Staff Picks: September 2019 Monthly Favorites
Happy First Day of Autumn! There's no better day to talk about the things that we absolutely loved this month than today. As the seasons change, and we embraced all the things that brings families and friends together (think: family outings on the pumpkin farm, Hmong New Year, trips back home to be with family, cooking with our parents all the dishes that we were raised up on), let's remember the journey that is called life that we are all on. How wonderful it is to be here on this Earth at this special time, and to see all the things that are happening in our Hmong community!
1. First Hmong to be named Miss Minnesota
How beautiful Miss Minnesota is! Pajdee Yang will be representing Minnesota in February when she goes to the national level. Her misson is to "spread love/self-love, empowerment, inner peace, compassion, kindness and unity into our community through the form of meditations, words of affirmation and public speaking - which can consist of gentle reminders with letting go of the ego in order to guide us to our higher selves." What a beautiful mission! We will be cheering this beauty on as she works to represent not only her state, but the Hmong community! Read her story here.
Source: see article.
2. Lily Vang's new song for her husband - "Hneev Taw Hlub"
Since published on September 9, 2019, her new song dedicated to her husband has gotten more than 230,000 views (237,300 on 9/23/2019!!!). She dedicates this song stating:
"I started and finished this song for my loving husband Steve S. Yang a.k.a. DEATHRHYME. Despite the hardships and the rainy days we may encounter, I'll never phase from loving you. Your name, your smile, and our beautiful love story I'll remember forever. If we ever do get lost in the fog, listen to this song and we will surely find our way back to love. I give you all...HNEEV TAW HLUB."
What sweet words, and what beautiful lyrics to share with someone you love!
3. Hill Tribe NY Fashion Week
Hill Tribe went to New York for the super stressful, but super BIG DEAL Fashion Week! We are so proud of them for their big leap of faith, and their long journey that they have taken to get here. Their passion for their craft and the stories that they tell through their art is powerful! Check out this clip straight from the runway here.
4. Union Hmong Kitchen with National Geographic
Speaking of someone who is passionate for their craft, see this video from National Geographic of one of our Hmong chefs. Yia Vang and Chris Her created "a pop-up restaurant experience that features Hmong culture, stories, rituals, foods and flavors."
We especially love seeing two men taking these food to the limits, and showcasing only the best from our culture!
5. Megan Khang
As children of war refugees, we all know and understand the expectations held on us by our parents. We see the hope they have for us as they get up early to go to physically demanding jobs, as they tell us the stories of running, as they tell us to go to school.
And we all taste the sweetness of what that means when we are able to make them proud.
Megan Khang is of such a story. She is going to represent the U.S. team for the Solheim Cup's opening ceremony in Scotland.
Her father says, "We're definitely living the American dream. Looking back, this is something that we just couldn't have imagined happening. We were Hmong children, in Laos, during the war, nobody knowing who we were, and now we're going to the Solheim Cup, to watch our daughter play for the United States."
How beautiful for her parents to see her accomplishments! Read more about it here.
Have a wonderful rest of September!
- The Story Cloth Shop Team