I finally found you...

I have been searching for this blogger application so I can quickly and easily scribble random but significant thoughts and events in my journey along the road less traveled. Tonight I found it and I am indeed happy. Readers, expect more to come!

Tais

According to wikipedia:

Tais cloth is a form of traditional weaving created by the women of East Timor. An essential part of the nation's cultural heritage, tais weavings are used for ceremonial adornment, home decor, and personal apparel. The Catholic Church of East Timor has also adopted the use of tais during its ceremonies. Because of the Indonesian occupation of East Timor, detailed study of the history and importance of the tais began only after 2000.

The tais has been used in East Timor as a unit of exchange, often for livestock or other valuables. In ceremonial use, the tais is usually worn along with feathers, coral, gold and/or silver. Still, the sale of tais has become common only in the last thirty years. Although small-scale commerce of tais is an important source of income for women, however, export is difficult and nearly all sales take place with foreigners. In recent years, the public textile market in the capital Dili has seen an influx of foreign-made weavings, which often look like tais and are sold (and made) more cheaply. 

In my experience, our partner community based organizations in the district always have tais ready for guests whenever they receive staff from the regional office, international office or donors. I would tag along, as part of my long list of job responsibilities. Being with these guests, I also get the honor to be given the tais. In my almost a year and a half stay in Timor-Leste, I had collected 6 tais corresponding to 6 occasions I attended where tais-giving ceremony was done. There could have been more but I managed to avoid several occasions by convincing them that I am not a guest.  The ceremony is normally done in this process.

It started at the school entrance. The child folding the tais carefully. 

Puts it over my head

Arranged it well around my neck. 

I had to say 'obrigada'

Then we started walking towards the class room. 

Just to add on the information from wikipedia, personal account from my colleagues mentioned tais as a sign of gratitude for the good things given to the community. In our case, the projects being implemented in their district, school or organization. It also symbolizes giving and receiving something back in return. On a deeper cultural root, tais is used as part of their traditional ritual symbolizing wealth which might be similar to what wikipedia mentioned as 'worn along with feathers, coral, gold and silver. In their uma lulic, there is always a tais designed especially for this traditional ritual.

We always inform our local partners not to do this but we would always find them prepared with the tais ceremony. For them, refusing tais is like refusing them and rejecting their culture.

To make use of my tais, here is a photo of where they ended up in my house.

wall decor, table runner...the weaving depends on the district where the tais was made.