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Richard Humpheries (Black and White) Jason Miller Shwe Koako, Karen State Sylvia Murcfeld Photographs Jean de La Tour Richard Humphries _______________ Version Date June 2004 12/01/2005 Website: Designed, Built and written by Paul Keenan |
Name
Daw Ngya Kin
Age
80
Sex
Female
Religion Buddhist Occupation Farmer
Location Umpium
Mai
What did you do when you lived in Burma?
For
me, when I have free time I used to do weaving. Somtimes I worked in the field. Now I can’t do anything
because I am old.
What traditions did you have about weddings and
death? They have Karen traditional songs. They sing and go around the dead body.
About the wedding first a man must ask an old man to go to
the man's house and arrange the date? In the morning they have tie their wrists
with string .
Where we did you get education?
We
didn’t have time to find education, because we must take care women have
to give birth .
What is
the difference between when you lived in Burma and here?
We
can’t stay in Burma; we always must escape, Burmese troops look for our
family, because my son is a Karen soldier. They
arrested me two times, but Burmese troops let
me
escape . At last Karen leaders took
our family
through in night to Kaw Htoo Lei. If they hadn't we
would die in Burma.
Who keeps the money after you get
married?
Usually
I keep money.
Why did you get married?
For
me, if I have children when they are adult they will feed their parents. One day they
will have marry and we can see a grandson or granddaughter.
Do some people divorce after they get married?
Nobody does it.
How many children do you have?
I
have three children.
How did people celebrate Karen New Year?
When we lived in Burma we never saw people celebrate Karen New Year, because
the Burmese
government
did
not allow
it for Karen people . Now we stay here we see every year such
as Karen traditions such as young people celebrate with old men.
Women
wear Karen longyi, Karen women can weave. Men wear Karen shirt
What difficult do you when you became older?
I have a problem about my eyes. I can't see six years. But we arrived here and go to
hospital and then English take care for my eye. So I can see.
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