into Citizens Rally

Thousands of people, from all nationalities, came together to give a voice to the migrant worker population. Many gathered in Trafalgar square to hear the Asian Dub Foundation play and various political speakers from across Europe and the World give their opinion about how Britain treats migant workers. Overall, there was a concensus that there needs to be change by regularising undocumented migrants who have worked in UK for years but do not enjoy any rights. It also highlighted the plight of Malaysians with British-overseas-citizenship, who are often turned away by their own country (UK) eventhough they were born with only British passports.

For our group, the events began in Chinatown where the speeches drew attention from hundreds of Chinese migrants. After the lion-dog and dragon performance, the crowds of hundreds of Chinese followed the lion-dogs on a march to Trafalgar square chanting about workers rights. The event was an overall success which we hope will catch the eye of the Conservatives and Labour (as Liberal Democrats already support us), in order for the regularisation of migrant workers to be passed in parliament. It was touching to see the Chinese community stand so strong and united, of all ages. Those who could not join us, gazed out of their shop windows to watch the march. One man held a sign which struck me most. It said, 'black cats can also catch mice, ability has no ethnicity.' And this captured the essence of the campaign.