When we had finished watching and Sebastian had filmed Daw Mee Myine, we visited Daw Me Thein who is 68. We were invited to drink Chinese tea, which, on such a hot day was very welcome. The word got around the village that we were filming which was exciting and giving out glasses at the same time made it even more exciting. U Town Win (55) and Daw Oun Shine (68) had broad smiles on their faces when they left wearing their new glasses.
The
next person Sebastian needed to film was Daw Me Thein who is a split bamboo
wall weaver. Young people go into the forest for her and cut slim green bamboo
about 12 foot in length. She slices the bamboo into short slim slivers then
weaves them on to much longer slim slivers.
These long split bamboo woven panels will eventually be used in the
walls of someones house or hut. Each six-foot rectangle of the woven bamboo sells for Kyat 150
(A thousand Kyat is roughly US$1). When she sells the woven panel she gives
Kyat 50 to the young people who cut each one. Her husband does not live in the
village we were visiting because he has had a stroke, which is common here,
even with young people. Daw Me Thein lives here with her widowed sister who
helps her with her work.
Suddenly
there were squeals of delight. Saya Htay had handed Daw Thin Seint (50) some anigyi (close up) glasses and suddenly
she could read again after ten years. Up until then, for years her eyes, which
watered all the time clouded her vision. The glasses seem to overcome the
watering.
Later there was a funny incident when Saya Htay handed an old lady
glasses and gave her something to read. The old lady told us she had no
education and could not read: even the Gifts of Sight couldn’t fix that!
It is not possible to post pictures here - well not in my lifetime anyway - so the pictures will be on Facebook or through Dropbox.
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