Details

Latitude

25.234

Longitude

96.9165

Start Date

2017-02-06

End Date

2017-02-06

Translation (Htoi Awng) This is about making tea. In March and April, the tea leaves start sprouting. When the tea leaf buds and sprouts grow, people do not have time to collect the woods because they will be busy picking tea leaves. So, they store the woods first before the tea leaves start growing. When it is time to pick the leaves, they take the baskets and go to the farm to pick the tea leaves. If the farm is far, they get only one or two baskets of tea leaves. Then, they heap about two or three baskets of tea leaves on the ground each day. And they dig a hole to make a fireplace. They put a cauldron on that hole. Long time ago, there were big cauldrons that could store about twenty gallons. They also inserted the woods into the ground hole. They steam the tea leaves over that fireplace. When the leaves are getting ready, they rub the leaves. They test if the tea leaves are ready or not by touching the twigs of the leaves. When the water is simmering, the leaves are assumed to be ready. Then, they put the cauldrons down from the fireplace. They rub the soft stems of the leaves and dry the leaves in the sun. They also prepare the place to dry the leaves. It is the highland area and there are forests. So, there are plenty of bamboos too. They slice the bamboos to make the place to dry the tea leaves. And they put the steamed tea leaves over it. They heap the leaves there. After that, they light a fire. When the leaves are a bit dry, they turn into another side. Then, they put more woods into the fire. When the leaves are completely dry, they put those in huge bamboo baskets. First, they put culm sheath or Laja leaves (a kind of large leaves) under the baskets. There are plenty of big leaves (laja leaves) in the highlands. Then, they store the big baskets filled with tea leaves in the inner part of the house where is near the fireplace. If they do like that, those dry tea leaves will not be mouldy even after a year. Tea leaves are put in the boxes. Some tea leaves are put for the first layer. Then, people roast the leaves again. After that, they put another layer of tea leaves. And roast the leaves again for some time. After doing those processes, the boxes are full of tea leaves. They cut the stems of the tea leaves and put them on the shelves above the fireplace. Those tea leaves are good even after one or two years. We can put some of those dried tea leaves in hot water and drink it. In the past, people used dried bottle gourds to drink hot water. That kind of tea is very delicious and herbal too. In the past, people made tea like that. It's the end. Transcription (Lu Hkawng) E ya hpalap galaw ai lam ndai shata man masum, mali re yang gaw ndai sangyen hpalap ngu ai prut wa ai rai nga ai le Sagyen hpalap ngu ai, prut wa rai jang she, hpalap prut ai U manau nau wa ai kawn gaw hpalap di sai kawn na gaw hpun hta na aten n lu ai ngu ai hku dai hpalap n di ai lapran kaw hpun hta hpun tawng hpun gun zang tawn rai yang she ya hpalap di ram sai nga jang gaw dai hpalap di oh sun de hpun de lung htingga hpye nna lung di, htaw pa gun nna lung di, rai yang gaw lani mi hta sun tsan ai de rai jang gaw tinang gun dang gun dang di, nna wa mare kaw rai jang gaw dai hku lani mi htingga lahkawng masum di sum pum tawn rai yang she ndai tau htu tau nhkun htu tawn nna she, ndi kaw dang jang shan ai ndi, di dam, di jang, dang hpai shang ai di jang ni tan moi gaw dang lahkawng ram shang ai ndi ni mung nga ai le ndi kaba ni nga ai, dai kaw she gaba le tau htu tawn ai dai de gaw hpun tawng ni shawn bang wan wut nna lawn nna dai kaw gaba marai lahkawng gaba dip, galau yat hkut wa sai nga jang dai ndi kaw anut anut na she le ndai hpalap mahkrung, hpalap nra hpe manat yu yang loi mi prut nga jang dai hkut sai nga jang le, hteng tawn nna she shatai kaw anut, anut, anut, anut di na e, bai garai tawn bai garai tawn rai jang she oh ndai hpalap wawn na shara galaw tawn ai le bumga nam ga re nga gaw kawa ni mung grai nga ai le, kawa hpe kumhpra da nna she yawng hpalap garap galaw tawn da nna dai kaw ra, ra ra ra di nna hpalap gaba ai dai de bai sa ma ra dai de jawm ma ra nna wan wawn wan wut, wan wawn dan di na loi mi hpawn rai sa i nga jang bai galau bai wawn dan di na wawn ya gaw hkraw sai nga jang e, hkan kawp hte ndai mam ka kaba ba, kawa hte wa ai kaba ba dai kaw galaw nna hkan kawp htung dai n rai jang dai laja lap jahkraw tawn nna (aw) laja hpaw law, laja hpaw bumga kaw gaw laja hpaw ni grai nga ai gaw grai grai pa nga ai ni nga dai ni hte htun jahkraw tawn htun tawn rai ti na htaw lung din nta nhku de wan nga ai shara hkan tawn da, dan di sa nga jang gaw laning mi ladu hkrum hkra n mut ai gaw nmut, n kau mi gaw ndum kaw ndai hpa pung hpa dit dit ai ngu ai ni hpa pung kaw dai hku na dit, wat langje shet kau hkra hkra rai nna hkau lam pung zawn zawn re ai kaw adit bang dai kaw mung wan kaw dai pung hpalap loi mi bang na she hpalap ni bai ga pung sha pyi la dai di she adit bai hpalap bai bang bai loi mi ga bung sha pyi la nna bai adit rai ti ya gaw hpying sai nga sai kawn gaw dai n dum hpe sep kau di na she garap kaw galaw mara tawn e hpalap hpa pung dai gaw yat laning lahkawng ning du hkra tim mai rem ai. Dai kaw gaw kachyi mi hkrep bang nna hpum lum kaw kachyi mi hkrep bang nna moi gaw tau ba lang ai tau ba kaw tsin lu dan re hpalap ni gaw grai mu ai tsi mung tai ai e dan re galaw sha ai nga moi gaw dai kaw ngut sa.

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